The Jesus Calling Magazine – Winter 2024

Remembering Sarah Young

by Laura Minchew Senior Vice President and Group Publisher HarperCollins Christian Publishing

Laura Minchew had the wonderful opportunity to serve as Sarah Young’s publisher for many years. When they met, Sarah was a missionary in Perth, Australia, and Laura lived in Nashville, Tennessee. From across the world, they watched in amazement as Sarah’s writing touched the hearts of millions of readers.

We asked Laura about her work and friendship with Sarah.

For nearly twenty years, I have been honored to have a front-row seat at watching God change lives through Sarah Young. Sarah was a dear friend. Having the opportunity to know her and to work alongside her has been the blessing of a lifetime. Rarely a week has gone by when someone hasn’t mentioned that a Jesus Calling passage was exactly what they needed to hear, exactly when they needed to hear it. Sarah would always explain it this way: “I think the books help people connect with Jesus, and He meets us right where we are.”

“

God worked through Sarah’s writing.

Right now, I’m grieving the loss of more time with my friend Sarah. But today, there are many people we aren’t grieving because of the way God worked through Sarah’s writing. These are a few stories readers have shared with us:

 Hailing from Northeast India, Ann Grace watched her friends fi nd new life after they read Jesus Calling, because for the fi rst time they found a relationship with God.

 Following the deaths of her husband and granddaughter, both by suicide, Marian fell into a deep depression. But in the pages of Jesus Calling, she began to fi nd hope and healing.

 After his Parkinson’s diagnosis, Chris didn’t live in fear and self-pity, thanks to the way Sarah used scripture to speak truth to his soul.

 Heading to her nightstand to pick up a gun and end her life, Lisa made a last-minute decision: instead, she chose to pick up Jesus Calling. And Lisa is still with us today. (See full story on page 8)

We celebrate each of these people and so many others whose lives were changed through Sarah’s writings.

Sarah’s life was quiet, but her impact was great on the lives of so many, including mine. What a blessing it was that she prayed for my husband and me as he’s battled cancer and illness the last few years. She called after every major appointment to check on us. I got to visit with her a few days before she went to heaven, and her question was one of concern for me, asking, “How is Alan?” What a friend, indeed.

While the timing of her homegoing isn’t what any of us wanted, I fi nd comfort that the prayer of her life was answered: this woman, who we all loved, is now experiencing complete peace in the presence of Jesus.

A DAUGHTER’S PERSPECTIVE

Mem ies of My Mo er, Sarah Young

by Stephanie Young van der Westhuizen

SARAH YOUNG WILL BE REMEMBERED by many as one of the most infl uential Christian authors of her time, but I am blessed to remember her as my mom. Though much has been written about her life and accomplishments, I want to tell the story of how God graciously worked in her life and the amazing way He chose to use her books.

Mom was born in 1946, the second of four siblings. She was a gifted student, blessed with an intelligent mind and a thirst for knowledge. However, even though she is well-known for her vibrant faith in Jesus, she did not become a Christian until her young adulthood.

She attended Wellesley College and pursued a degree in philosophy, hoping to discover truth and purpose, but became quite disillusioned. God pursued her despite her wayward life and her attitude towards Him. During this time, her brother asked her to read Francis Schaeff er’s book Escape from Reason, and through the words of that book, Jesus began to show her real Truth for the fi rst time.

Mom eventually traveled to L’Abri to study and she committed her life to Jesus while she was there.

Sarah Young’s life exemplified faith, resilience, and a profound connection with God. Her daughter Stephanie Young van der Westhuizen remembers her mother’s dedication to others, why she began to write the words that eventually became Jesus Calling, and her unwavering commitment to glorify God even in the most trying circumstances.

She then decided to attend Covenant Seminary, where she earned a master’s degree in biblical studies and counseling. While there, she also met her husband Steve Young, who had grown up on the mission fi eld in Japan. They married in 1977, and soon after, they left for Japan as missionaries.

I was born in Tokyo in 1979. My brother Eric was born in Nashville in 1982, between our parents fi rst and second terms in Japan. While in Japan, Mom learned Japanese by attending a language school, all while helping my dad with mission work and raising my brother and me. As a mom of young children myself, I can only imagine how diffi cult this time was for her: a new believer, a new mother, trying to do mission work in a totally new place. Along with these diffi culties, there wasn’t much opportunity for Mom to use her counseling degree, so my parents considered moving their missionary work to another country.

In 1987, we moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where we stayed until my parents decided where we should go

next. In the meantime, Mom attended Georgia State University and earned another counseling degree, expanding her skills even further.

“

Quiet morning hours spent with Jesus were becoming her lifeline.

During this diffi cult time of decision making and transition, my mom began to pursue spending longer times with God, praying, reading scripture, and journaling. Quiet morning hours spent with Jesus were becoming her lifeline to deal with the stress of our lives, and I would wake up every morning to fi nd her doing this.

In 1990, we made a big move across the world to Melbourne, Australia. My parents began a Japanese language church, and Mom helped by teaching Sunday School and English classes. She also began her counseling ministry, which turned out to be much more of a spiritual battle than she’d expected; many of her clients were spiritually and sexually abused women. Her heart to help these women heal was heroic, and the eff ort and energy she poured into this ministry was taxing.

During the eight years we spent in Melbourne, Mom began to share her journal writings with others who needed encouragement. One of the people she encouraged most with her writing was her mother, Elizabeth Kelly, or “Nani,” as we grandkids called

her. In 1996, while we were in Nashville for a year of furlough, Nani was suddenly widowed, and my mom’s writings became vital to her journey through grief. I remember the day Mom handed me a fl oppy disc to print in my school’s computer lab: it was the fi rst 365-day collection of her journal writings, and she wanted to give it to Nani. Though none of us could’ve known this would one day become the contents of Jesus Calling, I do remember the gravity of that moment, handing Mom the still-warm stack of papers, wondering how God would use them.

Nani was always Mom’s biggest fan, encouraging her to keep writing and pursue publishing. Thanks to the encouragement of Nani and her friends, Mom continued to work on and improve her manuscript until she was ready to submit it for publication.

