God Always Keeps His Promises – with Renee

By Rebecca Holsapple

Renee was walking home from the bus stop by herself today, her sister Addison was at their grandparents’ house for the week. They would each do that once a year. It was always a wonderful time. Grandpa and Grandma would always plan a couple fun outings and make sure they had her favorite foods in the house. They would spend evenings catching up and playing fun board games. It was a time to reconnect with them since they lived several hours away and the girls only saw them a few times a year.

Renee would get to go in 2 months and she was really looking forward to it. It also meant missing a week of school, and just bringing some work along to do at Grandma and Grandpa’s kitchen table with some milk and the best homemade cookies anyone ever tasted.

 Renee reached the front door and she heard music coming from the house, mom must be washing the floors, she always listened to her favorite CD when she did that.

“Hey mom!” Renee got to the edge of the kitchen

Mom greeted her with a big smile.  “Don’t you just love the smell of freshly washed floors?” “I’ll be done in just a second; I put a snack on the dining room table for you.”

“It does smell great, so lemony! I’ll go get that snack, I am famished!” Renee walked to the dining room table.

Beside her snack was a letter from her friend Cassandra. Renee opened in quickly, she hadn't heard from her in months. Cassandra and Renee had met at summer camp 3 years ago; they had shared a cabin and become instant friends. On the last day of camp they promised to write each other at least once a month from that point on. They had both kept that promise until recently, Cassandra’s letter had stopped coming as often, Renee had only received 2 letters in the last 6 months. She kept writing faithfully but without answers from her friend it was hard to know what to write about. Renee was saddened by that, and wondered if their friendship would last.

Renee read the letter but it was very short and lacking any details about what was going on in Cassandra’s life. Renee put it down, letting out a sigh. Mom walked into the room at that moment.

“What was that giant sigh about sweetie?” Mom had a frown on her face; she could tell something was wrong.

“Oh Cassandra finally wrote…” Renee took a bit of the piece of pie in front of her.

“And that’s a bad thing?” Mom asked

“No, I guess not…” Renee said. “But do you remember when she would write once a month and her letters were so interesting?”

“Yes, you were always so excited to get them!” said mom with a smile.

“Well… they aren’t like that anymore. Her letters are kind of boring, not even half a page and nothing about how she is feeling or what is going on, just a few random facts about the weather and her cat.” Renee sighed again.

“I’m sorry sweetheart. Maybe there isn't much happening.” Mom said trying to make Renee feel better.

“What bothers me the most is that she promised she would write once a month and her letters are getting further and further apart! She isn't keeping her promise” Renee was on the verge of tears. She hadn't realized how much the letter meant to her until she started talking about it.

“Do you always keep your promises honey?” Mom asked.

Renee didn’t answer right away, she thought about the time she had promised Addison she would clean the bathroom for her so she could study for an important test and didn't do it, or the time she promised mom she would pick up a book from the library and didn't do it. The more she thought about it the more she realized she had broken several promises.

“I guess not…”said Renee.

“Do you know what? Promises are a good thing, but it’s not fair to expect for someone to be perfect. It will ruin your friendship. The only person that will never break a promise is the only person that is truly perfect. Do you know who that is?” Mom was looking at Renee with kind eyes.

“Do you mean God?” Renee smiled.

“That’s exactly who I mean. We all make mistakes, we all sin, and we all break promises. Is it a good thing? No. Is it disappointing to others? Yes. Do you need to ask them and God for forgiveness? Certainly. But is it likely to happen again? Of course. Do you see where I am going with that?” Mom asked Renee.

“Yes, I need to forgive Cassandra…”said Renee.

“That’s right.” Mom smiled. “When I was your age, or maybe just a bit older, my best friend moved away to another state. I was devastated; I remember spending a few nights crying into my pillow. It seemed no one understood how upset I was. My mom promised me that we would go visit her that following summer. But a couple months later my dad lost his job at the plant and money got tight. By the time summer came, there wasn't enough money to go visit my friend. My mom and dad wanted to keep the promise they make me, but couldn't. Do you think it would have been OK for me to hold a grudge?"

“No! They didn't mean to break their promise!” Renee answered.

“Exactly, but it my young upset mind, I didn't want to forgive them. I wanted to be mad. So I was for a while until God convicted me. I apologized and a few months later, my dad got a new, better job and we went to visit my friend for a weekend during the school year. That experience made me realize that even when we have the best of intentions, we are only human and we all fall short”, Said Mom.

“Everyone except God!” said Renee with a smile.

“I’m sure you remember the story of Noah, it had rained for 40 days and 40 nights. And the water didn't go back down for 150 days. That’s a long time. God cleaned the earth, and when Noah and his family finally got out of the ark, they made an altar and offered a sacrifice to God. And what did God do in return? Do you remember?”  asked Mom.

“Do you mean the rainbow?”said Renee.

“Yes, sweetie. God put a rainbow in the sky as a promise that he would never again flood the earth.” Mom smiled. “Did he keep that promise?”

“Yes, I haven’t heard of any worldwide floods lately” Renee giggled at her own joke.

Mom laughed. “That’s right! We still see that rainbow and you know every time I see one, I am reminded never to worry, because the amazing God we serve never breaks his promises. He is ever faithful and true.”

“I love that mom, now that’s what I’ll be thinking too next time a rainbow appears in the sky.” Renee was feeling much better.

