"You can't trust anyone." Emma sighed as she walked along the beach with her aunt. "He promised to love my mom forever. And now what? He's going to leave me and Mom and never see us again?"

"I'm sorry," her aunt said. "I wish things had worked out better."

"He promised he was going to be like a dad to me," Emma said.

"You and your mom have both been hurt twice now," her aunt said. "It's terrible, and I'm sorry." She bent to pick up a shell. "I don't know what it's like to have a dad or stepdad leave me, but I know that breakups are difficult. They make it hard to trust."

"I'm never trusting anyone again. Everyone lies. No one stays with you." Emma's eyes filled with tears. "How do I even know you'll stay? How do I trust God anymore?" She kicked at the sand. "You know what? I don't."

"Emma." Her aunt dropped the shell and put her arms around her. "Sweetheart…"

"I wanted him to stick around!" Emma cried. "Mom was happy when he was with us."

They stood there together, Emma crying and her aunt trying to comfort her, until a loud seagull got their attention and they pulled apart.

Emma wiped her eyes. "I don't know if I can trust God anymore."

Her aunt pointed to the water. "Who made that?"

"God," Emma said. "He made the whole world."

"Right," her aunt said. "There's a verse in Psalms that says God made the sea and goes on to say that He is always going to be faithful. Faithful…it's what a couple promises to be when they get married. But people mess up. God doesn't ever mess up--He will always be there for you."

"It's hard to believe that," Emma said.

"I know. But the One who made you and sent His Son to die for you is not going to abandon you. He loves you too much to do that."

Emma bent down and picked up a smooth stone. "I think I'll keep this to remember what you said--to remember that the God who made the ocean is always going to be faithful."

–Emily Acker

Ryan lay flat on his back in the cool green grass, watching the fluffy clouds floating across the sky above him. When he glanced over at the tall trellis covered with Grandma's rambling roses, he noticed it almost reached the small balcony with the slider door that led to the guest bedroom. Ryan scrambled to his feet and darted toward the house. I bet I can climb up to my room, he thought. He put his foot on a low trellis slat, pushed away a few roses, and began to climb. He stretched his arms, caught the balcony railing, and swung himself up. But before he could crawl over the railing, his foot slipped. He screamed, and the big pink roses zipped by as he fell to the ground.

"Ryan, can you open your eyes?" asked a faraway voice. "Can you hear me?"

Ryan blinked and slowly sat up. "What happened?" he asked.

"You had a bad fall," said Grandpa. "We need to take you to the emergency room to make sure you don't have a concussion."

After returning from the hospital with a clean bill of health, Ryan felt embarrassed about what he had done. "I wanted to climb onto the balcony to get into my room," he said. "I thought it would be more fun than just walking in through the door, but it wasn't fun at all!"

After dinner, Grandpa read from the book of John. "Your experience today reminded me of these verses," he said. "They say Jesus is the door to eternal life. We may think we can get to heaven by going to church, helping neighbors, giving money to charity, taking care of animals--doing all sorts of good things. But just like you couldn't get into your bedroom by climbing the rose trellis, none of us can get into heaven by doing good things."

"Right," said Grandma. "We can only get into heaven through Jesus. He is the door. Only He can save us from sin and give us eternal life."

Ryan nodded. "I didn't use the door when I tried to get into my room today, and that was a disaster. I'm glad I'm going through the door to heaven by trusting in Jesus!"

–Lois A. Teufel

"I don't get it, Grandpa." Malik scratched his head as he looked at the painting. "What is it?"

"Well, the title is Three Musicians. Try squinting your eyes and tilting your head."

"I think I see a clarinet and a guitar, but the musicians look a little creepy."

"That's the beauty of art," said Grandpa. "Everyone sees something different."

Malik and his grandparents were spending the afternoon at an art museum. Malik had never seen so many paintings and sculptures. Hundreds of pieces of artwork hung on walls that stretched on for what seemed like miles.

"Which painting is your favorite, Malik?" Grandma asked.

"I'm not sure, Grammy. Some of these paintings look like they were painted by a three-year-old. Other paintings look way better than anything I could paint. If I had to pick my favorite, it might be Three Musicians. I like that you have to think about what you're looking at. How much do you think a painting like that costs?"

Grandma shrugged. Grandpa scratched his chin. "I'm sure that painting costs millions of dollars."

"Millions of dollars!" Malik couldn't believe it. "It doesn't look that valuable."

