Happy Earth Day!! This isn’t a holiday I typically go nuts over or anything, so I don’t have any big plans, but I intend to thank God multiple times throughout the day today for His amazing, gorgeous, incredible, phenomenal, stunning, inspiring creation. Wowzers.
Thank you, God, for creating such a beautiful place and letting us live here and take care of it.
Speaking of creation, my friend, Cheryl (who I met online and then face-to-face at our 52 Zoos Party last August 1), has written a book called Creation Inspirations.
It’s a devotional-type book for kids 6-10, and it’s really cool. My girls love it. The book features 25 different animals (in ABC order), and each animal gets its own 6-page spread. It’s divided up into sections: What Do They Look Like?; Where Do They Live?; What Do They Eat?; More Interesting Stuff; A New View; Bible Verse; To Do & Discover; What You Need; What to Do; and Extra Fact.
I love that Cheryl is teaching kids about the animals God created but also about God Himself. For example, penguin chicks identify their parents by a special sound that only their family knows. “The next time you see a king penguin, think about how parents and chicks know each other through their voices. Remember that God, our heavenly Father cares about us and wants us to talk to Him. He knows our voice and we should learn to know His too.” (p. 82)
I can’t even tell you how much God taught me through the animals we met on our Zoo Trip. Unbelievable.
Cheryl has a neat website where she posts cool stuff about animals and creation and great links and resources if you want to learn more. If you’ve got kids and they love animals/nature, this is a great site to bookmark. If your kids just love video games and you want them to love God’s great outdoors, Cheryl’s book is a great place to start.
(Disclaimer: Cheryl gave me a copy of her book as a gift, but this blog post was all my idea, and she’ll be paying me with a thank you and a smile.)
Here’s my fam enjoying some frogs, turtles, green grass and flowers tonight at the Metro Gardens near our house:
What part of God’s creation are you most thankful for today?
What a great idea!! I can’t wait to get C one!
Yes, yes, yes!! Can’t wait to checkout the website with the girls. They are *almost* as animal-crazy as you.
Marla and friends…..I won a free copy of Cheryl’s book at the 52 Zoos party! My boys love it! I highly recommend it to anyone!
Hey Marla,
Thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement. Glad to know your family likes the book too. I am continually amazed at who I’ve met and how God’s using it in just the short time that it’s been out. Looking forward to whatever is coming next.
Blessings,
Cheryl
I wish I had taken a minute to read this blog BEFORE my Amazon order today. Your friend’s book will be on my wish list.
Whoosh. I’ve had an online break from all things twitablogafacebook…I’m easing back in, I think.
This book looks AWESOME! My animal-lovin’ son will LOVE it…
My children. He created some beauties in them.
I’m thankful for our new house and yard that is big enough to have a garden.
I am thankful for sun! I love that it’s sunny and I am thankful for flowers, they make me happy and I am thankful for you, because I like you
Oh yeah, and the creation I’m thankful for today – does Mia count?
I think I stared at that last picture for a good two minutes before scrolling down to comment. I love, love, love tulips and I think they are one of God’s most perfectly gorgeous (plant) creations. Not to mention the gorgeous girls accompanying the tulips. It’s perfection.
The sun. Just saw a beautiful sun rise this morning and it just made me stop and stare in awe!
My little ones are my favorite God-creation…that and I’m so thankful to live just a few miles from Smoky Mountain National Park – gorgeous and we get to go almost every week! I love the sound of water passing in the river.
Thanks for sharing your friends book, Marla. It looks great, and I’m planning on getting it for my kids.
Thank you for praying for Chelsea. She is doing better, but she’s not completely healed yet. Still trusing in God and waiting.
We built our garden at our new house last weekend and although we don’t have anything fresh to eat yet, I am thankful that we will and that we can share with our neighbors. I like that sense of renewing each Spring.
I spent about 2hrs. in “waders” …in the River…. pulling out logs, limbs, old shoes.w/ Rock…it looks alot better and I smelled like River gook all day….The RIVER….it reminds me of the HOLY SPIRIT, living water, not stagnant, never ending…….