7 Family Traditions - To Keep Christ in the Center of Christmas

Happy Birthday Jesus Party - Host a neighborhood Birthday party celebrating the birth of Jesus with cake and party decor. Tell the Christmas story, play party games and even ask the kids to bring a gift to be donated to a local charity.

Happy Birthday Jesus Cakes - Bake this simple birthday cake for Jesus and share with your family and guest the meaning of each part of the cake. Click here for complete how to bake and explanation of the Happy Birthday Jesus cake.

Nativity with out Baby Jesus - Set up your nativity set minus baby Jesus then on Christmas morning tell the story of the birth of baby Jesus and allow your children to place the baby Jesus into the manger

Advent Scripture Verses - Use daily Scripture verse telling the story of Jesus’ birth – from the angel telling Mary that she would be Jesus’ mom, to the three wise men’s journey with the FREE printable advent cards from Glittermagic. They also included some cute ideas on the 2nd page of what to do with the cards in case you don’t have an Advent Calendar. or you can use them all at once during your Christmas dinner and go around the table reading them. Click here to down load your cards now.

Room For Baby Jesus- Tell or read the Christmas story to your family then share an old Irish tradition of placing a candle or light in your window. It is a symbol of welcome to Joseph and Mary, who, despite their need, were refused shelter in the inn; the light or candle says we offer shelter to them and to their Infant, Jesus. The great Irish novelist Maurice Walsh said the lighted candle was ’a light to guide the blessed virgin home and she in her need’. Click here to read more about this tradition.

Christmas Cookies With A Meaning - Make Meaningful Christmas cookies. I found this idea over at Making It Meaningful.

You will need cookie cutters in the following shapes:*

Christmas Tree

Angel

Star

Heart

Cross

Dove

Church

Candle

You can either make your own sugar cookie dough or purchase it. As you roll it out on a well-floured board you can cut the shapes and, at the same time, share why those particular shapes have been chosen.

Christmas Tree –What goes under the Christmas Tree? Gifts! Jesus is the first, and the

best give anyone could ever receive.

Angel – Angels were sent to proclaim the birth of Jesus to the Shepherds.

Star – The Wise men followed the star and they found Jesus.

Heart –The heart represents love. Do you know that God loves you? In fact, He loved

you so much that He gave you a sacrificial gift. What is a sacrifice? That’s

when you have something that you really love and you give it away,,,just like God gave Jesus to us.

Cross –The cross which was used to bring death, became a symbol of life. The cross

represents Jesus. He went to the cross to die for our sins and when we believe in Him, He forgives us our sins, allows us to have a relationship with Him, and gives us eternal life.

Dove – This represents the Holy Spirit. The Spirit comes to live in us when we believe in

Him and gives us the power to live for Jesus.

Church – This is where we go to worship God, learn more about Him, and fellowship

with other believers.

Candle – The candle represents light. Jesus is the light of the world and we are to let our

light shine so that others can know Him.

When you are finished, and after you eat some, of course, you can frost and decorate them to give as gifts.
Place the cookies in a cellophane bag and tie with a ribbon then attach a tag to the cookies that explains the meaning of each shape that shares Christmas: The Christmas Tree-green; the angel-white; the star-yellow; the heart – red; the cross-white with red stripes; the dove-white; the church; white; the candle yellow with a red ‘flame’.

** These can be given to lots of people as little ‘thank you’ gifts. I share them with my postal carrier, the tellers at the bank, as well as my friends and neighbors. Enjoy!

Family Movie Night- Host a family movie night and watch a movie the shares the true meaning of Christmas such as :

The Nativity StoryThe Little Drummer BoyNester, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey

Veggie Tales - The Toy that saved Christmas

Can Vegetables Really Pack Shoe Boxes For Operation Chritsmas Child?

STOP reading this and go grab your kids.  It's time to WATCH the Veggie Tales pack their shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.




Now it's TIME to pack your own Shoe Boxes and watch your kids get excited about giving to another child who is in need.

It's Fun and It's simple - all you have to do is pack your Operation Christmas Child  boxes with a variety of items from toys to toiletries , print our your labels and find a drop off location near you. Click here for complete instructions on packing your Shoe boxes and drop off locations.

November 14-21 is National Collection Week. To find a drop off location near you click here http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Drop_Off_Locations/

To Celebrate or Not To Celebrate Halloween?

Image courtesy of halloweenclipart.com

Today I stumbled across this article over at Christianity Today - "Why Christians should embrace the devilish holiday with gusto—and laughter." written by Anderson M. Rearick III.  

