Billy's friends had a plan. They were going to sneak into the orchard and steal some apples.

'You coming, Billy?' James asked. He grinned. 'We're helping old Farmer Brown. He can't eat all those apples himself.'

'No,' Billy answered. 'I'm not going to steal.'

'It's not stealing. It's only a few apples. They'll probably fall and rot. Come on.'

Shaking his head, Billy turned away. 'No.'

'Okay, we'll get the apples. You stay outside and keep watch.'

Still Billy resisted. 'If I do that, it's the same as if I steal apples with you,' he said.

James got angry. 'If he doesn't do this with us, he doesn't do anything with us,' he told the other boys.

Billy knew he was making a choice. 'God doesn't want me to steal,' he said. 'I'm going to do what God says.' And he walked away.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that Billy made the right choice. Help me to be like him. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

'Stop the car,' Charlene shouted. 'I think I saw a cat lying on the roadside. Must be a wildcat. Maybe it's hurt.'

Even though the winter wind was swirling the falling snow, she had spotted the little cat.

'Must be hurt real bad,' Charlene said. 'It doesn't try to run from me. Oh, look. Its ears are frostbitten. And its paws.' Almost in tears, Charlene hugged the cold little body against hers. 'I'll help you, little kitty,' she promised.

Charlene took the cat to the vet. It had a lot of problems. One ear and half the other had to be removed. Some sickness was causing its fur to fall out. It took lots of medical care before the cat started to recover.

At home with Charlene's other three cats, the kitty began to get well. Actually, though it was small, the kitty turned out to be a two-year old barn cat with no identification. Charlene called her Scarlet. Scarlet's fur began to grow again, although it didn't lie smooth. Instead, her fur looks like a comic-book cat with its tail stuck in an electric toaster.

But Scarlet is happy now, well fed, loved and cared for, because Charlene saw Scarlet's need and cared enough to help.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You saw our need and sent Your Son to save us and help us. Amen.

Dad could swim. Julie and Margaret could swim. Even five-year old Bobby could doggie-paddle without help. The whole family could swim - except Mom.

'We'll teach you to swim,' Bobby said. 'Daddy will hold you up and we'll show you how to do it.' Julie and Margaret nodded agreement.

'Okay,' Mom agreed. 'I want to learn before we go to Hawaii for holidays. I don't want to sit on the beach watching you cool off in the ocean.'

At the local swimming pool, Mom tried to swim. 'When I lift my feet, my body starts to go under the water,' she complained.

'Let me help,' Dad said. He put his arms under Mom's body. 'Lie flat on the water.' With Dad's arms supporting her, Mom stretched out her body. 'Now, kick your legs softly. And move your arms.'

'Good job, Mom,' Julie cried.

'You can do it, Mom,' Margaret called.

'Move your hands and feet like a doggie, Mom,' Bobby said. 'That's how I do it.'

'I - I can't,' Mom gasped. 'I'll sink.'

'No you won't, dear,' Dad said. 'My arms are underneath. I won't let you sink.'

It took more than one try, but Mom finally learned to swim. And the whole family enjoyed swimming in Hawaii.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that Your strong arms always hold me up. Amen.

A friend donated his car to the Speedsters' Club. Rob and the Speedsters waxed and polished it until everything shone. They hosed down the engine and wiped it until it looked like new.

But the engine wasn't new. It was thirty years old. It burned oil and had no power. Even though the whole car looked fresh and clean on the outside, the engine couldn't do the job it was supposed to do. The car needed a new engine.

'It's kind of like our hearts,' Rob told the boys. 'We can make ourselves look pretty good on the outside, but God says we need a new heart.

The Speedsters all worked together to fit the new engine into the car. When they were finished, the car ran fast and smoothly. And every time they drove it around the safe racetrack, the boys talked about the great difference a new engine made.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that You are able to give us a new heart to love and serve Jesus. Amen.

Rob was a city policeman. He saw that many young boys got into trouble stealing cars and decided to do something about it. First, he built a very safe racetrack on his parent's farm property. Then he cleaned out a big old barn and equipped it with a car hoist and a full set of mechanic's tools.

Doing this took a lot of money and effort. But Rob did it to serve God. He started a club for boys who appeared before the court. It was called The Speedsters' Club. The rules were strict. Each Speedster had to keep up good school work, obey his parents if he had parents, stay out of trouble, and cooperate with the other boys in the club.

Rob bought a couple of late model cars from the wreckers and taught the boys how to rebuild a car. They learned how to work safely, use tools, and help each other to get the job done. When the cars were restored, the boys took turns driving on the racetrack. They learned good driving skills and safety rules.

One day, a Speedster asked Rob. 'Why do you do this? It costs lots of money.' Rob answered. 'Because God loves you and I want you to see God's love in action.'

Prayer: Dear Lord, I want to be like Rob and let others see God's love in action through me. Amen.