Best wishes to your family for a blessed and restful Thanksgiving.
The Word on Thanksgiving – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7. Paul admonishes men to live with a thanksgiving state of mind. With thanksgiving, the peace of God will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. That means the noise and distractions of the world that work to keep us anxious even during this season will not be granted any power over us.
Tips to maintain a Thanksgiving State of Mind: read on ...
One of the most frustrating statistics on the fathering front is that less than one in ten families attending church weekly have any spiritual discussion in the home between Sundays. This lack of intentionality gives the world more influence than we realize and the result rests square on the shoulders of dads!
When my kids were learning to drive, I was very intentional in helping them to understand the rules of the road. I took them out to the country and downtown Houston in all kinds of weather to teach them how to handle a vehicle under various road conditions. And I equipped them to stay alert because other drivers will disregard the rules of the road and do the unexpected – there is no shortage of such educational opportunities while driving around Houston. We talked often about leaving enough room to have a way out of a bad situation. The intentional effort paid off in that both kids are good drivers.
In light of Veteran’s Day, this is a shout out to all those who have served in the military in defense of our great country, this one nation under God. Thank you!
I learned the hard way to honor our veterans. Growing up in a violent alcoholic home, I just knew I did not want anything to do with Dad nor have anything in common with him. After having our last run in, I left home at a young age. My eldest sister and her husband opened their home to me and I moved on with life. I had two prayers and one goal as a young man – I prayed I would be blessed with a happy and healthy marriage and family, and that I would keep my family well above the poverty line I had grown up below; My goal was to go as far as I could in the opposite direction of my dad.
All was going well with that plan. I had not effectively talked with Dad for 15 years - read on ...
“I’m a Believer” was a smash hit for The Monkees in 1966. A key line in the popular tune was, “I believe in love.” Of course the song was about feelings of love for a girl. A question beckons - Am I a believer of feelings or of something more substantial?
Brittany Maynard tugged on our feelings this past week. The 29 year old, diagnosed with a lethal brain tumor, took her life Saturday, November 1st with a fatal dose of medication. Such a dose can be obtained legally by terminally ill patients courtesy of Oregon’s right-to-die law. This case was widely publicized through an organization called Compassion and Choices, an end-of-life advocate. Chief program officer, Mickey MacIntyre told CBS News he considers it “the next civil and human right.”
If anyone had a “right” to determine when and how they were going to die, would it not have been Jesus the Christ? ...read on
What bold stance have you taken recently? I have been impressed by the growing number of dads that are dropping cable and satellite service, and in general cutting back significantly on time spent in front of the television, on the internet time and on cell phones in favor of more family time. These dads are taking a bold stand against social media and worldly influence in the home.
Recently, it was encouraging to see over 30 pastors across the Houston area, a senator and the Liberty Institute stand beside five local pastors whose sermons and other church communication had been subpoenaed by the mayor’s office. read on ...
Peyton Manning is known as one of the National Football League’s greatest quarterbacks blasting past Brett Favre’s record 508 career touchdown passes this week. Behind the performance on the field he is known as a man with a tremendous work ethic and discipline, watching hours of video to know the next week’s opponent and running offensive drills that will help prepare his team. He is known as an athlete that pushes himself physically and mentally even through the valley of multiple neck surgeries just a few years ago. These are great qualities to be passed on to the next generation.
What are you known for? During several overnight campouts on church grounds this month, we distributed interview cards to the dads and kids participating to see how well they knew each other. Questions included: read on...
I confess that I do not like to run. I have never had a desire to run a marathon nor compete in a triathlon or Iron Man. My son challenged me to join him and a group of buddies to do a Tough Mudder this fall. I told him I was happy being a walkin’ fadder.
I think walking is one of the most underrated exercises. Research has shown that walking and moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day can help: reduce risk of coronary heart disease; improve blood pressure & blood sugar levels; maintain body weight; reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes; and reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer. There are emotional and relational benefits as well. My bride and I have been walking just about every night since our kids were in middle school. For the last 15 years we have used a 2 to 3 mile trek to discuss family issues, process challenges our kids were going through and even prepare ourselves for the empty nest phase of life. read on...
Would your friends say you are generous with your time, talent and treasure? How about your family or your church? A pastor may challenge you to look at your check book or debit card statement to assess how generous you have been with your money. The sermon usually goes along the lines of, “where your money goes reflects where your heart is.” In a similar vein, kids may challenge you to look at your calendar to see how generous you have been with time committed to them. Where you spend time does reflect priorities in life.
Ideally, the checkbook would reflect at least a tithe to the church and support for great para-church ministries. Likewise, your calendar would show birthdays, anniversaries, school events and other kids’ activities as priorities across the year. Time, talent and treasure are all gifts from God and He is glorified through generous giving of those gifts for Kingdom work.
I had a friend that failed to read up on the traffic rules and signage for Holland when he visited the country on a business trip. He knew it wasn’t England so he would get to drive on the “normal” side of the road and thus assumed all else would be similar to his American experience. Upon arrival in Amsterdam he promptly drove into the centrum and found a handy parking spot in front of a restaurant. After ordering some breakfast he looked out the window to see the car being towed off! He had parked in a “No Parking” zone. Pleading ignorance to the foreign sign was not an adequate excuse and did not reduce the fine. A very expensive lesson in obedience was learned.
King David had a similar experience when he tried to move the ark of God ...read on
Is spanking a crime? The media seems to be using high profile child abuse charges levied against a dad as fuel to give that argument credence. There has been a new flurry of articles written by “experts” on the subject. But be alert to phrases like, “And while the modern scientific consensus is clear …” when they are not backed up with objective scientific evidence. Biblical writings are absolutely clear that discipline is foundational in raising a godly generation – young people that respect authority, the rule of law and honor their father and mother. There is a good argument that the present trend of lawlessness and disrespect for authority that percolates in parts of our government and society is the result of a generation raising children with more concern about hurting self-esteem than building self-esteem through sound disciplinary practices in the home.
“Do not withhold discipline from a child; read on...