 

I grew up celebrating this big candy fest and enjoyed the many years of dressing up only to continue this same tradition with my own children, but always wondering in the back of my head should I or should I not be participating in a celebration that is often considered the Devils holiday - Today I can only say I'm ready to enjoy this years Halloween celebrations with complete laughter and joy.  If you want to know why - Click here to read this article and you too will be filled with laughter.

Count Your Blessings Wipe Off Board Tradition

With Thanksgiving just a little over three weeks away I'm beginning to think of ways to help my family take notice of the many blessings God has given our family.

I came across this  simple  Blessing Wipe off board that could be  used year after year resulting in a  new Thanksgiving  tradition     For full how to instructions go to Less -Than- Perfect Life Of Bliss  by clicking here.

Create Your Own family list of things you are thankful and begin a new Thanksgiving tradition this year.
 

A Blessing Party For Back To School

It has become a tradition - Thanks to Valerie our official celebration editor here at 24/7 MOMS. At the end of each Summer Valerie hosts a Back To School Blessing party for the moms in our mom group and their children.

Prior to the party Valerie asks each mom to decide on a scripture verse for each of her children as their yearly verse that will be framed for each child to then be able to place on their dressers, bathroom counters or desks to remind them of the verse their mom selected and is praying over for them as they go off to school each day.

During the party we eat appetizers and have fun chatting then we gather all the kids around a cake  that has one candle in it for the blessing celebration - teach child steps up to the cake and is asked how they would like us to pray for them  for the upcoming school year, we then light the candle let each child blow it out on their turn, pray and bless them and present them with their framed scripture verse for the year.

What a great way to kick off the school year to pray for our kids, give them their own scripture verse to remind them of God's love and how special they are to him.

This is a simple celebration with each mom bringing an appetizer to share and then serve cake after the blessing celebration.

Summer Faith Reads For Kids

Many of us moms are looking for book recommendations for our kids to inspire them to read this Summer and at the same time build their faith and character.

Here are my top picks:

Wally McDoogle Series – by Bill Meyers

This series is currently my two elementary age boys favorite.  I have chosen to read these books to them and I have enjoyed the many character lessons they teach and find myself referring to the stories in these books when dealing with day to day parenting situations with my boys.

The Elijah Project Series – by Bill Myers
This is on our Must read list this summer - Bill Meyers is a great children's author and my kids have enjoyed is other books so I'm pretty sure these will quickly become favorites of theirs

The Chronicles of Narnia Series – by C.S. Lewis

All of my children have enjoyed the Chronicles of Narnia series - these have always been a must read for our family.  They are engaging and keep your kids on the edge of wanting to hear or read more.

The Adventures in Odyssey Series – by Paul McCusker

Another Novotny favorite from their book series to their stories on DVD my boys can never seem to hear the Adventures in Odyssey series enough.  I'm pretty sure I have every story memorize by now.  These stories always have a great life lesson in them which is great for building their faith as well as social skills.

The Kidsboro Series – by Marshal Younger

 These are a continuation from Adventure in Odyssey with fun stories about Kids running their own town called Kidsboro.  More great books with daily life lessons in them.

What are you reading to your kids this Summer?

The Empty Candy Bar Wrapper

It was a Sunday morning and Nate was rehearsing his memory verse over and over again so that he was ready to share it with his Children’s church director. He had it down and was fully prepared .

Off to church we went memory verse in our heads and bibles in our hands – I dropped off the boys to their class with a quick hug and Ill see you after church reminder.

An hour later I arrived to pick my boys up and as we exited I asked Nate if he had recited his memory verse today? He responded by handing me a Butterfinger candy bar wrapper in which he replied "yes, and I saved you the wrapper as a souvenir of the candy bar I was given and now is in my tummy.

First I laughed thinking he actually saved me the wrapper as a souvenir -then I thought how this wrapper was actually a great reminder of not only had Nate absorbed a candy bar into his body today but he has also absorbed the word of God into his heart today .

As a mom I want my children to daily absorb God’s word into their heats and I'd be happy to collect empty candy bar wrappers as souvenirs if it means they are filling up on God’s word.

Chalkboard Verses

Each Sunday my children would arrive out of their Children's church service with a slip of paper that had their memory verse on it. Many times these papers would get stuffed into their bibles, left on the car floor or misplaced in some pile in our home, only causing us to go on a hunt to find the memory verse they needed to learn.  Not any longer I came up with a simple way to help my boys keep track of their memory verse and it also is a daily help to memorizing it.

