Being Sensible

Yesterday, the senseless acts of a 35 year old man put a friend in the hospital.  Thankfully, there are no major injuries and she should be able to go home today.  An off duty trooper stated that the man was driving wrecklessly through the park.  Robert Lewis teaches in the Quest for Authentic Manhood that the boy in us must die.  In I Corinthians 13:11, Paul says,”When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.”  In addition, Paul writes in Titus Chapter 2 to urge the older men and the younger men to be sensible.

Robert Lewis also states that manhood is in a state of confusion and confused men cause lots of problems.  Men are protectors and providers, which comes with a lot of responsibility.  We need to take that responsibility seriously.  I don’t want to pick on this guy because he is one of many, but I will use this situation as an example.  A responsible adult is not going to do stupid things like this.  A man should be looking out for others, not doing stuff that will harm them.  We, as men, need to be sensible.  We need to think how our actions will affect others before we do them.

I believe a key to preventing more of these senseless acts is for men to step up and be the leaders we have been called to be.  We need to be leaders in our homes, taking the time to teach our own children to be responsible and godly.  We need to mentor children who don’t have dads around.  We need to mentor other men, like the one mentioned here.  It is true that even with good fathering and mentoring that some guys still go wayward, but I guarantee that the number would be far less if we would be intentional and purposeful.

Let’s step up and make a difference men!  May God be with us as we do because the devil won’t like it.  In fact, I heard something the other day that I really liked and I’m going to change the wording a bid to keep from offending anyone.  Let’s live in such a way that when our alarm goes off the devil says, “Oh no, he’s getting up!!”

No More Monah

Yes, it has been a long time since I have posted, but for some reason I am inspired to post tonight.  If you have known me for any amount of time, you know how passionate I am about standing in the gap for the fatherless.  For a long time, I have said that fatherlessness is the single most critical social issue of our day.  It is at the root of so many problems.  Yet, I have been running and saying, “I can’t be the one God is calling” when it comes to leading a ministry to dads at the Open Door Pregnancy Care Center.  Yes, I have been a cross between Moses and Jonah…Monah

About a year and a half ago our staff and elders studied the book of Nehemiah and asked God where the gaps are in our city.  Soon after we began to ask God that question, I got a call from a good friend who is the Director of the Open Door Pregnancy Care Center talking about an opportunity to start a men’s ministry.  I was all for it and still am, but I didn’t think I was the one to get it going because of my lack of administration skills.  I thought I would provide mentoring and counseling, but not overall leadership.  Last week, I read through a journal that I started about 5 years ago called “Daring to Dream,” and it all of a sudden hit me that God is calling me and I need to stop running and say, “Here I am Lord, use me!”  He doesn’t call me because of me, but in spite of me.

Since that moment last week, I have seen so many signs that tell me to GO.  This ministry is so foundational to the issue of fatherlessness.  We can mentor these young men and help them be good dads, thus influencing the culture for generations to come.  When men are the spiritual leaders in their homes and when they reject passivity, accept responsibility, lead courageously, and expect God’s greater reward (Men’s Fraternity definition of manhood), amazing things will happen.  Marriage and parent / child relationships will be transformed.  There will be a drastic reduction of teen pregnancies and abortions, the prison population will be reduced, drug use will go down, the divorce rate will plummet, and the list goes on and on.  Dads, we really do make a difference.

So, I’m all in.  No more running, no more excuses.  God called me into ministry without a Bible college degree – I guess He can call me into this area of leadership without the gift of administration.  This just makes me rely on Him even more, and that’s a good thing.  He will send others with the gifts I don’t have.  He has given me the vision and passion and I just obey.  This will be for the long haul, not overnight.  No microwave ministry here – no jet starts or quick minutes.  This is the crockpot – lots of time with low heat.  We are going to plant oak trees, which are enjoyed by generations to come, not weeds that sprout overnight and cause problems.

One more thing…  It hit me tonight that fatherlessness is not the issue – it is daddylessness.  There are lots of fathers, but far too few daddies. I am seeing God moving in the hearts of men like I’ve never seen before.  It is nothing short of phenomenal – an answer to prayer!  I want to be a part of this.

No more Monah…  I want to be like Caleb, who followed God wholeheartedly and took the high ground.

For those of you who may be concerned about other ministries.  No worries.  I will still continue to fight the battle on other fronts – spending time with kids who don’t have dads around, coming alongside single parent families, family counseling, etc…  This is just a new front to fight the battle on!

May God show us the way and give us His wisdom because it’s all for His glory!!

