Tag: kids

Focus on the Family Kid’s Korner Vacation Review

FOF Kid's Korner

Our vacation was very blessed and I wanted to give a review of the Focus on the Family Kid’s Korner and Discovery Emporium in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Kid’s Korner is an adventure for children of all ages! and maybe even an adventure for adults also!

As you can tell we took our Flat Stanley with us, he will show you many special things about Kid’s Korner!

Fun For Kids

  • An airplane to climb inside that has a secret passage that leads to another play area.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
  • An inside jungle gym for older children.
  • If your family loves Adventures in Odyssey then they will enjoy seeing the familiar characters, Whit, Connie, Eugene, and eating in the Whit’s End Soda Shoppe. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
  • The A-Bend-A-Go Slide that is 3 stories high. This slide is for children 43.5 inches tall to 5’9″. Even my husband went on it but said it was very tight on the cork screws as he went down. There is a smaller slide in the area for children that are smaller than the height requirement for the large slide.
  • A toddler foam equipment area just for children their age in a room that is separated from the other play areas from the big kids. There is a nursing room in the building, but not on the same floor as the children’s play area.
  • A video area called the “Video Cave” where they were playing a Veggie Tales video. (Where the kids and I are together in the main photo above.)
  • Whit’s Discovery Emporium Room was full of fun activities such as dressing up like the Adventures in Odyssey characters (our son below) and playing on a stage, a puppet show area, the photo prop stage where we placed our faces through the holes (some of our photos in the main picture above). Then, there was a small area where you could sit and read books, and rotating character blocks where you can swivel the blocks and change the person’s head, clothes, and feet. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
  • The Narnia Room had a neat wardrobe door to walk through that went into a room where you could see a large picture of Aslan the lion and a few trees that made it look like the first entry to the forest. This room was very small, and much less than we had expected. We were hoping to see a room filled with Narnia themed items where the children could play but it was more like a photo-op area.                                               OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
  • 3 Scavenger Hunts were available for the children to go around the entire area and find hidden items. We saw several groups searching with smiles for the scavenger hunt items.

Great for Parents

  • What we loved about the Kid’s Korner & Discovery Emporium at Focus on the Family was that it was FREE!
  • We ate lunch early in the Soda Shoppe with most meals being between $3-$6 each with several options available such as a sandwich, a beef hotdog, and chicken nuggets with smiley face fries, apple slices or cookies. My husband enjoyed a large ice cream topped with a cherry and sprinkles. I had amazing flavored tea! We felt like we could eat in the Soda Shoppe because we did not pay for admission.
  • Safety First! As you enter the area to go down to the children’s area you check in with an attendant and register on a computer your name and the number of adults and children with you. Then we were given a sticker to wear on your shirt through the entire visit.
  • You can bring a picnic lunch and eat in the Soda Shoppe or outside at the picnic area.
  • Clean restrooms. The restrooms were very nice and clean, which says a lot about a place.
  • All play areas were easily accessible for adults. In other words, there were no small nooks and crannies where you could not fit if you had to chase or rescue your child. As you can see, my husband, is inside the tunnel that leads from the airplane into another area.  OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
  • We saw 2 or 3 birthday party areas that looked as if you wanted to reserve them that it was free by the signs that were posted. One of the rooms was a fire house theme with Whit dressed up as a fireman inside.
  • Hours of play time! We had not planned to spend as much time as we did there since we were still needing to travel on the day that we went. We all enjoyed it so much that we stayed longer than we had planned. There is enough to do at the Kid’s Korner to stay for several hours without getting bored.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Don’t Believe the Reviews Online

Before going for our visit I went online looking for reviews and tips about what to expect in visiting the Kid’s Korner and Discovery Emporium at Focus on the Family and found some okay reviews and lots of bad reviews from people who were opposed to Focus on the Family in general. Several people said that they felt as if they were snubbed because of their looks, that they heard music and Christian propaganda being played in the speakers, and I want to say, that we felt no such attitude and heard no music playing that day in the play area. Other reviewers seemed to be against the entire place without having ever visited, so if you read those reviews, look for other less opinionated reviews before making your choice to visit. This is a place where both Christians and non-Christians could come with no pressure whatsoever to be or do something you are not.