 I purchased an inexpensive framed chalkboard that now sits on our kitchen counter in which we write the verse on that we are working on that week for our children to read, memorize and think about each day.

Another idea would be to use a hanging chalkboard or white board in a place your children can view it easily.

You can purchase a frame and chalkboard at local craft stores or online search for framed chalk boards.

Simple Resurrection Buns / Rolls Recipe

Not only will the Bunny be arriving on Easter morning but more importantly my children will be reminded of the reason we celebrate Easter this year by preparing these simple and yummy Resurrection Buns as we remind them that Christ has risen and the tomb is empty.

Resurrection Buns

Ingredients:
1 Can Refrigerated Crescent Rolls
8 Large Marshmallows
Melted Butter
Cinnamon & Sugar Mixture

Directions:

1. Give each person one crescent roll triangle, (this represents Christ's tomb) and one marshmallow (representing His body).

2. Have each person dip their marshmallow in the melted butter and roll around in the cinnamon and sugar (representing the oil and spices that were anointed on Christ's body).

3. Next Lay the cinnamon and sugar covered marshmallow onto the crescent roll triangle then carefully wrap, making sure that all seems are closed.

4. Bake according to package directions and let cool.

5. Break open the 'tomb' and show how Christ has risen and the tomb is empty.

As seen on 24/7 MOMS Live Webcast

Jelly Bean Prayer Bag Toppers

Make a SIMPLE Easter favor to share with your family and friends this Easter season.

Use the 24/7 MOMS Jelly Bean prayer bag topper to create Easter favors for upcoming celebrations. These can be used as Classmate gifts, table favors, teacher gifts and so much more.

This simple FREE bag topper can be placed on snack size zip loc bags that you have filled with the correct colors of jelly beans. ( you can fill with as many of each color bean as you choose from the below list)

The Bag topper has the following Jelly Bean prayer printed on it.

RED IS FOR THE BLOOD HE GAVE.
GREEN IS FOR THE GRASS HE MADE.
YELLOW IS FOR THE SUN SO BRIGHT.
ORANGE IS FOR THE EDGE OF NIGHT.
BLACK IS FOR THE SINS WE MADE.
WHITE IS FOR THE GRACE HE GAVE.
PURPLE IS FOR HIS HOUR OF SORROW.
PINK IS FOR OUR NEW TOMORROW.

A bag of JELLY BEANS
COLORFUL AND SWEET,
IS A PRAYER, IS A PROMISE,
IS A SPECIAL TREAT
Happy Easter.


Click here to download your FREE Jelly Bean prayer bag topper from 24/7 MOMS.

DIY Resurection Eggs To Tell The Easter Story

Over 10 years ago I came across a new family tradition called "Resurrection Eggs". You can either purchase this or create your own ( with our FREE download below) . I happened to purchase mine which came complete with 12 eggs filled with various items to assist me in telling the Easter story to my children along with a booklet that had the story broken down to go with each egg. We have used this fun tradition to share the Easter story with our children each year.


There are several ways to use these Resurrection eggs.

1. Daily countdown - Open an egg each day telling a portion of the Easter Story.

2. Tell the entire story at once opening each egg at the appropriate time in the story.

3. Host an Easter party for friends, neighbors and family and share the Easter story with the children using the Resurrection eggs.

If you are interested in purchasing your Resurrection eggs I found a great deal at Christianbook.com they are on sale for $12.99.

To make your own Resurrection eggs  Click the links below to download the 24/7 MOMS  Resurrection Eggs instructions.

Resurrection Eggs - Page 1  http://bit.ly/hRRjPf

Resurrection Eggs - Page 2  http://bit.ly/idEZ9N

Giving It Our All

Trisha Novotny
Editor 24/7 MOMS

Today as we cross the boarder into Mexico to begin our first family Mission build trip My prayer is that my children will understand and know that God wants to use them to make a difference in the lives of others no mater how old they are, how imperfect we may be, how inadequate we may feel - He (God) has a perfect plan for each of us and has given us the passion we need to be used by him and live our lives giving it our all.

Every time I hear this song "The Motions" by Matthew West I am reminded that I need to go for it, give it my all, live my life with passion, no matter the cost. What about you do you want to live your life full of passion? Live your life to make a difference and give it your all?

Resources For Family Devotions

Trisha Novotny
24/7 MOMS Founder

We teach our kids, reading writing and math but do we place enough priority on teaching them to follow Christ? That can be a BIG question and I did not ask it to judge or place mommy guilt on anyone I ask it to myself as well.

