Once there lived a girl,

Who really like to talk.

She’d talk real soft,

She’d talk real loud,

She talk to herself,

She’d talk in a crowd.

She’d talk in the morning,

She’d talk when it was late,

She’d talk every minute,

Even while she ate.

She couldn’t go a second,

Without making a peep.

She talked all the time,

Even in her sleep.

Then she lost her voice,

And there was no talking or yelling.

There was no screaming, no chatting,

And no fun, story telling.

She was quiet at last,

But she learned a ton.

She listened and found,

That listening was fun.

Now she talks,

But she always listens too.

Her talking-all-the-time days,

Are finally through.

Quietness

Some people never take time to stop, be quiet and listen for God’s voice. Sometimes God speaks to you through the Bible. Sometimes God speaks to you through someone else. And sometimes God speaks to you through His Holy Spirit. This is like a voice inside the stillness of your heart and what He says will always line up with His Word. So… shhhhhhhh… take time to be quiet and pray and think about God.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 7, “For everything there is a season… A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.”

Little John Mark ,

Was scared of the dark,

And every night,

He’d need a light,

Sitting by his bed.

“Mommy, Mommy,”

He would call.

I heard a noise,

In the hall,

And saw a shadow,

On the wall.

Can I please sleep in your bed?

“Mommy, Mommy,”

I saw something scary.

It was a monster,

Who was very hairy.

Or it could’ve been,

A mean tooth fairy.

Can you please stay with me?

Little John Mark,

Dreaded the night,

And was never all right,

Without his light.

“Mommy, Mommy,”

He would say,

I’m real scared,

Can you stay?

Please check my closet for monsters.

Little John Mark,

Was full of fear,

Until someone told him,

Jesus was near.

“He’ll never leave you,

He’ll never go away.

You can trust Him by night,

You can trust Him by day.”

Now if you see,

Little John Mark,

You’ll find a boy,

Whose no longer scared of the dark.

And if he get frightened,

And fears a monster he’ll see,

You’ll hear him say,

“When I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.”

Psalm 56:3

Peace

God doesn’t want us to live in fear. He wants us to have peace, and not just any peace, but the peace that comes from knowing God and trusting Him. So the next time you’re afraid, remember what the Bible says in Psalm 56:3: “When I am afraid I will put my trust in You.” Or, if you want to make it rhyme, you can say, “When I am afraid, I will trust in Thee—Psalm 56:3.” “Thee” is an old-time way of saying “You.” Let’s practice once: “When I am afraid, I will trust in Thee—Psalm 56:3.”

Dear Diary,

Today I said, “God bless you.”

You should’ve seen it.

Today I said, “Have a good day,”

But I didn’t really mean it.

Today I said, “Johnny, I like your shoes,”

Then I laughed under my breath.

Then I laughed out loud to my friends,

Right after he left.

Today I said, “Sue, I’ll keep your secret,”

Then I listened real close,

But after she was gone,

It’s what I said the most.

I say, “You can trust me,”

To each of my friends,

But it keeps proving false,

Time and again.

Now they don’t trust,

Anything I say.

I seem to loose a friend,

Each and every day.

Sincerely,

Your Friend

Sincerity

Someone who is sincere can be trusted because everything they say to you will be true. Who is someone in your life that you know will always tell you the truth? You trust them because they’ve never lied to you and you know that they never will. That’s sincerity. You can be sincere too by always telling the truth and being honest with everyone everyday. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:25, “Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor…”

Spon-rip-a-dility

Is doing what’s right,

Whether it’s day,

Or even at night.

Ron-span-sa-babbledy

Is doing what’s expected,

Knowing that more,

Than I will be affected.

Span-rap-si-bibly

Is when my parents say “Go,”

And I do what I’m told,

Without saying “No.”

Re-spon-sa-bubblely

Is the good thing to do.

Even when,

No one tells me to.

Re-spend-whatever.

It’s a great thing,

I’ll announce it.

I only wish now,

That I could pronounce it.

Responsibility

People who are responsible correctly take care of tasks that are given to them. For example, if your mom says, “Keep your room clean” and you keep it clean, you’ve shown responsibility. But what about someone who gets a pet and promises to feed it every day but keeps forgetting? Are they being responsible? No. God wants us to be responsible and to do everything as if we are doing it for Him. Listen to what the Bible says in Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, the Father, through him.”

