Introduction – Meeting Mary Anne Quinn
This week in our Read and Renew Summer Program, we’re highlighting Mary Anne Quinn’s book, God, How Do You Love Me? Mary Anne is a children’s author and educator with a heart for helping families grow in faith. Her delightful book invites us to see God’s love reflected in creation. Through playful stories and gentle wonder, she opens a space where our families can notice God’s tenderness in everyday moments.
Wonder in Parenting: Where God’s Love Shows Up
Parenting is full of laughter, tears, and everything in between. Some days we feel like we’re doing well. Other days, we’re simply trying to make it through. In all of this, God delights in us just as we delight in our children.
Creation is one of the gifts that points us back to God’s heart. When we slow down long enough to notice, we might see glimpses of His love in the way birds build their nests or in the playful leap of a deer across a field. These moments soften our hearts and remind us that God’s care surrounds us and our loved ones.
Seeing God’s Heart Through Creation
Mary Anne’s book shows us how to notice God’s love in the natural world. Cuddly orangutans, patient lionesses, and sea lions nuzzling their pups aren’t just adorable—they’re snapshots of God’s nurturing character. When we pause to observe creation, we’re reminded of how tenderly God cares for us. These images can help us respond to our own children with more kindness and patience.
The Brain Science of Play, Pause, and Presence
Pausing to notice beauty and wonder isn’t just good for our souls—it helps our brains too. Moments of awe calm stress responses and reopen the parts of our brain that connect us with others. Play invites joy and strengthens bonds. Even brief pauses with our children create memories that wire their brains, and ours, for resilience and connection.
Imagine us sitting with our kids under a tree, naming animals or clouds, and noticing God’s handiwork together. These simple practices make room for joy and build relational safety.
3 Practical Steps to Parent Inside God’s Love
- Immanuel Moment: Place your hand over your heart. Picture a favorite animal or place, and ask together: “Jesus, where are You with us right now?” Wait quietly and share what you notice.
- Nature Walks with God: Go outside with your children. Point out the birds, trees, or clouds and talk about how they show God’s care for us.
- Joy Journaling: At bedtime, share one way you noticed God’s love today as a family.
Reflection Questions for Parents
- When was the last time we paused to notice God’s love in creation?
- How might wonder shift the way we parent this week?
- What would it look like to invite Jesus into playful moments with our children?
A Sacred Invitation to Wonder
God’s love isn’t something far away. It’s woven into the world around us and into the smallest parenting moments. As we slow down and pay attention, we may find that even simple activities like noticing nature can become sacred spaces where healing and joy grow.
Choosing to pause, notice God’s love, and bring our children along in that wonder can open space for healing and connection. Even the smallest moments can be seeds of joy in our families.
This week, let’s pause with our children to notice God’s love in creation. Ask together, “Jesus, where are You with us right now?” and let His presence bring peace to our home. To explore more, check out Mary Anne Quinn’s God, How Do You Love Me? and journey with us in our Summer Read and Renew series.