One Hundred Percent

Bible Reading: Romans 3:23-24 Laura sat up in bed with maths papers strewn all over the place. “Six eights are forty-eight, seven eights are fifty-six, eight eights are—” Just then, Mum walked in. “Sixty-four!” Mum glanced at her watch. “Are you still studying, Laura? It’s late. You should be asleep!” Laura sighed. “I know. I’m…

Not a Secret

Bible Reading: Acts 4:13-20 Andy brought Mexican jumping beans to school today,” said Tiernan at dinner one evening. “They look like regular beans, but then they move all by themselves. Andy wouldn’t say what made them move—he said it was a secret. But I looked it up online and found out. I don’t know why…

A Listening Ear

Bible Reading: Matthew 6:7-13 Ella looked at the tall buildings surrounding her new home. A big lump formed in her throat as she thought about the stormy divorce that had taken her father away from her. She tried to tell her mother how lonely she was, but she felt like Mom didn’t really listen. I…

Let It Go

Bible Reading: 1 John 1:5-10 Katie’s brother Brent had wanted a pet monkey ever since Dad’s job had brought their family to South America. “Rico told me how to catch one,” Brent told his sister one day. “I made a hole in a big gourd and put a banana in it. When a monkey reaches…

Life Luggage (Part 2)

Bible Reading: Romans 12:18-21 James was quiet as the plane rolled down the runway. “Nervous?” asked Dad. “No,” said James. “Well, not about the flight. I was thinking about something you said. Are you sure everyone has luggage they carry in their lives? Even bullies?” Dad nodded. “Bullies often have the heaviest life luggage of…

Life Luggage (Part 1)

Bible Reading: Matthew 11:28-30 James dragged his bag through the airport. “Dad, it’s too heavy! I need a luggage carrier!” Dad chuckled. “What did you pack? Bricks?” “Just one.” Dad stopped walking. “Seriously?” “I didn’t want to forget our backyard!” “Well, you can rest at our gate.” Dad pointed ahead. “We’re almost there.” After James…

A Beautiful Picture

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 1:6-9 It had not been a good week. First, Allison didn’t get the part she wanted in a skit her class was going to perform. Then she hurt her arm in gym class. To top it off, she discovered that a stain on her favorite shirt hadn’t washed out. Feeling terrible,…

Teacups and Train Sets

Bible Reading: Luke 12:6-7 In the attic’s dim lamplight, Andrew could see many interesting things—boxes of Christmas ornaments, piles of photograph albums, and trunks filled with camping equipment. He and Dad were hunting for Dad’s old train set—the one he used to play with when he was Andrew’s age. “What’s this?” asked Andrew, stumbling across…

Picking Up a Mess

Bible Reading: Romans 3:10-26 “Charlotte, Suzi!” Dad called up the stairs. “Dinner is ready! Please pick up your toys and then come eat.” Charlotte quickly put her dolls in a basket, then put the basket high on the shelf and ran downstairs. Suzi, who was five years younger, couldn’t quite reach the shelf to put…

Potential

Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:5-6 Cammie let her backpack drop to the ground with a thud. “Hi, Grandma! What are you doing?” “Planting tulip bulbs,” Grandma replied. She patted the dark soil with a practiced hand. “I’m just getting started. Would you like to help?” “Sure!” Cammie looked up at Grandma’s face and laughed. “Will I…