“You know what mom, I was thinking earlier about how much fun Addison must be having at Grandpa and Grandma’s right now and how I can’t wait for it to be my turn, but I had forgotten how much  I love spending the week alone with you and dad too! For quiet times like this when we get to have a conversation just the two of us.” Renee leaned in and gave her mom a hug.

Mom hugged her back. “I love this too. You are growing into such a sweet young lady.”

Dad walked in the door a few minutes later and suggested they go out to eat and go get some ice cream afterwards to celebrate Renee staying home with them. Renee sent a quite prayer of thanks to God for giving her such amazing parents.

THE END

Bible verse:

“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;”

Deuteronomy 7:9

                          A lesson on Peacemaking – with Chloe                         

Written by Rebecca Holsapple

Chloe was sitting at the bus stop, it was a snowy Thursday morning but the sun was shining. She was bundled up in her teal coat and was wearing a cute purple and teal hat and matching mittens. She was early, but she didn’t mind, she liked the peace and quiet; it gave her time to think.  Since moving a few months ago, things had really changed, for the good, she felt.  Her family was settling in well…She still missed her best friend Samantha, but not as bad as she thought she would when they first moved.

Chloe and Samantha had been best friends since Kindergarten; they had gone to the same church their whole life and the same school for years. They loved each other very much.  They hadn’t gotten to spend quite as much time together in recent months, mostly only on Sundays, but she had spent the whole last weekend with her and their friendship was as strong as ever.

Chloe saw the school bus pass on the street before hers and her thoughts turn to her new friend, Eliza.

Eliza and Chloe were both very bubbly and had a lot in common. Chloe was very excited because Eliza had been showing so much interest in the Word. She didn’t understand everything but she asked a lot of question and it had really pushed Chloe to study the scriptures more than she ever had before.

At school that week Eliza had asked if Chloe’s offer to go to her church with her still stood. Chloe had asked her a few months ago if she would like to come and Eliza had wanted to but her mom had refused. Eliza decided to ask her mom again, if she could just tag along with Chloe and this time her mom said it would be all right.

Chloe remembered their conversation. She had been so surprised and excited…

“Are you serious?! You can come?? Yay! You will absolutely love it! I have such great friends there, I can’t wait to introduce to you, and Sunday school is so much fun!”

“Yes, Mom said since she didn’t have to come with me, I could go… she is still acting worried about my interest, but she told me it’s up to me…” Chloe knew that Eliza was a bit sad she was the only person in her family that was interested in learning more about God. But it didn’t stop her curiosity.

The bus pulled up to where Chloe was sitting, she got on and took a seat by Eliza. She was ready for what the day would bring.

The next three days went by quickly and it was now Sunday morning… Eliza’s mom dropped her off at Chloe’s house and Eliza ran up to the door as quickly as she could, it was a cold morning. Chloe was waiting for her at the door.

“Come in, come in!!” Chloe giggled as she let her friend in.

“Wow! Could it be any colder outside?!” said Eliza with a big smile. Her cheeks were rosy and her green eyes sparkled. She had done a French braid with her short brown hair and was looking especially pretty. Chloe noticed she was also wearing a beautiful green dress and complimented her on her good taste.

“I love your dress and what you did with your hair! You’ll have to show me how sometime!” Chloe smiled and pointed to her full head of blond curls. She had put a silver flower on the side and was wearing a silver chiffon dress.

Mom walked toward them grabbing her coat and mittens… She gave Eliza a quick hug and smiled. “Are you girls ready? We are going to take the small car and let Dad drive the van with the rest of the family…”

“Oh good! I’ll get my coat, give me just a second!” Chloe ran to the closet.

“Let go!”

The three of them quickly made their way to the car and headed to church, most of the ride, Chloe told Eliza all about church and her friends.

When they got there Chloe and Eliza went straight to the Sunday school class. Chloe could tell Eliza wasn’t exactly comfortable and prayed a quiet prayer that he friend would feel welcomed and at ease soon.

“Hello Chloe! How are you girls this morning?”

“Very well, Sis. Patience” Chloe flashed a big smile at her teacher. “This is my friend Eliza, we go to school together”.

“Welcome to our church Eliza, we are really happy to have you with us” Sis Patience gave her a hug and proceeded to give the girls a paper to fill out.

Chloe and Eliza were the first ones there, slowly the class started filling up. Chloe introduced Eliza to everyone as they came in. Layla, Bridget, Renee and Addison all gave her big hugs and started chatting with her. Chloe had a big smile on her face; she knew she could count on her friends to make Eliza feel like she belonged.  Samantha came in and said hello but quickly went and took a seat on the other side of the class. Chloe would have usually noticed and would have gone and asked her what was wrong but she was too busy making sure Eliza was doing well, that she didn't.

The class was fun and they learned new things about the Lord. Eliza was fascinated and asked questions all the way home from church, Chloe and her mom were happy to answer them all. Eliza spent the rest of the day with them , they played a couple board games and played hide and seek with the whole family. It was a lot of fun!

The next morning Chloe woke up bright and early and decided to go to the bus stop early. As she sat she replayed the previous day in her head. It was then she realized something had been off with Samantha. What could it be?

The week went by and the next Sunday Chloe made sure to sit by Samantha and ask if anything had been wrong the week before…

“You acted kind of strange, but I didn’t realize it until later…” Chloe looked at Samantha to see if her face gave away anything.

