Leap into Peace by Ashley Karges Nov 1, 2026 Matthew 5:1-12a When you feel like hiding, leap into Jesus’s arms. Malulabelle grabbed her journal and pen and trotted toward the mossy pond. I hope there are lots of frogs today! Along the bank, several pair of shiny frog eyes greeted her. She sat at a distance to observe. They stared out onto the water. Malulabelle giggled. I wonder what they’re thinking? She watched the frogs’ throats pumping in and out. She listened to t

Dominoes by Ashley Karges Oct 25, 2026 Matthew 22:34-40 Loving God puts your heart in motion. Malulabelle placed a row of dominoes on the empty tabletop. Her eyes scanned a path for the long train she wanted to build. One by one, the dominoes became straight lines, curves, and zig-zags. Malulabelle’s heart felt as smooth and sweeping as the loopy lines she formed. She couldn’t decide which was more fun - setting up the swoopy patterns or tapping the first domino to set the

Joy for Jesus by Ashley Karges Oct 18, 2026 Matthew 22:15-21 What gifts can you offer God? Malulabelle stepped outside and admired the bold colors of the changing leaves. Orange. Red. Gold. The leaves flittered in the breeze. She imagined the trees were winking and waving at God. She giggled. Near the trees a murmuration of starlings whooshed and whirled in a swirling

Open Book by Ashley Karges Oct 11, 2026 Matthew 22:1-14 God invites everyone into His heart. Malulabelle skipped up the library steps. She carried a small stack of books to return. She entered the big hall and took a deep breath. ‘I love the smell of books!’ She giggled. The library was one of her favorite places. A sign on the wall read, Open a New Book Today. Her heart felt as full and wide as the bookshelves before her. Malulabelle imagined she was walking through a

Rollerblades by Ashley Karges Oct 4, 2026 Matthew 21:33-43 God is loving and patient even when we are not. Malulabelle slipped into her new rollerblades. They sparkled in the sun. Her heart felt as pink and polished as her skates. “Watch this!” She whistled for her fluffy pup, Coconut. “Ruff!” Coconut wiggled and wagged and pounced at her side. “Weee!” Malulabelle weaved and wobbled down the sidewalk. “Un oh! Whoa!” Splat

Shifting Sand by Ashley Karges Sep 27, 2026 Matthew 21:28-32 Let go and follow God’s will. Malulabelle dilly-dallied along the beach - dipping and darting with the washing waves. She loved playing tag with the water. Thwip. Thwap. Squish. She giggled. Catching her breath, she stopped along the water’s edge. The sand was wet and cushy under her feet. Her heart felt as smooth and soothing

Little Field by Ashley Karges Sep 20, 2026 Matthew 20:1-16a Share like Jesus. Malulabelle raced into the field of wildflowers. The sun smiled in the sky. A warm breeze whooshed across her cheeks. She skipped through goldenrods, coneflowers, and butterfly milkweed. The flowers were a blanket of vibrant color. She shared her heart with Jesus. ‘Jesus, this field is like an upside-down rainbow!’ She imagine

Sunday Soup by Ashley Karges Sep 13, 2026 Matthew 18:21-35 Forgive like Jesus. Malulabelle and her friend, Elly, burst into the kitchen. “I’ll get the aprons!” “I’ll set out the biscuits.” “I love cooking with you, Malulabelle.” “Me, too, Elly!” The girls organized ingredients for Sunday Soup; veggies, meat, & seasonings. “It’s like our own little grocery store!” They giggled. They peeled and chopped and twirled around the counter. Each yummy ingredient was lowered in

Kaleidoscope Heart by Ashley Karges Sep 6, 2026 Matthew 18:15-20 Jesus reveals and heals. Malulabelle browsed the toy shelf. “A kaleidoscope!” She covered one eye and peeked through the tube with the other. The tiny particles inside created a beautiful rainbow-colored pattern. “Wow!” To see better, she pointed the kaleidoscope up toward the lights. She peeked again. The shapes and colors shifted. “So pretty!” Malulabelle imagined beams of light shooting out of the kaleidosc

Son Glasses by Ashley Karges Aug 30, 2026 Matthew 16:21-27 Seeing with Jesus’s eyes can change our point of view. Malulabelle slumped in her chair at school. It was time to give her book presentation. Her stomach and feet felt heavy as she trudged to the front of the classroom. She took a deep breath and silently prayed. ‘Jesus, I don’t want to give this presentation. Can you help me? After class, two friends asked to borrow Malulabelle’s book. “Oh, yes!” She loved sharing. H