Each week my kids arrive home with their homework sheets from school and we make it a priority to accomplish the daily assignments and return them back to school at the end of the week. It allows my kids to get free choosing time on Friday, it tells the teacher their parents are on top of their education, it improves their grades and so on. But is it the ONLY priority I should be teaching my kids?

To me raising my kids to follow Christ is #1 .....but often the day to day task of educating them in this area can easily be pushed aside with the craziness of activities, homework and so many other distractions.

So, what resources are there out there to assist me in teaching my children to follow Christ as a priority?

Over 10 years ago I found a company called CBH ministries who creates Keys 4 Kids daily devotions. A yearly , bi-monthly subscription of keys 4 kids devotion book . They are filled with daily devotions including a story, questions, key verses and more.

This resource is one that I can use any time of the day - during breakfast at bedtime etc. It allows me to inspire my kids in their daily relationship with Christ and is a great family devotional.

Keys 4 kids Unlocks God's Word for young faith
You can learn more about God’s love every day! Read a fun story and hide God's Word in your heart with the Key Verse of the day. Check out today’s Key, or look for your favorite story in the archives

Four ways to begin using Keys for Kids in your home

#1 FREE Sample - Check out this sample of Keys for Kids -- a bimonthly devotional booklet published by CBH Ministries. The devotional for each day contains a story, a scripture passage, a personal application section, a verse to memorize as well as a "key thought"!

Click here to order your free sample today.

#2 Daily FREEbie -daily Keys for Kids devotional sent to you each day via email - Each one includes a cool story, Bible reading, a Key Verse, and an easy-to-remember Key Thought! Click here to sign-up for Daily Keys for Kids to be sent to your in box.

#3 - One year mail Subscription - bi-monthly Keys for Kids is a two-month publication filled with stories and activities that kids can readily identify with! It teaches relevant truths on a daily basis and helps them learn that success in life is directly related to obeying God’s Word.

Our new policy states that you may receive a single one-year subscription per family at no charge. The suggested donation to cover the cost for one year is $18. If you would like to make a donation towards Keys for Kids, just enter the amount to donate below.

Click here to order your one year mail subscription

#4 - One year devotion books -The One Year Book of Devotions for Kids is available with a great look for a new generation of readers. Each day's lesson focuses on a key theme. A great way to help kids connect with God! Includes: A contemporary story Application questions Memory Verses Action phrase Spanish language devotionals also available.

There are 3 volumes of kids devotions as well as specific devotion books for boys , girls or families

Click here to view and/or order Keys for Kids devotion books.

The Christmas Story Advent -Teaching your Children the real meaning of the seaon

The countdown has begin in our house as we count the days until Christmas with our advent calendars - Yes, we have multiple ones in our home from Lego to chocolate and this year I have added one more countdown experience. A daily Scripture verse telling the story of Jesus’ birth – from the angel telling Mary that she would be Jesus’ mom, to the three wise men’s journey. My goal is to remind my children the real reason for the season every day this month!

You can also share this fun advent countdown with you children with the FREE printable advent cards from Glittermagic. They also included some cute ideas on the 2nd page of what to do with the cards in case you don’t have an Advent Calendar. Click here to down load your cards now.

DIY - Thanksgiving Gratitude jar

This week you can create a simple Gratitude Jar for a fun way to teach your kids about gratitude this Thanksgiving with the DIY Thanksgiving Gratitude Jar from Our Pinata For full instructions go to Our Pinata by clicking here.

A Gratitude Jar is just a way to collect all the things you and your family are thankful for. It can be as easy as taking an old container laying around your house and cutting strips of plain paper to fill it with.


*Stop by each week for our DIY MOMS feature. 24/7 MOMS will feature a DIY ( Do it yourself) project by a MOM each week

DIY MOMS - Blessing Wipe Off Board For Thanksgiving

This week you can create a simple Blessing Board for a new Thanksgiving tradition with the DIY Blessing wipe off Board from Less-Than-Perfect Life Of Bliss For full instructions go to Less -Than- Perfect Life Of Bliss by clicking here.

Create Your Own family list of things you are thankful and begin a new Thanksgiving tradition this year.


*Stop by each week for our DIY MOMS feature. 24/7 MOMS will feature a DIY ( Do it yourself) project by a MOM each week.