I don’t! I won’t!

I’ll slam the door,

If I don’t get my way,

I’ll fall to the floor!

In Wal-Mart, McDonalds,

And the doctor’s office too.

I’ll even do it,

Inside the zoo.

I’ll have a tantrum.

I’ll have a fit.

I’ll fling my arms and scream,

And I’ll even hit.

People can look.

I don’t really care.

People can point.

People can stare.

I don’t even care,

If they give a big laugh,

Cause I’m throwing a fit,

Underneath a giraffe.

I want it! I want it!

I’ll slam the door,

If I don’t get my way,

I’ll fall to the floor!

Give me what I want,

And give it right now.

I don’t know why,

I can’t have a pet cow.

I don’t care what you say,

And I don’t care your reason.

I’ll throw a tantrum all day,

All the way to the end of the season.

I’ll keep going

Till the leaves turn green,

And when Christmas comes,

You’ll still hear me scream.

I’ll keep going,

Till I’m red in the face,

And I’ll yell so loud,

That I shake this place.

I don’t! I won’t!

I’ll slam the door,

If I don’t get my way,

I’ll fall to the floor!

Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h-h! S-c-r-e-a-m!

Wait a minute! Where did you go?

Aren’t you going to stay,

And watch my little show?

No?

And what’s that you say?

I can no longer go outside?

I can no longer play?

I have to sit in the chair,

For five minutes long.

Because what I did was mean,

And what I did was wrong.

Fits aren’t very fun,

I’ve changed my mind now.

Tantrums are wrong,

And who really needs a pet cow?

I’d talk to you more,

But because of my fit,

I have to go now,

And be quiet and sit.

Obedience

“Pick up your mess.”

“Clean up your closet.”

“It’s time to brush your teeth.”

What do you do when your parents tell you to do something? Do you complain? Do you argue? Do you pretend not to hear them? Or do you obey them without having to be told a second time. Listen to what God says in the Bible in Proverbs 20:11, “Even a child makes himself known by his doings, whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.”

I want a skunk for my birthday,

In a bright, red box.

I don’t want brand new underwear.

I don’t brand new socks.

I don’t want fuzzy pajamas,

I don’t want bunny slippers,

I don’t want hats and mittens,

Or a jacket with lots of zippers.

“I want a skunk!”

I did yell.

“With a big, white stripe,

Down his tail.”

“Where would you keep him?”

My mom said,

“Surely not in the kitchen.

Surely not in your bed.”

“I’ll keep him in your bedroom.”

I said very proudly.

“What about the smell?”

She responded rather loudly.

Her question made me think,

Then I thought that I might quit.

But still I responded strongly,

“The skunk will get used to it.”

What Belongs

There’s a reason none of your friends have pet skunks. They don’t belong. There are other things that don’t belong in your life too. Sin doesn’t belong in your life. God didn’t create you to do bad things. He made you to know Him and to love Him and to walk with Him all the days of your life. The Bible says in Micah 6:8, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. What does the Lord require of you but to act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Let me tell you a story,

Of a kid with a beard,

Who everyone thought,

Was very weird.

To stop the growth,

He did his best,

Though by lunch it hung,

To his chest.

He’d shave in the morning,

With the rise of the sun,

But would grow a foot of hair,

Before the day was done.

Other kids didn’t like him.

They thought he was a freak,

And they’d call him names,

Like a dork and a geek.

They teased him,

Every hour of the day,

Until in tears,

He’d want to run away.

Tears were his friends,

Cause no one else would care.

To eat with him or play with him,

Or talk to him there.

He’d cry every night,

He’d cry every day,

“I have no friends,”

He would say.

I know this story,

Is very, very sad.

And I hope it makes you,

Just a little mad.

And though your friends,

Probably don’t have a beard,

You may know some kids,

You might think are weird.

How do you treat them,

Is my question to you.

Do you laugh at them,

And call them names too.

Then perhaps you should step,

In their shoes for a day.

Feel their hurt and you’ll see,

What you’re doing is not okay.

Treating Others Right

Listen to what the Bible says about how we should treat others. Colossians 3:12 says, “Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance.”

Scary Bear was a bear.

He was a bear with fuzzy hair,

Fuzzy hair he like to share,

Like to share his fuzzy hair,

With hairless people everywhere.

