There is nothing like the love and pride of a dad. He is his kids biggest cheerleader, advocate, and great friend. His love will never be matched.
The Man Who Loves You the Most by the Zac Brown Band poetically puts a father’s feelings to music. Perhaps dads are quiet, but their love for their kids endures.
A single mom went out on a date, and wondered how things would go. Her son was at home. The mom and the man she was dating hit it off, and a relationship led to a marriage proposal. She said yes, and the two were married. For the man, he suddenly became a husband and a dad. The man chose to fall in love with both the mom and son.
A girl finds herself yanked from everything she knows because of decisions others made. Their decisions placed her in danger, so she needed a new home. Frightened and young, she found warmth and love in the home of a couple who did not have kids, but lots of love to give. The husband suddenly became a dad.
Some become dads and have 9 months to prepare, while others take on the challenge of fatherhood almost instantly. Their new bride already has a child or they accept the call to become a foster home. They take on the challenge of fatherhood with grace and love.
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads that didn’t have to be. Thank you for the influence you are having on your child’s life.
As we celebrate fatherhood, there may be men who feel left out. They are great individuals who have tremendous influence in others’ lives, but they are not dads.
They may serve as coaches and mentors, and we owe them a thank you. These individuals are living out the challenge of Romans 14:7-8. “For we do not live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live it is to honor the Lord and if we die it is to honor the Lord, so whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”
Thank you to those men who are having a positive influence in our communities even though they do not have kids.
Thank you for taking advantage of the influence you have to make the world a better place.
There are many times in the Bible in which a challenge is issued to dads. Paul challenges fathers in Ephesians 6:4.
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.”
Here are 4 take-aways.
God does nothing apart from love. The discipline and instruction he offers is given in love. The decisions he makes are made in love. The actions he takes are taken in love. God is love.
As dads, we should strive to model this behavior in our own lives.
Being the leader in your home does not mean you move forward with your decision no matter what. Good leadership takes others into consideration. Before making a decision, fathers need to weigh the pros and cons. This definitely includes the feelings of our kids.
A good dad is always willing to offer encouragement and advice at the proper time.
We should encourage our kids to improve in their hobbies, but not place unrealistic expectations on them. Hobbies encompass many great activities but few hobbies turn into professions, so be sure to keep those expectations realistic while offering encouragement.
Paul rewords his challenge in Colossians 3:21, “Fathers, do not aggravate your children or they will become discouraged.” Are you meeting the challenge?
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Father’s Day is a time to celebrate dear old dad, and for dad, it can be a time to challenge himself to improve as a dad. Here are 8 questions every dad should ask.
Like it or not, dad, you are being watched.
A father and his young son were driving down the road one day when the car they were following suddenly stopped. The dad slammed on the brakes causing everything the boy was holding to fly back in his face. Amid the French fries in his lap and drink running down his face and shirt, the young boy said a word no one his age should ever say. Dad asked, “Where did you hear that?” “I’ve been watching you,” the boy replied. Rodney Atkins’ song goes on, “I’ve been watching you, dad. Isn’t that cool?”
Tradition has taught men showing affection is a sign of weakness, but that is not true. Showing affection is actually a sign of strength. The most powerful statement a dad can make to his son or daughter is “I love you.” Every person has a desire to know he or she is loved, and hearing it from dad can be a life changing experience.
Take a quick quiz. What are your child’s interests? His or her current interests may not be the most exciting for you, but it is not the activities which are exciting. It is the opportunity to spend time with your child and show an interest in his or her life that are exciting for dad. Value the time you have with your child and make the most of it. Taking an interest in your kid’s interests gives you the opportunity to teach a lot of life lessons.
Encourage independence, and allow your kid to make decisions and choices. This will help develop self-confidence which is vital to survival in life.
Having a voice means you say what you need and speak up when you are not being treated fairly. Encourage your son or daughter to do this and be sure to listen when he or she does. This is most important if your kid is introverted or has special needs. Standing up for oneself is crucial to surviving in the arena of life.
Many lessons are learned in moments of failure. It can be argued this is the hardest part of being a dad, but sometimes, giving a child freedom is best. Failure is one of the greatest teachers in life. Many of today’s successes are the result of yesterday’s failures.
Respect is learned by observation more than any other way. Take another quick quiz. Do you respect other people and their opinions? Do you respect individuals who provide services to you such as a waiter or waitress?
Booker T. Washington said, “Nothing comes to one that is worth having except through hard work.” Reaching a goal requiring hard work feels good. Hard work pays off. Encourage your son or daughter to work hard to reach goals and see dreams become reality.
How did you measure up? If you are not pleased with your answers, you can take action this week by picking one of the questions and changing the way you answer it this week. Share your experience in the comments below.
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Four priests got together for a friendly conversation. One of them said, “People come to us confessing many things, and confession is good for the soul. While we are together, we should take some time to confess to one another.”