In 2001, as empty-nesters, my parents moved from Melbourne to Perth, Australia, with an invitation to start another Japanese language church. Sadly, only a month after the move, Mom began to experience a variety of symptoms that were eventually diagnosed as Lyme Disease. She went from being an active lover of the outdoors— especially walking on the beach—to being mostly home-bound due to increasing fatigue, fl u-like symptoms, vertigo, and food and skin allergies. Despite her health, Mom continued in the ministry as much she could, but it was a disappointing time for her. In addition to her ailing health, her manuscript was receiving rejection notices from publisher after publisher.

Sarah in Australia

Sarah in Australia

Finally, in late 2003, she’d completely given up hope that her book would be published when she was contacted by Integrity Publishers. Her manuscript had been circulating among friends in Nashville, and it eventually ended up in the hands of an editor’s wife from Integrity. To Mom, this was the fi rst sign that God was in control of when and how He was going to use her book. As is often the case with God, His timing and ways were not what we expected, but the trial of waiting that my mom endured helped us see that this book of hers was in His hands.

“

Her prayers were not for more books to sell, but for more people to know Jesus.

The fi rst edition of Jesus Calling was published in 2004 with little fanfare, with hopes that it might sell 10,000 copies. We know what happened next.

We soon saw that the incredible success of the book didn’t change her attitude. Her biggest hope was that no matter how many books sold, those who found it would draw closer to God. Her prayers were not for more books to sell, but for more people to know Jesus. As time went on and her health worsened, her ability to participate in traditional missionary work and counseling decreased. However, God provided her with a new ministry, which was to continue writing and to spend hours in prayer for her readers. She was an amazing prayer warrior for her readers, friends, and family.

Though she sought to fi nd physical healing through prayer and a multitude of medical treatments, it eventually became clear that God’s plan for her did not include healing from her physical ailments. Time and time again, she would

try a medical treatment that promised hope, only to be disappointed with a lack of improvement. This rollercoaster ride of hope and disappointment characterized the last twenty-two years of her life, and our lives as her family. Despite this, she never lost her faith, and she never doubted that God loved her. She herself saw that her years of suff ering and physical discomforts were vital in allowing her to write in a way that spoke to other people who were going through their own hardships.

Mom was exceptionally devoted to spending time in prayer, in deep study of the Bible, and in memorizing huge swaths of scripture to guide her through tough circumstances. What made her diff erent is that she, being a gifted writer, wrote down what she learned during these times in beautiful, uplifting ways that communicated God’s Truths to anyone who read them. It became commonplace to hear readers report that what they read on a certain day was exactly what they needed to hear, that it applied perfectly to their particular circumstance. Instead of being surprised, Mom explained that it was God working through her books, meeting people wherever they were that day.

Her books are not prophetic, they are not infallible, and they are not a replacement or an upgrade of the Bible—she was always clear about this. Her books are the starting point to drive you to the God she knew and loved so well, to motivate you to fi nd Him in the Bible.

Over and over, our family was amazed to hear stories of people becoming Christians after reading her books, and I believe it’s partly because Mom showed them what a close relationship with Jesus looks like.

Thank you, Mom, for dedicating your life to showing us how beautiful a relationship with Jesus can be.

Family vacation in Australia

Sarah Young’s favorite passage from

Jesus Calling

July 27

Hope is a golden cord connecting you to heaven. This cord helps you hold your head up high, even when multiple trials are buff eting you. I never leave your side, and I never let go of your hand. But without the cord of hope, your head may slump and your feet may shuffl e as you journey uphill with Me. Hope lifts your perspective from your weary feet to the glorious view you can see from the high road. You are reminded that the road we’re traveling together is ultimately a highway to heaven. When you consider this radiant destination, the roughness or smoothness of the road ahead becomes much less signifi cant. I am training you to hold in your heart a dual focus: My continual Presence and the hope of heaven.

ROMANS 12:12 NIV • 1 THESSALONIANS 5:8 NIV • HEBREWS 6:18–19 NIV

 I am amazed and grateful for the many ways God is using Jesus Calling to help people. I give Him the glory for it all!

— Sarah Young

Robin

Peter

Michelle Lenger Designer

Aarti Sequeira | 32

Reassure Your Child God is Always There

new from bestselling author

Max Lucado

Reassure children they are cherished and give them comfort in knowing that parents, caregivers, and God are always with them through the highs and lows.

NO MORE BAD DAYS

Gary Miracle Finds God’s Grace in Every Moment

by Laura Neutzling

GARY MIRACLE’S NAME PERSONIFIES the events of his life over the last few years, which have been marked by immense adversity and incredible restoration.

Recalling his life before 2019, Gary reflects, “For the first thirty-nine years of my life, I lived what most people would call ‘the All-American Dream.’” He had the family he’d always wanted and was dedicated to his church and to foreign missions.

However, the final week of 2019 brought about a change that would alter his life forever.

Flu-like symptoms brought Gary to the emergency room for multiple visits after the Christmas holidays, with doctors sure it was just the routine disease. After an allergic reaction to Tamiflu and days of feeling worse, Gary took himself to the emergency room for a fourth time—and fell into septic shock and multisystem organ failure. Doctors

rushed Gary to the ICU, where he was put into an induced coma. His situation was dire; family members were called in to say their goodbyes. He was moved to a hospital equipped with an ECMO (“extracorporeal membrane oxygenation”) machine, one of seven in the state of Florida where Gary lives. It was a device his family and doctors believed might be his last hope to stay alive.

Miraculously, on the brink of his death, the doctors decided to use the ECMO machine, sparking a sequence of events which Gary calls “miracle upon miracles.” The machine, typically used for 24 to 48 hours, was used for ten days in Gary’s case, causing the blood in his extremities to congeal, which ultimately did save his life—but resulted in the amputation of his arms and legs.

“

I want to learn what it means to live and not just be alive.

Despite the signifi cant pain and physical loss, Gary’s spirit remained unbroken. Refl ecting on the adversity, Gary shares, “I want to spend my whole life telling people that God is good and convincing people of that—and then, when something traumatic happens to me, still living my life like He is really, really good.”

His undeterred spirit led him to a journey of rehabilitation and rediscovery. “I want to fi ght for life. I want to learn what it means to live and not just be alive,” Gary says, emphasizing his determination to live a life full of purpose and meaning. Just six months after he was fi tted for prosthetic legs, Gary ran a two-mile race, one he described as painful but also fl ooded him with a gratefulness to be alive and to get to the fi nish line.