Grandpa smiled. "It's not valuable because of how it looks. It's valuable because of who made it. Three Musicians was painted by Pablo Picasso, one of the greatest artists of all time. Many people consider it to be one of his masterpieces."

Grandma put her arm around Malik. "Every time I come here I can't help but think that none of these masterpieces compare to God's masterpieces."

"God's masterpieces?" asked Malik. "Where are God's masterpieces?"

Grandma smiled. "Take a look in the mirror."

"Me?" Malik asked.

"You got it. The Bible says God made all of us in His image. We're God's masterpieces. Our value doesn't come from how we look, but from who made us."

"That's right," Grandpa chimed in. "The Bible also says God paid a high price for us. He sent His Son to die on the cross to save us from sin. Jesus paid for us with His life so we could belong to Him."

Malik took out his phone and snapped a picture of himself with his grandparents. Grandma looked at it and smiled. "Now that's a masterpiece!"

–Jared Hottenstein

"Have you ever heard people use colors to describe their feelings?" Miss Iverson asked her class.

Carter waved his hand to make sure she saw it. "Like green with envy?"

"How about purple with rage?" Mei said. "Or blue--like when they're sad."

"All good examples," Miss Iverson said. "Now, people don't actually change color, but some animals do. A chameleon, for example, can quickly change its skin color in response to light, temperature, or other things in its environment. Other animals change color to blend in with their surroundings. They do that to defend themselves against enemies."

That evening, Carter told his dad about his day. "People use different colors to describe how they feel, but some animals really do change their color. Isn't that cool?"

"Sure is," said Dad. "Sounds like you had a good day."

"Pretty good," replied Carter, but then he frowned. "Hari and I always play together at recess time, but today he acted like he didn't even know me! He was playing basketball with a bunch of guys when I came up, and he didn't invite me to play with them or even speak to me. I think he wanted them to think he was cool." Carter paused. "Hari was a chameleon friend today!"

"That's a good way to describe people who change their behavior toward others depending on the situation," said Dad. "But I don't think Hari is the only one who does that. Have you ever done something like that, Carter?"

"Well…maybe." Carter thought of how he treated his little sister differently when his friends came over. "Yeah. I'm not always nice to Layla in front of my friends because I want her to leave us alone."

"Do you remember the verse you learned at church last week?" Dad asked.

Carter nodded. "Proverbs 17:17. It says friends should love each other at all times. That kind of friend wouldn't be like a chameleon."

"No," said Dad. "That verse describes the kind of friend Jesus is. He shows His love for us all the time, and He wants us to do the same. Trust Him to help you be consistent, loving friend--even when others aren't."

"Okay." Carter sighed. "I'll remember that when I see Hari tomorrow."

–Donna Huisjen

Robin knelt at the foot of her bed and bowed her head to pray. It was hard to focus with her little sister, Jenny, screaming in the bathroom.

"No! I don't want to brush my teeth!" Jenny cried.

Mom poked her head into Robin's room, a tired smile on her face. "Robin, could Jenny and I pray with you? Maybe we can pray that Jenny will want to brush her teeth."

Robin nodded, and her sister raced into the room and sat beside her, suddenly

an angel. "Dear Jesus," Robin said. "Thank You for helping me with my math homework and healing Grandma from her fall. Please bless all my friends and family. Help us have a good night's sleep. Amen."

"Amen!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Robin, did you forget something?" Mom asked.

"Oh, right. Jesus, please help Jenny brush her teeth without complaining. Amen."

Mom smiled. "Just one more thing. Do you remember how Jesus taught us how to pray? In addition to thanking God and bringing our needs to Him, we also need to confess our sins."

Robin sighed. "I just don't see the point in asking Jesus to forgive my sins every single day. I'll still make mistakes tomorrow."

"Admitting our wrongs is about more than preventing future mistakes," Mom replied.

Jenny tugged on Mom's sleeve. "Bedtime?"

Robin laughed. "Nice try, Jenny. But you have to brush your teeth."

"Why does she need to brush her teeth?" Mom asked Robin.

"Because her teeth are dirty and she might get cavities if she waits too long to clean them."

"But her teeth will be dirty again tomorrow," Mom said. "And every day after that. Maybe the whole thing is pointless."

"It's still healthier to brush her teeth daily," Robin said. Then she laughed. "You're not talking about brushing teeth, are you?"

"You caught me," Mom said. "Confessing our sins reminds us of our need for Jesus and helps us appreciate what He did to save us. Prayer is meant to bring us closer to Jesus in this way."

