Dudley the dog woke up in the playroom. He trotted toward his happy spot in the family room where the sun shone through the skylight, making a golden patch on the floor.

Screech! Dudley stopped in his tracks. Big boxes were stacked right on his happy spot. Big boxes were stacked everywhere!

“What's going on?” Dudley yapped. He raced to find Polly.

Polly the parrot sat on her perch, next to more boxes. “Haven't you heard?” Polly asked. “We're moving.”

Dudley tilted his head and looked up at Polly. “Moving?”

“Tomorrow,” Cleo the cat said, walking into the room. “We're moving to a new house.”

Dudley's ears drooped. “I don't want to move! I won't get to sit in my happy spot. I won't get to play with Biscuit!”

Cleo meowed. “It's sad, isn't it?”

“The one good thing is we'll be together,” Polly said. “We'll help each other be strong.”

Dudley didn't say a word.

That night, Dudley didn't sleep very well. He felt sad— and worried—about moving day. When morning finally came, the doorbell rang.

“Somebody is here!” Dudley barked, running to the door. Arf! Arf! Arf!

Soon the door opened. Strong men walked into the house. Back and forth they walked, carrying the boxes and furniture outside. Dudley watched the men put everything in a big truck.

After Dudley said goodbye to Biscuit, the poodle next door, he went back inside the empty house. Dudley sat down in his happy spot one last time. The golden sun felt warm on his back. “Goodbye,” Dudley whispered. It was time to go.

Dudley rode with Polly and Cleo in the car. They followed the moving truck. Finally, they came to a stop.

Dudley hopped out of the car. He looked at the new house. Sniff. Sniff. Sniff. Dudley followed his nose up the sidewalk and through the open door. Sniff. Sniff. Sniff. Dudley followed the new smells from room to room.

Dudley was upstairs in one of the bedrooms when Cleo walked in.

“Let's play tag,” Cleo said.

Dudley's ears drooped. “I don't feel like playing today.”

“Please?” Cleo purred.

Dudley sighed. “OK.”

Cleo darted out the room, and the chase was on!

Dudley raced after Cleo down the stairs, through the hall, into the kitchen and—

Cleo disappeared! Screech! Dudley stopped in his tracks.

“Cleo, where are you?” he barked.

“Right here,” Cleo said. She pushed herself through a flap in the kitchen door and stood next to Dudley.

“See?” Cleo said, pushing the flap. “It's a little door! Now we can go inside or outside any time we want.”

“Can I try it, too?” Dudley asked, sniffing the flap.

“Sure!” Cleo said. “Follow me!”

Dudley followed Cleo through the tiny door. Suddenly they were outside.

“Welcome to the backyard!” Polly sang from her perch. “Isn't this wonderful?”

Dudley wasn't too sure.

“Here is a sandbox!” Cleo said, running across the yard. “And a swing set, too.” Cleo jumped up and sat on top. “Isn't this great?”

Dudley wasn't too sure. He walked to the sandbox. Sniff. Sniff. Sniff. “What is a sandbox?”

“It's a place to dig,” Cleo explained. “You can bury your toys in it.”

Suddenly, Dudley felt excited.

“I like to dig!” he said. “I can bury my favorite tennis ball. I'll go get it!”

Dudley trotted across the backyard. As he turned the corner near the fence, he heard a low growl. Dudley peeked through a crack in the fence. On the other side was a great, big dog!

“Who are you?” the dog barked.

“My name is Dudley!”

“Are you going to bite me?” the dog asked.

“No, I never bite anybody,” Dudley said, sniffing again.

“OK. My name is Mike,” the dog said.

“I'm your new neighbor,” Dudley said. “I'll come visit you soon.”

Dudley ran to the front. He found his tennis ball and carried it to the back.

Polly and Cleo were waiting for him. “Surprise!” they cried.

There, sitting in the yard was a brand-new doghouse. The moving men had just put it down. Dudley had never had a house of his own.

He walked inside and dropped his tennis ball in the corner. Turning around, he looked out at his friends.

“Moving day was hard,” Dudley said, “but thank you for helping me be strong. The new things are fun. I have a new doggie door, a new place to dig and a new friend next door.”

Just then the sun shone down and made a golden patch on the floor of his doghouse. Dudley stretched out on the warm spot and rested his head on his paws. He sighed a happy sigh.

“I even have a new happy spot!”

"God is our place of safety. He gives us strength. He is always there to help us in times of trouble." — Psalm 46:1