Do you remember welcoming in the New Year with all the celebration and elevated expectations for business, ministry and family that went with the countdown to 2020? It seems that was over a year ago already! The year is particularly significant in the life of Faithful Fathering as it is our 20th year of ministry. Expectations were high.
Then, early in the new year, we started hearing about
Social distancing and self-isolation are terms very few had heard of just a few weeks ago. Now they are daily headlines. The encouragement early-on was to practice good hygiene and keep your distance from someone that is sick. That quickly moved to a directive for social distancing – to maintain at least a six-foot distance from other folks. Now, many parts of the country and the world are under mandatory lock-down, self-isolation in a concerted effort to inhibit the contagion.
In the sixth century BC, the contagion was ...read on
Have you had enough reminders to wash your hands? There are even videos to remind us how to wash up just in case you have forgotten your mother’s instructions. Evidently, we are to wet our hands and use soap, scrub the full surface of both hands for a minimum of 20 seconds and rinse with as hot a water as the hands will stand. And, dry the hands thoroughly. Repeat if you touch anything.
As most of you know, I am a recovering engineer and do have an issue with acronyms. BUSY stands for Being Under Satan’s Yoke. REST stands for Really Embracing Scriptural Truth. WASH stands for ...read on
One of the most popular talks I give is my personal journey from BUSY-ness to Faithfulness. BUSY stands for Being Under Satan’s Yoke. We are a busy people! It is not just long hours at the office or business travel, it is the numerous activities the kids are involved in, church projects and March Madness gatherings. Dad and Mom go different directions more often than not. But now all of that has stopped.
BUSY-ness is an addiction to ‘doing’ – personal worth, status and even sense of self are tied to all we do and what our kids are involved in. Today each of us have an opportunity to REST. REST stands for ...read on
There is good news – No children under 10 have succumbed to coronavirus, COVID 19, and those in the age bracket of 10 – 50, the death rate is less than a .04%. The rate increases to 1.3% for those in their 50’s, to 3.8% for those in their 60’s, and increases more, as you would expect it to, across the upper age brackets. Unlike previous pandemics, this one is leaving the children and younger generations relatively unscathed.
Another election year is upon us and the noise level is high. Each new round it seems the candidate ads get uglier and the political climate more toxic than ever. The noise level is at an all-time high thanks to modern media, but across America’s history, we have had two primary political parties with quite different agendas vying for control of the government. That could be defined as toxic by design. The political climate has always been heated.
In the home, it is important to talk about politics and the structure of our government with the kids. The noise level and political ads make it very hard to maintain a healthy perspective for the process. But perspective is exactly what dads and moms need to provide in order for the next generation to sustain this democratic republic. Kids need to know ...read on
In New Orleans, and many cities across the country, Mardi Gras is celebrated this week. Fat Tuesday represents one last bit of revelry before Lent begins – a time known for prayer and fasting with a purpose of drawing closer to Christ. Some folks give up coffee or chocolate. Others give up news programs or media altogether. In the tuning out of specific worldly distractions, there is an opportunity to tune-in to Christ to a new level.
Lenten presence is an intentional effort by dads to tune-in to family to a new level. It could involve ...read on
I know we are well into the New Year and I am not even going to ask how you are doing with your New Year resolutions. What I do ask is that you prayerfully consider adding one more resolution to join us in 2020 - Faithful Fathering resolves to start a fathering movement that engages dads in raising a godly generation and reinvigorates churches on the fathering front.
Statistics reflect that marriages fail nearly half the time but did you know that marriages in which the husband and wife
“When I was young, I set out to change the world. When I grew a little older, I perceived that this was too ambitious, so I set out to change my state. This too, I realized as I grew older, was too ambitious, so I set out to change my town. When I realized I could not even do this, I tried to change my family. Now as an old man, I know that I should have started by changing myself. If I had started with myself, maybe then I would have succeeded in changing my family, the town, or even the state – and who knows, maybe even the world!” - Anonymous Hasidic rabbi on his deathbed.
The door was shut. He had his final run-in with Dad and left the house determined never to look back. He would take control of his own life. The focus would be on completing his education, having a happy and healthful marriage and not allowing alcohol to destroy his family.
All was good until a couple of his dad’s traits started showing up in his home – Anger and addictive tendencies. It was time to ...read on
Have you had enough reminders to wash your hands? There are even videos to remind us how to wash up just in case you have forgotten your mother’s instructions. Evidently, we are to wet our hands and use soap, scrub the full surface of both hands for a minimum of 20 seconds and rinse with as hot a water as the hands will stand. And, dry the hands thoroughly. Repeat if you touch anything.
One of the most popular talks I give is my personal journey from BUSY-ness to Faithfulness. BUSY stands for Being Under Satan’s Yoke. We are a busy people! It is not just long hours at the office or business travel, it is the numerous activities the kids are involved in, church projects and March Madness gatherings. Dad and Mom go different directions more often than not. But now all of that has stopped.
There is good news – No children under 10 have succumbed to coronavirus, COVID 19, and those in the age bracket of 10 – 50, the death rate is less than a .04%. The rate increases to 1.3% for those in their 50’s, to 3.8% for those in their 60’s, and increases more, as you would expect it to, across the upper age brackets. Unlike previous pandemics, this one is leaving the children and younger generations relatively unscathed.
Another election year is upon us and the noise level is high. Each new round it seems the candidate ads get uglier and the political climate more toxic than ever. The noise level is at an all-time high thanks to modern media, but across America’s history, we have had two primary political parties with quite different agendas vying for control of the government. That could be defined as toxic by design. The political climate has always been heated.
In New Orleans, and many cities across the country, Mardi Gras is celebrated this week. Fat Tuesday represents one last bit of revelry before Lent begins – a time known for prayer and fasting with a purpose of drawing closer to Christ. Some folks give up coffee or chocolate. Others give up news programs or media altogether. In the tuning out of specific worldly distractions, there is an opportunity to tune-in to Christ to a new level.
“When I was young, I set out to change the world. When I grew a little older, I perceived that this was too ambitious, so I set out to change my state. This too, I realized as I grew older, was too ambitious, so I set out to change my town. When I realized I could not even do this, I tried to change my family. Now as an old man, I know that I should have started by changing myself. If I had started with myself, maybe then I would have succeeded in changing my family, the town, or even the state – and who knows, maybe even the world!” - Anonymous Hasidic rabbi on his deathbed.
The door was shut. He had his final run-in with Dad and left the house determined never to look back. He would take control of his own life. The focus would be on completing his education, having a happy and healthful marriage and not allowing alcohol to destroy his family.