Further adversity struck Gary when his fi rst wife chose a diff erent path, but he soon found love again in a woman named Jenna. Undaunted by Gary’s physical challenges, Jenna fell in love with Gary’s indomitable spirit, which he attributes to divine intervention. “Christ was still working out my story, and I just wanted it to be a lot faster and happen sooner than He wanted it to. So I had what I call ‘setbacks,’ but Christ calls them ‘next steps,’” he refl ects.

Now as a motivational speaker, Gary believes that everyone fi ghts their own battles, many of which are invisible. He encourages people to be open about their struggles, as this vulnerability can foster a sense of community and love. “Through the sharing of my struggles, both visible and invisible, I’ve never been more loved in my entire life when I thought I would be judged for all of that.”

Despite all odds, Gary clings to his faith and envisions a future in heaven, enjoying a restored body, and extends an invitation to all. “I believe that there is going to be a day that I am going to be running down the streets of gold with brand-new legs. So join me in chasing Jesus.”

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast

Gary’s book No More Bad Days is available now from your favorite book retailer.

Don Wickstrum’s Road from Cancer to Racing Up Pikes Peak

by Michael Overholt

“MY GOAL IS THE SUMMIT. Just arrive at the summit. Safe, in one piece, and happy.”

That was Don Wickstrum’s mantra to himself in 2022. After failed attempts in 2019 and 2020 to complete the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, a legendary auto race that sends drivers climbing uphill until they reach the top of the peak, Wickstrum could feel the intensity mounting.

Wickstrum—AKA the “fastest pastor”—was

used to encountering setbacks. Born to a family full of Midwestern grit, his family knew challenges. They scuttled from one place to another before spending a brief time unhoused. Yet, none of these obstacles kept him from dreaming. In fact, he dreamed often, and it was after one particular Bobby Unser television commercial that Wickstrum knew what he wanted to do: compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

That was good and all, as his dad saw it, but he encouraged his son to try college. Perhaps the challenges the Wickstrum family had faced in his son’s childhood would be avoided with a solid education. So, Wickstrum struck a deal with his dad: he’d apply to one school, and if he got in he’d go. Otherwise, he’d focus on racing.

Fast forward to 2018. Wickstrum had long since earned a college degree, gotten married, and run a successful robotics business for 16 years. He had fought through his own brand of atheism that tried to “prove the Bible false” and found himself pastoring a church. Life was very diff erent from what he thought it would be—but better. Then came the news.

He had colon cancer.

This news came as a double whammy. His doctor explained that if he was going to beat cancer, he’d have to sell his business—the same one he and his wife Mary had spent 16 years building.

“Heartbreaking” doesn’t describe what Wickstrum felt at this time, and he wrestled for a moment with how he, Mary, and their fi ve kids might be able to keep the business and continue fi ghting the cancer. In the end, they sold it and faced the possibility that Don had only one year to live.

At this point a friend approached him and said, “Listen, Don, you've helped me and a lot of people. I would love to help you accomplish something on your bucket list. What would it be?”

“Pikes Peak,” Wickstrum blurted.

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was the perfect combination to Wickstrum of beauty and danger. Plus, “it was a race against yourself,” Don says, since only one car went up at a time. The friends

applied to the 2019 race and got accepted. Challenge overcome, right? Nope.

Wickstrum crashed in 2019 and a second time in 2020. In both attempts, he was happy just to be alive and able to race—but also felt the crushing disappointment of not reaching the summit and not knowing whether he’d be alive the next year to try again.

But remember: overcoming challenges was nothing new to Don.

Which is why Wickstrum found himself back at the foot of Pikes Peak in 2022, focused on arriving at the summit “safe, in one piece, and happy.”

The morning of the race, a dense fog lowered itself onto the starting line, but this did not deter the Wickstrum team in the least. In the end, Wickstrum would drive “Gianna”—Italian for “the Lord is merciful”—to the summit successfully in what The Broadmoor, the sponsor of the race, would describe as “an awe inspiring moment,” a testament to Wickstrum’s willingness to deal with one obstacle to overcome in life.

Throughout this four-year journey of battling cancer, overcoming two heartbreaking crashes, and reaching the summit, Wickstrum’s message has remained the same: a cancer diagnosis is not the end of the story.

And in Wickstrum’s case, it was just the beginning to reaching a childhood dream of racing up Pikes Peak.

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast.

An exclusive excerpt from Sarah Young’s 365-day prayer devotional

Jesus Listens

JULY 2 

Ever-near Jesus, Your Word assures me that even in the most desperate circumstances, I don’t need to be afraid, for You are close beside me— guarding, guiding all the way . Yet I confess that I’m often unaware of Your Presence, even though You are always with me.

Whenever I start to feel afraid, help me to use this emotion as a wake-up call to my heart, alerting me to reconnect with You. Instead of giving in to rising anxiety, I can turn to You and let the Light of Your Presence shine upon me—and within me. As I rest in the warmth of Your Love-Light, the cold, hard fear gradually melts away. Experiencing this wondrous Love increases my love for You and my trust in You.

I’m grateful that You are guarding and guiding me all the way . You protect me from harm more often than I can imagine—and You guard my soul. Because I’m Your follower, my soul is eternally secure in You; no one can snatch me out of Your hand ! Moreover, as I go along the path toward heaven, I rejoice in the assurance that You will be my Guide even to the end .

In Your guarding, guiding Name, Amen PSALM 23:4 TLB • JOHN 10:28 NIV • PSALM 48:14 NIV

Spotlight on the Unsung

The Value of the Small Town Church

by Donnie Griggs

One Harbor Church

Morehead City, NC

I live in a small town in North Carolina called Morehead City. Growing up here, I was part of a church that did a lot to love and serve the community.

But as often happens when you grow up in a small town, for some people, the goal is to leave. I left after high school, and I was gone for almost ten years. So it was pretty surprising the way we ended up back here. Along the way, I came to realize that God had put us here

on purpose and that our little town, like a lot of little towns, is really beautiful, but it’s also really broken. A lot of times when we think about small-town ministry, it can come across almost idyllic, like we’re all eating apple pie on the front porch in rocking chairs. Another misconception is that small towns are homogenous, just kind of one culture, and therefore pretty simple to approach and reach. Actually, they’re really complicated and diverse, and there’s a lot of nuance. Trying to faithfully lead a church and faithfully engage the community and push back real darkness is a lot harder than you’d think.

“

There’s a feeling of actually needing community and caring for one another.

