“The Gift of Love” by Sandhya Deepak is a children’s storybook about Sandhya’s son Jayden who learns about loving others, sharing & kindness in his everyday life. This story is based on 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. It’s a pleasure to welcome Sandhya to my blog to share a little of her story and how she came to write “The Gift of Love”.
As a little girl I wanted to be a forensic scientist because of the kind of books I read as a kid and when I think of this it never fails to blow my mind that how powerfully books can influence a person. I loved reading before I had kids and now, I love reading to my kids.
I was born and raised in New Delhi, India and moved to Australia when I got married to Sam, with whom I have two gorgeous boys – Jayden and Aaron.
My two sons keep me on my toes and my week is filled with taking them for different activities like swimming, community kids’ events etc. I love taking them to the Queensland State Library, Museums, the local playground and we love going to theme parks in Gold Coast as a family.
As a mother, I want to raise my sons in the knowledge of God. The idea for “The Gift of Love” came from the day-to-day events and experiences that Sam and I have had with our sons that made me think about how I can make the knowledge in the Bible practical for them.
When I became a new mum 4 years ago (2018), one of the best advices I received on parenting was…
“If we miss our children experiencing life, we neglect them. If we neglect our children, there is a high probability they will reject us and/or our faith. Indeed, their perception of dad and mum is their perception of God. If we are distant, uninvolved and disengaged, so they will see their Heavenly Father. Therefore, invest time, money and love in your child.”
With that in my mind I have a very high regard for the role of parents in a child’s life. I want to raise my children in the richness of Biblical goodness. The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5) in the Bible is one of my favourite topics to talk to my boys about. I strongly believe that these, if understood at an early age, will deeply influence and help shape the character of children. It is from this passionate thinking that I have decided to write books.
I see a lot of books about loving yourself and not caring about what others think. While that is okay to an extent, I don’t think that philosophy contains a complete picture in itself. I believe that God created each and every child to be unique with gifts (talents/skills/passions) that make them special and gifts that give them a sense of purpose. However, I also believe that these gifts need to be used to love others. “The Gift of Love” is about showing love to others. It is inspired from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7…
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogantor rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
“The Gift of Love” is a story of a day in the life of my son, Jayden, from morning till bed time. The idea behind the story is to help facilitate the young reader’s journey to learn how to love others, be kind, show empathy and develop their social skills. The story is told through light rhyme and aims to teach young kids how to demonstrate love through a range of relatable everyday situations. The examples in this book see the main character, Jayden, working out solutions by himself at pre-school and at home. This aims to open up the idea of self-regulation to the young readers.
My hope for “The Gift of Love” is to introduce little children to the foundations of kindness and respect for others. The book also includes a selection of fun activities and conversation starters for parents and children to enjoy.
Through “The Gift of Love” my desire is to show how kids from a young age can live counter-culturally. I want them to see how the Fruit of the Spirit described in the Bible is not just a mere concept but when translated into our lives demonstrates the strength of one’s character. It is important to me to represent the heart of Christ to my sons. It is important that I seize teachable moments to instil biblical truths in their lives.
The other books in this series, when I finally get down to write them, will talk about joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I want to write books to show ways that model healthy behaviours for kids and train them to live counter-culturally. While I am not planning to write about my passions, my writing will always be influenced by the truths in the Bible.
To join Jayden at pre-school as he learns about loving others, kindness and sharing you can grab a copy of the book here!
About Sandhya:
Sandhya holds an MBA degree by qualification, she was a Public Relations personnel by profession and currently she is the COO of her busy home with two active boys. She is essentially a friendly introvert, let’s say if she is looking for information, she is more likely to read up on the topic rather than speaking to people. However, she loves listening to people and their stories. She also likes to create things with her hands. When she gets a moment’s peace, she enjoys Bible journaling, reading, and listening to podcasts.