Bible Reading: Luke 6:47-49

"Better hurry up and build a wall around your castle,Tess! The tide is coming in," said Beckham. "One big wave and it'll be washed away."

"Will you help me? Please?" begged Tess, handing her brother a pail and shovel. Water washed around her feet and then went back toward the ocean, just missing the castle.

"I told you to build it farther from the water," said Beckham as he added a pailful of damp sand to the wall. "We won't be able to save it. Those waves are coming up fast!"

Beckham was right. There was no time to protect the castle. Waves washed up on shore, and a big chunk from the front side of the castle washed back into the sea. A shovel Tess had dropped beside the castle was carried along with it. "My shovel!" exclaimed Tess. She chased after it into the water.

Beckham shook his head. "That castle is history." Tess frowned as she stood looking at her destroyed masterpiece. "Your castle looked awesome, but you built it in a place where it couldn't stand up against the rising water," said Beckham. He grinned. "Just like the foolish man!"

"Huh?" said Tess. "What foolish man?"

"You know," said Beckham. "The one in the story Jesus told about the two men who built houses. The wise man built his house on rock, but the foolish man built his on sand and it got washed away. Then Jesus said to be like the wise man and build your life on the rock."

Mom smiled as she listened. "And how do you do that?" she asked.

"By admitting that you're a sinner and trusting Jesus to save you," said Beckham. "When you do that, He becomes the one you build your life on."

Mom nodded. "Right. The Bible refers to Jesus as the Rock. When you build your life on Him, you're building on a firm, stable foundation, just like the wise man in the story. Building your life on anything else--like money or fun or what other people think of you--is like building a castle in the sand. It all gets washed away."

–Nance E. Keyes

Bible Reading: Matthew 25:14-29

"C'mon, Rocket," Gemma called to her dog. "Let's go outside." When she opened the back door, Rocket raced out into the fenced yard. Then he ran back to Gemma. He jumped up playfully before racing through the yard once again. Finally, he stopped near his favorite bush and sniffed the ground. "Here, Rocket," Gemma

said, picking up a ball. Rocket continued to sniff out the area, then dug into the ground with his front paws and nose. Gemma walked over and saw that he had uncovered a bone. He lay down and began chewing on it contentedly. "Silly dog," Gemma said, shaking her head.

A short time later, they went back into the house. "Rocket dug up a bone and chewed it a while, and then he buried it again," Gemma told her mom. "Why do dogs bury bones?"

"I don't really know," replied Mom.

"You're so silly, Rocket," Gemma told her pet. "When I get something good, I don't hide it!"

"Are you sure about that?" asked Mom. "I think there are things we often use for ourselves and then hide away when we're done--kind of like Rocket."

"There are?" Gemma frowned. "Like what? I can't think of anything."

"Well, the Bible says we all have different gifts that come from the Lord," Mom explained. "Some of those gifts are things like money or possessions, and others are talents and abilities. Sometimes we think of those gifts as things that are just for us, but the Bible says they're not just for our benefit--we're meant to share

them with others."

"So, keeping those things to ourselves would be like Rocket burying his bone in the yard?" asked Gemma.

Mom nodded. "God wants us to use what He's given us to help build His kingdom and point people to Him. God's best gift of all is the one He gave the whole world--Jesus, who died for our sins and is coming back one day to reign forever as King. The gifts and blessings we have in our lives all come from Him, and

He wants us to use them to share His love with others."

Gemma smiled as she stroked Rocket's fur. "Then we can enjoy our gifts more too if we share them instead of hiding them away."

--Nance E. Keyes

Bible Reading: Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Peter 2:9-12

"But I don't want to wear mismatched shoes, Kassi," Brooke informed her best friend. The two girls were sitting together while riding the bus for a class field trip. During the drive, Kassi shared with Brooke how she longed to be unique--to stand out from the crowd and be different. But Brooke thought Kassi's idea about

how to showcase her personal style went too far.

"If you wear one of my shoes, and I wear one of yours, we'll be wearing one of each. We're the same size, you know. Two different shoes--that's totally being different!" Kassi seemed so excited.

"Sorry, Kassi." Brooke shook her head.

That evening at home, Kassi talked with her grandfather on the phone and explained her goal of being different. "Grandpa, I don't want to be just like everybody else; I want to be uniquely me. You know, the individual God created."

"God did a great job of making you, Kassi! And I know He is pleased with you. Simply being different isn't always better though," Grandpa answered.

Kassi thought about this as Grandpa continued. "Last summer, you gave your life to Jesus, remember? You put your trust in Him, who died for us, for the forgiveness of your sins. Now, as His child, you are called to be different--but not so much when it comes to the shoes you wear."

"What do you mean?" Kassi asked.

"God wants His people to be set apart, dedicated to Him. God desires for you to be different in your character, your love for Him and others, and your obedience to Him. That matters much more to Him than how you dress," Grandpa replied.

"I get it, Grandpa. Since I belong to God, I need to make it my goal to be different from others by being more like Jesus instead of by making unusual fashion choices."

"God tells us to be holy as He is holy--and He has given us the Holy Spirit so we can live in a way that shows others we belong to Jesus. You can do that and wear mixed-up shoes at the same time," Grandpa assured her.

Kassi laughed. "But next time, I won't try to convince Brooke to join me!"

– Allison Wilson Lee