Robin turned to Jenny. "If I confess my sins to Jesus, will you finally brush your teeth?"

Jenny sighed dramatically. "Okay, fine."

–Hannah Chung

Landon's eyes widened in horror as his elbow knocked a bottle of paint off the table and it toppled to the floor. Blue paint spread in a growing blob across the kitchen. Landon jumped off his chair and quickly picked up the paint bottle. What am I going to do? he wondered. I've got to clean this up before Grandpa and Grandma see it.

Landon rushed into the laundry room and grabbed some rags, then ran back to the kitchen and used them to soak up the paint on the floor. A large stain remained behind, so he got a bucket of soapy water and began scrubbing the paint spot. This isn't going to work! Landon thought frantically. He ran to the sink and began washing his hands. I can't get the paint off my hands either! He knew he would have to tell his grandparents what had happened.

Grandpa frowned when he came in and saw the stain. "Well, I'm glad the floor isn't carpeted!" he said. "I have some special cleaner in the garage, and I think it will work on this." Grandpa went to get the cleaner, and soon all trace of the paint was gone.

"You know, Landon," said Grandpa as they washed their hands with the same cleaner they had used on the floor, "maybe we can both learn a good lesson from what just happened."

Landon looked up at him. "Not to fool around with paint in the kitchen, right?"

Grandpa smiled. "Well, yes, but I was thinking of an even more important lesson. You couldn't wash the paint stains away by yourself, could you?" Landon shook his head. "The Bible tells us we're all stained by sin, and no matter how hard we try, we can't clean it away ourselves," Grandpa said as he picked up a towel and dried his hands. "But when Jesus died and rose again, He made it possible for our sins to be washed away."

Landon dried his clean hands too. "I needed you to use your special cleaner on the floor and on my hands," he said. "And I need Jesus to clean my heart, right?"

Grandpa smiled and put his hand on Landon's shoulder. "That's exactly right."

–Richard S. Maffeo

Malachi waited in the hallway, tapping his foot on the floor. "Almost time…"

He didn't have to wait long. The door to his dad's office opened, and his dad appeared with his glasses pushed up on the top of his head. "Hi, bud," Dad said.

Malachi grinned and started for the kitchen. He knew his dad would follow him.

An hour later, Malachi positioned himself in the hallway again. This time his dad wouldn't just be getting water but also a snack. He was hoping he might share.

"Have you been standing out here all morning?" Dad asked as he stepped out of his office.

Malachi shook his head with a grin. "What are you having today? Yogurt? A granola bar?"

Dad gave him a sheepish smile. "How did you know I was feeling ready for a snack?"

Malachi shrugged. Ever since his dad started working from home, he'd been paying attention and learning his routine.

Malachi told his grandma about it that evening when she came to the house so his dad could go to a meeting. "I've memorized it all. He does everything at a certain time, even going outside to get a little fresh air."

Grandma smiled. "It shows you care a lot about him for you to memorize his routine so you can see him when he takes little breaks from his work."

Malachi nodded slowly. It did show that, didn't it? He wanted all the time he could get with his dad.

Malachi frowned. "No one cares enough to memorize my routine. I don't think Dad even knows what time I get up."

"Your dad might not, but someone does," Grandma said, scooping a homemade brownie onto a plate. "In Psalm 139, we read that God knows every move we make. Not only did He love us enough to send Jesus to save us from sin, but He cares about us enough to pay attention to our daily routines."

"Really?" Malachi asked. "Well, that's cool."

Grandma nodded. "Your dad loves and cares about you too, Malachi. If you're feeling lonely, maybe you should talk to him about spending more time together. But when your dad can't be with you, remember that God is. He knows everything about you and cares about your life. You can always talk to Him."

–Emily Acker

"Mr. Robinson asked me to give my testimony at our youth group meeting Sunday night," Olivia told her mother as they walked along a path in the woods. "I'm going to tell him I just can't do it! I'm too scared!" She pointed toward a nearby hill. "There's the old fire lookout tower, Mom. Looks like somebody's on duty there today. Do you think they'll let us climb it? I've never done that."

"Let's check it out," said Mom.

When they walked over to the tower, Olivia hesitated. "I don't know," she said as she looked up at flight after flight of stairs leading to the top of the tower. "It looks scary! I don't really like being up so high."

"I'll be behind you to make sure you don't fall," Mom assured her. So after they got permission, Olivia and her mother began climbing.

