Instilling in our children the experience of feeling and recognizing God’s love is one of the most important gifts we give them, especially for difficult times they will inevitably face. As we share with them our simple stories—our daily experiences of feeling God’s love—our children can apply this to themselves, and develop their own growing awareness of God, and His immense love and tenderness for them—each one, individually.

In this 4 min video, I tell the story of how heart-shaped rocks have become “love notes from God” to me.

Twenty years after my first experience of pairing a heart shape in nature with a message of God’s love for me, I was asked to be on a board of directors representing millions of children. I was utterly overwhelmed, and doubted my ability to contribute meaningfully, especially when I had not been blessed with marriage or children of my own. I dropped everything and went to the mountains to pray for guidance and God’s approval that He would have me do this. As I began the five-mile hike to my favorite lake, I started noticing heart-shaped rocks every few steps! After tossing hands full of heart rocks into my backpack, less than one mile in, I started laughing, and then crying. I sat on a boulder, and dumped out my now heavy pack, and watched the love tumble to the ground. In tears I said out loud, “Yes Lord, I see. Thank you for speaking to me in a way I can understand. I will trust you, and take this humble step into the unknown, and accept this service opportunity.”

You see, I have a mother who taught me as a young child to look for God in His creations; to listen for God by feeling the subtle impressions of the Holy Spirit, and to rest in God in stillness. She made all the difference in how I would experience my entire life.

In this 3-min video, I use a pile of my heart-rocks to create the last page of my newest book that was just released a few weeks ago, He is Risen – Rocks Tell the Story of Easter. You may have seen the 1-minute viral version; but here I’m showing a rarely seen, longer 3-minute version. I feel it makes the point better that not only does God love us, but we can show our love to Him as well. And in doing so, we deepen this essential and powerful relationship that will never end.

Thank you, parents and caregivers for teaching our children. Your influence is rippling through eternity in all that matters – souls turned to God.