From the Author:
EXCERPT
When my son, Kyle, was four years old, his papa (my wife's father) taught him this joke. Why did the dog sit in the shade? Answer: Because he didn't want to be a hotdog.
Despite this joke's severe "unfunniness," Kyle thought it was the most hilarious joke he ever heard. Therefore, he felt it was his sworn duty to allow everyone to revel in its greatness again and again and again...and again. He must've told that joke one thousand times, and I am not exaggerating.
Finally, I had to sadly inform him that the joke had run its course. If he used the joke any longer, he would be sent to a special institution where kids were not allowed to play video games.
I bring this up because, when it comes to the things of God, we should be like Kyle and his joke. Whenever I tell Kyle something about God or His Word and he says, "Dad, you've told me this already," I see that as a victory. He remembers! Then I reply, "And you'll hear it again sometime in the future too!"
Many times, however, my conversations my teen go like this. "I have told you a dozen times that we do not do that. Remember the Bible says..."
Looking at me like I just rode in on a pink pony, while wearing a paisley dress, Kyle responds, "We talked about this?"
My son is not alone in this. Our twenty-seven foster kids all suffered from the same dreaded "We talked about this?" ailment. With kids, we need to say it once, say it again, and keep on saying it. Really, are we adults any different?
For fifteen years, I have had the privilege of teaching at a week-long Bible camp in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. It is always one of the highlights of my summer. Bible camp is great because it allows one to totally leave the world behind and focus in on God without all the usual distractions. The problem is, of course, at the end of the week it's back to the world as usual.
During that week, I try to teach the kids about the need to focus on God daily throughout the year. One week of Bible camp is not enough. Even one day a week in church is not enough. We need the constant reminders from God's Word about how to live.
One way I try to help the kids understand this is with the following exercise. I ask for a volunteer, someone who thinks he has a great memory. Usually most of the kids raise their hand and start "Ooh, ooh, oohing." I try to choose the most eager, the one whose arm is about to be dislocated because he is raising it so high. When the little trooper comes up ready to show off his brain power, I give him the following instructions.
"I am going to give you ten separate instructions which I will read to you only once. When I finish reading them, you must do them all in order. Okay?"
My little victim, I mean pupil, nods that he is ready, so I list off the ten instructions. "First, do seven jumping jacks. Second, find two pencils. Third, clap your hands six times. Fourth, say 'hello' to the person next to you three times. Fifth, touch your nose four times. Sixth, turn around eight times. Seventh, yell out 'I love Jesus!' Eighth, tap your left foot twelve times. Ninth, put your right hand in your pocket. And tenth, give me nine high fives for a job well done."
You can imagine that my volunteer has no chance. I then go on to explain that hearing something once is never enough. To really be able to do all ten things in order, we would need to look over the list again and again. It is the same with the things of God. One week at Bible camp won't help us know and live out all that God has for us in His Word. One Sunday a week won't do that either. We need to daily remind ourselves of all that God has for us.
About the Author:
Mark has a passion to communicate God's design for life and the family. He and his wife, Christie, have fostered 28 children and have one teen-aged son of their own. Mark has a Masters in Christian Education as well as earning more than 100 Continuing Education Credits in the area of children and youth development, family dynamics, conflict-resolution within the family, discipleship in the home, effective discipline, parenting teenagers, dealing with different personalities, etc.
He is further trained and certified through the National Center for Fathering (See: fathers.com) to lead various seminars and workshops. Mark and his family live in the Lehigh Valley of northeast, Pennsylvania.
He loves Philadelphia sports teams--Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, and 76ers; so he knows much about pain and heartache. He enjoys playing sports, writing books, hanging with his family, and referring to himself in the third person.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.