I serve as a chaplain for our community. I have a literal fi re department radio in my truck, and

I respond to the really hard, sad stuff going on. As a church, we’ve tried to be there when the town’s weeping. When there’s things we’re celebrating, we try to be a part of the community in a meaningful way.

Everywhere I go—grocery store, gas station–wherever, often, somebody pulls me aside and says, “Hey, this is going on with my kids,” or, “This is going on in our marriage. Is there anything you guys can do? Would you pray for us?” There’s a feeling of actually needing community and caring for one another.

We are the most distracted generation in history. And if we could harness the slowness that is aff orded in small towns, I think it’s to our benefi t. You think about spiritual disciplines like solitude— there is something really necessary and beautiful about stopping and slowing down.

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast.

You can find Donnie’s book Pastoring Small Towns at your favorite retailer.

SEEING GOD THROUGH THE LOVE OF A FRIEND

The Divine Bond of Country Singer Walker Hayes and Pastor Craig Allen Cooper

by Cynthia M. Stuckey & Laura Neutzling

BEFORE COUNTRY SINGER/SONGWRITER

WALKER HAYES had his fi rst hit song and made it big in the country music world, like many aspiring musicians who move to Nashville, Walker found himself struggling to make ends meet. After being signed to several music labels and then dropped from each, Walker’s latest deal was headed in the same direction.

felt overwhelmed about what to do next. “I was also an alcoholic at the time,” Walker mentions. “I’d just been so beaten up by Nashville and just wasn’t really excited to be known or know people.”

With a family of nine to support, the news he was being dropped again was devastating. Even their family minivan was tied to him having a record deal—on loan to Walker from a dealership in exchange for an endorsement, but only as long as he remained signed with a label. Walker kept mum about the situation, “because I knew they’d take the van and we’d have no other options.” Ultimately, the dealership took back the minivan, and Walker

Enter Pastor Craig Allen Cooper.

Craig and his wife Laura got to know the Hayes family after Walker, along with his wife Laney, joined their small church plant of just thirty people, despite Walker considering himself an atheist at the time. “We were aware of what was going on in their world,” Craig says. “We knew when their van got repossessed. But Walker would say stuff like, ‘Ah dude, we’re good, it’ll work out.’”

Craig and Laura off ered to give the use of their own family van for the Hayes whenever possible. Eventually, Craig and Laura decided that the Hayes family was in more dire need of a van than they

were, and they came to a decision about how they could help. One night, Craig met Walker at their kids’ baseball game and handed Walker the title and the keys to the Coopers’ van.

A surprised Walker, though touched and grateful for the gesture, had mixed feelings about accepting. “It was a frustrating night for me because I was embarrassed to accept the vehicle,” Walker remembers. “But as I drove home, I began to feel relieved. I was like, I don’t know about church, but this guy, he’s got something in him that I want.”

A short season later, it was Craig who was battling discouragement, asking God to show him if he was in the right ministry and wondering if he was making a diff erence in people’s lives. “Please show me that You have me where You want me,” he would pray.

At one of his lowest moments, he and Laura were headed to a date night when Laura noticed a text she had received from Laney with an MP3 attached. Laney or Walker often sent MP3s of songs Walker was working on, but this one was diff erent, as the name of the MP3 was simply “Craig.” Laura suggested they stop the car and listen, and both were overwhelmed after hearing what was basically a thank-you letter about Walker and Craig’s friendship story, set to song.

“I was just absolutely undone,” says Craig, “just a puddle of tears. At that moment, I felt like God was singing over me through my unbelieving friend Walker, saying, ‘I’ve got you right where I want you.’”

CRAIG

I metCraig at a church called Redeeming Grace

It’s like he understood my “I don’t want to be here” face

I felt out of place and I smelled like beer

But he just shook my hand, said, “I’m glad you’re here”

Hesays, “We’ll all be judged”

But he was never judgemental

And even though my songs don’t belong in no hymnal

He’d quote me my lyrics, slap me on the back

Said, “Man you’ve got a gift! How you write like that?”

Walker, through Craig, began to see a God who had been pursuing him all along, and making Himself real to Walker through a friendship like none he’d ever had before.

“Looking back as I wrote the song,” Walker refl ects, “I was going, ‘Hey, world, I don’t believe in Jesus. But there’s this guy who does, and the love radiating from his heart, I mean, that’s what it means to really be known.’ I think God was kind to show me Christ in another human, and I’m so grateful for that.”

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast.

You can find Walker and Craig’s book, Glad You’re Here, at your favorite retailer.

Lyrics excerpted from “Craig,” composed by Walker Hayes, (p) 2021 by Monument Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.

MAKE A SNOW DAY THAT SPARKLES WITH FUN!

(even if you don’t have snow!)

When you’re a kid, snow days are the most magical thing in the world. Getting bundled up to play in the snow on a school day? Yes, please!

When author and lifestyle expert Maria Provenzano was growing up, her mom would create a fun craft or game for their family to play while they were stuck inside.

MARIA’S 4 TIPS FOR THE BEST SNOW DAY

Get cozy. Pull out your comfiest outfit and fluffiest blankets to embrace a day of being at home.

Pop outside and breathe in the air. If you live in an area with snow, build a snowman, have a snowball fight, try to catch a snowflake on your tongue.

Today Maria lives in Los Angeles with her own family, and while her boys don’t get to experience snow days unless they’re visiting family or traveling, she decided to share the tradition and create a few activities to help make their snow day—real or make-believe— super fun!

Go old-school with candles and games. Get some laughs with a board game or card game. Setting the scene with candles (regular or flameless!) will make your home feel even more warm and comfy.

Make hot chocolate! Snuggle on the couch to watch your favorite snow-day movie with a warm mug of this delicious treat. Bonus points if you include marshmallows!

DIY SNOWY PUFF PAINT

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

1 cup school glue

1 cup foamy shaving cream

Medium bowl

Spatula

Cardstock or thick paper

Paintbrushes

Plastic squeeze bottles, optional

Nontoxic paint, optional

Additional decorative elements: googly eyes, glitter, cotton balls

If you need some more activities after the kids get done playing outside, bring in some of that snowy fun without all the mess! This activity is best for ages four and up.

1.In a bowl, use a spatula to mix together equal parts glue and shaving cream until they are well combined. Add paint to the mixture, if desired.

2.Use the paintbrushes to apply the paint to paper, or fill a plastic squeeze bottle with the paint and squeeze the paint out.

