Spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner. Any summer family plans? Here is a thought: The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky, is a beautiful museum in a full-size replica of Noah’s Ark. Allow a full day for this experience. Then there is the Creation Museum just north of the Ark in Petersburg, Kentucky. And the Kings Island Amusement Park is in near-by Mason, Ohio, for some more family fun.
Family trips make for wonderful memories. It is also important to make lifetime memories with each child, one-on-one time doing what you both enjoy. One dad committed time to take his son to several Major League Baseball parks every summer for several years to build on their mutual love for baseball. Another dad pushed the envelope for he and his daughter by signing them up for a backpacking trip. Such intentionality strengthens the father-child relationship and helps keep critical lines of communication open.
…He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer with God. – Luke 6:12. And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and prayed there for a time. – Mark 1:35. Spending one-on-one with His Dad was part of Jesus’ routine. And behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:17. From here, the Scripture says Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights and arguably, it was that one-on-one Father-Son time that prepared Jesus to rebuke the tempter. – Matthew 4:1-11. And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” – Luke 22:41-42. The Father-Son relationship was strong and critical lines of communication were open. The heart of the Father was turned to His Son and the heart of the Son was turned to His Father. The Son glorified His Father by obeying all the way to the point of death, even death on a cross, to open the door to salvation for all who believe in Him. The Father is the standard for dads to emulate. As He made time for His Son, dads must be intentional to make time for strengthening the father-child relationship and keeping lines of communication open. Let the heart-turning begin.
Summer opportunities with Faithful Fathering:
Prayer guide: Father, thank You for Your word and the example You provide as our Father. I confess I approached fathering with the mindset of doing the opposite of what my dad did. I thought I was being a good dad but I was not stepping up as the father You called me to be. Forgive me. Help me follow Your example by loving my bride as You love the Church, and investing one-on-one time with each child to strengthen relationships and keep communication lines open. That is the dad You call me to be and that’s the dad my kids need to see. Amen.
A faithful father makes time to strengthen father-child relationships.
Spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner. Any summer family plans? Here is a thought: The 
