Making Faith Fun for Kids Through Storytelling

0:00President Barack Obama. Virginia, we are counting on you. Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to raid the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years. But you can stop them by voting yes by April 21st. Help put our elections back on a level playing field and let voters decide not politicians. Vote yes by April 21st. Paid for by Virginians for fair elections. Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing. Victory Lane? Yeah, it's even better with Chamba by my side. Race to ChambaCasino.com. Let's Chamba. No purchase necessary. VTW Group voidware prohibited by law CTNC's 21 plus sponsored by ChambaCasino. Hey, it's Benji Cole, son of Al Cole from CBS Radio and host of the syndicated talk show People of Distinction. The talk gives you an in-depth view of some of the most dynamic,

1:04intelligent and successful people on the planet. Run to our website Al Cole Enterprises.com for more info. Email me through Benji at Al Cole Enterprises.com if you'd like to get involved with what we have going and as always, please continue to like and follow our broadcasts. People of Distinction is internationally syndicated solely due to the love and support that you all continue to give. We're available across all major distributors and as long as you keep following, we're going to continue to put out the content. Now sit back and strap in because on the line with us today, we have the impressive Twilight Acosta. And we're going to be discussing her incredible children's book that the Lord may whistle. The story of Chido, the gossiping fly. It's Amazon, it's Barnes & Noble. It's a lot of other places, man. The moment we begin talking about this book, you're going to understand why this is one you need to add to your shelf. And listen, it is an absolute pleasure to have Twyla here on the line. Man, let's be honest. Okay, getting kids to

2:06unplug and embrace quiet time. Man, it can feel like hurting cats, can it? I mean, my goodness. It makes me think of my children. It's from sun up to sundown, man, it is a marathon. Okay, it's so hard. Now imagine explaining that to a restless young fly who just wants the buzz around the marsh. That has all he wants to do, right? Today, we are sitting down with Twyla to discuss this incredible book. To talk to her about this book and how a little insect's big adventure is actually helping parents reframe the Sabbath of all things into a story of protection and purpose. And I promise you, man, the education is full. And the entertainment is right there with it. So your kids are going to learn without even realizing they're doing so sit back, strap in, and let's get ready. Twyla, first and foremost, welcome to the network. And thank you very

3:08much for being a guest. How are you doing today? It's a cool, I want to thank you so very much for this wonderful opportunity, having me as a guest on your show. Well, listen, Twyla, I'm going to thank you for writing the book because, you know, we wouldn't have been able to invite you if you didn't have this incredible book that you laid out. But listen, joking aside, nice cities aside, I really do mean it. It is a pleasure. Okay. Your book, I believe, is going to be very educational for children, for parents as well. So I think that there is a lot to be gained here. So we're looking forward to embarking upon the discussion. And let's start off at the foundation. Twyla, I'm curious how did this book even come about? What inspired you to write it? It's interesting, Mr. Cole. I was at a bistro with my mother in Central California. I had just arrived from a flight and I was just basically trying to unwind. And she said, we went to get something to eat and the waitress was a little slow in preparation and getting to us and getting our order. And I just started, I got out

4:10of napkin and I just started writing down some ideas about this little fly. It just came to me. I saw him as just being just very mischievous. Because I was actually planning my vacation Bible school because my mother had children's ministry back then. And I was just trying to come up with some ideas for what I was going to tell them at their age group and all of a sudden, I was thinking about my syllabus for this class for my mother. And then I just started writing down this entire story on this napkin before we even got served. But it was just the spontaneous thing that happened. You know, Twyla, thank you very much. When you first started and you mentioned that you were at a restaurant, I was like, oh, no, is there a fly around the restaurant, get into your food. And I'm like, where is she going with this one? All right. I got you. I got you. Yeah, good. All right. Well, listen, we had no visitation, which is all I mean. You go. Some people, it's a safe route. We didn't plug the name, but don't worry if you're in Central California, you can go and it's totally fine. No flies. You got to worry. But anyways,

5:13let's move it out here. That's why I'm curious. So we were thinking my team and I as we were brainstorming in preparation for today's discussion. And we're like, listen, it's a fun children's book. We get the subject matter, but then we're looking at the main protagonist and we're like, it's a fly. Well, that's, that's different. It's a fly as the main character here. What does Cheeto represent in terms of a child's experience? And yeah, just it talked to us about that. Let's talk to us about Cheeto and what he means. Cheeto, he's multifaceted. I mean, I think when you read the book, especially parents, they're going to see that he's just, he has his own way and he wants to go his own way and he doesn't want to line up under authority or anything like that. And God is all about authority. And when he's singing the choir of this family and that type of thing, he just, he totally wants to have his own way. And he's very animated and a lot of children that actually feel free spirits to do that. It's actually a good thing because then the parents can kind of harness that energy and redirect it to make them better,

