If you have seen the movie, Amazing Grace, you may know William Wilberforce as the man that abolished slave trade in Great Britain in 1807. In his book, “Seven Men and the Secret of their Greatness”, Eric Metaxas quotes Wilberforce writing that “God Almighty has set before me two Great Objects: the suppression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of Manners.” Metaxas goes on to write that the terrible evil of the slave trade was only one – albeit the worst – of the social evils running rampant at the time in England. “Reformation of Manners” had to do with the other social evils - ...read on
When pond fishing, it is common to have a minimum size and weight of fish that you can keep. In some cases, the type of fish may even be stipulated – the landowner may be trying to thin out the perch population or decrease the number of big bass. When taking the kids fishing, it is important to explain up front that if they catch the wrong thing, it will need to be thrown back. It is not that easy in life.
He made sure the family went to church most every Sunday and that the kids were ...read on
What a great one-liner Southwest Airlines has used to encourage folks to escape from present circumstances and travel to one of their many destinations for a reasonable fare. The commercials are effective because everyone can relate to the awkwardness of showing up at the wrong place at the wrong time and wanting to get small. Southwest pipes in, “Wanna get away?”
That can happen to us dads as the kids mature. It seems we turn around and another school year is in the books - Fifty-two marbles gone if you are counting. That boy is becoming a young man and the little girl is becoming a young lady. The busy-ness of work and activities have made any one-on-one time almost impossible. “Wanna get away? ...read on
He put on the bunny suit every Easter and had fun with the kids as they hunted and found Easter eggs. There were lots of laughs and giggles as the big bunny talked with them. Some would ask if he really was the Easter bunny while others wanted him to help them find more eggs. Much fun was had and a couple of generations of kids still have fond memories of the big bunny that showed up every year.
“Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?” That was the question posed so powerfully by Dr. Del Tackett in Focus on the Family’s lecture/study series called “The Truth Project”. From the first Easter morning to Pentecost, as Jesus appeared to the apostles several times, they began to really believe what had been so hard to fathom from His teachings just weeks before.
He did not just appear to them. He talked with them, walked with them and ate with them. The Light began ...read on
Another fire – gun control in light of the school shooting in Florida. Protests have been orchestrated in several cities across the nation and the media has dutifully done their best to sensationalize emotions that run high after such a tragedy. Perspective is a tough thing to maintain in this age of media mania. Auto accidents continue to be the leading cause of death for 15-20-yearolds but there are no protests around that issue. Second is suicide. ...read on
You have heard the references to sons – “He is a chip of the old block” or “The apple did not fall far from the tree.” The implication is if your dad was a good athlete, you would be a good athlete or if he was good in business that you would have a good mind for business as well. But if your dad was an alcoholic or a womanizer, the implication is not a positive one. The heritage of a father can be positive or negative.
This is a heads up on three trips available this summer with Faithful Fathering. There will be a father-daughter hiking trip, a father-son backpacking trip and a camping trip for men and young men. Each is a week-long wilderness experience that provides for a wonderful opportunity to tune-out the noise of the world and tune-in to relationship with each other and with the Father.
Dads often ask me what the toughest season of fathering is – ‘Teacher’, ‘Coach’ or ‘Counselor’. The general thought is that ‘Coach’ is the toughest because you are dealing with teenagers. I think the toughest season is wherever you are. With that said, as a counselor, when kids are age 20+ you typically have to wait for the phone to ring before offering advice. That can make it a very tough season for dads and moms.
The season of Lent is forty days long. It starts on Ash Wednesday and goes through Holy Saturday, the Saturday before Easter, and does not include Sundays. It is a time to step back from the hustle and bustle of daily routine and consider the final steps Jesus walked on this earth. It is also a powerful time to strengthen our relationship with Jesus the Christ by giving up something that is part of our normal routine or by taking something new on.
If you have seen the movie, Amazing Grace, you may know William Wilberforce as the man that abolished slave trade in Great Britain in 1807. In his book, “Seven Men and the Secret of their Greatness”, Eric Metaxas quotes Wilberforce writing that “God Almighty has set before me two Great Objects: the suppression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of Manners.” Metaxas goes on to write that the terrible evil of the slave trade was only one – albeit the worst – of the social evils running rampant at the time in England. “Reformation of Manners” had to do with the other social evils - 
When pond fishing, it is common to have a minimum size and weight of fish that you can keep. In some cases, the type of fish may even be stipulated – the landowner may be trying to thin out the perch population or decrease the number of big bass. When taking the kids fishing, it is important to explain up front that if they catch the wrong thing, it will need to be thrown back. It is not that easy in life.
What a great one-liner Southwest Airlines has used to encourage folks to escape from present circumstances and travel to one of their many destinations for a reasonable fare. The commercials are effective because everyone can relate to the awkwardness of showing up at the wrong place at the wrong time and wanting to get small. Southwest pipes in, “Wanna get away?”
He put on the bunny suit every Easter and had fun with the kids as they hunted and found Easter eggs. There were lots of laughs and giggles as the big bunny talked with them. Some would ask if he really was the Easter bunny while others wanted him to help them find more eggs. Much fun was had and a couple of generations of kids still have fond memories of the big bunny that showed up every year.
“Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?” That was the question posed so powerfully by 
Another fire – gun control in light of the school shooting in Florida. Protests have been orchestrated in several cities across the nation and the media has dutifully done their best to sensationalize emotions that run high after such a tragedy. Perspective is a tough thing to maintain in this age of media mania. Auto accidents continue to be the leading cause of death for 15-20-yearolds but there are no protests around that issue. Second is suicide. 
You have heard the references to sons – “He is a chip of the old block” or “The apple did not fall far from the tree.” The implication is if your dad was a good athlete, you would be a good athlete or if he was good in business that you would have a good mind for business as well. But if your dad was an alcoholic or a womanizer, the implication is not a positive one. The heritage of a father can be positive or negative.
This is a heads up on three trips available this summer with Faithful Fathering. There will be a father-daughter hiking trip, a father-son backpacking trip and a camping trip for men and young men. Each is a week-long wilderness experience that provides for a wonderful opportunity to tune-out the noise of the world and tune-in to relationship with each other and with the Father.
Dads often ask me what the toughest season of fathering is – ‘Teacher’, ‘Coach’ or ‘Counselor’. The general thought is that ‘Coach’ is the toughest because you are dealing with teenagers. I think the toughest season is wherever you are. With that said, as a counselor, when kids are age 20+ you typically have to wait for the phone to ring before offering advice. That can make it a very tough season for dads and moms.
The season of Lent is forty days long. It starts on Ash Wednesday and goes through Holy Saturday, the Saturday before Easter, and does not include Sundays. It is a time to step back from the hustle and bustle of daily routine and consider the final steps Jesus walked on this earth. It is also a powerful time to strengthen our relationship with Jesus the Christ by giving up something that is part of our normal routine or by taking something new on.