The Bookstore

We did also go to their bookstore and walked through some of the other hallways in the Focus on the Family building. The bookstore is very large and our kids actually listened to a story time that they were having before we went down to the kid’s area. The story time was great but the music they had the kids sing and dance to was very contemporary. They were given balloon animals and treated very kindly and respectfully, even when Tres, our 3-year-old spoke out about something that no one even understood.

The bookstore is like most Christian bookstores, you have to pick the right types of books that go with your Biblical standards.

A Personal Note and Opinion

In one of the hallways there is a history of James Dobson and his work in writing books and creating the Focus on the Family area and group. This display gave us the feeling that he was being more exalted for his work as a psychologist than his work being something that God allowed him to do for His glory.

We believe that Biblical Counseling honors God in the best way because it teaches people what God’s Word says about topics and then teaches them how to apply the Word to their lives and live for God. America’s families do need help with the attacks that Satan is placing upon the home, but they need Biblical advice, not popular psychology. These things were bothersome to our beliefs, but it did not separate that they have a great play area for children that is safe, clean, and affordable.

We would recommend that if you are in the Colorado Springs area to go by and visit the Kid’s Korner at Focus on the Family.

This would be a great stop for families on vacation and deputation. We hope that this review gives people an honest view of the children’s area at the center. We look forward to another chance to be able to visit again!

How God Provided: Clothes for Our Son

It’s amazing how God provides in mysterious ways! Just last week we saw God provide for our oldest son, Uno’s need for clothes. He, being the oldest, usually is the one that we buy new clothes for even if they are just “new” to him from the thrift stores. Our daughters have been provided for from about five different families in our church and we have tubs of clothes in our garage waiting for them to be old enough to wear them. Uno, however, has a pair of winter boots, a couple of shirts, and maybe a few other miscellaneous items in his tub…until now!

A month ago when I was packing up the winter clothes and getting out the summer clothes I noticed he was down to the bottom of his tub with all the winter clothes he had worn this year going into the tub for our second son, Dos. It would remind you of how the widow woman who Elijah saw felt when she noticed she was down to the bottom of the barrel with her meal and oil that morning. I began praying and telling God about Uno’s need and asking Him to provide.

We thought nothing of it when we were on our way to find some jeans at the store when my husband mentioned something to our neighbors that were outside. “Oh, we’re just going out to buy some clothes for our son before we head out on vacation,” my husband said. Then, bam! What do you know, God prompts the neighbor lady to go inside and bring us something…

When we returned from the store the doorbell rang and as we swung open the door, there she was with her arms stacked high, almost higher than her face, with boy clothes! God’s answer to my prayers was right there. She has two older boys that had outgrown the clothes and they were sitting in their garage waiting to be given away to charity. Well, God’s charity was shining down upon us when He provided so much!

When God provides so generously I am always reminded of the verse that my mother would quote to my sisters and I as children,

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38.

I can’t count the times that God has impressed on my heart to give away our children’s clothes. There have been times when Uno had outgrown clothes and Dos had not grown into them yet (they are 18 months apart) and God has burdened my heart for a single mother that needed clothes for her children. I have gone in and taken a majority of the clothes and given them to that mother. I can’t help it, I just feel like sometimes it’s a waste to have things sitting in storage when they can be used for someone else’s child.

If Jesus came back tomorrow would I wish that I had obeyed when He had placed that burden on my heart? That’s why when I’m impressed to give I do… I want to be obedient.

When we see God’s principles work, like when we give away clothes and then we receive clothes for our children, then we cannot question the principle outlined in Luke 6:38. The clothing stacked up in our neighbor’s arms were the evidence of “pressed down, and shaken together, and running over.” He now has clothes up to size 14 when he wears size 7.  Whether they will be in style in 7 years may be a different story!