The higher they climbed, the scarier it seemed, but Olivia could feel her mom's presence right behind her. And when they finally reached the top, Olivia was amazed as she looked out over the forest. Brilliant colors from the setting sun clung to clouds on the horizon. It made a spectacular canopy over the trees and hills below. "Wow, this is awesome!" said Olivia.

"Was it worth being scared?" Mom asked.

"It sure was," said Olivia. "Besides, even though I was scared, I knew you were with me."

"You know," said Mom, "if you let fear keep you from giving your testimony, you might miss something as awesome as this view."

"What do you mean?" asked Olivia.

"It's awesome to see what God does when we share how He's working in our lives with others," replied Mom.

"But what if I get so scared I can't even talk?" asked Olivia.

"I'm not saying you'll breeze right through it, but just like I was with you and ready to help you on these stairs, God will be with you and help you speak about Jesus and how He's changed your life. Even if you mess up, He'll be there to support you and use what you say to bless others."

Olivia hesitated, then nodded. "Okay," she said. "Even though it's scary, I'll trust God to help me."

–Katherine R. Adams

Javier looked out the window. Rain rattled on the roof, and thunder jolted his eardrums. "Why is it so loud, Mom?" he asked.

"The storm is getting closer," replied Mom. "The reporter on TV said the basement is the safest place in storms like this, so let's go." Mom handed Javier a jug of water and a couple of flashlights. "You can carry these," she said. "I'll grab some snacks and our emergency pack."

They hurried down the stairs and huddled in a corner of the basement as the wind shook the house. "The wind is so strong," said Javier nervously.

"Yes," said Mom, "but we're sheltered from it. And we have snacks and lights and other supplies to keep us comfortable." She handed him a granola bar.

"Thanks--peanut butter's my favorite!" Javier bit into the bar and chewed thoughtfully. "It's good to be prepared for storms like this, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," said Mom. "Did you know God wants us to also prepare for storms that may come along in life?"

"So we'll be ready for whatever happens to us?" asked Javier.

"Exactly. Can you think of ways we can be ready for whatever happens in our lives here on earth?"

"Well, we believed what the weather reporter said and came to the basement, and we also need to believe what God says and trust Jesus to save us from sin," said Javier.

"Good," said Mom. "That's most important. What else?"

"We brought lights," said Javier. "And the Bible is called a light, isn't it?"

"Yes," said Mom. "It shows us our need for Jesus and the sacrifice He made to save us, and it shines on our lives so we can follow the path God wants for us as His children. Any more ideas?"

"Uh…we brought food and water," said Javier. "Is that like the Bible too?"

Mom nodded. "As we get to know Jesus through what He says in the Bible, He will nourish us spiritually and remind us to trust Him for strength when life brings hard times."

Javier sat up straight. "Hey, Mom, it's not blowing so hard anymore! Shouldn't we pray and thank God for protecting us?"

"You bet!" said Mom, and together they bowed their heads.

–Jaclyn S. Miller

"It's hard to believe you're already old enough to be in middle school this year, Mateo," Mom said as they drove home after shopping for school clothes.

"Don't remind me," Mateo said miserably. "I wish I could stay at my old school forever."

"Why?" asked Mom.

"Last year there weren't any older kids to pick on us," replied Mateo. "I liked being one of the oldest kids in the school."

"Sounds like you have the middle school blues before you even get there," said Mom.

"Well, this year my class will be the youngest, so we'll have to deal with all the older kids," said Mateo.

Mom pointed to a little girl on a tricycle crossing the street with her mother. "Remember your tricycle?" she asked. "Why don't you ride it anymore?"

"Ride my tricycle?" asked Mateo in surprise. "That would look weird!" He grinned at the thought. "I'm too big to ride that thing now."

"Remember how you prayed every night for weeks that you could take the training wheels off your first two-wheel bike?" Mom asked as the traffic light turned green and they went through the busy intersection.

Mateo laughed. "I remember that. I didn't want to be a baby forever."

"It seems like you do now," said Mom. "At least when it comes to school."

Mateo frowned. "School is different."

"Somewhat different," Mom said as they turned into their driveway. "But in a way, going from your tricycle to a bike with training wheels to a bike without them is a lot like going from elementary to middle school to high school."

Mateo sighed. "I guess."

"And whenever you fell off your tricycle or bike, Dad and I were there to help," Mom reminded him. "We're still here to help you--we'll support you and pray for you every day. And you should pray too! Give your worries to Jesus, and trust Him to help you deal with new situations. Even though middle school seems scary, He promises to be with you and use this new phase of your life to help you grow in your relationship with Him. Trust Him to help you one day at a time, and enjoy today!"