6:17especially those life skills and not, not clip their wings. I think the children that are very reticent and don't have any way of expressing their self or having any way of really want to be, who they want to be and just speak out. This book is very entertaining for them because it's, I think it's bicariously they can act this out through this fly. Yeah. So it's multifaceted. Yeah. Very much so with done children. Okay. Well, listen, now let's tackle probably the biggest elephant in the room here. You are, this is a fun book for children, but there is a very important education that they're going to be receiving. How did you go about explaining Shabbat to children? That is a great question, Mr. Cole. As I tell you, the children's ministry I had was, it was very integrated with a lot of different disciplines of Christianity. We had kids in our class that were Presbyterian or Catholic or that type of a Methodist and so they all basically,

7:18it was the same thread, but there was just some different accents from different beliefs with the disciplines of a religion. I've already said that, yes, very much so, but it was nice because it was a very nice integration and the thing that I wanted to get across with them is all about the relationship. It doesn't matter if you're Catholic or what you have Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran. It's all about the relationship with God. It's about lying up under leadership under your priest or your father or pastor. It's more important to have a relationship with Jesus Christ on your own. You know, you have your mom and dad, you have your friends or your best friends or your boy scout trooper, girl scout trooper. The whole thing is about building a relationship. When you have, when you're in a group and you want to meet someone, the whole thing is you want to build a relationship in them. You want to find comfort in that and feel us and it's about reaching out to the real truth, the king of kings who really loves us and we go to him. We don't go through a pastor or a priest we go directly to him and build that relationship and know that he

8:24loves us and he died on the cross cross. People, I'm telling you, listen, I mentioned it when I first started, like the education that you're going to receive in this book is second to none, but she's done it in such a brilliant way. I'm telling you, like the entertaining factor to all of this is really going to be so key and I already know like for my parents out there listening in, like Benji, you're speaking to the choir brother, I get it the only way I can get my child to listen is if I make a game out of it, right? Like every single thing that we do, we have to find a way to spin it. And in a way, it's got, you know, it's funny, I was talking to my wife about this recently, like with people of distinction, we're a marketing firm, right? I mean, we've had the broadcast for a long time, but we've over the years, we've grown, we've developed and we've become a digital marketing firm and we view everything from a marketing perspective now. And I was talking to my wife and we, she made the joke of parents are the best marketers, because that's exactly what you're doing with

9:24your children all the time. You're always trying to find a fun creative spin on everything, even the most mundane tasks. You're trying to quote unquote, market it in a way to them that is appealing. So, people, listen, we have a lot more to get to, but I'm going to quickly say, make sure you head on over to Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The book again is entitled that the Lord may whistle the story of Cheeto, the gossiping fly. It's one you need to add to your shelf. Again, your kids are going to learn without even realizing they're doing so. And that is so, so key. Another thing that, hopefully, the children are going to learn here. That's why the Cheeto, the flat, like he has to learn how to rest, right? Respect is another aspect that is going to get picked up in the book. And listen, as a parent, man, that's something that is important any day or time. I don't care. It's such a

10:24bedrock foundation to, to the individuals that we're wanting our children to become, but it's also a great message for everyone. Well, now more than ever, when we look around and we see what's happening, it's very important. Talk to us about why you felt teaching children about rest and respect is very important today, probably more than ever before. Exactly. I agree with you, Mr. Cole. Absolutely. God has given us a gift. He gives us many gifts. One of the main gifts is a day of rest because when he built the universe in the world and all that and created all the animals and everything, he did it in six days in them. And then he rested on the Sabbath and children have to know that this is a gift from God. This is something that we can accept or not. It's not a punishment if we don't, but the rewards behind it are so immense. I mean, it's just, it's teaching a child from a very early age that this is time that we reflect on God and we reflect on who they are in God's eyes.

11:29That's a beautiful exchange of on symmetry between God and child because children, you know, they see things so pure. And it's a great way. These are great steps for a child as he goes into his teenage years and going forward. He's going to be able to use this as a barometer to get him to all the unhealthy filters and everything that he made where she may face. And they're always going to have this basis that, you know, what God loves me. And I'm building this relationship with God. He's never going to fail me. He's the same today and yesterday. And all by the way, I rested with God today. And this is what he told me or not. It's just the idea. And if they sit and just looked up at this guy and wondered who God was and watched the clouds move, it's just all about their relationship and how they see God and how they want to get to know God because he loves us. So while I've mentioned a number of times, the education as well as the entertainment, very important balance here that you struck. But I want to now dive into the writing process.