Samantha looked kind of ashamed “This is going to sound silly, but I was jealous… I don’t really like the idea of Eliza being your friend. “

“Oh Samantha! You need to give her a chance! She is so nice, I’m sure you two would get along really well!” Chloe could tell Samantha was not really listening and she had made up her mind not to like Eliza.

Chloe was a bit sad all the following week by the way Samantha was acting, but she was excited because Eliza had asked her mom is she could go to church again the next Sunday and she had accepted. Chloe hoped that she could get the girls to spend some time together they would become friends.

It didn’t work out as expected. The more Chloe tried to get Samantha and Eliza to interact and spend time together the less they got along. Eliza decided that Samantha was a snob and Samantha would not even make an effort to be nice to Eliza.

After 3 weeks of this, Chloe was at her wits ends and decided to tell her mom what was going on. It was Saturday afternoon and mom was sitting on the couch folding laundry. Chloe went and sat by her and started helping out and told her everything that had happened.

“Oh honey, I’m glad you told me… said mom. It’s never easy to know how to handle situations like this… but do you know what I've learned?”

“What?” said Chloe.

“You should never try to handle things on your own… have you prayed about this?”

Chloe bent her head feeling a bit embarrassed…she hadn’t even thought about it. “No…”

“It doesn’t matter how big or small your problem is you always need to give it over to God and he will handle it. But do you know what else you need to pray for?” asked mom.

Samantha shook her head no.

“Wisdom… In the Bible we learn that God told Solomon he would give him anything he asked for.  Solomon had become king after his father David and realized he didn't know how to handle the responsibility of judging the people and knowing right from wrong on his own. So he asked God for wisdom. God gave it to him and because he asked for that and not for riches or a long life, God also gave him those things. Solomon had to resolve a lot of conflicts while he was king, and he couldn’t have done it without the wisdom of God in him.” Said mom.

“I never thought of asking God for wisdom, it makes sense.” said Chloe.

Mom picked up the family Bible that was sitting on the coffee table. “Here is a verse for you to memorize, so you never forget.  “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5”

“Thank you so much mom… I really should have been praying about this from the very beginning. Trying to handle anything on my own without God’s wisdom was not a good idea.”

They hugged and Chloe decided to go to her room for a while…she really needed to spend some time in prayer.

The next morning was Sunday school and Eliza was coming along again. Chloe felt a new sense of peace about her two friends not getting along. After her time of prayer she had talked to her mom again and they had decided it would be a good idea to have both girls come over for a sleepover the next weekend. Chloe and mom both felt that if they got the reasons for their dislike of other out in the open it would be easier to solve the issues.

On the way to church Samantha asked Eliza over for the following Friday and she took Samantha aside at Sunday school and asked her as well. By Tuesday morning everything was settled they would both be at Chloe’s house around 5 pm on Friday.

Chloe kept praying throughout the week for God to give her wisdom to handle the situation the right way, for Him to give her the right words and the right attitude.

It was Friday evening, Chloe and her mom had made lots of yummy snacks and planned some fun games. Dinner was on the table and they were only waiting for her friends to arrive to start the festivities.

 Samantha was the first to arrive; she had a big smile on her face and her pink sleeping bag under her arm. Chloe helped her to get her things into the house. They were just getting ready to go into the kitchen when the doorbell rang again. It was Eliza; she had a big smile on her face as well until she spotted Samantha, whose expression was less than happy.

Samantha couldn’t help it; she let out “What is she doing here?”

Chloe tried to remain as calm as possible and told Samantha. “You girls don’t get along, and I can’t really understand why, so I prayed about it and felt like we just needed to get whatever is bothering you out in the open, so it can be resolved.”

Samantha and Eliza both looked rather sheepish.

Mom walked up to them.

“Why don’t you girls go into the living room and talk… I’ll keep your food warm. The rest of us will go ahead and eat, and you girl can have your meal when you are done.”

Neither of the girls had good reasons not to like each other. Chloe shared with them how uncomfortable she was with the whole situation what her mom had told her about Solomon. The girls both agreed to make and effort. They went into the kitchen enjoyed a yummy meal and played a lot of games. By bed time Samantha and Eliza were thick as thieves and couldn’t believe they used to dislike each other. Chloe couldn't be happier.

Before falling asleep that night she prayed to thank the Lord for the wisdom he had given her. She also thanked him for her wonderful godly mother and for her awesome friends. She fell asleep thinking about the Bible verse her mom had asked her to memorize and about how God is so faithful.

The End

Never judge by appearances.

Written by Rebecca Holsapple

The sun was shining in through the window blinds as she opened her eyes, Gabrielle could feel that it was a perfect fall morning. She hopped out of bed and opened the window, she felt the crisp breeze on her face and took a deep breath. This was her favorite time of the year and she was so excited because this morning was her first time at a new church. She was always the optimistic, she enjoyed new adventures and she was looking forward to making some new friends.

She put on a long brown maxi dress, a dark teal cardigan and a beautiful forever scarf her grandmother had given to her right before the move. “I’ll love you forever; I hope this scarf will remind you of that”. Gabrielle smiled; her grandma was such a special person. She would miss having her close by, but they would talk on the phone and she would get to see her on Spring Break.

Gabrielle brushed her long blond hair and braided it to the side and put a teal flower head band on. She looked at her reflection in the mirror; her beautiful blue eyes were shining with anticipation.

