It is utterly amazing what sitting around a campfire does for your soul! Last weekend I watched boys ranging from age 5 to 16 sit together, relatively still, around a campfire two nights in a row with no agenda and simply enjoy the tranquility and chaos of a campfire! It was a beautiful time, as […]
Tag: Father
Happy New Year, Men!
Happy New Year!! I wish you a great and prosperous upcoming year, as you seek to be the Dad you were meant to be. Be encouraged that you are not alone in this parenting thing, and that there are tools at your disposal to accomplish the tasks before you. Don’t be afraid to ask for […]
Show Yourself A Man!
Did you ever wonder what it would be like to be Solomon, the wisest man ever to live? His father was his hero, and happens to be my hero from the Bible too. The bond between those two must have been exceedingly strong. David cherished Solomon, and based on Solomon’s conversation with God, Solomon respected […]
Talk to Your Children
This may seem simple, but too often it can be brushed under the rug of busyness. Focus on something entirely different, even good things, can get in the way of simple interaction with your kids. Do you have multiple children? Talk to each one of them. Take them seriously. Show them that you have thoughts […]
Are You Listening?
I thought about writing on how to talk to your children. In fact that part is already written, but I want to write, to you first, on the listening part, because we ought to do more of that! Don’t just talk. Listen to what your children have to say (especially once they hit double digits). […]
Good Morning!
So, here is a confession that leads to an encouragement. This morning I got up at 5:55, which is a few minutes before my 16-year-old son asked me to wake him (we have recently taken away their phones when they are supposed to be sleeping), and continued my morning routine which includes reading the Proverb […]
Your Kids Are Always Watching
Sometimes we gloss over the word always, but I have chosen that word intentionally. They are ALWAYS watching. Even when they say they don’t care, your children are watching you. Even before they have the ability to accomplish the speech, actions, or habits of your life, they are keeping an eye on you because you […]
Don’t Talk “Down” to Them
When my second son was around two, we were sitting at a restaurant that had butcher paper on the table tops. My older son was sitting in a chair next to his mother, and on the other side (the booth side) of the table is where my second son and I sat. As we waited […]
Do You Want to Go Fast, or really, really Fast?!
I work with a gentleman who is a few years older than I, divorced, and recently has found the joy of children, whether seeing them in the restaurant, out “riding the bike” (as he says), or taking pictures of families – as is his new hobby. He seems to have had a good home life, […]
Build a Trust Relationship
One of the most difficult parts of being a dad, is consistency. The patterns that we live by are picked up by our children and become part of their “normal.” The trouble is if you have a habit, or pattern of behavior that is not something you are proud of there will be no […]