Skip to main content

do you know how loved you are?

I have big news--I'm an aunt!

I am beyond excited to introduce you to Avery, my baby sister's new precious little girl. Today's post is for her...
*****

My sweet girl,
Welcome to the world, little one! You have been prayed for and loved from the moment you were first knit together, and you should know that you have a ton of people who will never stop praying for you! You've been born into two families that will probably drive you crazy at times, but they are two families who will love you unconditionally until the end of time.

Sweet Avery, this world you've been born into is a bizarre one. It is full of mysteries and miracles, but it is also full of heartaches and fears. Life has the ability to lift you high above the clouds one minute and then knock you into the dirt the next. I know your momma, though, and I know what sort of stuff you're made of--so I know you'll be able to face whatever is thrown your way.

And things will be thrown at you, believe me. Sometimes life will throw you a curve that you never expected, something that will knock you off your feet. When that happens, realize something--when you get knocked down, the easiest place to get to is your knees. When you find yourself there, you'll find the power of the One who can pull you back up to your feet.

Other times, you'll be standing on the mountaintop and all will be right with the world. In those times, remember that you couldn't be standing there if it wasn't for the mountain, and the mountain couldn't be there if it wasn't for the One who created it in the first place.

You, sweet girl, are amazing. No matter what the rest of the world may think, God has given you the ultimate compliment: He calls you His masterpiece, His work of art. He looks at you and smiles--you are His!

As much as all of us in your crazy family love you, our love for you can't even begin to compare with His love for you. It is unfathomable and unending and the most powerful force to have ever existed. When all else fails you, know that you can cling to Him.

Avery, you stole my heart the moment I found out about you. I can't wait to see the amazing, strong, loving, incredible woman you become!

Love you forever,
Aunt Mandy
*****

I had to wait on this post because it's the one I told you about the other day when I said I had a new book to share. This one is something totally different because it was written for Avery.

When Sarah first told me she was going to have a baby, a question popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone:
"Do you know how loved you are?"
 It wasn't long before that question grew into an idea... and that idea grew into a picture... and that picture grew into a book for Avery.

Now that Sarah and Avery have the very first copy, I want to share it with you all. You can find it at CreateSpace or on Amazon and share it with the little ones in your life. All kids should know just how much they are loved by the people in their lives, but more importantly by God.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thoughts? I would love to hear them!
~Mandy

Popular posts from this blog

what's next?

My husband and I were talking to our kids the other day about how important it is for them to learn to stand for their beliefs and live the life God has called them to now, while it is easy. We were talking about how one day in the future, they will most likely be forced to either cave to the world or stand for God, and in that moment the decision will mean a whole lot more than just social standing. Right now, Christians in the United States have been given a reprieve. The election of Trump was honestly not something I expected. I've written for quite a few years now about the decline of our nation, and I know I'm not the first--or only--one to point out the downward spiral of morality that we've been seeing for decades. As a nation founded by men who claimed the protection of God, I truly believe we chose to be held to the standards of the covenants we entered. God keeps His side of His promises--the good and the bad. That means that broken covenants have consequences. Wh...
Post a Comment
Read more

light

  Our nation--and our world--is in a very dark place right now. Everywhere you turn, you see chaos, confusion, fear, despair, loss, and hopelessness. People are lost. People are broken. People are living with shame and regret, desperate to hide the parts of themselves they are afraid for other people to see. In their desperation to hide, they are running toward the darkness... " Still some people preferred the darkness over the light because their actions were dark. Some of humankind hated the light. They scampered hurriedly back into the darkness where vices thrive and wickedness flourishes." (John 3:19b & 20) When people are ashamed of their actions, they hide them in the dark. They don't want them exposed to the world--it would be embarrassing, humiliating for people to see all the things better left hidden. They cling to the darkness because they are afraid of what will happen if light shines on the things they are ashamed of. People fear things they don't kn...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stand up and speak

 Pastor Allen Jackson recently said, "I think when you accept your Christian identity card for the Kingdom, you forfeit your neutrality with evil." In my writing here, I haven't been very vocal when it comes to politics. A quick count based on the "politics" tag shows 37 of 409 posts, so 9% through the years. Of those, I've been pretty diplomatic in my writing--encouraging you to do the research and exercise your right and responsibility to vote, no matter who you vote for. I've basically remained neutral...but I don't think that is something we can do any longer. If you listen to the loudest voices in our society right now, we as Christians should keep our beliefs out of our politics. We are told to keep quiet, and if we do on occasion try to speak up for biblical truths we are told that our words are hateful and bigoted. As a result, most of us have listened. We've pretty much agreed to sit down and shut up. It's past time for us to stand u...
Post a Comment
Read more