She ran down the stairs, her mom and dad were sitting at the table and so was her little 4 year old brother Taylor.

“Your plate is ready honey. Pray and eat quickly, we need to head out in no more than 10 minutes if you want to make it in time for Sunday school.” Said mom.

“Here I’ll clear the table while you go do your hair” said dad. He gave mom a quick kiss as she left the room and started cleaning things up.

“So are you excited? By the flush on your cheeks, I would say you are” dad looked at Gabrielle affectionately.

“Oh yes! I just cannot wait to make new friends!!!” “I wonder how many girls my age go to our new church; I hope there are a lot!” Gabrielle was easily animated.

“Well, even if there aren’t I’m sure you’ll make a least one or two new friends.” “Hurry and finish eating, it’s almost time…” dad said.

The family got in the car just five minutes later then they had planned and they made their way to church in a lot of chatter. Unlike Gabrielle, Taylor was a bit anxious, so she made it her mission to comfort him and be sure he would be happy to go.

She took his hand and dropped him off at the door of the 4-5 year old class and by then he seemed quite a bit more relaxed, she arrived in front of the 10-11 year old class and was greeted by a beautiful lady.

“Hi, you must be Gabrielle. My name is Sister Patience. We are so glad to have you.”

Gabrielle flashed her brightest and biggest smile accompanied by a great big hug.  “Thank you so much Sister Patience, I am thrilled to be here, I am looking forward to learning new things and making new friends.”

“Very well! You can take a seat; everybody should be here within the next five minutes” “You can start working on a crossword puzzle while you wait” Sister Patience smiled as she handed her a piece of paper.

As she was working on her crossword puzzle, Gabrielle looked up every time a new student walked in. She was eager to make friends, but there was one thing Gabrielle struggled with, she had the bad habit of judging people by the way they looked. She liked to be friends with pretty people, people with a good sense of style.  So as students walked in, she decided in her mind whether they would become friends or not. The monologue in her head went a bit like this:

“Oh she is pretty, I love her hair, and I would totally wear that outfit. I’m sure we’ll get along perfectly.

Her, on the other hand, what is the embroidered top? It looks like something my great aunt would wear. I can’t imagine we would get along. Her hair doesn’t look very pretty either; did she not have time to brush it this morning?

This boy is wearing jeans on Sunday morning! I can’t believe it. I bet he is not very clever; we most likely won’t get along.

This other one on the other hand, what a nice outfit and I really like the way his hair looks, I’m sure we’ll be friends.”

She stopped herself short. What was she doing? This wasn't right.

She could feel her forever scarf around her neck and it made her remember a conversation she had with her grandmother just the month before...

They had gone apple picking. A neighbor had a few trees drooping with apples, but they had not treated them. Grandma had asked to take some and had told Gabrielle they would cut around any parts that the bugs may have bit into. They had such a great time; spending time with grandma was one of her favorite things.

Once they had picked several bushels, they took them back to grandma’s house and started slicing, coring and peeling. It was a lot of work but they talked as they worked.

“So, we have new neighbors. It’s really too bad we are moving, they are the most attractive bunch. Always dressed so nicely and their hair all done so beautifully. I would love to become their friends.” Gabrielle always felt free to talk about anything with grandma.

“Is that right?!” “Are they Christians?” grandma asked.

“Oh I don’t know, I can’t really tell, but as beautiful as they all are, I can’t imagine they wouldn't be.”

Grandma smiled.

“So how is your friend Danny doing? You haven’t talked about her in a while”

“Well, Danny is making some strange wardrobe choices lately, I really don’t care to be seen with her. I tried to convince her that purple and yellow don’t go together but she just won’t listen to reason.”

“Oh!” Grandma was looking a bit concerned.

“She still is the sweetest person I know, but really… dressing like that… it’s just not right. It might reflect badly on me.”  Gabrielle thought back on her words with regret.

Grandma looked at her with sad eyes. She took 2 apples in her hands and showed them to Gabrielle.

“Which apple looks more delicious? Which one would you pick to eat?”

Gabrielle looked at them, the answer was easy. One of them was bumpy with a few rough patches, and the other was beautifully shaped and a beautiful shade of red. She pointed to the latter.

“Very well. Let’s cut them open.”

As grandma cut, she started with the bumpy one. The inside was all white and nice, a perfectly yummy apple. But when she cut the perfect apple the middle was black and rotten. Gabrielle was really surprised!

“These apples are like people, Gabrielle. Beauty on the outside doesn't equal beauty on the inside. What do you think God cares about most? Whether someone is always dressed nicely or whether they have a caring heart?”

“Um… “Gabrielle knew the right answer, but it was so hard to admit that she had been having the wrong attitude.

Grandma continued “In the Bible in the book of Samuel, we are told that even though Saul was tall and good looking, he had turned from God, his heart had grown hard. So God told his prophet not to look at the outward appearance, that he had chosen a new king for Israel. He sent him to the house of Jesse, because one of his sons was to be king. Imagine his surprise when the smallest of them all was chosen.”

Grandma washed her hands and walked to the dining room table; she picked up her worn Bible and turned to a passage.

“It says in Samuel 16:7: “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

"Do you think we should look at outward appearance or be more like God, and look at a person’s heart?”

Gabrielle eyes filled with tears. She knew her attitude had been all wrong, she also knew she really needed to ask God as well as Danny for their forgiveness.

