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Sunday, April 3, 2011

Adventures in Odyssey

Remember when I told you what good travelers our kids were - well, here is our secret - Adventures in Odyssey.

This is a radio program put out by Focus on the Family. We discovered their tape series when they were put in the kids meals at Chick-Fil-A many years ago. It is a story set in a small town and revolves around an ice cream shop owner named John Avery Whitaker or as he is affectionately called Whit! In a half hour he interacts with the people of the town, listens to their problems and always points them to Christ. There are now well over 500 stories and they are still producing more.

As a family we would listen to an Odyssey as we traveled - we would count the miles by how many more Odysseys until we got there! We learned about Adam and Eve, Daniel in the Lions Den and Jesus on the Cross. We also encountered moral dilemmas, defending of one's faith, and everyday trials. All this was accomplished in a funny, heartwarming and totally entertaining way. So many times we will relate back to an old episode when we are talking around the dinner table or reading the Bible together. What Cam and I like so much about this series is that it brings the Bible to life and is true to the Bible's teachings.

My friend Janet would kid me that my answer to any parenting dilemma is the same.

Trouble sleeping at night? - listen to an Odyssey
Feeling discouraged? - listen to an Odyssey
Constipated? - listen to an Odyssey

But it has influenced our family that much! And it is something that we can all share in together! A few years ago I bought a DVD game based on the radio series (a lot like Scene It) we pulled it out last fall and played with our 22 year old down to our 15 year old - we laughed so hard at how much we still remembered about the show even now and actually the kids were much better at it then us. We also got a kick out of Cam imitating the characters - especially the annoying Rodney Rathbone!

I am so glad that we found this series since it has impacted our family so strongly. It is great to have resources that promote your beliefs and reinforces the Bible's teachings. Even last night Dylan had found an episode on the radio and was listening while doing his homework. I encourage you to check out this resource - surrounding your family with good, Godly influences makes a lot of Sense!!

7 comments:

  1. Pat took his CDs to college with him. He just told me he wants some more! Cousins!

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  2. We have listened to so many stories on cd - it has been a great tool for the car! My kids (the two older ones) have become hooked on "Down Gilead Lane". Such a great series! We were so upset when they announced the last season last summer! Now we are getting Daniel into "Patch the Pirate". Such a good habit to get them into!

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  3. The constipated one is killing me!
    We borrowed one set of CDs from the church library and the kids enjoyed them. I'll have to keep an eye out for them in the future.

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  4. I keep thinking we're a little young, but I am ready to follow in your footsteps on this one for sure!!

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  5. My son is 5 and he loves them and now my 3 year old likes to listen in from her room at night. We also get the benefit of visiting Whit's End at Focus on the family now!!

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  6. awesome resource! thanks for sharing, Mary...i hope i remember the next time we have a long car ride :)

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  7. LOVE Adventures in Odessey! How cool you have visited Whitt's End!

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