–Ruth McQuilkin

Luke sat in the pew and stared off into space as his parents talked to some friends nearby. His stomach growled loudly, and he hoped his family would leave soon.

"What are you doing sitting here by yourself?"

Luke looked up as Mr. Bryant sat down in the pew in front of him. "Nothing," Luke said with a smile. He liked talking to Mr. Bryant.

"Why don't you go talk to someone?" Mr. Bryant asked.

Luke shrugged. "I don't have any friends here," he said.

"What do you mean you don't have friends?" Mr. Bryant looked around the church. "I bet the kids over there are your age." He pointed to someone up front. "And I know he's your age!"

Luke looked and saw that Mr. Bryant was pointing to his grandson standing by the piano. "It's just--it's hard to know what to say to other kids," he told Mr. Bryant. "I don't mind being by myself."

Mr. Bryant cleared his throat. "Remember when you first started coming to church here with your family? I totally ignored you, and that's how we became friends, right?"

Luke laughed. "No! You were one of the first people to say hello, and we talk all the time now."

Mr. Bryant nodded and leaned his arm on top of the pew. "Listen, Luke. You want friends, don't you?" Luke nodded. "Well," Mr. Bryant said, "to have friends, you have to be friendly and take an interest in others. You have to go right up and introduce yourself, like I did when I first met you."

"But it's hard," Luke said.

"So's math," said Mr. Bryant with a grin. "But you don't have to do it on your own. Jesus is the greatest Friend there is--He became one of us and died to save us so we could be His friends forever! With His help, I think you'll make one of those friends the Bible talks about--one that sticks closer than a brother."

Luke thought about that and smiled. "I guess that'd be cool."

Mr. Bryant leaned over and gave Luke a friendly slap on the shoulder. "Now you're talking." He looked at his watch and got up. "See you later, Luke." He jerked his thumb toward his grandson. "Now go say hello."

–Katlyn Traxler

It felt like forever before it was Daisy's turn to ride the swinging ship. She watched the line slowly move forward each time a new group got on the ride. Finally, it was her turn!

"Ready?" Dad grinned.

"More than ready!" Daisy hurried to find a seat.

The ride was just as fun as she expected, and she screamed each time it went down. Her stomach flip-flopped a little, but she still loved it.

"Can we go again?" Daisy asked as soon as they were finished.

Dad pointed toward the line. "It's still long."

"I don't mind," Daisy said. Now that she knew how fun the ride was, she could wait forever.

"You're sure you wouldn't rather ride something else?" Dad asked, pointing toward a shorter line. Daisy quickly shook her head. Dad smiled and led her to the end of the long line. "Some things are worth waiting for, huh?"

"Yeah," Daisy said.

Dad put his hand on her shoulder. "As you get older, you'll realize other things are worth waiting for too. Sometimes we have to be patient to get something good."

"Like a ride on a swinging ship?" Daisy asked.

"And things even better than that," Dad said as they slowly moved forward in line. "God has good plans for you, Daisy. He loves you so much He sent Jesus to save you from sin and give you eternal life! You can trust Him to bring good things into your life at the right time. Be patient as you wait for Him to show you what they are."

"What kind of things?" asked Daisy.

"Well, for example, it took a while for me to figure out God was calling me to be a pastor. Waiting for Him to lead me where He wanted me to go wasn't easy, but it helped me grow in my relationship with Jesus." Dad smiled. "You can trust God to lead you in what's best for your life too."

Daisy nodded. The line didn't seem so bad when her dad was talking, and she knew how much fun she was going to have at the end. She was glad she could trust God to help her be patient and wait for the good things He had planned for her too.

–Bethany Acker

"Whoo, whoo, whoooo!" Kaylee heard the soft hoot of an owl floating through the still night air as she and her dad walked along a narrow path on their way to see the moon rise over the lake. An owl! she thought. She shined her flashlight toward the treetops, hoping to get a glimpse of the bird, but she couldn't see anything. As she looked straight up and searched the branches, her foot caught on a root sticking up from the path, and she fell down hard.

"Kaylee, are you all right?" Dad hurried to help her up. "What happened?"

"I tripped on a root," said Kaylee, getting up and brushing herself off. "I was pointing my flashlight up at the trees to see if I could find the owl. I guess I should have kept my light on the path."

