Audrey Bunny

Happy Friday friends!  I am really looking forward to celebrating my 6th wedding anniversary with my cute hubby this weekend! :)  What are you looking forward to?

I follow MANY blogs.  One that has touched me very deeply is Angie Smith's blog "Bring the Rain."  Since starting her blog, she has also published several books that have hit the best seller status.  She is an incredibly talented writer.  Often I am blown away by how she eloquently tells her story and shares her love for the Lord.  Her husband, Todd, is a singer for the Selah, which is a popular Christian music group.  If I remember correctly, I stumbled onto Angie's blog in 2008 (I believe) very early into my own blogging.  It has been such a blessing in my life.  Although the reason why Angie started her blog is indeed sad, the way she has used her blog and her daughter, Audrey's, life to minister the gospel to people is just incredible.  Some of the stories she shares about how God has worked in her life just gives me goosebumps.  Seriously.  Angie started her blog as a way to share the journey of her pregnancy with her 4th daughter, Audrey Caroline.  At 18 weeks gestation, during a routine ultrasound, Angie and Todd were told that their daughter was very ill and had many serious medical conditions that would make her incompatible with life.  They were encouraged to abort, but through prayer and faith, decided that carrying their daughter as long as God would allow was the road that they would choose.  Angie blogged all throughout her pregnancy.  Audrey was born at 32 weeks.  They were told that if she made it through a delivery, she would likely gasp for air and would pass away within minutes.  Miraculously, she survived delivery and they were able to have 2 1/2 hours with her, which was captured by both beautiful photos and video, which she shared on her blog.  The photos show such a peaceful setting and there is such joy that comes out of them in the midst of such sorrow.  You can view the actual slideshow HERE.  You may need a tissue.

Following Audrey's passing, Angie continued to blog and went on to write three books - "I Will Carry You - the Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy" which tells Audrey's story, "What Women Fear - Walking in Faith that Transforms", and "Mended - Pieces of a Life Made Whole."  You can find all of Angie's books on Amazon.   Now, Angie has released her first children's book titled "Audrey Bunny."  This children's book tells the story of about a stuffed animal named Audrey Bunny who fears her imperfections make her unworthy of a little girl's love.  She'll learn the truth soon enough, and young readers will learn that everyone is special and wonderfully made by God.

There are many things that make this book incredibly special.  Not only the subject matter of the story itself, but also the bunny.  Angie shares on her blog the story of how she found a stuffed bunny while she was pregnant with Audrey.  When she went to purchase this bunny, whom she immediately thought reminded her of Audrey even before she found out that Audrey was so very sick, she found that the bunny had a mark over her heart.  This is especially meaningful because one of Audrey's medical conditions was a very enlarged heart.  The saleswoman tried to get her to buy a different bunny, but she knew that she was meant to have that one.  In the book, Audrey Bunny has a mark that she feels is an imperfection.  This mark in the book is also very special because it is a fingerprint - and it is truly a replica of Audrey's tiny fingerprint.  You can hear Angie actually tell the story of how the fingerprint came about by visiting her blog HERE and listening to her words in the clip linked to the post titled "Mark."  It will leave you feeling nothing but inspired.

I encourage you to buy this children's book for your children.  I know that Landon will be receiving this book for Christmas and I can't wait to share the story of Audrey Bunny with him.

Much love,

Tina xoxo