3.Add additional decor to your snowy scene, if desired.

Make sure to use the “foamy” shaving cream, not gel.

T i PS!

Use shaving cream that doesn’t have a strong smell. (believe me: if you don’t, your kids will smell like it for the rest of the day!)

Find Maria’s book Everyday Celebrations from Scratch at your favorite book retailer.

GRIEF’S UNEXPECTED COMPANION

Mike Nappa on the Presence of Joy While Walking Through Loss

by Cynthia M. Stuckey

FOR THOSE WHO ARE ENGULFED by the deep waters of losing a loved one, there often seems to be no relief. But as author and theologian Mike Nappa has waded through the grief of losing his wife Amy, he has found the journey to be fi lled with devastating sorrow—and unexpected joy.

Mike and Amy were college sweethearts who became engaged in a whirlwind ten days after their fi rst date. Three months later, they stepped into the future together as husband and wife. And for nearly thirty years, as they added to their family, the Nappas’ life was one of partnership, laughter, and indescribable happiness. Mike nicknamed Amy “a walking carnival,” as she could make any day fun.

The cancer diagnosis, which had been spreading undetected through her abdomen, was an unconscionable blow on their family. “I spent the fi rst eight months trying to help her live,” Mike refl ects, “and then the last fi ve months trying to help her die.”

Today, Mike bears a tattoo of one of Amy’s favorite verses, Psalm 16:8, in her handwriting on his arm: “I have set the Lord continually before me; Because

He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (NASB). It’s a verse that had been special to his wife and began to completely exemplify her faith in her final days on earth. Even as she lay in hospice, Amy’s focus was on loving others and seeing them with the eyes of mercy.

“

When it gets hard, God doesn’t step back and run away.

For Mike to watch his bride of thirty years slowly make her way to heaven was a faith-altering encounter. “I understand that God is who He said He is, just like I thought He was before, in the moments of great joy and great sorrow. He is always near in the moments of great joy, and when it gets hard, He doesn’t step back and run away. He’ll stand there and stay with you.”

In spite of the Nappas’ faith, the grief of losing Amy was nearly overwhelming for Mike, and after struggling privately for some time he courageously asked for help. Family and friends were asked to share their most treasured scripture verses, which Mike printed and glued, one by one, on index cards. Combined with many verses Amy had left behind for him to cling to, Mike had amassed a large stack of over a hundred Bible verses and challenged himself to meditate on one per day, throughout the day, for one hundred days. More than seven years have passed since that initial one hundred days, and Mike has continued the daily rhythm of meditating on the truth of God’s Word for comfort and hope.

As Mike reflects on the years colored by sorrow, he believes the grief is of value because of the love it represents. “If we are grieving deeply, it means that we have loved deeply. And so that has value, that has purpose. Grief is a natural and important part of life. And if we can take that grief and grieve well, then we can gain the benefit that comes from grief. There is a new texture, a new beauty to enter life through sorrow. We cannot short circuit that, but if we can actually grieve well, then maybe this grief will have value. It will have worth.”

If we are grieving deeply, it means that we have loved deeply.

One of the more poignant lessons Mike has learned as a student of grief, is in looking at the life of Jesus and how well He modeled the ability to hold two diverse emotions at the same time; complete joy and utter sadness. Mike shares this newfound respect for the adjacency of grief and joy in this way. “What surprises me is that joy and sorrow are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to grieve deeply and also feel great joy at the same time.”

You can find Mike’s book, Reflections from the Grieving Soul, at your favorite book retailer.

Jesus Calling Podcast.

Tearing Down the Old to Start Anew

Anh Lin Creates Nurturing Spaces for Healing Hearts & Minds

by Cynthia M. Stuckey

“AS HUMANS, WE ARE SO IMPACTED by our surroundings. Our physical self, our mental and spiritual—it’s all interconnected,” says author, designer, and content creator Anh Lin.

Better known as @GirlandtheWord to her nearly 600,000 YouTube subscribers, Anh spends her days creating peaceful videos laced with scripture in her renovated 1940s fi xer-upper teeming with natural light, a gorgeous color palette fi lled with soft neutrals, and houseplants galore. But viewers would never know that the young woman fi lling their screens with serenity and hope was unable to access those things herself only a handful of years before.

“When I was a junior in high school, I was depressed. I was anxious,” Anh remembers. “I had just gotten out of an abusive relationship, my home life was a mess, and I felt like I had nowhere to turn. I started hanging out with the wrong people and got into substance abuse very quickly.”

One night partying with her friends, trying to escape the weight of her broken life, Anh found herself strung out with friends in the back of a stranger’s car, techno music blasting to drown out the evening. But everything—the music, the drugs, the partying—had the opposite of its intended eff ect. “I just started sobbing in the backseat of that car. Everything in my life looked totally beyond repair. I did not know how I would ever get out of this mess. It was like I had a come-to-myself moment where I thought, Wow, nobody truly loves you.”

But something else curious happened in the backseat of that car. Anh found her thoughts drifting to a painting of Jesus that her mother had displayed in their home when she was a little girl. And instantly, she recalls, “I felt this comfort just wash over me from head to toe, and it just felt like the safest, warmest hug from your favorite person.”

“

Only when you demolish the old can you rebuild something new and better.

The sanctuary she found in that moment inspired Anh to walk on a path toward healing. Eventually she graduated from high school and began to nurture her spirit by creating a living space that soothed her inside and out. “When you create a space for yourself that is peaceful, it allows your mind to rest, and you’re able to think about things like purpose and so forth,” Anh explains. “So your environment matters a lot. And you do have a level of control over the kind of an environment you live in.”

Anh began to upload photos of her space to Instagram, and her content resonated with others who found solace in her spaces, too. “My overarching goal and purpose is to demonstrate the sweetness of God to as many people as I can,” she says, “because that’s the part of His character that’s touched me the most and changed my life. And I’ve found fi ve powerful steps for rebuilding a forever home— which, to me, is a life that you can feel fulfi lled by and that glorifi es God—is to fi rst remove the unsafe patterns of your past. Renew the foundation of your life. Rebuild the framework of your resilience. Reinforce the integrity of your boundaries, and restore the beauty that God promised to you.

“I know that when it really feels like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, it feels so hopeless. You feel so worthless that you can’t foresee a better future, and that you can’t foresee a way out. But only when you demolish the old can you rebuild something new and better.”

