“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.”

DJ had a rough day at obedience school. Usually, he was a good boy. But lately, he started hanging around the new dog who ran around the room and wouldn’t sit down, no matter how often the teacher told him to sit.

Even though the teacher looked upset, the new dog smiled as he ran and ran. DJ decided to have some fun, too, and he soon joined the other dog.

“DJ!” He stopped right away and looked in the direction of his family. They were not smiling – not at all. “DJ, come!” said Mom.

DJ’s head hung low, and he barely lifted his eyes to meet hers as if to say, “I’m sorry.” He even hung his tail low to show how regretful he was.

DJ’s teacher noticed and knelt down. Her voice wasn’t angry – just disappointed as she said, “DJ, you’re usually a very good boy.” She scratched behind his ears and continued. “Don’t pay attention to distractions, okay? I believe you’ll do better the next time I see you.”

Mom’s voice also sounded disappointed as she said, “Come on, boy.” Usually, on the way home from obedience school, they’d stop and get a pup cup at their favorite drive-through. But this day, everything was quiet except for the songs playing on the radio. And, they drove right past the drive-through without stopping. DJ whined.

“I’m sorry, DJ, but I cannot reward you for your behavior – not today.” Her voice softened as she said, “Don’t worry, boy. I still love you.”

Plop. Plop. Plop. His tail softly hit the back of the seat. Even though he was sad, the music did lift his spirits, just a little.

Finally, he smelled home and wagged his tail so furiously, Mom laughed. “DJ, I think you’re wagging your whole body! Okay, okay! Come on – I’ll let you run loose in your big backyard.”

DJ tugged on his leash and took off in a flash as soon as Mom opened the gate. “Blow off a little steam,” she said as everyone headed to the deck. “We’ll play as soon as I make lunch for everyone.”

He began to play with one of his outdoor toys when he heard his friend Zipporah singing in the tree. He rushed over, but not so fast that he’d frighten her away. “Zippy, how good to see you!”

“What a wonderful day to see you, young DJ! And how has your day been?” answered the bird who sat on a sturdy branch of the tree.

DJ bowed his head. “Well, today wasn’t a good day at obedience school, Zippy,” he said.

“Why? What happened, dear?”

“Well, I made a new friend at obedience school. But he wouldn’t listen to the teacher. I thought what he was doing looked like fun, so I ran around and didn’t listen to the teacher, once,” said DJ. “I thought it would make me happy. But I feel so sad that I disappointed my teacher and Mom.”

“Oh, I see,” said Zippy as she slowly shook her head up and down. “You know, God talks about that. ‘Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.’”

DJ cocked his head to the side. “What does that mean?”

“Well, it means be careful who you put your trust in, DJ,” said Zippy. She fluffed her feathers and said, “Suppose I tried to sit on a rotted branch. What do you think would happen?”

“Well, I guess you’d fall.”

“Good! You’re correct!” DJ wagged his tail at Zippy’s words. He liked to be correct. Zippy continued. “But, I have to choose a strong branch, a true branch to place my trust in, so I don’t fall and get hurt. It’s the same thing with the friends we choose. We need to choose to follow God, first. He holds us up when the winds blow and things get rough. God tells us to obey our parents. However, when we choose friends who disobey their parents or caring authority figures, it’s like we’re choosing to sit on a rotted branch. We’ll only get hurt in the end. Do you understand?”

“I think so,” said DJ. “I think it means that if I see anyone disobey at school, that I should still try to be a good boy and not do what the other dogs might do. I want to make Mom, Teacher and God happy.”

“Good boy, DJ.” Zippy flew away as the back door opened.

“Come on, DJ! Time for lunch!” DJ ran as fast as his legs could carry him. “Oh, look Mom! DJ looks like he’s smiling! He seems so much happier after he sat there, listening to the bird singing.”

His family didn’t know, but DJ did. His best friend just taught him an important lesson that he’d not soon forget.

Let’s learn about prayer and make it a regular part of our day. The Prayer Tree is a great way to help us to remember to pray. It also helps us see how God is working in our lives and encourages us to pray regularly with faith.

Materials:
• A sheet of poster board
• Brown and green construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue or tape
• Markers or crayons
• Small sticky notes (doesn't matter the color)
• String (optional)

Instructions:
1. Create the Tree Trunk and Branches:
• Cut out a large tree trunk and branches from the brown construction paper.
• Glue or tape the trunk and branches onto the construction paper or poster board.
2. Create the Tree Top:
• Cut out large leaves from the green construction paper
• Glue or tape the leaves to the tree branches.
3. Write “Prayer Tree”:
• At the top of the poster, write “Prayer Tree” in big, colorful letters.
4. Make Prayer Leaves:
• Cut out small leaves from sticky notes.
• Write different categories or prompts on some of the leaves, such as “Thank God for…”, “Pray for my family”, “Pray for friends”, “Ask God for help with…”, “Pray for the world”, etc.
5. Decorate the Tree:
• Decorate the tree with markers or crayons to make it look vibrant and inviting.
6. Add the Prayer Leaves:
• Write your own prayers on the paper leaves or sticky notes.
• Attach the leaves to the tree, use tape if you need it.

Using the Prayer Tree:

Daily Prayer Time:
• Each day, take a leaf from the tree and use it to help you pray. Remember, praying is just talking to God. It can be out loud or to yourself..
• When the tree needs more leaves, add new ones with prayers or things to be thankful for.

Family Prayer Time: (Optional)
• Have a family prayer time where each member picks a leaf from the tree and prays about the topic written on it.
• Share prayer requests and praises with each other
• You can write down their prayers and requests and see how God is answering them. Periodically, review the leaves on the tree and have a special time of thanksgiving to thank God for answered prayers and blessings.

Prayer:
Dear God, thank You for hearing our prayers. Help us to remember to talk to You every day and to trust that You are always listening. Thank You for all the ways You answer our prayers and for being with us in every situation. Amen.

BONUS Reflection:
After using the Prayer Tree for a while, talk about the experience:
• How does it feel to pray regularly?
• Have we seen any prayers answered?
• How has our relationship with God grown through prayer?

Stewardship is based on the truth that all we have and all we are comes from God. We have the chance to thank God for the blessings He gives us. By giving back a portion of our time, talent, and treasure, we are able to show God gratitude for all He has done and continues to do in our lives.

God has given each of us special talents. This month we want you to share your artistic talents with us with a Coloring Contest. Once completed, take a picture of your "DJ Loves" Coloring Sheet. Then send your coloring sheet to us so we can celebrate all your hard work with you and maybe even share your talents with others!

You can send us you coloring page via email to info@wearethebridge.org or text it to us at 855-887-8870.

Siblings Josh and Abby Hunter don’t believe their parents’ death was an accident. After taking pictures of the most incredible find of the 1920’s—proof humans and dinosaurs lived together in the same time and place—desperate outlaws armed with tommy guns are on their tail!

You can adopt DJ The Dog if you promise to take care of your new pet! The Bridge will send you a plush Golden Retriever with a DJ dog tag, an Official Adoption Certificate, and a DJ Coloring Sheet to enjoy.

Click the photo to adopt DJ today!