Blessing For Back To School

Each year Valerie our official celebration editor from Gig Harbor Scrapper hosts a Back To School Blessing party and this year my children and I have been invited to attend. I don't know all the details of the party yet as it hasn't taken place. But, what I do know is she has asked each of the invited Mom's to provide a Scripture for each of her children that will then be her child's scripture for the school year.

Valerie has placed her children's yearly scripture on their bathroom mirrors and has now framed them to give to her children. What a great way to kick off the school year to pray for our kids, give them their own scripture verse to remind them of God's love and how special they are to him.

My Butterfinger Souvenir

It was a Sunday morning and Nate was rehearsing his memory verse over and over again so that he was ready to share it with his Children’s church director. He had it down and was fully prepared .

Off to church we went memory verse in our heads and bibles in our hands – I dropped off the boys to their class with a quick hug and Ill see you after church reminder.

An hour later I arrived to pick my boys up and as we exited I asked Nate if he had recited his memory verse today? He responded by handing me a Butterfinger candy bar wrapper in which he replied "yes, and I saved you the wrapper as a souvenir of the candy bar I was given and now is in my tummy.

First I laughed thinking he actually saved me the wrapper as a souvenir -then I thought how this wrapper was actually a great reminder of not only had Nate absorbed a candy bar into his body today but he has also absorbed the word of God into his heart today .

As a mom I want my children to daily absorb God’s word into their heats and I'd be happy to collect empty candy bar wrappers as souvenirs if it means they are filling up on God’s word.

Ignite Your Child's Love for Jesus With FaithLaunch

This past week when I stumbled across this resource to inspire my two younger boys in their faith I was super excited as I often find resources for the younger age group or teenagers - So, I quickly placed my order and can't wait for it to arrive and begin our own weekly FaithLaunch. I know my boys will also be excited as it includes episodes of Adventures in Odyssey in which they are huge fans of.

Click here to order your copy of FaithLaunch today and read more about it below.

Ignite Your Child's Love for Jesus

by John Trent, Ph.D., Jane Vogel

What's FaithLaunch?

You're about to discover a fun, easy way to do one of the most important things in the world. It's FaithLaunch: A Simple Plan to Ignite Your Child's Love for Jesus by John Trent and Jane Vogel.

FaithLaunch isn't the only method for introducing your child to Jesus, of course. But it's a good way to do it without pressuring your child, exhausting yourself, or upending your family's schedule. Each of the 13 "Family Times" takes about 30 to 45 minutes; that's 30 to 45 minutes of togetherness, not tedium. You might use one Family Time each week for 90 days — or bits and pieces over a longer period. You get to decide, because FaithLaunch is flexible.

The goal is to prepare your child to begin a relationship with God. Since so many children receive Christ as Savior when they're 4 to 7 years old, each Family Time is written with that age group in mind. But shifting gears for kids ages 8 to 12 is easy; just use the optional activities.

FaithLaunch gives you plenty of fun ways to learn, including three Adventures in Odyssey episodes to listen to. You'll sculpt with clay, stage a treasure hunt, even tell a story with the help of your child's action figures or dolls. If you need an excuse to play with your child, here it is! And if you need permission to talk about what's important, that's here, too.

The plan for each Family Time is easy to follow. Your goal is clear, and the items you'll need are listed — right down to snacks you might enjoy. To boost your confidence, things you might say are spelled out in bold type — with answers to questions in parentheses. And you're always free to adapt the plan to fit you and your child.

There's a bonus, too — another confidence booster. In Part III of the book you'll find answers to questions your child might ask about God, the Bible, Jesus, joining God's family, and more. So there's no need to panic if your child wants to know something that isn't on the tip of your tongue!

Adapted from FaithLaunch: A Simple Plan to Ignite Your Child's Love for Jesus by John Trent, Ph.D., and Jane Vogel (Focus on the Family/Tyndale, 2008)

Keys 4 Kids - Key to daily family devotions

Trisha Novotny
24/7 MOMS Founder

We teach our kids, reading writing and math but do we place enough priority on teaching them to follow Christ? That can be a BIG question and I did not ask it to judge or place mommy guilt on anyone I ask it to myself as well.

Each week my kids arrive home with their homework sheets from school and we make it a priority to accomplish the daily assignments and return them back to school at the end of the week. It allows my kids to get free choosing time on Friday, it tells the teacher their parents are on top of their education, it improves their grades and so on. But is it the ONLY priority I should be teaching my kids?

To me raising my kids to follow Christ is #1 .....but often the day to day task of educating them in this area can easily be pushed aside with the craziness of activities, homework and so many other distractions.

