As we continue in my favorite month of the year, Father’s Day month, I encourage you to look back and look in the mirror. Faithful Fathering’s study, A Dad’s Armor, opens with a look back at the heritage you have in relationship with your earthly father, how involved and engaged he was in your life, and what kind of role model he was. A look in the mirror is a check point on your own involvement, engagement and leadership in family.

On the whole, the fact that ...read on

It was not that long ago that all vehicles off the assembly line had manual transmissions. On-the-column or on-the-floor were the options. In the 1960’s, cars offered an optional automatic transmission and trucks followed suit in the 1970’s. Today, automatic transmissions and cruise control are standard on just about all vehicles. You no longer need to engage the clutch to change gears or step on the gas to get down the road.

One dad shared that he had unwittingly put his fathering on cruise control. He enjoyed ...read on

Throughout history, when kings built their castles and cities, foundations were laid, walls were built and gates were constructed to keep the enemy at bay. The enemy’s strategy was to isolate the city to cut off needed supplies, build siegeworks that helped breach the walls and destroy the gates to gain access.

Dads today still work to build castles and ...read on

He had not made one of his daughter’s events or a parent-teacher conference through the third grade. He was busy establishing himself with the company, climbing the corporate ladder. Now, busy-ness was putting strain on the family and his “little girl” was growing up quickly.

The dad saw an advertisement for ...read on

An annual tribute to my mother and an encouragement to you:
She was an incredible woman. Born in 1921, she aspired to be a vocal performer. As a senior in high school, she contracted tuberculosis. Her dream to perform was no longer possible and the vocal scholarship to attend college was rescinded. She married a handsome Navy pilot just before he was deployed to the South Pacific Theater in WWII. He returned quite a different man than the one she married. Post-Traumatic Stress played a major role in the alcoholism and other challenges the marriage and family would face over the ensuing years. Ma endured ...read on

It was a typical birthday party for a five-year old. There was cake, lots of balloons and lots of little friends running around. Then grandpa got the birthday girl’s attention for a few moments and asked her a question, “What do you remember about your very first birthday, the day you were born?”

The little girl was intrigued and confused by the question. But her ...read on

Yes, Easter is a day we celebrated a couple of weeks ago, the most significant day of the Christian faith. Easter is also a season, from Jesus’ resurrection through Pentecost. And Easter is a state of mind, an understanding of how Christians are to live in this world while not being of this world. Having an Easter state of mind is standing firm against cultural winds.

Leading by example is the best means of ...read on

The young man had battled cancer for years. Originally, the cancer was thought to be confined to the bladder so the bladder was removed. The surgery was successful and it seemed the cancer had been beaten. A battle was won but the war continued when the cancer returned. On the Monday after Easter, eternal victory was realized as he joined his risen Lord in glory.

What struggles are you facing these days? Is the light of ...read on

The father-son relationship had suffered disconnect for fifteen years when the young man was convicted to reconnect with his dad. He realized he had judged a man he had no right to judge back when he was a teenager. His dad had been a combat war veteran and suffered significant trauma as a fighter pilot in World War II. Today it is called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. But in his day, men dealt with it by self-medicating with alcohol or drugs. The collateral damage was significant.

The Father-man relationship suffered disconnect in ...read on

In the world of adoption, the adoptive parents and the birth mother have expectations in their respective roles for what is best for a child. Neither typically have a comprehensive understanding of, nor are they prepared for the trauma incurred when a child is separated from the birth mother.

In the world of Christianity, all are adoptees into the ...read on