12:29How did you go about balancing those two in your book? No, Mr. Cole, I didn't even think about that. It was just one of those things where I sat down. And yeah, it just came to me so fast. I remember my mom says, what are you doing? If she was talking me about preparation for this because I was a guest for her basically. And just preparations for what I was going to do with her class and that type of thing, the Bible school. And we were talking about, you're doing some pictures of the wall, do some murals and that type of thing. And I was just writing away and trying to be respectful of what she was saying to me. But it just, it came so quick. Honestly, it really did. And I wrote it on the front of the back of the napkin and answer a question. I didn't really think about anything except children's enlightenment. I just saw this misdevious little kid because I've worked the kids for so long since I had my children's ministry when I was 11. And I worked with children for so long. And he just, you just take away from different conversations. And there's always one that likes to have draw attention to him or herself and that type of thing. So it was just really, really, it was really easy to write

13:34because it's just a conglomeration of children, people that would, children that would like to do this, but are too reticent to even dare speak that way. That's why they get around kids like this because they have their voice for them that they don't have for themselves. And so it's just really easy because I just, I thought about this and it was entertaining because kids like to know that they're special. There's nothing wrong with them. They needed to learn at early age to embrace their special qualities and not have people wound them if they carry those wounds into life. And so that's why he had to be a very animated character just didn't care and just, you know, even to find, you know, whatever he was told and that type of thing. So it was very important that they were able to resonate with this or wish they could resonate with this as it were. So while following along those same lines, let's offer some more advice to children. Let's help children learn some more things, some additional things here. If Cheeto the fly could offer some advice to children, what would it be? Sure, it would be the importance of not missing out on what

14:38God has for us. It is just a couple of minutes of a day. It's, hi, Lord, how are you? I just want to know how you're doing today or, you know, Lord, I need help with this problem or Lord, are you there? You know, I can really use you. It was going on in my family. I don't understand. And just the idea that they could just speak to the, just speak to father because he's always going to be there for them, even if they're aware of him or not. Always there. Listen, children, parents, adults alike in a fast paced world that we live in today. When your readers close that final page, what is the message that you want them to take from the book? Oh, yes. I love that with a little, with all the, yeah, I don't want to give it away, but yes, it's just, I think the most beautiful thing about this is listening to Jesus's voice because he is coming back. He's coming back with his, his hosts, his family hosts and his angels and, and you're going to, they're going to hear, all of us are going to hear the show for all of us that know him. And there's

15:39going to be people just going to be walking on around us, that type of thing. But us, the, the elect and the elect is people who love Jesus and make Jesus our first love. And we're going to hear that show for a blow. We're going to look up in the clouds. We're going to see Jesus. And it's a beautiful thing to have that expectation because the world is just broken up with what's going on. And there's just so many opinions about these and that type of things and your truth and their truth and our truth. And there's only one truth. And the truth is that King of kings is coming back and he's coming back with his hosts. He's coming back with this angel. He's coming back in his kingdom. It's from it. And it's all of his glory. And us, it doesn't make us better than anybody, anybody, and start where they are, anybody, a thief, a burglar, wherever they are, a liar, whoever they are. They can start wherever they are and just ask God, ask Jesus to come into their lives. He's there for us. And the beauty of it is is when we're able to look at the sky and see his radiance. No, he is real. It's the most beautiful thing of all. And he's coming to take us to

16:40his home, the Jerusalem, the great Jerusalem in the sky. And it's just really nice to know that even the animals are aware of this. That's what's so beautiful. Even the animals and the insects are aware of who he is. So why can't we be? I love that, man. Listen, people, we started this conversation talking about a bored little fly. And we're ending it with a profound truth about the safety found in respect and routine and knowing God, right? And knowing our religion. Who knew a tiny fly could carry such a big message? Right? People said, I'm going to say it again, man. Head on over to Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Purchase your copies today. That the Lord may whistle the story of Cheeto, the gossiping fly. It's one, it's one that's going to resonate long after that final page, man. Really, I mean, it's like, it's the kind of book that can spark conversations at the dinner table long after you finished it. For all of my parents out there listening

17:42in, man, don't let your kids miss out on this adventure. Search for the book online. Give them a story where faith and fun finally shake hands and co-exist. And that doesn't mean that it never has. But I think if there's, there's oftentimes, at least for me, I know when I was growing up, faith wasn't fun, man. We were going to church. I'm just going to be the one to say it. All right, it's not something that I would generally enjoy as a child sitting there for an hour. I'm like, my goodness, it felt like an eternity. This is something that's going to bring it to your children, right? It's going to meet them where they're at. And it's really going to instill a solid foundation for faith and a lot of other things to ensue as well. So you know where to go, man, pick up your copies today. That's why this has been an absolute pleasure. Such an honor. Thank you once again for being a guest on people of distinction. Thank you so very much for having me. It is to close. This has been wonderful. I'm wonderful. I'm wonderful. I'm an experience.

18:55President Barack Obama. Virginia, we are counting on you. Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to raid the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years. But you can stop by voting yes by April 21st. Help put our elections back on a level playing field and let voters decide not politicians. Vote yes by April 21st. Paid for by Virginians for fair elections. Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing. Victory Lane? Yeah, it's even better with Chamba by my side. Race to ChambaCasino.com. Let's Chamba. No purchase necessary, VTW Group, voidware prohibited by law, CTNCs, 21 plus sponsored by ChambaCasino.