Search and Rescue—Dolphin Style!

Did you know that a dolphin only sleeps with half its brain? That’s right! Staying “half-awake” keeps dolphins safe from predators and allows them to breathe while they are sleeping. As cool as that is, there’s something even more fascinating about dolphins that you should know. Dolphins take care of each other when they are injured! A few years ago, a group of dolphins off the coast of South Korea formed a “raft” with their bodies to carry a female that had been wounded. Now that’s friendship! Just as dolphins work hard to help each other out, God calls us to take care of each other as well. Do you know someone in a nursing home whom you could visit? Or, if your younger sister or brother is sick, could you read to them or bring them some soup? In...

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Get Ready, Butterflies! Winter’s Coming!

When cold winds rattle the last leaves on the trees, we prepare for winter. We snuggle under extra blankets, slurp up warm soups, or even travel south. God helps butterflies get ready, too. In summer, monarch butterflies live just a few weeks, flitting from flower to flower to sip nectar. But autumn monarchs can live eight months. They soar south on the fall winds to live in warm Mexico. There, fluttering black and orange monarchs cover every inch of some trees, making them look like tall, stained-glass windows. When spring comes, they mate and head north. Mourning cloak butterflies don’t migrate. As it gets colder, they shelter under tree bark and rocks. God gave them special proteins and extra sugars to keep their insides toasty warm. In early spring they...

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The Tree of Christmas

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isaiah 11:1 By Gail Cartee Hey Kids and Parents Have you seen the EETCHY worm in your classroom? It’s made of colored beads and it helps kids organize their thoughts to tell a story. I want to use an EETCHY worm today to help us tell about a Christmas tree. The first bead of the worm is green to remind us what group we are talking about. Our group is Christmas Tree The second bead is blue to ask us what does it do. A Christmas Tree represents the various meanings associated with Christmas. The second bead is yellow with an eye on it. This asks us what does it look like. A Christmas Tree looks like a tree covered with red, gold, blue and white balls, stars,...

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A Harvest Moon

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Matthew 24:36 Hey Kids:  What is your vision for the future? Not every Christian is called to a foreign mission field. We need teachers, doctors, politicians, lawyers, auto mechanics, plumbers, computer techs and more who know how to use their jobs as effective mission fields. Study about Daniel this week. He was just a teen when he was taken to Babylon, but he learned all he could without compromising his faith. Though he faced trials, he became one of the most influential men in the kingdom until his death as a very old man. How can you prepare now for the vision God is giving you? How can you influence the world from your mission field? Gail Cartee is a writer and...

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St. Peter’s Fish

By Wendy Lanier   Ever hear the story of how the disciple Peter caught a fish with a coin in its mouth? Maybe you wondered what kind of fish would have a coin in its mouth and why. It’s possible the fish Peter caught was a musht fish. Whether it really was or not, the fish has become popularly known as “St. Peter’s fish.” Musht fish are still caught in the Sea of Galilee today.   A musht fish is a type of tilapia that grows anywhere from 6 to 18 inches long and can weigh more than three pounds.  They have a long dorsal fin along their back that looks like a comb when extended.  The word “musht” is Arabic for comb. Musht fish have a large head with a bag under their mouth. Every year in the spring the musht fish lay their eggs. After the...

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