If I could encourage you in one way through this testimony it would be, do not doubt God’s ability to keep track. He repays all things, whether good or bad. It’s been said many times that God is never a debtor. While we should give without expectation of receiving, we should be looking for God’s provisions and being thankful for them. The times we hold back and give begrudgingly are times we rob ourselves of abundant blessings!

Even ministry women, that are on a budget, with little to give can find themselves in a battle of generosity vs. holding on to their substance while on their knees praying to God to meet their needs. Remember God’s Word says in II Corinthians 9:6-8,

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. 

God not only loves a cheerful giver, He provides abounding grace for you to be able to “abound to every good work.” In other words, He gives you plenty of grace to do plenty of good toward others. He will prompt your heart to give. Then, in time He gives back to you. If you recognize His abundant blessings and glorify Him for it, then you will have a story to tell just like we do.

The next blessing you can give is sharing with your children how He has provided and He cares for them by answering your prayers. They need to know He cares about the needs they have. When you share stories like these, you are not only exercising your faith, you are passing it on to the next generation. You are setting up stones for them to look back on and to see and remind them when they need to trust again, that God has come through in the past and He will do it again.

When God provides and answers our prayers it becomes a stepping stone of faith that leads us to the next step.

  • Will we trust God to provide the next need?
  • Will we be waiting in anticipation to see how He does it differently this time?
  • Will we spread the praise to those around us?

Our neighbors are unbelievers that God worked through. That is nothing short of a miracle. You just never know how God will come through! He is so good!

Passages: Biblical Museum Vacation Review

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

While on our vacation adventures we took time to go to the Passages Biblical Museum, which is on tour in Colorado Springs, Colorado temporarily. After touring the country the display will finally make its home in Washington D.C. only a few blocks from all the other tourist attractions surrounding the White House.

We wanted to share with you our experiences at the museum and encourage you, that if you have the time, or are in the area to visit!

We highly recommend Passages to everyone!

Biblical history is awesome by itself, but the museum really brought to light how God has perfectly preserved His Word for generations and how you can easily teach your children the blessings of God’s truth!

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

We bought our tickets online at the Passages website and paid the extra for the headphones and listening devices, which was worth the money! It cost our family of 6 (2 adults, 3 children, and 1 free baby) $44 to attend. That may be a lot of money to some, but I assure you that it is well worth the investment.

What made it fun for the kids?

  • Head Sets. On the head sets that the kids received (for free) they were able to go on a scavenger hunt with Louie the Lion. They searched for marked paw prints in the exhibit areas and found codes in which they could punch into their device and it would play Louie telling a joke and then giving them a clue to the item to find in the room. Once the scavenger hunt was filled out then it could be turned into the front desk for a prize. Our 7-year-old got the most out of the scavenger hunt, our 6-year-old liked listening to him, but the scavenger hunt was a bit over their heads. I think this is geared toward older children.
  • Animatronics! There was Louie the Lion and about 4 other animated people throughout the displays that spoke and told their stories of how they related to Biblical history. *Note: One was of a man tied to the stake with fire underneath him that was dying as a martyr. We skipped that one.
  • Children’s activities are spread throughout the displays.This helps keep them occupied with an activity while you can venture a few feet away and read the information on the displays. Our children tried their hand at writing Latin words on a piece of paper by copying it with ink and a feather, then they were able to use stamps to make words and transfer pictures onto paper. In another area they could pick up an activity and try to find the errors in the Biblical text. (When men began to copy the Bible on the printing press often times there were human errors made by accident.)
    OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
  • They can experience live demonstrations and see realistic videos that explain the life and times through the centuries that are relevant to how the Bible came to be how it is today. Our children (and even my husband, as you can see) enjoyed watching a man demonstrate how the Gutenberg Press worked. The video that stands out to me was of Martin Luther making a stand to colleagues about how he can no longer stand with the Catholic Church. The Battle Hymn of the Republic room had holographic people who amazed the kids also. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
  • The Wilde World of the Bible Children’s Play Area. Our kids went in and played games, cut out puppets, dressed up as Bible characters, looked at books, colored on a digital coloring screen, played with a puppet stage, and sat for a few minutes to watch a video.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

What made it great for adults that love the Bible?

