My Loving Self and Me: A Compilation of Stories, Poems and Practice Pages for Youth Ages Eight Through Thirteen About Integrity, Spirituality, and Connecting with God Within

By C. Beth Hoffman

Nurturing our true selves, acknowledging when our ego is in control, and accepting Gods love enables us to be lovingly caring of others. This is a challenge for adults to master in a material worldbut even harder for children.

In My Loving Self and Me, author C. Beth Hoffman offers a collection of stories and poems that helps children understand this concept, and it gives them a jump start on their own spiritual path. The stories feature a brother and sister, Ike and Gabby, and their cousins as they encounter a variety of life experiences, such as dealing with hurt feelings, bullying, and fear. They better understand the ideas of gratitude, integrity, respect for nature, and more by finding answers through their loving connection with God.

The stories presented in My Loving Self and Me demonstrate through Ike and Gabbys open conversations with their parents, grandparents and each other, how important communication is. Reading this book with your children, listening to what they have to say, and discussing these and other topics that may arise, provides a forum for the open communication that is so valuable between parent and child.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Feb 27, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504326308

C. Beth Hoffman

Beth Hoffman has a Master’s Degree in Education and retired after more than 30 years as a teacher and administrator in New Jersey public schools, giving her time to pursue interests in Angels and Energy Healing. She has studied Reiki, IET, Angel Therapy and Magnified Healing. She and her husband reside in the Lake Wallenpaupack area of the Poconos in Pennsylvania where they are blessed to be able to spend time with their grandchildren....the inspirations for this book.

Book preview

My Loving Self

Gabby and her grandmother loved looking at photo albums together. Today they were looking at baby pictures. Gabby grinned at the thought of being that little and not being able to do all the things she could do today.

This is one of my favorites, she told her grandmother. In the picture, Gabby was all bundled up in a tiny, soft, yellow receiving blanket and was held tightly in her father’s arms. Her eyes were closed, but she wore an oh-so-tiny smile.

What do you think I was smiling about, Gram? she asked.

Oh, sweetie, I think you were remembering how much God loves you. See that glow around your face? That is God’s light shining from you, Gram replied.

Gabby wasn’t sure she saw the light Gram saw, so she looked closer at the picture. She answered, I didn’t have to worry about much then, huh? No homework, no dishes to wash. I didn’t even have to feed myself. Gabby giggled.

Life was pretty simple, honey. You were filled with care and love, and not just by God but your whole family.

Gabby turned the page and watched as she grew a little bit in every picture. In most of them she was smiling, grinning, or laughing.

I was a pretty happy baby, wasn’t I, Gram?

Oh, yes! Oh, but Gabby, look at this one!

They both peered at the next couple of pictures in the album. There was a different Gabby. Her face was scrunched up and her eyes were almost closed. Her face was red as tears had run down her cheeks. In the first picture she was holding her arms up, but no one seemed to be coming to her rescue. Next to it was another with the same look on her face, but in this one Gabby was standing inside a playpen with all her toys on the outside.

Gabby’s brother, Ike, joined them. What are you looking at? he asked.

We’re looking at old pictures when we were little. Look, Gram! I’ll bet you don’t see God’s light shining from me in these pictures. Boy, am I mad. I don’t look like I love anybody! declared Gabby.

Gram laughed. I don’t think you’re thinking anything about love at all. You want something very badly, and that is all you’re thinking about. Your Loving Self is pretty far away.

Her Loving Self, Gram? What is that? Ike asked as he wandered into the room.

Well, my loves, when you were born, you were full of God’s love. You didn’t know about all the things you would soon be able to do, or see, or want. You only knew about the wonder of love—first God’s, and then very soon the love from all of us around you. That was your Loving Self. You made us all happy and we tried to make you happy too, said Gram.

Both of us, Gram? Ike asked.

All of us, replied his grandmother. "Look at these pictures on this page. Look at you clanging on the high chair with the spoon. You found out you could make loud noises! And look over here. You’re starting to crawl. Boy, were you fast! You were all over the place.

