Orange you glad I didn't say apple?

Every time I hear the word "orange" I think of that dumb knock knock joke that ends with "Orange you glad I didn't say apple". But recently I have a new respect for orange. Thanks to Reggie Joiner (he wrote the book) and Collin Creek Community Church (introduced us to Orange), I now know the significance of ORANGE!

Reggie Joiner is the founder of an organization called ReThink Group. Its a non-profit that helps churches maximize their influence on the spiritual growth of kids, teens, and adults. He has written several books but the one I am focusing on today is Think Orange.

In a nut shell, orange is the impact of family and church, and what can happen when these two forces collide! Family is represented by the color RED - love and warmth. Church is represented by the color YELLOW - the light. Mix em up - and you get orange!

Now, I of course can't give you all the ideas in the book here in a few paragraphs, nor could I explain it anywhere near as well as Reggie does, but I do want to point out a few things, and hopefully give you a desire to read this whole book. Its totally worth it!

Think Orange talks about the essence of a family and what 5 things are essential for your kids. He bases it off of a passage of scripture from Deuteronomy 6:4-12, NIV.

"4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [a] 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

10 When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."

There are 5 values that go along with this passage, but I'm only talking about 1 today. Plus - it's not like I can just post his whole book here, right?? :)

WIDEN YOUR CIRCLE.....

Moses was speaking to ALL of Israel in this passage. Not just the parents! Every parent needs help, encouragement, someone to count on, people to partner with. I heard recently that every kid needs 5 trustworthy adults in their life. So, unless you plan on having a few spouses, I think you may need to widen your circle! Kids need to feel supported, valued and loved, not just by their parents but by other adults in their lives too.

I can think of several people who impacted me as a kid/teenager. I was very blessed to have both parents around when I was growing up, as well as both sets of grandparents and a whole slew of aunts and uncles. Not to mention children/youth pastors, Sunday school teachers, youth sponsors and even a few teachers! Now, not all of them left a lasting impact, but I can pick 5 that have had a MAJOR impact on my life. And each of them in a different way. Because let's face it, when I was about 11 - 18, I didn't talk to my parents too much.

Wouldn't it be nice to know that your child has SOMEONE to go to, even if it isn't you?

So, I have a challenge for you!! Think of the people in your life - friends, relatives, coaches, church leaders, etc. and ask yourself who you would like to leave a lasting impact in your child's life besides you. If your kids are old enough, ask them who they look up to. And then INTENTIONALLY make some time for your kids and those people.

There is a WHOLE lot more to "thinking orange" but I don't wanna overwhelm you! ;)
And really, if you want to go deeper in it, read Think Orange by Reggie Joiner!!

A few good resources.....

www.whatisorange.com
www.orangeparents.com - NEW SITE!