BEHIND THE STORY:
The concept of Little Star, Little Star Do You Know Who You Are? came about after a conversation my husband and I had with our son when he was going through the process of getting his GED and started working. Being homeschooled all his life and working with his dad, he had never really fully been in a secular environment. For the first time, he was exposed to what we used to call "clicks" in school, kids that would blatantly misbehave in class, and coworkers that wouldn't take their job seriously and goof off. So the concept of the way other people lived/behaved baffled him. Now, I'm not saying by any means that we are better than anyone else or have the perfect little family. Honey, I will be the first one to tell you, there is no such thing and we are FAR from perfect. We all make mistakes and believe me when I say we have had our fair share of ups and downs too. However, as Christians when we go through things instead of turning on each other we look to the Word to guide us through it and talk things out as a family.
So as we dove into this conversation, I began to seek God in how to answer his questions and the Lord brought me to 2 Corinthians 5:16 (NLT). "So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view." It went on to talk about who we are as believers in Christ and how we are to behave as Christians. My first thought was how does that relate to our conversation and then it hit me, it's identity. As a believer, we have the Spirit of God on the inside teaching us, through the Word of God, who we are in Christ, how to live, and how to conduct ourselves. But for a nonbeliever, those who don't know God, they don't have that guidance. All they have to go by are the examples of those who have gone before them and what they see in others. But when you are secure in knowing who you are in Christ, you're not so easily influenced by negative impulses to do whatever feels right like the world is.
The best example I could think of to illustrate my point was to liken it to someone with a flashlight in the middle of the night. With it, you can see where you're going and are less likely to stumble and fall. Without it, you can't see a thing and you're more likely to hurt yourself and other's along the way. You don't intend to, it just happens because you can't see where you're going. That's where the idea of the North Star came into play. If you go outside at night, much like this world, we can all agree, it's a dark and scary place to be. You kinda just feel your way through life hoping you make it without too much damage. But if you look to the North Star (the Bible) it will help guide you and get you to where you need to go. If you add a flashlight, (inviting Jesus into your heart) to help light the way, you have an even greater chance of not hurting yourself or others along the way.
For those who don't know God, our life as Christians is like the North Star and the love of Jesus shines through us like a bright light in the darkness. Have you ever heard the phrase, "for some people, the only Jesus they'll ever see is the Jesus in you." As believers, the example we set every day will either draw people closer to God or push them away.
2 Corinthians 6:1, 3, & 6 say it best. As Christians... "we are Christ's ambassadors; (His representation here on earth) God is making his appeal through us. As God's partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God's kindness (what Jesus did for us on the cross) and then ignore it. We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us (the example we set); In everything we do we show that we are true ministers of God (children of God). We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love."
Now, that's not an easy verse to live up to but Philippians 4:13 says, "that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength." So the key to being able to live up to that standard is having the love of Jesus inside helping us along the way. But if we don't spend time in the Word and in fellowship with Him we are easily distracted by the glitz and glamor of this world, like the character in Little Star, and the light within us will begin to fade. That's why it's so important that we as Christians build our foundation on the Word of God so that as we go through life the light within us shines bright. Not only will it help us succeed in our own lives and keep us steady when times get tough, but it will draw others to Christ and help them find God and discover who He has created them to be as well.
In Little Star, Little Star we see a character who is fascinated with the limelight as most of us are. We don't all want to be in it, but there's a longing within us all to be a part of it. Anyway, he's always daydreaming and imagining himself as things that are adorned and loved by all. Little does he realize that the light that he carries within is the very thing that makes him stand out. It's what makes him so special and you'll have to get the book to find out how the story ends.
BOOK TRAILER
DESCRIPTION:
This is an inspiring story of a bright-eyed little dreamer. A star he may be, but he's an eager little beaver. His eyes filled with wonder as his mind would often ponder; how exciting life could be if only he could be; but as this story unfolds, he discovers the gift that he holds and finds his true destiny.
As you follow along the journey of this little star, you might discover who you really are. So snuggle up and listen close for the one who knows. Deep down inside both you and I lies the ability to shine and shine bright, even in the daylight.
- DEDICATION -
To my children, Jerimiah & Chloe.
May you never forget how special you are and who God has created you to be.
Jeremiah 1:5 - “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart.” 1 John 3:1 - "See how very much the father loves us, for he calls us
his children and that’s who we are."
Fun Fact:
Something I learned during the publication of this adorable, little book was during the Middle Ages, the North Star went by the name, Stella Maris. Stella Maris is Latin for “Star of the Sea.” I even made a reference to a sea star within the story and dedicated it to my kids not knowing that our daughter's name, Chloe Marie, also meant "Star of the Sea."
I thought that was so cool! God is so awesome!
This by far is one of my favorite pages in this book. It reads...
“Little star, little star looking up from the earth. Do you know who you are; do you know your worth? I created you, too, with a purpose, so you are not worthless. You may be a bit squirmy and even a bit wild, but I've created you to be my special child. You, too, are a true treasure; one that brings me great pleasure.”
This page brings tears to my eyes nearly every time I read it because there are so many people, kids especially, who go through life thinking they are worthless. They think they can never do anything right and sadly, most of it stems from words that were spoken over them when we were little. "Little troublemaker, little monsters, demon child, heartbreaker, and so on." My heart goes out to these children when I hear their parents describe them in this manner, because as innocent as it may be in giving them these nicknames, they don't realize just how damaging those very words really are.
If heard often enough, they will begin to identify with those words. By the time they reach their teen years, those words are so deep seeded into their way of thinking they grow up with a mentality that says, "I can never do anything right - I'm just a bad kid." And that opens the door for a whole slew of negativity in that person's life later on. But when you encounter the Love of God, He comes in and shatters that false narrative with Deuteronomy 7:6, "Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure" and 1 Peter 2:9, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." The Word of God is full of so many scriptures that express just how special we are to God. He loves you so much and can't wait to share with you just how much you mean to Him.
I encourage you to check out Little Star, Little Star Do You Know Who You Are? It may be a children's book, but it will touch the heart of anyone who reads it. I know it did mine, and I'm the one who wrote it. LOL! Its message is #simple, #relatable, & quite #inspiring. To learn more about it or to pick up a copy please go to wendysartisticdesign.com/littlestar or find it on Amazon:
Amazon Reviews:
PS. If you can find the time, I would greatly appreciate it if you would please leave a review or a star rating. Amazon ratings are just as valuable, if not more valuable than a sale itself.
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