The others were reluctant for a few minutes, but came around to the idea confession time would be good. The priest who had the idea started the confessing. He enjoyed going to movies, and he would frequently sneak away from church to go to the movies.
The second confessed to smoking cigars, and the third confessed to playing cards. When it was the fourth priest’s turn, he remained silent. The others pressed him until he opened up.
“Mine is gossip, and I cannot hardly wait to get out of here,” he said.
Gossip causes much difficulty. It can create strife in families, friends, and on the job. It can bring good people down and rise up fools. Sharp tongues can erode one’s confidence and ruin reputations in a matter of minutes. Gossip has the power to cause much devastation.
While you and I cannot control our neighbor’s tongue, we can control our own. If we do not repeat gossip, we will not be spreading the wildfire it lights. If we do not intently listen to gossip, perhaps the conversation will be changed. Without our participation, the devastation caused by gossip may not be as severe.
Proverbs 26:20-21 says, “Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood.”
During World War II, the American government became concerned enemy spies were passing along information about the location of troops and ships. The military adopted the slogan, “Loose lips sink ships.”
Gossip can cause much devastation, but kind words can build others up and minimize the damage. Say something kind today.
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A farmer had an abundant crop and was able to fill his barns completely. The farmer still had goods and grains needing stored, but he had no room in his barns. He decided he would build bigger barns so he could tightly hold on to everything he harvested. His plan was to save for years to come.
The farmer told himself, “I can relax, eat, drink, and be merry for years to come,” but the Lord, in Luke 12:20, said to him, “You fool, you will die this very night, then who will get everything you have worked for?”
Jesus goes on in Luke 12:21, “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth, but not have a rich relationship with God.”
There is certainly nothing wrong with saving for retirement and being responsible with our money. In fact, Scripture encourages us to handle our wealth responsibly. Being generous is part of the responsibility we have in handling what we have been given.
Jesus says in Luke 12:15, “Beware, guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
Proverbs 11:17 states, “Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you.”
Solomon goes on in Proverbs 11, “Give freely and become wealthier. Be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper, those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”
“Trust in your money and down you go, but the Godly flourish like leaves in spring,” Proverbs 11:28 continues.
Generosity is not an old-fashioned principle. The world is in need of generous people now more than ever. We can be generous with our time, our love, and our money. Jesus says it is better to give than receive. How will you be generous today?
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Kim Jones was moved to action after riots left a nearby community in need of clean up. Jones, and her daughter Aaron, put some brooms, shovels, and trash bags in their car and started cleaning up. As an African American mother of two sons, Jones said she had to do something, so she decided to help clean up.
Kim and Aaron saw Jimmy Jordan walking across the parking lot. Jimmy was wearing his Wal-Mart uniform, and seemed to be walking a little slowly. They offered him a ride, and as the group was talking, they discovered the Wal-Mart greeter had been taking the bus and walking to work for over a year. His car was broken down.
Kim decided to ask her friends for help. She was hoping to raise $1,000, but she actually raised $8,000. Kim and her friends were able to buy Jimmy a new vehicle, and Jimmy is grateful.
Kim said Jimmy reminded the group it was better to give than receive.
The Bible reminds us the Lord blesses generosity. As Christians, we have the opportunity to help one another. God reminds us we are one family and requests we make every effort to keep the unity found in the bond of peace.
A husband had a habit of grumbling about the food his wife prepared for meals. He would grumble, then offer a prayer of thanksgiving. His pattern of grumbling then thanking was the same every day.
One day his young daughter asked, “Dad, does God hear our prayers?”
“Why yes,” the father replied.
The daughter continued, “Does God hear everything else we say?”
“Of course,” the dad said. He was bubbling with pride because he had inspired his child to ask spiritual questions.
His pride quickly turned to embarrassment and humility when the daughter asked, “Well, which one does he believe: your grumbling or thanksgiving?”
Blessings can come in all shapes and sizes, and Psalm 136 encourages us to give thanks to the Lord for all that he has done for us.
Verses 1-3 say, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.”
With current events, it is easy to forget how many times we have been blessed, yet there is much for which we can be thankful.
Helen Keller said, “So much has been given to me that I have no time to ponder that which I don’t have.” There are many reasons we have to be grateful. Take time today to thank God for 10 of your blessings.
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Henry Ford once said failure was the opportunity to begin again more intelligently, and Thomas Edison was no stranger to failure. As Edison worked on his various inventions, he failed many times.
In 1914, a fire destroyed Edison’s factory, equipment, and much of the record of his work. Edison surveyed the damage the next day and concluded, “We can start over anew. All of our mistakes are burned up.” His failures did not stop Edison from moving on.
As a part of life, you and I will experience failures. We will be overlooked by the Hiring Manager. Our plans may unravel rather than work. Those whom we think to be loyal friends may walk away. Failures come, and amid these moments, it may seem everything is crumbling around us; however, there is one promise which will never fail us.
Whether we are succeeding or failing, the Lord is with us.
Failure may cause everything else to crumble, but the Lord will stick around.
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