So, what resources are there out there to assist me in teaching my children to follow Christ as a priority?

Over 10 years ago I found a company called CBH ministries who creates Keys 4 Kids daily devotions. A yearly , bi-monthly subscription of keys 4 kids devotion book . They are filled with daily devotions including a story, questions, key verses and more.

This resource is one that I can use any time of the day - during breakfast at bedtime etc. It allows me to inspire my kids in their daily relationship with Christ and is a great family devotional.

Keys 4 kids Unlocks God's Word for young faith You can learn more about God’s love every day! Read a fun story and hide God's Word in your heart with the Key Verse of the day. Check out today’s Key, or look for your favorite story in the archives

Four ways to begin using Keys for Kids in your home

#1 FREE Sample - Check out this sample of Keys for Kids -- a bimonthly devotional booklet published by CBH Ministries. The devotional for each day contains a story, a scripture passage, a personal application section, a verse to memorize as well as a "key thought"!

Click here to order your free sample today.

#2 Daily FREEbie -daily Keys for Kids devotional sent to you each day via email - Each one includes a cool story, Bible reading, a Key Verse, and an easy-to-remember Key Thought! Click here to sign-up for Daily Keys for Kids to be sent to your in box.

#3 - One year mail Subscription - bi-monthly Keys for Kids is a two-month publication filled with stories and activities that kids can readily identify with! It teaches relevant truths on a daily basis and helps them learn that success in life is directly related to obeying God’s Word.

Our new policy states that you may receive a single one-year subscription per family at no charge. The suggested donation to cover the cost for one year is $18. If you would like to make a donation towards Keys for Kids, just enter the amount to donate below.

Click here to order your one year mail subscription

#4 - One year devotion books -The One Year Book of Devotions for Kids is available with a great look for a new generation of readers. Each day's lesson focuses on a key theme. A great way to help kids connect with God! Includes: A contemporary story Application questions Memory Verses Action phrase Spanish language devotionals also available.

There are 3 volumes of kids devotions as well as specific devotion books for boys , girls or families

Click here to view and/or order Keys for Kids devotion books.


Here is a sample of the FREEbie Daily Devotion that you can print from Keys for Kids web site.


"This is quite a storm!" exclaimed Grandpa Wilson, watching from the front porch as the rain poured down. His cottage was right next to a large river.

Ellen and Andy came out to stand beside him. Wide-eyed, they watched the trees blowing in the wind. "Grandpa," said Andy, "there was a news bulletin on TV, and it said the roads all through this area are impassable-so we can't get out of here, can we?"

"Not by car," said Grandpa, "but I'm afraid this whole area might be flooded if the Paranak Dam upriver breaks. I think the best thing for us to do is to get into my boat and head down the river." So they hastily gathered a few things and set off in Grandpa's big boat.

As they moved downstream, they stopped at cottages along the way, urging other families to leave, too. Most of the people were unconcerned. "The dam has never broken, and I'm sure it won't now," they said. "We'll be fine."

At one place, a party was in progress. The people laughed when Grandpa warned them that the river might flood. "Well! Well! If it isn't just like Noah and his ark!" called one man. "Where are all your animals, Noah?"

Grandpa sighed. "I wish these people would listen," he said, "but they won't, so we'll go on."

Finally, Grandpa and the children reached a safe place, and not long after that, the dam did break. Tons of water rushed over the river banks, resulting in much loss of life and property. "I feel awful about the people who could have left, but wouldn't," said Ellen sadly.

"One guy called Grandpa 'Noah,' remember?" asked Andy. "No one believed Noah when he warned them about a flood, just like no one believed us."

Grandpa shook his head. "Noah and his family were safe because they believed God," he mused. "They're a picture of those who trust Christ-only those who have accepted Jesus as personal Savior will be safe when God's judgment comes."

"That could come at any time, too, couldn't it?" Ellen asked.

"That's right," Grandpa agreed. "It's sad when lives are lost because people don't believe warnings of coming trouble. It's even more sad when souls are lost because they don't believe warnings about God's judgment."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior? Or are you too occupied with a busy schedule or perhaps having too much fun to be concerned? Even when everything seems normal and fine, there may be a storm of trouble coming soon. If you know Jesus, He'll help you with the storms you face in this life. And when the final storm comes-the time to face God-only those who trust in Jesus as Savior will be safe. Turn to Him now. Don't put it off! (See the ABCs of Salvation at the end of this book.)


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Hebrews 2:3