"Yeah, I guess so," said Dad with a smile. They continued their walk and soon reached the beach. The lake was calm and glassy, and a beautiful silver path led to the moon hanging low over the dark water. They stood and enjoyed the scene in silence for a while. "Well, we'd better head back," Dad finally said. "Be sure to keep your light on the path this time."

"I will!" Kaylee assured him. "I've learned my lesson. That owl can hoot all he wants--I'm gonna watch where I'm going!"

"I've been thinking about a verse in Psalms--one that says God's Word is a light for our path," Dad said as they started back. "If we forget to shine the light of God's Word on our lives, it can cause us to trip and fall in our walk with Jesus."

"That would be worse than the fall I took, wouldn't it?" said Kaylee.

Dad nodded. "Jesus is our light in this dark world--He saved us and promises us eternal life with Him. That's why we need to let His truth light our way and guide us in how we live. And when we trip and fall into sin, the Bible says Jesus will always forgive us when we confess our wrongs."

Kaylee smiled. "I'll listen to what God says in the Bible so His light will shine on my path--just like this flashlight!"

–Judith K. Boogaart

Evelyn peeked through the blinds of her bedroom window at the SOLD! sign on her front lawn. She turned back to the sea of boxes surrounding her as a tear slipped from her eye and landed with a wet splat on the cardboard.

I can't decide if I want my butterfly pillow at Mom's apartment or Dad's house, she thought. With a big sigh, she threw it into the box marked Mom along with some other toys and books.

Evelyn's mom knocked on her door. "Evelyn, is everything okay in there? You need to be finished packing by lunchtime."

When Evelyn didn't answer, Mom opened the door and found her silently crying over the open box. "What is it?" Mom asked, wrapping her tightly in a hug.

"I can't decide if I want my butterfly pillow at your apartment or Dad's house. I need it to fall asleep," Evelyn said, wiping her eyes. "Why do we have to sell our house and move into two separate places? I want my pillow with me every night! And I want you and Dad with me every night too."

"I'm so sorry our divorce has hurt you so badly, Evelyn," Mom said, rubbing her arm. "We both love you very much, even when we're not with you. And the good news is you can take your pillow to Dad's house and then bring it back to my apartment. Your pillow can go everywhere with you. You never have to leave it behind." Mom picked up Evelyn's Bible from the open cardboard box. "Just like God promised us in the Bible that He would never leave us. When you trusted in Jesus, God gave you the Holy Spirit to help you, comfort you, and guide you. He is always with you, Evelyn, even when Dad and I are not."

Mom gently placed Evelyn's butterfly pillow and Bible into her backpack. "How about we keep these two special things in your bag so they're easy to take back and forth between my apartment and Dad's house?"

Evelyn glanced out the window again at the sign in her yard. "Okay," she said. "I guess I can give it a try."

–Nicole Kraayenbrink

"Visit our store and enjoy Christmas every day of the year!" Georgia read the billboard out loud as she and her family traveled home from a weeklong vacation. "Cool!" she said. "That's in the town at the next exit, isn't it? Can we stop at that store?"

Dad shrugged. "Why not? We could use a break from driving. Watch for signs so we'll know where to turn."

They found the store, and everyone smiled when they heard "Jingle Bells" playing over the loudspeaker as they walked in. The store was filled with all kinds of Christmas decorations--ornaments, trees, twinkling lights, and wreaths. In one corner, a woman was handing out decorated Christmas cookies.

As Georgia and her parents ate their cookies, they wandered over to a large manger scene. The animals looked so real, Georgia could almost imagine she was in Bethlehem. As she thought about the events of that night long ago, she imagined Mary putting baby Jesus in a manger with all the sounds and smells of animals around them. She thought about the angels singing, the shepherds running to the stable to see Jesus, and the wise men traveling from far away to worship the new King.

"Come on, Georgia," said Mom, interrupting her daydreams. "Time to be on our way."

Georgia continued thinking about the manger scene on the drive home. "I wish we could celebrate Christmas all year long like they do at that store," she said.

"We can!" said Dad. "What is Christmas, Georgia?"

"It's the time when we remember Jesus being born," Georgia replied.

"Exactly!" said Dad. "The night God sent His Son to earth as one of us so He could save us from sin. Don't you think that's something we should celebrate all year long?"

"Well, sure," said Georgia. "We should thank God every day for sending Jesus, shouldn't we?" She grinned. "So can we put up the Christmas tree when we get home?"

Mom laughed and shook her head. "We'll save that for December," she said. "We can remember God's gift of Jesus and the meaning of Christmas without the tree."