I remember when your mom took this picture, Gram said. You loved to sit in the high chair and drop things on the floor. Every time you did, I picked them up and put them back on the tray, and we started all over again. You never grew tired of watching your gram bend over and pick up the toys! It was great fun for you.

Gram added, If I stopped picking up the toys, you threw a temper tantrum. Your faces always looked just like the pictures on that last page! That is the face of ‘All about Me’ Gabby. Your Loving Self is in there somewhere but hard to find at the moment.

Gabby frowned at her grandmother, who added, "We all have a Loving Self inside our heart. That is the part of us that is loving and giving and caring. When that part of us is in charge, we love as God loves. But we also have another part of us that is self-centered and is often based on fear. It focuses on what we think we should or shouldn’t have right now. That part of us doesn’t consider how others feel.

Your baby book is over on the shelf, Ike. You’ll find very similar pictures in your album, too, Gram said.

Ike walked over and retrieved the album of his early life. As he began looking at the pictures in his book, Gabby turned another page in hers, and they all smiled at the next pictures. There were a couple of photos side by side of Gabby toddling toward her mother. In the third picture, Gabby was asleep in Mom’s arms with a slight smile on her face.

Look at that, Ike! I think my Loving Self came back, Gabby exclaimed with delight.

As Ike peered over, Gram said, I think so too, honey. You look quite content in that picture. We all enjoyed it when you slowed down for a hug and some cuddling. Your Loving Self is in that picture, for sure.

Gram, asked Gabby, I’m not always ‘All about Me’ Gabby, am I? Do I still have a Loving Self?

Ike quickly interrupted, "‘All about Me’ Gabby! I like that name. I think you are always ‘All about Me’ Gabby."

Gram replied, That’s not true, Ike. Everyone has a self that is filled with God’s love—a Loving Self, and an ‘all about me’ self. When our Loving Self is close in our thoughts and feelings, we know we are loved and want others to feel that way too. We are kind and dependable and don’t say or do anything to make anyone else feel bad. You have times when you feel wonderfully loved and special and want to share that feeling with others, don’t you?

The children nodded.

Gram, I don’t always feel happy or even loved. Does that ever happen to you? Ike asked.

Sometimes I get feeling sorry for myself, and I am ‘All about Me’ Gram, too. It is because I can’t see God’s love around me, because I am only thinking of myself. My Loving Self can get pretty far away too, if I let it. I picture my Loving Self walking behind me, trying to catch up and calling, ‘Gram, did you forget about me? How come you are only thinking about yourself?’

Both kids grinned at that thought. The vision was quite funny.

Gram, that sounds just like me sometimes, but I don’t think you do that. You always apologize for stuff even if it wasn’t a big deal, said Gabby.

You know, Gabby, when you say you’re sorry, that is your Loving Self speaking. You may not have been speaking from your Loving Self if you said something you shouldn’t have said, but you are speaking from your Loving Self when you apologize.

She turned the page one more time to a picture of Gabby with her cousin last summer. The girls were walking barefoot in the grass, trying to catch butterflies.

My Loving Self is happy and filled with love in this picture, Gram. I can tell. I can see God’s light around my smiling face. Can you? Gabby asked.

I agree with you, Gabby, Gram said. "You let God’s love come very close to you that afternoon. I can tell from the picture that you feel it. It is the best feeling, don’t you think? God loves me and I am special! I love when I feel that!"

I like it too, Gram, Ike answered.

Me too, Gabby added, smiling.

Now you know that you can decide which ‘you’ is in control, Gram said. She looked at Gabby. You can practice by asking yourself, Is it my ‘all about me’ self or my Loving Self making the decisions? It does takes practice, you know. When things are hectic or not going your way, your Loving Self will slip into the background. You may get sad or angry or lonely or feel unloved, but try picturing yourself with your Loving Self really close.

Looking at her grandson, she added, See yourself taking your Loving Self’s hand and pulling him closer until you can hug him tightly. Feel the warmth of God’s light and love, and let those bad feelings slip away, she said to both grandchildren. "Let God’s love grow