“Oh grandma, I feel terrible! I’ve been acting so badly. Danny is my best friend and she has a heart of gold. I should have never let what she wears bother me so much. How shallow of me!”

Grandma gave her a big hug. “We all have areas in which we struggle in life, the important thing is to realize that we have sinned and ask God for forgiveness. This won’t be the last time you have thoughts like that. Just remember this conversation and ask God to help you not to judge people that way. He will always be there when you need Him.”

Gabrielle was brought back to present tense by Sister Patience asking if everyone had finished they puzzles. She looked at her paper, then around her at all the children in the class. She looked at them with fresh eyes. She prayed quietly: “Lord, thank you so much for reminding me of my conversation with grandma. Please help me to never judge, but to only look at the heart. “

The class was wonderful and she got to know all the kids and she knew she would get to be friends with all of them, no matter what they looked like. She knew it was the right attitude and that God and grandma would be proud of her.

A lesson about Responsibilities – with Bridget

written by Rebecca Holsapple

It was Saturday morning and Bridget had woken up with lots of ideas as to what to do with her day. She was going to do a couple crafts, ride her bike to the library to meet up with her friend Chloe, go play at the park for a while and read a novel her friend Samantha had loaned her. It was going to be a great day.

Bridget quickly made her bed and picked up what was on the floor. She got dressed in her favorite jean skirt and a bright pink t-shirt, brushed he long hair and did it into a pony tail. She ran downstairs to eat breakfast and was greeted by her mom and dad sitting at the table. They smiled and gave her a nice helping of bacon, eggs and a golden brown biscuit and a small bowl of fruits. They bowed their heads and prayed together: “Father, we want to thank you for such a beautiful day. Thank you for all the blessings you give us and help us never to take them for granted. We pray you bless this day, and this food we are about to eat. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.”

 This day was definitely starting the day off right!

“How was your night, honey?” asked Mom.

“Very good, I am full of energy this morning!” answered Bridget.

“Well, I am really glad to hear it! We have a lot to do today.” said Dad with a smile.

“What do you mean?” Bridget asked.

She has already planned her day. What did Mom and Dad have in mind?

“The school year is almost over, the warmer weather is finally here to stay and we need to get the whole house and garage cleaned. We also need to work on the flower beds and the yard. You know we do this every year…” said Mom

“I had completely forgotten about that. I made plans with Chloe!” Bridget was very disappointed.

“Well, I am sorry honey, but you are going to have to call her and cancel. This is one of your responsibilities. You know they come before fun.” Dad looked at her with kind eyes. She could see he understood her, but was not going to budge.

“OK, Dad. I’ll call her. Let me know when we are getting started.” Bridget was sad about canceling, but she decided then and there to make the best of the day. She knew mom always had a nice meal ready at the end of a family work day and that they always got to play games together before bed. It wasn't going to be so bad.

“Thanks for having a good attitude about this. Meet me upstairs when you get off the phone…” said Mom giving Bridget a side hug.

Bridget called Chloe and they postponed their play time to the following Saturday.

Then, she ran upstairs to see what needed done first.

Mom and Bridget got to work right away on the upstairs, cleaning base boards, mirrors, windows, organizing the linen closets and dusting everything. It felt good to get things nice and neat.

Mom had turned on some music and they were both having fun spending time together. Dad was outside tidying the shed and garage. They were going to head out to help him when they were done with the downstairs. The grass needed to be mowed, the flower beds weeded, and mom had bought some more flowers to plant.

Bridget always had her regular chores around the house. Make her bed, tidy up her room, help with the dishes, vacuum the living room and clean the bathroom once a week. It wasn't hard, but she always needed to remind herself to do it. It was so easy to forget and go play or do something else that was more fun.

Bridget remembered a conversation she had with her dad a few months ago. She had gone a couple days without doing her chores. She had a few days off school, and she was busy doing all sorts of fun things she hadn't been able to do in a while. She skipped cleaning the restroom and didn't sweep the living room and ran outside as soon as she was done eating without helping with the dishes. It didn't seem like much to her. But her parents noticed and they sat her down for a talk.

Bridget had been upset about it at the time. She remembered not having a very good attitude.

“What is so wrong with skipping my chores? Just this time?” she sounded aggravated.

“Honey, you need to understand it’s not just about two or three small chores. It’s about understanding the importance of responsibilities.” said Dad in a calm voice.

“What do you mean?” Bridget remembered thinking she really didn't know. She heard that word all the time and it seemed really important to Mom and Dad but she didn't understand why it was such a big deal.

“What does it mean to have a responsibility to you, Bridget?” he has asked.

“Well, it’s something I need to do… I guess.” She was pretty confused. No one had asked her that question before.

“Here, let’s look in the dictionary. Responsibility: a noun that means the state or fact of having a duty to deal with, the state or fact of being accountable for something.”

“OK…” Bridget was still puzzled.

“What do you think is my duty, what am I accountable for?” said Dad.

Bridget remembered having to think about it for a minute then answering “Well… I guess, pretty much everything around here.”

“That’s right. I am financially responsible for our belongings, emotionally and spiritually responsible for you and your mom. Do you know how I know that?”

“Not really….” Bridget said.

“I know it from reading the Bible, honey. In the same way I know how I am supposed to behave from the Bible, it also outlines my responsibilities very clearly. It also outlines your mom’s. Remember when she told you all about Proverbs 31?”

