"God's Special Gifts to Me"

was created especially for

Leah Marie Powers

at the age of 7

Happy Easter!  With Love From,

Mommy & Daddy

April, 2002

     We are God's children.  He loves you, Leah Powers.  God made us and loves us all.

    Because God cares about you, Leah, He watches over everything you do in Eden, Texas.  He watches you wherever you go.

     God is happy that you like playing with Ty, Mom, and Grandma.  He is pleased when you are kind to others.

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    Leah, you live in a wonderful world full of interesting and beautiful creations from God.  Some of God's gifts are things you see, smell, hear, taste, or touch and feel.  You enjoy these gifts by using your five senses.

    At times, these senses do not work as they should.  If a child cannot see or hear well, God often makes the other senses work even better.  God loves all His children!

     This is a marvelous place that God has created for us, Leah.  There are so many amazing things for you to enjoy with Ty, Mom, and Grandma.

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     God gave you eyes to see, Leah.  During your day, you can see the rising sun, smiling faces, fluttering butterflies, blooming flowers, floating clouds and colorful rainbows.

     At the end of your glorious day, you see the setting sun, the rising moon and the twinkling stars.  Some evenings, you can also see blinking fireflies or lie safely tucked in bed and watch lightning flash across the sky.

     God paints such a beautiful picture for you each and every day, Leah!  Please take time to enjoy His artwork.

8

     With the nose that God has given to you, Leah, you are able to smell many things.  Some are good.  Some may not be so pleasant.  You can smell animals at the zoo, the farm or at your home.

     Leah, you have plant smells in the outdoors.  Some of nature's scents are climbing roses, pine trees, honeysuckle vines and freshly cut grass.

     God also gave us mouth-watering food smells.  We have pineapples, lemons, oranges and strawberries.  How many more can you think of, Leah?

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     There are many happy sounds in the world, Leah.  God gave you ears to hear all of them.

     His animals can talk to you and to each other.  Have you listened to what they say, Leah?  Puppies bark, kittens meow, ponies whinny, cows moo, ducks quack and birds chirp.

     Some of the best sounds are grandparents telling or reading a story, children laughing and people singing. Sounds of nature include the trees rustling in the breeze, a babbling brook in the forest and the clap of thunder in a rainstorm.

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     The sense of taste is an incredible gift from God.  What would the world be like if you were not able to taste things, Leah?

     Would you miss biting into a juicy apple, orange, peach or a crunchy nut?  What if you could not taste salt water at the beach or stick out your tongue to catch a raindrop or a snowflake?

     Aren't you glad that you can do these things?  The sense of taste is really magnificent, Leah, especially when you are hungry!!!

15

     God gave us not only our hands but also our whole body with which to touch His miracles.  How grand it is to be able to feel so much throughout your day, Leah!

     Your favorite touches are probably the hugs and kisses you give and receive.  It is nice to feel the wind on your skin, the soft fur of a pet, a smooth rock and even the heart beating in your body.

     Close your eyes, Leah, and imagine other things you would like to touch.  What would they be?  What do you see - in your mind?

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     Because God loves you so much, Leah, He gives you other gifts.  You could call them spiritual gifts from God.

     These gifts are special because they help you to enjoy every day of your life more.  You keep these gifts in your thoughts and your heart forever, Leah.

     Some of these gifts are love and kindness, happiness and joy, faith and patience, truth and wisdom, forgiveness, and the gift of prayer.  These gifts help you to get along better with other people, such as Ty, Mom, and Grandma.

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     God loves you, Leah.  He wants you to love everyone.  When you love Him, your heart is filled with His love.  You can share His gift of love with others.

     Love is kind.  You show your love for others with kindness.  Leah, can you remember some of the times when you were nice to Ty, Mom, and Grandma?

     You must learn to treat others the way you want them to treat you.  This is called living by the Golden Rule.

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     Leah, God also gives you the gifts of happiness and joy to share with Ty, Mom, and Grandma.  When you do good deeds, those around you are happy.

     God is happy with all His children, especially when they say and do nice things.  When you smile and have happy thoughts, you have happiness in your heart.

     It will bring you joy, Leah, to bring joy to others.  This feeling of joy comes from knowing that God always loves you.  There is great joy in being one of God's children!

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     Leah, faith and patience are two gifts that might be a little hard for you to understand.  Faith is trust.  God wants you to be faithful and believe in Him.  You can't see Him with your eyes, but He is always there with you.

     Have you ever wanted something "right now," Leah, but you couldn't have it?  Maybe you wanted a new toy; however, you had to wait until a special day to get it.  That is patience.

     We must have faith and patience to believe that God knows what is best for us.  God has a purpose for your life, Leah, and for everyone.

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     Truth and wisdom are two more gifts for you, Leah.  God gave you a brain and a heart to know the difference between right and wrong.  When you respect, obey and love God, He will teach you many things.

     Your family also helps you learn the rules that God wants you to follow.  Do you think it is right or wrong to take something that doesn't belong to you?  Do you believe it is okay with God if you lie, Leah?

     Always try to be honest and truthful, Leah.  God is sad when any of His children do something they know or feel is wrong.  God is happy to help you do the right thing.

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     What would your life be like, Leah, if you did not have the gift of forgiveness?  The words "I'm sorry" are very special when someone says them to you or when you say them to others.

     Did Ty, Mom, and Grandma ever make you really angry?  When you forgive a person, your heart is filled with God's love and it shows.

     We all make mistakes, Leah.  Only God is perfect!  If you do something wrong, tell God and ask Him to forgive you.  God is always ready to forgive you because He loves you and cares about you.

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     Leah, one of God's greatest gifts is the gift of prayer.  Do you know what prayer is?  It is talking to God in your own way, either out loud or in your thoughts.

     There are many times that we can pray to God each day.  Are you thankful when you eat your food?  Tell Him!  Have you ever felt afraid, Leah?  You can pray to God, and you won't feel alone.  You will know that He is with you.  Before you go to sleep, end your day with a special prayer of thanks.

     You can talk to God about anything, Leah.  He listens, and He is always there for you.

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     Leah, this is a special bedtime prayer that many little boys and girls say each night:

Now I lay me down to sleep.

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

God, go with me through the night,

And wake me with Your morning light.

Author unknown

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God created Heaven and Earth.

God created the animals and plants.

God created you,

Leah Powers.

God is happy with all of His

creations, especially you!

Leah Powers

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