We’re talking with Dorayne Breedlove, Youth and Family Ministry Director at the Center for Spiritual Living in Dallas, TX. Open Heart Publishing worked with Dorayne and the children at the Center for Spiritual Living to create “The Cave of Colors,” the first release of the Opportunity Project. The Opportunity Project works hand in hand with youth organizations to instruct future generations about the positive changes they can make in the world around them, as well as the limitless opportunity their lives will offer them so long as they are willing to look for those opportunities. Through the crafts of writing, art, editing, marketing, and publishing, these groups create a book the children sell, and 100% of the profits benefit a charity of the children’s choosing.

Thanks for joining us, Dorayne. Tell me about what you do at the Center for Spiritual Living.

I am the Youth and Family Ministry Director. I am responsible for all children, youth, and parenting programs, which include our Sunday school classes, spiritual parenting classes, and special family events through out the year.

What would you say is the most rewarding thing about your life’s work, and what is the hardest thing?

The most rewarding thing about my life’s work is that I am with children every single day. I learn how to be a better teacher, better parent, and better person when I am with children. They are my greatest teacher. The hardest thing is to remember that I do not have all the answers and am willing to to seek help.

You said the children are your greatest teacher. What is the most important thing we can learn from children?

When we are most aware of the gifts children bring to our lives, we learn the importance of “allowing”. So often we, as teachers, caregivers, and parents, tend to direct, manipulate, and coerce our will on children. By allowing the multiplicity of ideas to flow, to be as inclusive as possible, to work together as a team, we create a synergy that would not have otherwise existed if we were only set on our own agenda. Allowing children to express their creativity, thoughts, and ideas helps to bring a higher level of relationship between children and the adults who care for them.

The children you work with had an chance to express their creativity in the Opportunity Project. Tell me about the story the kids wrote, “The Cave of Colors.”

The Cave of Colors is a story written by our children in grades 1-3. During the past year, they worked together to create an original story based on their ideas and input. The Cave of Colors is the magical world that resides inside of everyone. In this place we decide, through our thoughts, to live in light and beauty.

That’s a very valuable message. How do the kids feel about writing their own book?

The best word is “pride”. During the months of developing the story, the gathering of ideas, the unfolding of characters and plot, the children were part of a process that developed many skills like listening, including, creating, and deciding. After all that, they have a final product that they can own as theirs and feel a sense of pride in their accomplishment.

It sounds like it was a lot of fun. Tell me about the writing/publishing workshops that the Opportunity Project did?

The Opportunity Project was an amazing experience for the kids of Jr. Church. Debrin began the Opportunity Project as a way to help kids have a creative voice in the world at large. Over the past year, Debrin inspired the kids with interactive lessons tailored to the age group that touched on story craft, writing, publishing, art, and creative teamwork.

Do you know what charity the children have chosen to benefit from “The Cave of Colors” sales? Why was this one chosen?

The children have chosen 3 charities so we can touch the world globally, locally, and also within our own community. In order to touch the world globally, we chose “Pennies for Peace.” To impact our world locally, we decided to donate to a program here in Dallas known as “Preventing Violence in Children,” a program dedicated to teaching alternative solutions to violence to kids in Dallas area schools, and of course the kids also wanted to help build our own resources here at the YFM program at CSL.

If you had the opportunity to speak to yourself as a child, what would you say? Do you think your child self would listen?

I would simply say, “I love you dearly. You are a magnificent child of God, and I adore you.” I would hope that my child self would listen and know this to be the absolute truth.

Dorayne Breedlove is the Youth and Family Ministry Director for the Center for Spiritual Living in Dallas, a professional storyteller, and a music and drama teacher. She offers multicultural stories, educational programs, and training for teachers through her company “A Slice of Rainbow“, and has performed her arts and education programs for more 15 years in many states including Texas, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Georgia, Maryland and even Delaware. A product of a military family, she learned at a young age how diverse, interesting, and fun cultures can be and incorporates that into her stories, music and drama classes. You can visit Dorayne’s website at www.alsliceofrainbow.com.