Then balding men came from far and near,

To give that bear a great big cheer,

And to thank this creature called Scary Bear,

Who gave to them all his hair.

Then Scary Bear came on out,

And all the men just looked about,

They all were silent as down he sat.

They all were wondering why he had a name like that.

Scary Bear isn’t the kind of bear,

One would find in a strange nightmare.

The name Scary Bear,

Just isn’t fair,

Cause Scary Bear likes to share,

Like to share his fuzzy hair,

With hairless people everywhere.

Then the balding men changed his name,

To something they thought was a little more tame.

Shary Bear, they called him then,

And they all clapped—yes, all the men.

Now Shary Bear is still a bear,

He’s still a bear with fuzzy hair,

Fuzzy hair he likes to share,

Likes to share his fuzzy hair,

With hairless people everywhere.

It didn’t matter that they changed his name.

To him the names were all the same.

But he wanted them to remember his caring.

And he wanted them to remember his sharing.

It doesn’t matter what they may call you,

It’s what you do they’ll recall when life is through.

Sharing

Have you ever given something that was very important to you to someone else? Sometimes it’s hard to share, but there is a joy and a fun in sharing with others that can only be understood by someone who has done it.

Listen to what the Bible says in 1 John 3:18, “My little children, let’s not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.” In other words, don’t just talk about doing good, actually do it.

What’s that I hear.

It sounds like a fly.

Whatever it is—

It’s now in my eye!

Hop. Hop.

It’s a grasshopper, I think.

Plop. Splash. What’s this?

Now he’s in my drink!

Whoa! Look out!

A bumblebee’s flying near.

Huzz, buzz. What’s that?

I think he’s in my ear!

Is the fly in your eye,

Making it hard to blink?

Is there a bee in your ear,

And a hopper in your drink?

These things don’t belong.

Don’t you see?

That they shouldn’t be there,

Is obvious to me.

Do pigs belong in the sky?

Should a cow live in your den?

Does spinach belong in a pie?

Should a Christian’s life have sin?

Sin will never ever belong,

So do what right—not what’s wrong.

Righteousness

Someone who is righteous lives the way God wants them to live. They live in a right way doing right things in a right relationship with God. But we all make mistakes. Sometimes they are accidents, but sometimes we do wrong things on purpose. If you do something wrong, listen to what the Bible says in 1 John 1:9 about what you should do, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

My feet are too big,

They’re too long and too wide,

And I think I need a wig,

Cause my hair’s really fried.

My arms are real skinny.

They’re lacking some strength,

And I walk kind of funny.

My legs aren’t the same length.

I talk sort of squeaky,

Like a mouse in a trap,

And my teeth are all crooked,

And in front’s a big gap.

I’ve got pimples on my chin,

And all over my nose,

And I’ve got hair growing,

From both my big toes.

My skin is real itchy,

And looks kind of yellow,

And my belly sticks out,

And jiggles like Jell-O.

I don’t really like me,

If you can hear what I say.

I wish I could be,

Someone else for a day.

Do you have any words for me,

Advice for my situation.

I sure would appreciate,

Some grand revelation.

Say that again?

What was that?

There’s three of me!

Oh, now I feel fat.

But, go ahead,

And speak your chatter,

Give me your opinion,

Though I don’t think it’ll matter.

It’s true. It’s true.

There really is three of you.

When you look in the mirror,

To straighten your hair,

Person Number One,

Is who you see there.

Person Number One

Is how you see you,

But how others see you,

Is Person Number Two.

There’s one more perspective,

That I want you to see.

How God views you,

Is Person Number Three.

So open your eyes,

And take in the light.

Which of these three,

Do you think is right?

So if you don’t like your hair,

And you don’t like your nose.

And you don’t like your legs,

And you don’t like your toes.

Then remember the words,

I tell you today,

You look how you do,

Because God made you that way.

You’re not an accident.

You’re not a mistake.

God’s got a plan for you,

Cause no trash does He make.

So when you look in the mirror,

To comb out your hair,

See through God’s eyes,

The person standing there.

Self-Worth

Self-worth is how you feel about yourself. How important are you? What’s your worth? In God’s eyes, you’re worth the whole world. You are God’s special treasure and He has great and wonderful plans for your life.  Listen to what God says about you in the Bible in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”