David and Case are 12 and 11 years old. Like most _________, they don’t have much money. They get a little pocket money from their _________ for doing chores. And of course, they wish they had more _________ to spend on comics and candy.

One day, the two friends were walking through a parking lot when they saw something on the ground. It was a wallet. They _________ the wallet up and looked inside. The wallet was _________ loaded with cash. _________, there were $500 in bills.

The boys _______   to find the rightful owner. They didn’t even think about touching the money. _________, they found a driver’s license and _________ a plan. Case stayed at the __________ where they had found the wallet, while David took the wallet to a nearby __________ station. Pretty soon, the police officers were able to __________ the owner of the wallet.

Scott Ames was so __________ to get the wallet back. It wasn’t __________ the money. The wallet also had some __________ in it, such as a photo of his late mother. And of course, Ames was amazed to __________ that not one of the bills had been removed.

__________, a person with strong morals had found his wallet, he __________. When the police told him that two pre-teen boys had found the wallet, he was __________. Sure, there was no reason for him to be surprised that two boys were pillars (栋梁) of the community. But it didn’t exactly __________ the stereotype (刻板印象) of young people.

A Single Butterfly

It was a boiling Spring day. The temperatures felt more like July than May. A thunderstorm had passed over earlier but now the clouds were _______ and the sun had returned. Steam was coming off the _______ sidewalk as I parked my car next to the meter and tossed a quarter into it. I _______ into the local store to buy my son a shirt. The air conditioning in there was a welcome _______ from the heat outside.

After I made my _______ I walked back out into the heat. I got in my car but had to _______ to pull out because of all the cars _______ at the red stop light. I looked out of my car window and saw something on the pavement. A single butterfly was _______ fluttering its wings but not getting off the _______. It was right in front of a truck's ________ too.

Without thinking I got out of my car, held my hand up so the truck driver wouldn't ________ forward, and bent down to look at the butterfly.   One of its ________ was stuck in what looked like spilt soda. I reached down and as gently as I could ________ the butterfly in my hands. I lifted its leg up and suddenly it was ________. I opened my hands and up it flew towards the ________ sun. My own eyes shined brighter and my own heart felt ________ as I watched it.

Now a lot of people might ________ why I would step out into traffic like that to ________ a single butterfly. All I can say is that my heart was ________ me at that moment. And when I was done I felt more like my true self than I had all day.

Fill your days with grace, goodness, and love. And your ________ will feel as light as a butterfly.

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried ______ for hours as the farmer tried to figure out ______ to do. Finally he decided the animal was ______ and the well needed to be ______ up anyway, so it just wasn’t ______ it to rescue the donkey.

He invited all his ______ to come over and help him. They all grabbed (握起) a shovel (铁铲) and began to shovel ______ into the well. At first, the donkey ______ what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s ______, he was quiet.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked ______ the well and was ______ at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that ______ his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would ______ it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors ______ to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take another ______ up. Pretty soon, everyone was surprised as the donkey stepped up over the ______ of the well and ran off.

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The best way of ______ out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our ______ is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest ______ just by not stopping, never ______! Shake it off and take a step upward!