–Linda Weddle

Graham set a large birthday present on his knees and shut the car door. Mom fastened her seat belt and turned to Graham. "You don't have your seat belt on."

"I can't reach it while I'm holding this present," said Graham. "It's only two blocks to Cameron's house, so I don't need it anyway."

"Oh yes, you do! A lot of accidents happen close to home, and a seat belt could save your life. Here, let me help you." Mom reached over and buckled his seat belt. "There. Now we can go." She started the car. "Seat belts were put in cars to protect us. And don't forget--the law says we have to use them."

"The law," repeated Graham. "That sounds like something we talked about in church--God's law. God gave us rules like the Ten Commandments to protect us and help us live good lives, but no one could obey them, so that's why Jesus had to die for us. Or something like that--I didn't understand all of it."

Just then a ball bounced into the street in front of them. Mom hit the brakes and the car screeched to a stop--inches away from a little boy who had dashed after the ball. Graham lurched forward, but his seat belt tightened, holding him back. The little boy grabbed the ball and ran back into his yard.

"If you hadn't made me wear my seat belt, I would have smashed right into the dashboard!" said Graham.

Mom nodded and started driving again. "Good thing you obeyed the law and had your seat belt on. But were you able to buckle it yourself?"

"No," said Graham. "I was holding Cameron's present, so you had to buckle it for me."

"And that's what Jesus does for us," said Mom. "Sin is like that present you're holding--it makes us unable to obey God's law. None of us is good enough to have eternal life with God. That's why Jesus had to pay for our sin on the cross. When we trust in Him, He buckles His goodness around us like a seat belt and saves us!"

"Oh--I get it now!" Graham smiled. "Thanks for buckling my seat belt, Mom--you saved me! And I'm thankful Jesus saved me too."

–Eunice C. Matchett

Nico grinned as his sister lay back on her inflatable raft. "I'm going to pop your float," he told her. "You'll sink."

Maya smiled, unfazed. "My life jacket will hold me up."

"What if I take the life jacket?" Nico asked.

Maya shrugged. "It still won't matter. This is the shallow end, and the water only reaches up to my waist."

"Well then, maybe I'll just pick you up and dunk you under," said Nico.

Maya grinned and pointed to Mom sitting at the side of the pool. "With Mom there, I'll be just fine."

A while later, Mom's phone rang. "Time to go inside, kids," she said after she hung up. "I need to go pick Dad up from work. He just called to say he feels really sick, so I'm going to take him to the emergency room."

Maya and Nico gave each other worried looks. "Okay, Mom," Nico said.

Mom was gone quite a while, and when she returned home, Dad wasn't with her. "What's wrong with Dad?" asked Maya anxiously.

"We don't know for sure yet, but they admitted him as a patient at the hospital," replied Mom. "Hopefully it's nothing serious."

Nico felt nervous too. "What if it is really serious?" he asked. "Aren't you scared, Mom?"

"Of course I am," said Mom. "But I'm thankful to know that God is in control and no matter what happens, Dad--and each of us--will be okay because we're in God's hands. We'll pray for Dad, and we need to trust God to take care of him."

"But what if something's really wrong with Dad?" asked Nico. "How could that ever be okay?"

"Earlier today I heard you teasing your sister in the pool," Mom told him. "But Maya knew that no matter what you did, she'd be okay because I was there and would take care of her. Well, we can have absolute confidence that no matter what happens, we'll be okay because Jesus died and rose again to save us and give us eternal life. He will always be with us and take care of us--even if the worst were to happen. We're safe in His hands."

–Nance E. Keyes

"Ouch!" cried Wren as she climbed into the tree house her dad was building. Dad stopped hammering and raised his brow. "I hurt my finger," Wren said.

"Let me take a look." Dad put his hammer down and studied her finger. "You've got a sliver, but don't worry, I'm an expert sliver remover! Just as soon as I'm finished here, I'll take it out."

Wren squirmed. "It's okay. It's not that big. I'll just leave it."

"Not a good idea," said Dad, digging through his toolbox. He frowned. "That's strange. My tape measure isn't in here. Well, I can work without it for now."

"Tape measure?" Wren asked, suddenly feeling guilty. And as the afternoon wore on, she felt more and more guilty. She knew what had happened to the tape measure.

"Dad, this sliver really hurts," Wren said that evening. "I think I need help from an expert sliver remover after all."