  • The museum is packed with information, great displays, and you will be amazed at all the things you can learn about God and His Word. The time to tour all the displays is around 3 hours, which may seem like a long time, but you simply can not soak it all in by a quick run through. Your ticket allows you to come in and out through the museum all day long. If you need to leave and go to lunch then you can simply come back and an attendant will escort you back where you left off.
  • The Bibles will amaze you! There were pieces of the Bible that were so old that they could only be lit for 15 seconds every minute because they were so fragile and sensitive to light. There were Bibles of every type and size as they began from scrolls to printed works. We even saw a Bible that they believed Christopher Columbus brought on his voyage to the Americas. There were Bibles in beautiful displays, some with intricate drawings on the outer pages, Biblical texts that the Nazis had attempted to burn and destroy to insult the Jews in World War II… the Bibles are amazing!
  • The museum is organized. Each display has a number which correlates to information you can read about the items in the display case. Most cases contain a special number you can type into your listening device and will tell you more about the objects inside. For me, being able to listen to the person tell me about the display was easier than reading it because I could still walk around with our children without having to stay directly in front of the case.
  • There are plenty of places to sit and rest.
  • You can learn more about the Jewish culture. It’s one thing to read about it in the Bible, it’s another thing to see how important God’s Word was to the Jews and the elaborate coverings they made to honor God and the importance of every dot and tittle in the copying of God’s Word by hand. This museum takes what many of us imagine and brings it into the light of reality so it can now become an experience we can use for future reference and in our relationship with God.
    OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA*For Your Information: The museum does include the Catholic, German, and other histories of Biblical translation, which were not made from the Textus Receptus, including Jerome’s history , where we wrote Latin with pen and feather and saw him in the cave (above with Flat Stanley). As you go through the passages of time in the museum it all begins to point to the translation of the King James Version of the Bible, which put God’s Word into the English language, which our family believes to be the entire and complete translation of the Word of God.

Tips for attending Passages with Children

  • Plan your day. It takes a long time to go through the museum. If you need to plan to go in the morning and go out for lunch and a little play time before returning, then do! It is a quieter atmosphere than what some kids may be used to, but there are plenty of things that can keep them busy along the way.
  • Take photos in approved areas. No photos are allowed in certain areas of the museum. We were able to take a photo at the Gutenberg Press and with some of the animatronics because they were not artifacts. You can take your photos in the Wilde World Kids area.
  • Sit on a bench and let them play quietly. If you buy the headsets (headsets for children are free) then push the number of the display you like, then sit and listen. This can free up space around displays. You can give them a toy or book to look at while you learn.
  • Take time to watch the videos and sit when you can.
  • Help your kids with the scavenger hunt if they need help. It may keep you from looking at a few of the displays but it will encourage them to learn more about Bible History. This entire museum is a tremendous teaching tool. *Note: Your headset can also pick up the clues from Louie the Lion along the way, punch in the number and he’ll speak to you too.
  • Choose the displays you want your children to see.  Look at your museum directory and skip the unnecessary for their age group. If possible, take turns with your spouse in taking care of the kids if you are interested in something specific.
  • Remember what it’s like to be a kid. Show them the things you think are exciting. Read some of the information you find valuable with an enthusiastic voice. Take them to the play room for a break if they become restless and return to your tour when they get the wiggles and giggles out. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

When we build our life and ministries around the Bible, then we need to use tools like the Passages Bible Museum to reinforce what we have taught to our children. How often through teaching and preaching we want to convey the message of God so they can make it come alive in their minds and understand it in their hearts.

This experience helped us in many ways to make the Bible come alive!

We may never be able to travel to Washington, D.C. to see Passages when it makes its home there, but we were able to see it when it was on our vacation route.

If you have the opportunity then go, it is “an experience of Biblical proportions!”