“Yes, I do.” Bridget remembered her mother telling her how everything she did around the house and for her and Dad was to please God and be a woman after His heart. She had also told Bridget that she was teaching her how to take care of the house, cook, and sew and handle her money properly was so she could be a Proverbs 31 woman when she grew up.

“What about me? Does the Bible say anything about my responsibilities?” Bridget was curious to know if the Bible said something about children needing to clean. Again a bit of a bad attitude she regretted now and had asked God’s forgiveness for.

Dad opened the Bible. “Well first off, the Bible says in Ephesians 6:1 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” But it also says in Luke 16:10: “One who is faithful in little will also be faithful in much…” That means, that as a child your responsibilities are not very many, but if you do them faithfully, God will be give you greater ones.”

Mom had been sitting and listening. “I know you love being in charge of projects at school. You are a natural born leader, but do you think your teacher would keep putting you in charge if you didn't do what you were supposed to?”

“No she wouldn't…” Bridget was getting it.

“Mom continued: “It’s the same way with us, if we can trust you with little things around the house and you are showing us you are responsible, we are going to be able to trust you in more areas as you get older.”

Dad smiled at Mom and added: “It’s the same way with God.”

Bridget had been thinking for some time and realized she was almost done dusting the furniture downstairs, her mom had cleaned the floors already and they were ready to go outside to help Dad.

She ran out and gave her dad a big hug. “Remember that conversation we had about responsibilities a couple months ago?”

Dad smiled at her “I sure do. What about it?”

Mom joined them she included her in the hug. “I wanted to thank both of you for taking your responsibilities so seriously. My life wouldn't be this awesome if you didn't!”

They all laughed and Mom and Dad told her how proud they were she took the conversation to heart and that she would see the rewards of it all as time went by.

The End.

 “One who is faithful in little will also be faithful in much…” Luke 16:10

God has a plan - with Renee

written by Rebecca Holsapple

It was Monday evening and this was going to be the best week of the whole school year. Renee was so excited. She was walking home from the bus stop, the sun was shining and reflecting off her beautiful auburn hair. She inhaled deeply to  smell the fragrance of flowers and freshly mowed grass in the air.

There were only a few more weeks of school, and then it would be the long awaited summer break. She started skipping along with joy thinking of her busy but 'oh so awesome' schedule this week. Her older sister, Addison was way ahead of her, she had decided to run home and tell her mom and dad the good news first. Renee didn't mind if she didn't get to tell them first she was just glad it was happening.

She made it to the door a couple minutes after Addison and she could hear her mom and dad laughing and congratulating her. Renee walked in " Hey sweetie!! We heard you got second place in the whole school! That's wonderful! said Dad. " Renee's face beamed with pride. "I know!! I couldn't believe it! All my training really paid off. Addison was way ahead of me, though, running is what she born to do!" Addison smiled " I do love it, but I was sooo proud to see you cross the light right after me, nothing could have made me happier!"

The girls had both signed up at the beginning of the school year to participate in a state wide race. The top 3 racers of every school in the state would be there. That very morning had been the official try-outs and the girls had come first and second, Carl the tallest boy in school at come in third.

"This will be the best week ever! This amazing event tomorrow and then our class trip to Chicago with all the 5th and 6th grader on Friday!" Renee could barely hold in her excitement.

"Speaking of which, said mom, make sure you lay out the clothes you want to bring so I can get our bags ready on Thursday. I have to admit I am looking forward to this little get-away with my girls"

"I know you will all have a wonderful time, I wish I could come but I promised to hold down the fort at the gym since no one else is available." said dad.

Addison and Renee went and hugged their dad telling him that they would miss him. But neither could be too sad about dad not coming since they were so ecstatic about everything else.

The family enjoyed dinner and the evening together. Renee had a hard time falling asleep that night, but she knew she needed her rest to run the best that she could the next day.

The sun coming through the curtains woke Renee up, she looked over at the alarm clock' it was barely 6:00, she didn't have to be up for another hour. She decided to get ready anyway, today was the big day!

After putting on her skort and her favorite t-shirt, she did her hair in a pony tail to keep it out of her face. She ran to kitchen and decided to make everybody a very healthy breakfast to have lots of energy. Mom and Dad were both coming to see the race, it was 2 hours away so the girls didn't have to go to school at all today!

She had set the table, she had made eggs, whole wheat toasts and oatmeal for everybody. She had even brewed some fresh coffee for her parents. Everybody woke up from the smell.

"Oh my! Renee! What a wonderful cook you are becoming! This is delicious" said mom after a couple bites. They had all prayed together for a wonderful day, a great race -whether the girls won or lost- and they thanked the Lord for the opportunity to spend a weekday as a family.

They all got in the car shortly and sang along with a worship CD all the way. As they got closer the girls got more antsy and ready to run. When they found a parking spot and turned off the car, dad suggested they pray one more time.

"Lord we are so thankful to be here today, so thankful for our healthy athletic daughters, we pray that you be with them during the race and that you help them do the very best that they are capable of. Lord help us to accept whatever the outcome may be knowing that you are in control of our lives and know what's best for all of us. We thankful and ask these things in Jesus name, Amen."

"I bet you will win Addison, I can't imagine anyone running as fast as you!" Renee said with a smile.

"I can't say that I don't hope so, but I haven't seen the competition yet." said Addison.