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast

Find Anh’s book Forever Home at your favorite book retailer today.

Try Your Hand at Journaling!

Spend a few minutes thinking about creating a peaceful life and space of your own.

1.What does a strong and beautiful life look like to you? What brave steps would you need to take to dence toward that reality? Which small step could you take today?

1. What being walking in confidence

2. In 3. If

2.In what ways does your physical space mirror your internal mindset?

3.If you don’t already have a small place of peace, what would that look like for you to curate? How would your day to day life be different with that place to call your own?

“BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PRAY FOR”

Drug Lord Turned Pastor Stopped Negotiating with God—and Followed Him Instead

by Scott Mason

“BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR,” should forever be termed “Be careful what you pray for.” So is the case for Herman Mendoza, former drug lord turned pastor.

Today, Herman is the lead pastor at Promise Ministries International in New York City. Needless to say, he’s been on a journey of healing and redemption after years of drugs, prison, and ignoring God’s calling on his life.

kids within his community, Herman was introduced to weed and eventually progressed to more hardcore drugs like cocaine and heroin. This led to a life of gang activity where, he admits, he wrongfully placed his values, instead of looking to his own family to help shape him as a young man. “I got involved with this gang, and I just wanted to sustain the addiction. We committed a robbery by stealing a car radio. I started to sell small quantities of cocaine, and then I was arrested.”

“I’m the youngest of fi ve boys,” Herman explains. “We were brought up in Queens, New York. My parents are originally from the Dominican Republic, and they migrated to the United States back in the 1960s.”

While trying to fi nd his identity hanging out with other

After his arrest, Herman’s parents sent him to live with his grandparents in the Dominican Republic, where they soon enrolled him in a private school, hoping to infl uence his behavior for good. But Herman’s rebellion continued, and after a year of living with his grandparents, he found himself back in New York.

The young man’s rebellion reached a fever pitch as he joined his brother in distributing cocaine. But the brothers couldn’t keep up the ruse forever; New York City authorities arrested the brothers, seizing thirty-two kilograms of cocaine (valued at $3.8 million in the mid-nineties) and sent them to the city’s notorious prison Rikers Island. But Herman found his time at Rikers wasn’t the lifeending sentence that so many have experienced. He eventually entered into a drug program that reduced his multi-year sentence to a mere six months.

And that’s when Herman started to “negotiate” with God.

“God,” he said, “if You allow me to be released from prison, I promise I will not drink alcohol for six months.”

But the change he promised was short-lived. After his release, Herman found himself tempted

back into the life of easy money through traffi cking drugs. It wasn’t long before he was arrested again—this time by the DEA. But unbeknownst to him, his brother, who was also now incarcerated in a federal facility, prayed they would end up in the same facility. He’d surrendered his life to Jesus and wanted desperately to share this new way of living with Herman.

“

For the very first time it wasn’t about me.

His brother’s prayer was answered and soon Herman found himself surrendering his life to Jesus just as his brother did. “For the very fi rst time it wasn’t about me,” said Herman. “It wasn’t about negotiating with

God. It was about the wrongs I’ve done and that Jesus paid the price for my sins and that He can make it all right. There’s a price you have to pay for the wrongs you’ve committed, and I had to pay that price.”

Herman began to make amends with those in his life he had hurt. His mom. His dad. His wife. While in prison, he applied for college in theological studies and became a pastor. Eventually, Herman was released from prison after years of service as a pastor for his fellow off enders. He started a nonprofi t and began to receive invitations to speak before heads of state at the UN, even ministering to NBA players.

Herman recognizes the blessings of a redeemed life. “You have to come to that place where you know Jesus fi rst. He will navigate you through life’s obstacles and life’s challenges.

He’s with me, and the Holy Scriptures are there to guide me each and every day.”

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast.

You

find

can

Herman’s book Shifting Shadows at your favorite book retailer today.

WORSHIP, WORK, and WIN

Sister Jean’s Inspiring Legacy in the NCAA

by Michael Overholt

INSPIRATION IS A FASCINATING PHENOMENON. What inspires one person does not always inspire another, but when movements are born, we take notice.

Jean Dolores Schmidt was born in San Francisco in 1919. Then a much more humble town than the sprawling metropolis it is today, “the Golden City” provided the setting that would lead young Jean to join the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary at a young age, but nothing could have prepared her for the realization that her path would eventually intersect with college basketball in a way that would take the basketball world as a whole by storm.

“

Everybody needs a pat on the back.

For decades, Sister Jean dedicated herself to teaching and later served as a chaplain at Loyola University Chicago. Her commitment to the university community extended far beyond her religious duties. She became a trusted friend, mentor, and confi dante to countless students, athletes, and staff members. Known for her warm smile, kind words, and compassionate presence, she grew to be a beloved fi gure on campus. But it wasn’t until the 2017–2018 NCAA basketball season that Sister Jean’s name became known on the national stage. At the ripe young age of ninety-eight, she took on the role of chaplain for the Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team and embraced this new role with the same enthusiasm and devotion that had defi ned her entire life in academic and religious life.

The Ramblers embarked on an improbable journey through the NCAA tournament, and Sister Jean’s spirit and optimism became the team’s unoffi cial mascot.

For those who are not sports historians, Loyola Chicago knew a very bitter truth: they had not reached the Final Four of the NCAA tournament since their historic championship run in 1963. But game by game, the Ramblers kept advancing through the rounds, and with each win the almost-centenarian’s fi gure in the spotlight grew. Her pre-game prayers, infectious enthusiasm, and insightful basketball analysis struck a chord with fans across the nation. During this historic run, Sister Jean’s catchphrase “Worship, work, and win!” became an NCAA mantra.

In the end, a basketball championship was not in the stars. The Loyola Ramblers would end up losing in the semifi nals. Yet, they had something else far greater. They had reignited the nation’s belief in the power of faith, teamwork, and the human spirit, with Sister Jean at the heart of it all.

In the aftermath of the tournament, Sister Jean became a cultural icon. She received countless awards, honors, and invitations to speak at various events. Despite her newfound fame, she’s remained grounded in her faith and her mission to serve others.

“My day is pretty full seeing people, talking to people,” she says.

