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Gloria Sheila Robinson
is loved by God
To our precious daughter
Mommy and Daddy
Always place your trust in God.
What a great day this is! Gloria Sheila Robinson, age 5, from
Miami, Florida, was visiting The Wild Animal Park. There were tall giraffes, a big, round rhinoceros, graceful gazelles, galloping zebras,
pouncing lions and too many exotic birds to count. Ron,
Wren and Rob would sure enjoy being here. Seeing that the
animals were free to roam like in their native lands, there's so much to be
thankful for.
Dear God, it's me, Gloria. I
had such a great day today at The Wild Animal Park. I'm glad I can talk to you
about anything. I just wanted to thank you for making so many amazing animals.
It's great having pets at home to hug and keep you company. But after today, I
can see that there are lots of different kinds of animals from all over the
world. Thank you for letting me see that. Amen.
Even though Gloria was
still sleepy in the morning, going to school to see friends and learning all
kinds of new stuff from the nice teacher was worth getting up for. The pictures
of astronauts soaring into outer space were real! Reading about how doctors and
nurses save lives and help broken bones heal was inspiring. The teacher says we
can be whatever we want to be - as long as we keep reading and studying. How
great is that!
Dear God, I am so thankful that I
can go to school to learn new things. Thank you for all the possibilities ahead
of me. Help me choose the one that is right for me. I love that I can learn
about so many different people and countries, how to add and subtract and see
how insects, birds, squirrels and bears are really important to the earth.
Thank you for helping me learn about life. Amen.
One of the best parts of the day is
going to the playground. Gloria enjoyed playing kick ball with friends. This
time, a younger child asked to join in.
"We already have enough!"
Gloria shouted, which made the child cry.
"I'm sorry," said Gloria.
"Would you like to play with us? There's always room for one more."
"Gee thanks, sniffed the
younger child. "Nobody ever asks me to play."
"Well, come on then."
said Gloria, "Let's have some fun!"
Dear God, it's me again. I don't
feel very good about talking to you this time. I'm afraid I wasn't very nice
today. I didn't mean it and I said I was sorry. But I wanted to apologize to
you, God, because I know whenever we're not nice to people, it hurts your
feelings, too. Please forgive me, God, and help me to be nice more often. Amen.
Gloria saw
the bright red fire truck with its ladder in a tree! There were no flames, no
hose and no smoke, but there sure was a rescue going on! The neighbor's cat was
stuck in the tallest tree on the block and the firefighters were bringing it
down. Everyone applauded and the owners hugged the firefighters. They face many
dangerous situations every day and some not so dangerous, but just as
important. Police officers and soldiers do, too. We're thankful to have such
brave people willing to take risks for us.
Dear God, I know sometimes you use
helpers, like firefighters, police officers and soldiers to keep us safe. And
they need your help, too, because they do so much to protect us. Thank you for
these courageous helpers that let me sleep safely in my bed at night. Please,
God, keep them safe, too. Amen.
As the waves came tumbling onto the
silky, soft sand, Gloria tried to jump over each one. The sun was
dancing on the water like little diamonds and just above the smooth beach,
nestled among the grassy dunes were tide pools, full of wonderful sea
creatures. How could so many wonderful things exist in one place?
Dear God, you sure do know how to
make people smile. it's pretty cool the way you can make the ocean so calm one
minute, and then have giant waves crashing onto the shore the next. Or how you
can make grass grow in dunes of sand and give us tall trees for shade! Thank
you, God, for all this nature, and especially for the warm sunshine so I can
play in it. Amen
Oh, boy! Gloria can
hardly wait for the birthday party to begin. The decorations are a rainbow of
colors. All kinds of kids have come. There are lots of fun prizes to win and
many games to play. But the best part of any party is getting together with
friends.
Dear God, one of the best things
about being a kid is birthday parties. And I'll bet no one really thanks you
for them. So I'd like to thank you right now for mine. I like eating cake and
playing games with my friends. It's so cool to do fun stuff and be around
friends. Thank you, God, for giving me so much to smile about.
Amen.
It was a cold, rainy day and Gloria had
been feeling hot and achy. At least there are fun pictures on the wall and fun
things to do while you're waiting to see the doctor. It's a little scary,
though, when the doctor gives you a shot because it sometimes hurts. But
the doctor is only trying to help us get well. And its fun choosing a toy and
getting a sticker afterwards!
Dear God, I know you don't mean for
us to get sick and have to get shots. And I sure am grateful that the doctor
helps me feel better. But sometimes I get scared when I don't know what's
coming next. Maybe you could make the doctor understand that kids would rather
just have the toy and sticker. Thanks for giving us doctors, though, to make us
well again. Amen.
As Gloria sat
down to dinner and saw all the delicious food they were about to eat, it was
fun to imagine how it got there. The sweet corn from the cornfields and
tomatoes, green beans, onions and garlic all came from vegetable gardens. The
juicy apples and peaches were picked from the orchards. Everyday we eat food
that is grown in so may parts of the world. And food is the perfect thing to
share.
Dear God, thank you for giving me
food to eat. Please bless those who grow and prepare the food. Thank you for
vegetables and fruits and all the different kinds of plants we eat. Thank you
for water to grow them and to drink. And please, dear God, make sure everyone
around the world gets enough to eat. Amen.
Families come in all shapes and
sizes, sort of like gifts. The first day Gloria was
with her family was so special. They were very happy to have such a wonderful
gift. Whether you are born or adopted into your family, being together is such
a blessing. No matter what, your family will be there for you. And what a
loving gift that is.
Dear God, once in a while I forget
to thank you for my family. It's probably because sometimes we argue or
disagree. But the really great thing about families, God, is that you can get
mad at each other and then give each other hugs. You're loved because you're
you, because you're family - and you can love them right back. I'm glad you
made families. And I especially thank you for mine. Amen.
Just before Gloria was
about to go to bed, the rain started pounding and the gnarly branches screeched
as they rubbed against the windowpane. The crackle and glow of the lightning
was scary! The boom of the thunder brought goose bumps. Ron,
Wren and Rob always say that praying helps when you're
scared.
Dear God, it's me, Gloria.
Could you please give the sky a time out? The loud sounds and bright flashes
scare me. I know the rain is good for the trees and grass, so I guess it's
okay, since I like to play in them. I also know we need water to keep our lakes
and rivers full. Dear God, thank you for always watching over me. I'm glad we
had this talk. I can go to sleep now. Amen.
Gloria Sheila Robinson
Enjoy this book.
A special gift from
Mommy and Daddy