WBCL Radio Network in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, interviewed us on Monday, May 18. It’s a six-station network that covers Indiana and parts of Ohio and Michigan. Lynne Ford is the host of the weekly morning program, “Author, Author” that features interviews with several authors each week. Here it is! Our interview begins about 20 minutes into the program.
Setting Up Stones on WBCL
This past weekend, Martha drug out some of the old family photo albums, and coerced me to look through them with her. As we reminisced about some great times, I also happened to run across a few pictures that I would just as soon incinerate. They were scary, but I got up enough guts to post one of the least brutal ones here. No snickering allowed, because I’m sure you have some that would rival it.
Now, there’s a way, though, to embrace the embarrassment that families have for so long kept hidden. This morning, I found an “interesting” website, awkwardfamilyphotos.com. People post those strange photos right out of their family albums there for the whole world to see, and, surprisingly, don’t seem to be at all uncomfortable about doing it. Apparently, it’s the hottest new thing to arrive on the internet, according to ABC News and Fox News reports. In the last 30 days, the site has drawn over 20 million visitors. If you decide to visit it, just know it’s not completely family-friendly.
"It's tapping into something universal," said the site’s co-founder Mike Bender. "Everybody has experienced not only the awkwardness ... [but] I think there's something almost cathartic for people to share their awkwardness. That was always the hope."
It just might be a movement whose time has come.
Trying to be perfect can get really tiresome. Somewhere, we got the idea that it was really important for our families to look good. But, in doing that, we’ve burdened the ones we love most with the millstone, “whatever you do, don’t embarrass us.” That means that many of the struggles that we go through have to be swept under the rug. Even within the walls of our own home, that atmosphere demands that we “put on a good face” and bury the difficulties we’re dealing with. Being real is rare, but it can be the most healthy thing that our families can embrace.
Fear blocks that free flow of authenticity. Almost everyone has a fear of vulnerability, that, somehow, if we show that we’re less-than-perfect, there will most assuredly be a disastrous outcome. What if I’m not accepted any longer? Will they think less of me? Will I relinquish some kind of control? As we grow in our honest communication within our family, those questions and fears begin to crumble.
Being genuine creates an atmosphere at home that cultivates many of the attitudes that a family should find very attractive. It breaks down walls that block communication. With the awareness that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, it encourages teamwork. And, it lays a foundation of honesty, that affects each family member's relationship with each other and with God.
Walking with God, knowing and loving and serving Him, is a process, not a formula. It’s exciting and fulfilling and messy and challenging. If we honestly allow our family to observe us as we participate, we will allow them to see the reality of the God we love and serve, and they will be drawn to Him.
Then, when others see our family, they're not impressed about how perfect we are. They see, instead, a picture of God's grace.
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
II Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
This is not "our day" - a time to flaunt our identity, celebrate our significance, or chastise those who choose not to acknowledge it. This is our solemn call to humility and repentance, seeking God's mercy and grace.
I don’t claim to be a technology expert. In fact, education consultant Marc Prensky would label me a “digital immigrant.” That’s because I’m old enough to remember when computers were massive monoliths that we never dreamed would someday be such an important part of our lives. I do know enough about technology, though, to know when I see something that provides some good answers to some of the cyberspace problems that we all hear about. I’m especially interested when parents are given a technological tool that allows them to keep their kids safe while encouraging them to experience the enrichment that the internet has to offer. So, I was particularly eager share some things that I recently discovered. Now there’s a chance that this stuff might be old news to some of you, and, if it is, simply file it away as a doddering digital immigrant’s discovery of the world around him. But, if you’ve never seen this before, and it ends up working for you, your undying gratitude is sufficient!
KIDO’Z v 1.0
www.kidoz.net
KIDO’Z v 1.0 is a safe internet browser for kids ages 3-11. It was developed by a small Israeli company, and gives kids a great introduction to the internet in a protected environment. Here’s how they describe their product:
“The KIDO'Z Kid's Web Environment is the safe, easy and fun way for young kids to surf their favorite sites, watch videos and play games. Each kid is unique, with different likes, dislikes, and different cultural and language backgrounds. And so, we created KIDO'Z with that in mind. Tons of top kids' content is loaded into KIDO'Z by the KIDO'Z team. But what makes KIDO'Z special is the content added by you, the parents. You can personalize KIDO'Z for your kids by uploading new content, selecting user interface and content languages, enhancing security settings, allowing/blocking any content...and more!”
YourSphere
www.yoursphere.com
Online social networking is huge among preteens and teens, but, they can not only be a distraction, they can be dangerous, too. A California mom of five kids developed YourSphere as an alternative for MySpace, Facebook, and other sites like them. YourSphere claims to be a completely safe online environment, but there are some reviewers that suggest that might be impossible. Certainly, though, the measures taken to keep the site free of harmful activity is far beyond most others of the networking genre. YourSphere also offers some interesting perks like social hubs that link your kids with others that have similar interests, and a rewards program where members can earn prizes. There is also a network strictly for the members’ parents, and a parents’ blog led by Mary Kay Hoal, the site’s founder.
Check out KIDO’Z and YourSphere and see if they might be a technology solution at your house. I’d like to hear your opinion about these sites, and your reviews if you choose to use them.