“Then in the evening, I think about the good things, as well as the not so good. It’s easier to think of the not-so-good fi rst and how we could have done it better. But everybody needs a pat on the back. So try to say to yourself, ‘No, I did something here, and I helped so-and-so here. And I listened to somebody else.’ That’s a pat on the back. And when you give yourself a pat on the back, you wake up in the morning and you’re joyful. You can say, “God, thank you for another day.” That’s my great purpose: to serve God and to be faithful to Him, to help people, and to know that I enjoyed life. And I continue to do that. I’ve had a good life so far, 104 years.”

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast.

Sister Jean’s book, Wake Up with Purpose!, is available at your favorite retailer.

SERENITY in STIRRING

Food Network’s

Aarti Sequeira Brings

Peace to Our Kitchens

by Abigail Nibblett

SOMETIMES, GOD TAKES THE MOST unremarkable person, place, or experience, and turns it into something wildly beautiful and unexpected.

Aarti Sequeira thought she was living out her calling by becoming a journalist. She’d established a successful career in New York City, but when she married her husband Brendan, they moved to Los Angeles, where Aarti was unable to fi nd work for months. “I started to really feel worthless because my identity was so wrapped up in achieving professionally. When that was taken away, I didn’t know who I was anymore.”

But when she began attending church, Aarti began to unpack a new understanding of who she was: a unique, beloved daughter of God. That brought her comfort during the months that left her usually busy hands idle. And in her boredom, Aarti made a small decision that turned to be a pivotal one: she began to dabble in cooking.

And while she was in the kitchen, she began praying, too. “It usually started with a prayer like, ‘Oh, God, please make this good.’ But then it became, ‘God, I’m walking in here with a burden, discouraged and hopeless, and I need You to meet me in this place.’” As these conversations occurred, the everyday mundane of providing sustenance for herself and her family became sacred. In the slicing of the vegetables, the sizzling of the garlic, in creating order out of chaos, Aarti discovered that much like the tools she held in her hands, she was one of God’s too.

“

dishes, which eventually led her to shoot a YouTube cooking show with her husband called Aarti Paarti. Seeing its success, she was encouraged to try out for the competition series Food Network Star. Audiences fell in love with the warm, bubbly host, and Aarti won her season.

With that, her new purpose became clear: to create beautiful, nourishing meals that could serve as a connection point, because even in a sometimes divided world, there’s a question we all ask ourselves: Are you hungry?

If you were to sit down at Aarti’s table for a time of connection, she might fi x you one of her favorite dishes—French onion soup. “For so long I felt like an onion, like a very unremarkable bit of produce. You start to peel it away. You start to clean it up. You slice it just the right way, you introduce it to heat and fat and suddenly it turns into something sweet. And then you add broth and vinegar, and maybe a touch of sugar, and suddenly it's this gorgeous bowl of soup.” Just like food can start out simple and become a masterpiece in the hands of a chef, so are we when we submit ourselves to what God has crafted for our lives. Aarti leans into that analogy with a knowing smile. “I had never considered before that God was so in love with me that He wanted to know me and to know Him and to know my identity fi rst and foremost as His daughter. Everything I do is completely God working through me to call people unto Himself.”

God I need you to meet me in this [kitchen].

“If you can take something that feels as mundane as cooking and fi nd the sacred tucked into that,” Aarti explains, “then you’re going to fi nd it when you do the laundry, when you’re driving to work, when you’re dealing with a diffi cult situation. Because that’s really what our life is all about.”

With the kitchen as her new-found sanctuary, Aarti’s signature fl avor was born: a combination of the spices she loved growing up as a young girl of Indian heritage in Dubai, Brendan’s Boston/Irish heritage, and the melting pot of L.A. infl uences.

She began interning at a restaurant where she could experiment adding her favorite fl avors to American

You can find Aarti’s new cookbook devotional, Unwind, wherever you buy books. Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast.

Unlock a Deeper Connection to God & Others

The Heart of the Enneagram

WHEN SOMETHING HARD happens to your family, how do you usually respond? Typically, I try to be the peacemaker. I just want everybody to be happy! But you know what’s interesting? My husband Mark doesn’t respond to things the same way I do. Neither does my sister Reba, or my sister Alice or my brother Pake. We all treat the situation diff erently. How come?

I never really knew until a few years ago. I began to learn more about myself, thanks to a personality assessment called the Enneagram.

Have you heard of the Enneagram? I bet you might have. It describes the nine typical ways people interpret the world and manage their emotions. And that has a lot to do with the way we connect to God and to each other, says author and Enneagram coach Jackie Brewster, who I got to talk to a while back. I haven’t stopped thinking about our conversation.

“Personality gets developed as early as the age of two—our coping strategies around, How do I keep myself safe? How do I get love? How do I get my needs met?” Jackie says. “And as we begin to uncover those patterns of how we get our needs met, we become aware of what's happening in our own world.”

That’s fascinating, right? I can see that in my own family. As the youngest of four kids, I never wanted to rock the boat. I just wanted everybody to get along, and that carried over into my adult years too. I also like to keep busy so that I don’t have to think about some of the hard things going on. That’s not always a good thing—problems don’t just disappear because you ignore them.

“The heart behind what I do with the Enneagram is to help people discover what’s keeping them trapped in pain or in other hard parts of their story,” Jackie told me. “I think awareness is the fi rst step—we have to acknowledge the role we play in our own story. And when we begin to see those patterns of behavior, we can begin to make sense of,

This is why I’m doing this, or, This is where this stems from.”

Like Jackie says, if we can feel it, we can heal it. That’s an amazing ability that God has given to us. And when we’re willing to look at the hard stuff , when we sit with the Lord in our discomfort and ask Him to help us see the obstacles blocking our growth, I think we’re going to show up as our most authentic selves and forge a connection so much deeper with Him, and with others.

_ Susie

Susie McEntire-Eaton

HOST OF THE JESUS LISTENS: STORIES OF PRAYER YOUTUBE SERIES

Jackie Brewster

BEYOND THE MUSIC

Powerhouse Singer Rachael Lampa Finds

Her True Voice

by Autumn Mularski

WHEN RACHAEL LAMPA burst onto the Christian music scene as a teenager, people were touting her as the “next Mariah Carey,” with her powerful voice and multi-octave range. Her debut album went to No. 2 on Billboard magazine’s “Heatseeker's Album” chart, and reviewers and fans alike thought the young singer was going to be the next big thing.

