What's More Important?

Hey Beautiful Girl,

I have a question for you today. What's more important, winning at a game or having a good name? Now that may sound like a funny question, or like those two things don't really go together. But they do.

Yesterday I was working with a bunch of kids at the city recreation center by our house. The director was playing a game with them kinda like "Simon Says." In the game, a person gets called "out" when they don't follow the leaders instructions just right. The game started with about 50 kids playing, and one by one they got out. They would get called "out" when the leader saw them goof up in following the instructions.

But I saw some kids make a mistake and the leader didn't catch them. The kids would look around to see if they had been caught. If they weren't caught, they stayed in the game - even though they shouldn't have. They cheated because they wanted to win.

My question to you is this: is it more important to win, or is it more important to be known as someone who is honest even when no one is watching you or catches you - even if it means you lose a game?

I hope that you will always live your life so that when people think of the name Alexa Jayde Brown, words like honest, trustworthy, good and kind will come to their mind.

I love you.

It's All About The Dream

Sweetheart,

There is an opposite to everything in this world. Remember when I wrote you about how important it is for you to find people who can give you a hand up, helping you realize your potential? Well, there is another type of hand - an opposite one.

The opposite of the people who can help you reach your dreams are the people in the world who will keep you from your dreams. And while it will be up to you to find those who will give you a hand up, those who will drag you down will always seem to find you. So be on the lookout. Sometimes they are hard to recognize, and other times you will know them instantly. Here's how to tell the difference: any relationship that takes you closer to your dream, or brings out your true potential, is a hand up - and any relationship or friendship that causes you to drift away from your dreams or diminishes your potential is a hand pulling you down.

It's all about the dream.

A Helping Hand

Alexa Jayde, beautiful lady,

Do you know the best way to reach the top? Find someone who can take you by the hand, someone who believes in you and loves you, and who knows the way to the top. Listen to them and learn from them.

We weren't meant to reach our goals by ourselves. God made us to need people and to connect with people in order to reach our potential. Find the right people, work hard, and trust God - you will reach the top.

Swimming

Hey Bird,

I was just thinking today about something, and it made me kind of sad. I was thinking about swimming. Not just any old kind of swimming, I was thinking about you swimming.

I see pictures that your mom and dad post on Facebook, and other pictures that your mom sends to my phone, of you swimming and having a great time. I do love the pictures, but the part that makes me sad is that so far I have only seen pictures of you swimming. I have never been with you when you were swimming. Pictures are great, but they are no substitute for being present.

Know two things. I miss you very, very much, and God is present with you at all times. My hope for you is that you will believe to the point of knowing and experiencing the truth that you have a Heavenly Father who is present with you at every moment, and who loves you perfectly at all times.

Truly believing this will shape your life like few other things will.

You're Two!!!

Alexa,

Two years ago today you were five days old. From the moment you arrived you were beautiful and brought such joy to all of us. It is amazing to me that before you were born, the world seemed complete; but, now that you are here, the world would not be complete without you.

One of the things that this tells me is that God is still creating the world!!! He is still making the world into the place that He wants it to be - and you are a big part of that world. As He helps you to live your life, and as you obey His heart as you grow up, God will be creating His world through you.

I don't know about you, but this sounds like the most exciting life possible.