"Oh, that's right--I forgot about your sliver!" Dad got out the tweezers. "Slivers don't go away on their own." Wren winced as he pricked her skin. "There," Dad said. "It's out."

Wren looked at the tiny fleck Dad was holding. "I can't believe something that small could hurt so bad," she said.

"This little sliver reminds me of what we call 'little' sins," said Dad. "We think they don't really amount to much and shouldn't hurt anybody. But if we're sensitive to how Jesus wants us to love others, they cause us grief until we confess them and get them removed. We could call them sin slivers."

Wren sighed. "Dad, I…" She hesitated. "I need another sliver removed--a sin sliver that's been bothering me all day. I took your tape measure. I know I'm not supposed to go in your toolbox, but I used it to take measurements for a treasure map, and then I lost it in the woods. I'm sorry. I should have told you right away."

"So that's where it went!" said Dad. "Well, I'll have to get another tape measure, but at least I won't be hunting for that one anymore. I'm glad you told me, and I forgive you. Even better--Jesus promises to forgive the sins we confess too."

–Jody Hedlund

The girls in Cabin 9 were walking down the path to the campfire at Bible camp when Gabby pointed up at the sky. "Look at the moon tonight! Yesterday there was no moonlight at all in the sky, but today there is a bright sliver of light."

Her counselor, Jami, nodded. "It has started to reflect the sun's light, and tomorrow it will reflect more light and keep growing until it's a full moon."

They reached the campfire and found their seats. They sang silly songs and laughed as they roasted marshmallows, then listened as the camp director told them about Jesus.

A warm feeling filled Gabby as she listened to the director speak. She suddenly knew that she wanted to trust in Jesus. She moved a little closer to Jami and asked her to pray with her to ask Jesus to forgive her for her sins. Jami gave her a hug as they knelt down to pray.

Later that night, as they walked back to the cabin, Jami smiled and pointed up at the moon. "Gabby, now that you trust in Jesus, your faith is like that moon. Just as the moon reflects the sun's light, our lives reflect the love of Jesus. Yesterday, like the moon, you had no light, but today God's love and goodness have started to shine through you."

Gabby stared up at the moon. "I'm so excited to have Jesus in my life, but what do I do when I get home?" she asked.

"As you grow in your relationship with Jesus, His light will grow inside you," said Jami. "Just as a crescent moon grows into a bright full moon, you'll begin to reflect Him more and more. When you get home, keep getting to know Jesus better and learning more about Him. Go to church and spend time with other Christians, and read your Bible and pray every day. As your faith and understanding grow, you'll become more like Jesus and reflect more of His light, just like that moon."

Gabby pondered Jami's words. "Wow," she said. "I can't wait to get to know Jesus even better! And now that I know Him, I know He'll be with me and help me shine every day."

–Bethany Den Boer

"I heard the kids' choir at church is holding auditions next week," Mom said as Milo set the table for dinner. "Why don't you try out? I know how much you love to sing, and they could sure use you."

Milo shrugged. "I'm sure those kids are way better than me, so why bother? I'll just stick to singing in the shower."

"I found out more about badgers!" Anna announced when they sat down to dinner. "Have you ever heard of a honey badger?"

"No, but I'm guessing it's called a honey badger because it likes honey," said Milo.

"Right!" said Anna. "The honey badger has a bird friend called a honeyguide. When the honeyguide finds a beehive full of honey, it leads the way to it. Then the honey badger uses its claws to break open the hive and eat the honey."

"Does the honeyguide get some of the honey too?" asked Milo. Anna shook her head. "Well, that doesn't seem fair!" said Milo. "The honey badger should share the honey."

"But the honeyguide doesn't want the honey," said Anna. "It wants the beeswax and the bees' eggs and larvae in the honeycomb, and that's what the honey badger leaves behind."

"Interesting," said Dad. "So each one helps the other, and by helping each other they both benefit."

"You know, we're supposed to do the same thing as Christians," said Mom. "Just like the bird is able to locate honey and the honey badger has claws to open the hive, God has blessed us with different talents and abilities. He wants us to use them to help others and point them to Jesus. When we keep our gifts to ourselves instead of sharing them with others, everyone misses out--both us and the people who would have benefited from them."

Milo sighed. "You're talking about me trying out for the kids' choir, aren't you?" He put down his fork. "Okay, maybe I'll give it a try--I wouldn't want to keep a gift God gave me all to myself when I could use it to help others. I might make new friends and learn more about music too. That sounds better than just singing in the shower!"

–Tanya Ferdinandusz