Bible Reading: Proverbs 17:27-28; 18:13

"Don't quit yet!" Jill begged her friend, but Elsie sat down and began unlacing her skates, saying she was cold. "It's not that cold!" said Jill. Elsie didn't answer, and Jill went back out on the ice.

"Hey, Jill!" called Mila as she skated by. "My mom is driving some of us to the coffee shop down the street for hot chocolate. Do you and Elsie want to go?"

"I'll check," said Jill. She spun around and returned to where Elsie was sitting. "Let's go with Mila to get some hot chocolate at the coffee shop--it will be nice and warm there!" But Elsie wasn't interested. Jill sighed. I wish I had come skating with somebody else, she thought. She's no fun at all today!

When Jill got home, her mother was stirring a mixture in a bowl. "Oh, yum!" said Jill. "Cheesecake!" She picked up a spoon her mother had been using and quickly took a lick. "Ew!" she said, making a face. "What is this? I thought it was cream cheese."

Mom laughed. "It's shortening. You jumped to a conclusion without learning the facts again." Jill knew she often did that.

As Mom continued working, Jill told her about the problem with Elsie. "I think she's just looking for attention," said Jill.

"Are you sure you haven't jumped to another wrong conclusion?" asked Mom. "Maybe something is bothering Elsie and she needs a patient, understanding friend to listen to her and see what's wrong."

Jill just shrugged. "If something's wrong, why wouldn't she just tell me?"

That evening, Mom came into Jill's room. "Jill, I talked with Elsie's mom a few minutes ago. Elsie's dad left home yesterday."

"He did?" said Jill. "Where did he go?"

"They don't know. Elsie's mom said he has a problem with alcohol and disappears occasionally. I thought you should know so you can pray for them and be there for Elsie."

"Oh no," said Jill. "I did jump to conclusions again! No wonder Elsie was quiet today. When I see her tomorrow, I'll make sure she knows I'm her friend. And I'll pray for her--and for her dad!"

"I will too," said Mom. "And I'll pray that Elsie will see the love of Jesus in the way you care for her as your friend."

–Linda Weddle

Bible Reading: Philippians 2:3-8

Tristan beamed as he picked up a shoe from the display table. "This is the kind I want, Mom! All the guys are getting shoes like this. The special soles reduce the pounding you get from the gym floor." Tristan imagined what his friends would say if he showed up at practice wearing these shoes. He looked at his mother hopefully, but she was moving away.

"How about this one?" Mom held up a shoe similar to the one Tristan was holding.

Tristan made a face and shook his head. "Nobody buys that brand."

Mom sighed in exasperation. "Tristan, I want to buy shoes you like, but I'm not going to pay a lot of money just so you can have a certain brand."

"But I don't want any other shoes!"

"Then you can get along with your old ones," Mom said, and she hurried him out of the store.

"Who was at the door?" asked Mom later that night as she was cooking dinner.

"It was Joey," Tristan said with a scowl. "He just came to show off his new skateboard. He just got one a few months ago, but he bought another one. He just got it to impress the guys."

Mom looked surprised. "So we shouldn't buy things just to impress others?"

Puzzled, Tristan shook his head. "Of course not."

"But weren't you wanting to do the same thing with those shoes today?" asked Mom. "Didn't you want that brand just to impress other kids?"

Tristan looked at the floor. "Well…maybe."

Mom sighed. "I understand what it's like to want nice things, Tristan. But when we want to get things just to impress others, we need to remember where our worth comes from. People's opinions of us can change from one day to the next--they're fleeting, just like the things we own, which will eventually wear out or get lost or broken. But God's opinion of us never changes. Our value comes from the love He showed us by sending Jesus to save us from sin."

Mom put a hand on Tristan's shoulder. "Instead of trying to impress people with what you have, let them know you by the way you treat them and show them God's love. They should know you by your heart, not your shoes."

–Cynthia Y. Powell

Bible Reading: James 4:4-8; 1 Peter 5:8-10

Braelyn dropped her fishline over the side of the boat and watched the bait sink into the water. "That worm squirming on my hook looks so gross! How could a fish possibly want to eat it?"

Dad chuckled. "It doesn't look very appealing to us, but to a fish, it's food."

"I'd rather starve!" said Braelyn.

Dad smiled. "You might look at it differently if you were a fish."

Braelyn's brother Judson cast his line across the water. "The fish don't notice the sharp hook hidden inside the yummy-looking worms. All they think about is how good the worm will taste. They don't think about what might happen after they bite."

"I guess not," said Braelyn. "If they knew they'd get hooked, they wouldn't bite, no matter how juicy the worm looked."

"Maybe not, but they might," said Dad. "Sometimes we can be like fish."

Braelyn grimaced. "You won't ever see me biting on a worm!"

Dad laughed. "No, not a worm. But what about some other kind of bait? I'm thinking of times when there's something we really want to do, but we know it's wrong. You could say that Satan baits a hook with things that tempt us to make bad decisions."

"So it's like Satan is fishing for us?" asked Judson.

"Something like that," said Dad. "He likes to trick us by tempting us with things that look good. Unfortunately, it's easy to fall for his bait and end up making sinful choices that go against God and who He calls us to be as His children."

A faint tug came from Braelyn's line, and she gasped. She reeled in a small bluegill and held it up. "Do I have to let it go?"

Reaching for the fish's mouth, Dad said, "Let's give this fish a second chance."

"Hey, that's like what Jesus does for us!" Judson exclaimed.

"You're right!" said Dad. "Jesus died on the cross and rose again to free us from the power of sin and Satan. That means we can resist Satan's bait. And when we do sin, Jesus will always forgive us."

"Next time I'm tempted to do something wrong, I'll remember these fish," said Braelyn. "And even if I get hooked, I know that Jesus will give me a second chance!"

–Chip Montgomery