Falling headfi rst into the music industry as a teen brought the budding singer great success—but also long days on the road and making big decisions atypical for a normal teen. Slowly Rachael saw that she fi lled her days with making decisions that pleased the adults around her without asking herself if those decisions were serving her.

“

Before I even sing a word, I’m already valuable and worthy of God’s love.

“When I was twenty-one, there were a lot of people that were speaking into my life—my manager, my label, my fans—and I just couldn’t fi nd God's voice anymore. I started to feel really burnt out.”

The singer knew something had to give. Could she continue on the chaotic path chasing the music that so defi ned her, or would she take a break to fi nd out who she was beyond the music? She decided on the latter and left her music career, without knowing when—or if—she’d ever come back.

The years after stepping away allowed Rachael to blossom in ways apart from being a singer, and she carved a path toward adulthood with a stronger sense of self. Today she’s a married mom of two boys, and also has dipped her toe back into the music scene. During the pandemic, Rachael was talking with a couple friends when she came to the realization she wanted to make music again. But this time, she vowed it wouldn’t defi ne her. It would come from a place of belief in herself, and from believing in God’s plan for her life. It’s a theme she’s carried into a song called “Perfectly Loved.”

“I just feel like this song refl ects where I’m coming from, and realizing that we can’t lose God’s love— He loves us permanently, and we are secure in Him. Before I even sing a word, I’m already valuable and worthy of God’s love. That’s true freedom.”

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast.

Check out Rachael’s song “Perfectly Loved” wherever you stream music.

MADE FROM LOVE, FOR LOVE

“Don’t Settle for Less Than God’s Best,” Says Madison Prewett Troutt

by Abigail Nibblett

EVERYONE WANTS TO FEEL LOVED. But what if that very love you’ve been searching for is already yours?

When Madison Prewett Troutt was a little girl, her mother gave her a journal and asked her to write her prayers for her life in the pages. Madi knew exactly what she’d say: that she was going to spend her life telling people about Jesus.

But it wasn’t until college that Madi’s faith really became her own. When she left for school, Madi found that her mom had packed a copy of Jesus Calling “I just would read a Jesus Calling devotional every single morning,” she remembers, “and then spend some time just refl ecting on it and praying it over myself.”

One of Madi’s other big dreams for her life was to fi nd true love. After ending a fouryear relationship with a man she thought she’d marry, Madi knew deep down that God had better plans for her, and she ended up getting a call to go on ABC’s The Bachelor. “It was just out of left fi eld,” she says. “It didn’t feel like it made any sense for what I wanted to do with my life—I had just graduated from seminary.”

But after prayer, God gave her a peace about the opportunity, and she decided to take the leap and say yes.

With no access to family or friends, books, TV or church during the shoot, all Madi had were her prayers and her connection to God. “I just would continue to encourage myself, Hey, if you don’t get a rose, if you get your heart broken, it’s still something to rejoice in, because He’s still in the nos, just like He’s in the yeses.” Madi ultimately decided to send herself home, though she found great joy that she’d been able to use the show to share her faith with a nationwide audience.

After the show, Madi found herself in a season of singleness, struggling to be content. “I just remember having this moment with the Lord one day, and Jesus was just like, ‘Madi, you’re looking for the right thing in all the wrong places. Only I can give you what you’re looking for.’”

“

He’s still in the nos, just like He’s in the yeses.

This realization led her to prioritize her relationship with God like never before—getting specifi c with her prayers, spending more time in the Word, and getting involved in a community who could uplift her.

As her relationship with God deepened and helped her set parameters for her life, Madi met Grant Troutt, and from their fi rst date, she knew he was special. “I was so captivated and drawn to his love for Jesus and the way he loved people. It was just so evident that there was something special and diff erent about him.”

It didn’t take long for Madi to realize Grant was the man God had been preparing her for—and being grounded in the Source of true love had laid the foundation. Though the seasons of loneliness and waiting had been diffi cult, Madi came to appreciate them each as a gift from God, because they gave her the chance to learn to rely on Him alone. “He has been with me through every step of the way, and the joy and the peace I have today is really nothing to do with my circumstances, but everything to do with how good God truly has been. And now I get

to spend the rest of my life telling people about His goodness and His grace.”

and Grant on their wedding day

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast.

You can find Madi’s book, The Love Everybody Wants, at your favorite retailer.

Madi

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A POLICE DOG

Sergeant Mark Tappan shares a special bond with his K9 partner Mattis, one of the most decorated police K9s of all time. Sgt. Mark learned his canine training skills from his father, who trained Labrador Retrievers. He often talks about how his determination and competitive drive set him up well for his careers as a marine, a youth pastor, and now as a sergeant in the Alpharetta Police Department. He recently wrote a children’s book, called K9 Mattis on the Job, to share with little ones just what it takes to be a police K9 day in and day out.

1.Wake Up

Even police dogs have to wake up for duty. Mattis usually doesn’t have a problem with this—but Sergeant Mark does. Mattis usually helps out.

2. Gear

2.Gear Up

Mattis has a special harness and collar. He waits patiently while his partner Sergeant Mark gears up too before they head out the door and into the police car.

3.Show Up for Roll Call

When Sergeant Mark and Mattis show up at the station, Mattis is always excited. He likes his job—but he especially loves Roll Call since he gets lots of pets.

4.Begin the Day’s Assignment

Mattis has lots of jobs. Sometimes he uses his nose to sniff for trouble or for something that’s lost. Other times, he has to chase down and tackle someone. He even has to rescue people from water sometimes. But his favorite assignment . . . is visiting schools!

Mattis and Sgt. Mark train for at least two hours every day.

Sgt. Mark wears a special uniform because he works with Mattis. He even has a special holder on his belt for Mattis’ ball!

Mattis knows how to open doors, boxes, and bags. But he only does it when Sergeant Mark gives him a command.

German Shepherds like Mattis are used for police work because of their special abilities. They can run up to thirty miles per hour, and hear four times better than humans. They can even smell things up to a mile away, and even forty feet underground!

GAMES j PUZZLES

for the SEASON of LOVE

Lovely Word Search

Can you find all of these Valentine’s-themed words?

Love’s Labyrinth

Find your way through the maze!

SWEETHEART FEBRUARY LOVE KISS CUPID VALENTINE DATE CHOCOLATE BOYFRIEND CANDY BELOVED PERFUME

Calming Colors

Need a quiet moment? Take a few minutes to color a heart for your sweetheart—or yourself!