The girls walked into the track field and went to find their gym teacher, he told them to take their position, Addison would be competing against the 6th graders first, and Renee against the 5th graders, then they would rank both grades and they would run against who ever ranked top 3 and so forth and so on. There would ultimatly be a top 3 for all of elementary in the state.

The girls each went their way. There was a teacher designated to each area that was making all the students do some stretches.

"We don't want any injuries here today. We have some every year, it can't be helped, but let's not make it because we didn't get good and stretched before we ran!"

Renee did all her stretches and when it was her turn she got in position she ran as fast as she could and came in third place in the first race. That qualified her for a race against some more fifth graders. Once again she went to the new location, did some more stretching and go ready to run. "On your mark, get set, GO!"

Renee was running between her lines as fast as she could manage just like last time. All of a sudden she felt something hit the back of her calf and next thing she knew she was laying on the ground, her leg in more pain then she had ever felt. She was left behind as everybody finished the race. The teacher and her mom who had been watching her compete were beside her shortly.

"Where do it hurt?" asked the teacher.

"Right here" Renee could barely talk it hurt so much. Tears were running down her face.

"This does not look good, I'm afraid she will need to be seen by a doctor.” the teacher was talking to her mom,” I think it would be best to call for an ambulance, if I am correct it’s a break."

Renee started really sobbing then, from the pain but also from the idea of breaking her leg, today of all days, this week of all weeks.

The rest of the afternoon was a bit of blur, but she fell asleep in the car on the way home with her leg in a big pink cast propped on her parent’s arm rest. She didn't wake up until the next day to remember that her leg was broken.

“Hey sweetie! How are you this morning?” mom peaked into her room.

Tears started streaming down her face, she just couldn't help it. “Not so good.”said Renee. “It hurts.”

“I’m so sorry honey, here is some medicine, you were really out for a long time, it’s 11:00 ” mom hesitated but then decided this was a good as time as any to tell her. “I talked to your teacher today, and well I hate to tell you this but there isn't room in the van for your wheelchair or for you to sit comfortably and since it’s such a fresh injury, we agreed it’s best if you stay home on Friday.”

“Oh mom!!!! Really?” Renee couldn't say anything else, she was devastated, she cried while her mom held her for a bit then fell back asleep.

She was only awake for a bit to eat and to find out that Addison had won a trophy for 2nd place in the state as well as several medals from all the races she participated in.

“ I didn't tell you when we came to the hospital, you were kind of drugged.”Addison said.

“I understand, I am really happy for you Addison, I knew you would be the best!” Renee was genuinely happy for her sister even though she was feeling sorry for herself.

By Friday, even though she had slept a lot,Renee had figured out how to get around with her wheelchair, mom and Addison had left for the field trip  and she had to go to the gym with dad.

“Set up right here, by the front desk, honey, I’ll be here most of the time, that way we can hang out.” dad went to unlock all the door and make sure all the equipment was ready for the day.

“ OK... “ Renee was upset. She had been upset since the incident, but today she was even more so.
She sat and read a book for a while then some client started coming in and asking what happened, she just wanted to run away and hide, but she couldn't.

After a couple more hours of it Renee couldn't take it anymore. “Dad  I’m going to go to the back room.” Renee was clearly upset now, no one could have missed it, even her dad who didn't always pick up on her moods very quickly.

“Are you sure? There is nothing back there.” said dad.

“Yes, at least I won’t have to deal with being reminded of how terrible my life is all day!”

“What on earth...” Dad had not seen that coming, he knew she was not happy about missing the class trip but he didn't think it was this bad.

“You now what, I am going to close early, we can go home. One of the perks of owning this place... I didn't realize how this was affecting you."

A short while later Renee and her dad were sitting in the living room at home.

“So what’s going on in your mind” asked Dad.

“ I think that ... I don’t know... I just really wanted to run, and I really wanted to go to Chicago and both those things, I have been planning on for a long time. I trained for the competition for months and I did fundraisers for the trips. I don’t understand why God would let this happen.” She pointed to her cast.

Dad picked up the Bible from the coffee table and quietly turned to Jeremiah 29 :11. “Here read this.” he said as he handed the book to Renee.

“ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

“This verse, has gotten me through a lot, said dad.”

“Think of your life , as a mosaic, made of thousands of little pieces, events. We don’t see the big picture, we don’t understand why some things happen. But God has a grand plan. He knows what it’s going to look like in the end. He made the entire universe, he made us, the way everything works together in harmony , the way our body works is a wonder in itself. There is a grand order to all things, and only God knows it. We just need to trust that there is a reason for everything that happens. We need to keep our hearts soft and follow where he leads.”

“A mosaic...wow! I had never thought of it that way...” Renee was listening to her dad very intently.

“Some things have happened in my life that I didn't understand, and sometimes, like you, I got upset. But looking back I can see what God was doing, sometimes to teach me a lesson, sometimes to mold my character, sometimes to keep me from danger and there are still many things I don't understand, but God has given me peace over those and I put all my trust in Him.”

“What you’re saying is, even though this is not fun, God has a plan from this broken leg?” Renee’s eyes were big.

“Exactly!” dad smiles and went to give his daughter a hug.

“Thanks for talking to me dad, I needed it. I understand now.” Renee felt more peace then she had in days.

“Want some food? I’m starving!” asked dad.

“Sure” said Renee with a big smile.

The End

A lesson on Perseverance – with Samantha
Written by: Rebecca Holsapple

Samantha was sad this cold winter morning. She was going to school without her very best friend Chloe, again. Chloe and her family had moved just out of town and she had to change school after the long break. Since going back to school after New Year, Samantha just wasn’t her happy self.

