Gooey Giggles
I just finished reading RE.CREATE by Ron Luce, president and founder of Teen Mania Ministries, a Christian youth organization that reaches millions of young people worldwide. While several dear friends had suggested this as a convicting read, it was the subtitle- “Building a Culture in Your Home Stronger Than the Culture Deceiving Your Kids”– that piqued my interest.I’ve spent twelve years trying to build a home on the Rock of Jesus, and I was intrigued to investigate what Luce has to say about growing a home that stands firm against the frightening tide of these unprecedented times. What I learned was both frightening and empowering. It affirmed much of what I’ve been doing by “hunch,” and ignited a new passion within me for “numbering my days” while my children still live beneath my roof.
One chapter that has changed the way I look at our family time is called “A Message in A Memory.” With insight and wisdom, Luce reminded me that whether I intend to or not, I am daily creating memories that will last in my children’s minds long beyond their tenure in our home.
According to Luce, “One of the keys to proactively crafting a family culture is to be constantly thinking, “What kind of memory am I creating right now, whether good or bad?’ It’s not just, ‘What am I doing right now for my family?’ or ‘How much am I earning for my family?’ or ‘What am I giving to my family?’ But ‘What kind of memory am I etching into the template of my children’s minds?’
As Halloween drew near, I began to consider the impression I wanted “swirling in my children’s memories” when they looked back on our years together. More than over-the-top candy consumption and creative costumes, I want my children to one day recall a steady diet of fun and laughter right around our own dinner table.With that end in mind, I began to plan our first annual Bruxvoort family Halloween Dinner. An eccentric mixture of disgusting and delightful, the silly menu included Bony Fingers, Spider Eggs, and the not-so-famous Roadkill Pie.
Our humble center piece showcased the remains of chef Pumpkin Head who met his unfortunate demise after dining on his own cooking. Topped in cowboy hats and boasting larger-than-life backwoods personalities, Chef Rob and I assured the kids that we had more kitchen know-how than Mr. Pumpkin Head. “Our food only kills appetites, never customers!” 
I’m not sure who had more fun- the kids or their parents. Rob (who refused to let me take any photos for fear they would land right here) was at his theatrical best as he dished up laugh-out-loud one liners with every course. And I delighted in watching the kids discover the “real food” behind the outlandish menu. There was no lasting spiritual value to the silly supper we served, but I hope that one day when my grown children welcome trick-or-treaters to their door, they will automatically replay a favorite memory in their mind: a memory of a Halloween tradition that made the light of laughter inside of their home a bit more appealing than the darkness beyond their front door.
The Overflow: “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” John 1:5
Those fingers look pretty nasty 🙂
~Robin