Little Ways by Ashley Karges Aug 23, 2026 Matthew 16:13-20 Jesus reveals himself to us in little ways. Malulabelle woke up early. She peeked out her window. “The sunrise!” Bold orange and pink hues lit the sky. She stretched as wide as the sun beams. When the sun shown higher in the sky, Malulabelle said goodbye to her fluffy pup, Coconut. “See you after choir practice, Coconut!” “Ruff!” He wiggled and wagged. He tickled her chin with an I-love-you lick. Coconut always kn

Little Butterfly by Ashley Karges Aug 16, 2026 Matthew 15:21-28 Trust in the steady guidance of Jesus instead of relying on your feelings. Malulabelle cuddled on the front porch swing. Creak-squeak. Creak-squeak. She liked the rhythm of the sound it made. The next day was the first day of school. Malulabelle had mixed feelings. The thought of seeing her friends everyday again made her smile. But she wasn’t ready to say goodbye to summer. That made her smile disappear. Mal

Clouds of Worry by Ashley Karges Aug 9, 2026 Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus is right beside us, always. Malulabelle gazed out the window. Clouds covered the sky. A light rumble of thunder moved through the air. Raindrops tapped the window. Her heart felt as drippy as the drops she traced with her finger. “Looks like no morning walk for you again, Coconut.” “Ruff!” Malulabelle’s fluffy pup, Coconut, put his paw in her lap. He wiggled and wagged. He always knew how to make her smil

Little Cupcake by Ashley Karges Aug 2, 2026 Matthew 14:13-21 Jesus satisfies our soul. Malulabelle peered through the glass display at the cupcake shop. Neat rows of fluffy cupcakes lined the case. Some were sparkly, others were topped with silky smooth icing. Malulabelle wanted to try them all! “I’ll start with the pink one please!” She took a big first bite. Moist and delicate, buttery and sweet. A dollop of frosting covered her nose. She giggled. The cupcake burst with fla

Little Treasure by Ashley Karges July 26, 2026 Matthew 13:44-52 Jesus places the treasure of his love in your heart. Malulabelle hopped on the tire swing. It hung from her favorite giant tree on the hill. She swung high, swayed back down, and up high again on the other side. “Weeee!” The motion felt slow against her face, and fast in her belly. “Hello, little birds!” Malulabelle called out to all the friends she saw in the tree. “Hello, little squirrel!” She thought about

Little Bouquet by Ashley Karges July 19, 2026 Matthew 13:24-43 Jesus plants a garden in your heart. Malulabelle skipped into the wildflower garden. Her fingers swirled and swished atop the bright pops of petals. “Let’s see... One red. One violet. One white…” She picked the perfect pieces for a little bouquet. “This one is pretty, but, wait, it’s a weed!” Malulabelle giggled about almost adding a weed to her beautiful bouquet. She strolled along, admiring each flower up

Little Bakers by Ashley Karges July 12, 2026 Matthew 13:1-23 Jesus is the secret ingredient to a soft and loving heart. Malulabelle and her friend, Elly, burst into the kitchen. Elly reached for their aprons. Malulabelle gathered baking ingredients. “I love fresh baked bread!” “Me too!” The girls measured and stirred. Folded and kneaded. They twirled and high-fived with flour covered hands. Poof! A cloud of flour-dust made them giggle. “Do you know the secret ingr

Friendship Bracelets by Ashley Karges July 5, 2026 Matthew 11:25-30 Give Jesus your worries and watch what he creates. Malulabelle gathered the colorful spools of string. She had volunteered to make friendship bracelets for a church project. “Oranges and blues… purples and reds… This is a lot of string, Coconut!” She tussled her fluffy pup’s furry head. “Ruff!” Coconut wiggled and wagged and plopped next to Malulabelle. Malulabelle giggled. She cut each strand into pe

Watercolor Hearts by Ashley Karges June 28, 2026 Matthew 10:37-42 A closeness with Jesus begins and grows with prayer. Malulabelle opened a fresh pallet of watercolors. She dipped her paint brush in water. A pop of pretty paint caught her eye – yellow! She swirled her brush in its brightness and cheer. Her heart felt yellow, too. “I'll start with the sun.” Malulabelle swished her brush along the page. The painted skyline reminded her of a familiar place. “This feels like

Little Sparrow by Ashley Karges June 21, 2026 Matthew 10:26-33 God loves all of creation, especially you! You are known and deeply loved. Malulabelle lounged in her backyard hammock. She swung high. She swayed low. She swiveled and giggled. A sparrow landed on the branch above her. “Do you want to swing too, little sparrow?” He rustled his feathers and flew away. Malulabelle giggled again. She watched the little bird disappear toward the clouds. She wondered where he mi