She gloomily got dressed, not really caring what outfit she put on,brushed her hair and put it up in a ponytail and went downstairs for breakfast. She felt like no one could understand just how upset she was about this change. Mom tried to be sweet; she had been making her favorite foods for weeks now, and had been going out of her way to spend extra time with her forlorn daughter.

Samantha loved her mom so very much but she didn’t feel the loss of her best friend at school any less.

She sat at the kitchen table.

“Hi sweetheart! How are you doing this morning? Isn’t it a nice sunny day today?!”

“I’m fine… I guess it’s nice.”

Samantha’s mom picked up on her unhappy mood right away.

“Oh honey, are you still upset? It’s been over a month and you spent all of yesterday with Chloe after church!”

“I know… but it just made me realize that I miss her even more then I remembered.  It’s so upsetting to have to go through every day at school all alone.”

“Samantha dear, you have other friends, and this makes your time with Chloe even more special.” said mom.

“I guess…” Samantha had a defeated expression on her face. “I don’t feel like I have friends. I do, but they don’t understand me like Chloe does, and they don’t always want to pair up with my like she did.”

“I know this is hard for you, but you need to keep persevering, and you’ll see it will get better with time. Let’s pray before we eat.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your presence in our lives; thank you for always taking care of us. We pray that you be with Samantha today, help her persevere in her studies and her friendships without Chloe there with her. Help her remember you are always with her. Bless this food to our bodies, thank you for always providing. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”

Samantha and her mom ate breakfast alone as Juliette and Shiloh, Samantha's three year old twin siblings were still asleep.

Once she was done, had rinsed her plate and gone upstairs to brush her teeth and get her book bag, Samantha put on her heavy coat and walked to the bus stop.

Samantha had just walked out the door, and dad went to sit at the table. Mom was putting the dishes in the dishwasher. Mom and Dad had talked a lot about Samantha’s attitude in the last month. Dad asked mom if Samantha was any better that morning. He had been getting ready for work and missed his usually happy- go lucky daughter that morning. Mom told him she was still in a terrible place and she couldn’t believe it was lasting this long.

“I think it’s time we sit down with her and have a long talk.” said Dad. “This had been going on too long.”

“I agree, honey. Let’s do it tonight. “

That evening, Samantha was walking slowly home from the bus stop, her shoulders were sagging and she was dragging her feet. School had been awful. She had eaten lunch all by herself because she had decided a week ago not to be part of the spring play and all her friends were in it and having a practice over lunch. She had been the last one picked in gym class and it had taken a really long time for her to find a partner in science class. She wanted to cry. It just was not fair that her best friend wasn’t there with her.

She walked in the door still sulking to find her mom and dad sitting in the living room waiting for her. They picked up on her mood as soon as she walked in. It was definitely time for this talk.

“Hey sweetie! How was your day?” mom said.

“Not good… it was plain awful really… I don’t think anyone could have possibly had a worse day!”

“Is that right?!” dad asked.

Samantha was about to start rambling all the bad things that happened when she noticed dad picking up the Bible. She knew she was about to get some sort of a lesson.

“Why don’t you take off your coat and sit with us Chloe. I think we need to talk.” said dad.

Chloe did just that and quietly waited to see what her parents had to say.

“Your mom and I understand that you have been going through a tough time lately. And that right now it does seem like the worst thing that has ever happened to you. But we don’t think you are putting it in perspective, and we also don’t think you are having a very good attitude about it.”

Samantha was flabbergasted. She had been feeling so down on her luck that she really hadn’t stopped to think how she was acting was wrong.

“I was thinking about it today, knowing we were going to talk to you tonight, and do you know who came to mind?”

“Who?” said Samantha.

“Job” said dad. “He was one persecuted man. He lost everything he had; he lost his family, all his wealth and got terribly sick.  But you know what, he persevered, he always knew that God was in control of his situation. He said:  “The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. “  And do you know what God said of Job, that he was perfect. “

“Really?” Samantha was listening intently.

“Yes, here in James, Chapter 5 verse 11, is says: “Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”

“Because Job never gave up on God, never cursed him, persevere in his faith and good attitude, God gave him back everything he had and so much more. Some time we go through trials, they are hard for us but we need to always remember that God is in control.”

“Do you know what the word perseverance means Samantha” asked mom.

“I think so…. “ said Samantha.

“The dictionary’s definition is this: Steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Continuance in a state of grace leading finally to a state of glory.

I love the part about it being a state of grace. Were you being very graceful about not having Chloe at school with you anymore?”

“No I wasn’t, not at all. I realize now, I have been moody and upset. I’m so sorry” Samantha had tears in her eyes. She wanted to please God and her parents.

“Oh sweetie, it’s ok. We all go through trials, and have hard times. We just always need to remember to persevere, and keep our eyes on God. He knows what’s good for us, he knows just what we need. The Bible says in Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Dad gave Samantha a big hug.

“You know what else; God gives us trials, to make us more like him. It builds our character; we learn lessons and more about Him.” said mom.

“I understand. I think I was making things worse for myself because of my attitude." said Samantha. “From now on, I am going to persevere.  Thanks mom, thanks dad! I love you!”

“We love you too! “ Mom gave her a kiss and they all headed to the kitchen for a snack.

The End

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12