Who’s with me??

War Against Fatherlessness

On this VERY rare occasion that I could not sleep, I have been up spending some quiet time with the Lord.  I can hear the heavy breathing of at least a couple of our children, a clock ticking, and the sound of the heater coming on from time to time.  But, otherwise, the house is quiet and peaceful.  At this time of the morning, there are no interruptions and there is no rush to be anywhere.

I have even more things than usual on my mind right now, and this has been some good time of prayer and listening.  There are two things especially on my heart right now to be praying about – hurting or broken marriages and boys (and men, for that matter) from single parent homes dealing with anger.

I believe God has called me to the battlefield in order to fight for the fatherless and to help prevent fatherlessness through spiritual coaching, mentoring and marriage counseling.  I must abide in Him for strength and wisdom.  Apart from God, I can do nothing, but I will be fruitful if I abide in Him.  He has given me His Holy Spirit as a Counselor, to teach me and lead me in all things, and I’m crying out to Him right now.

There are so many fronts to this battle, that it is overwhelming  to think about.  However, what the Lord calls us to, He will provide for if we seek Him.  I don’t want the Lord to say, as He did in the book of Ezekiel, that He looked all around for someone who would build up the wall and stand in the gap but could find no one.

I see some great things happening in our church and community, but I also see families being destroyed by the enemy at an alarming rate.  One fallout of this raging war against the family is angry children, especially boys.  I see it almost 100% of the time in one form or another.

However, we must take courage.  The battle is the Lord’s, and we must be faithful by joining Him and doing our part to build up the wall and stand in the gap for our own families first and then others.

Let’s stand together in prayer and see where God leads us in this battle!  May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Stay the Course

I had a very interesting experience as a substitute teacher last Friday.  I took the assignment of going to the juvenile detention facility.  Contrary to what you might think, it was one of the easiest days I’ve had yet as a substitute.  I was there along with two other teachers, and we had twelve students.  In addition, there were three guards with us to make sure nothing happened.  With it being a Friday, the students wanted to be on their best behavior so they would have weekend privileges.  In many ways, it was much easier than being in the regular classroom.

I couldn’t help but wander about their stories.  Why were they there?  What was their home-life like?  Do they have dads in their lives who care?  How can I help?  My heart was breaking for them. 

One of the guys told me that between 5 and 10% of the youth who came there listed the father as “unknown.”  He also told me that well over half of them came from single parent families.  I’m guessing that 90% or more of them don’t have a good relationship with their dads, no matter if they are from a single parent or two parent home.  I felt like I was witnessing another consequence of fatherlessness in a very up-close way.  I really believe that most of them would turn things around if they had a good mentor, a father figure… at least someone in their life who cared.

Now, let’s spin the globe to the other side.  This morning, four of us met to talk about the trip to Thailand in October.  I learned more information about the village of Tee Po Kwah.  This is the village I spoke of awhile back that consists mostly of single parent families and widows.  I had assumed that the men were dying at the hands of the Burmese army, couldn’t get out of Burma to be with their families, or were trying to find work somewhere.  Unfortunately, much to my dismay, I learned that a great many of them had abandoned their families to find new wives and had succumbed to many of the same temptations that the men of America have.  It is a grim reminder that fatherlessness is a universal problem.  

I feel like God has placed me here for such a time as this.  I want to be used by God to stand in the gap and help hurting families, and to be on the frontlines of the battle against fatherlessness.  I often marvel at how He has brought me from a career as a meat scientist to being a minister and has giving me my heart’s desire of showing Christ’s love to people.  I have the greatest job on earth, as far as I’m concerned.  I get to carry out my life mission of ministering to single parent families locally, and it looks like I will get the chance to do this in Thailand in October, as well.  At the same time, I have opportunities to help strengthen marriages and minister to men, so maybe there will be fewer single parent families.  Not to mention, I have been given the privilege of leading and helping lead other ministries, such as the Small Group, Outreach and Shepherding ministries.  I pretty much get to minister to people of all ages at one time or another in the church and in the community.

If that wasn’t great enough, God has allowed me a unique way to minister to my own children, as well.  I get to teach chapel two days a week at the school where my daughters attend.  I can walk downstairs three days a week and have lunch with them, and I even get to substitute teach in their classes from time to time.  I know each of their teachers and see them daily when school is in session.  While we often have a busy schedule, I’m still home more than I was when I worked in the meat industry, and I’m at least home most evenings to help put them to bed.  This is so important to me because if I don’t father my own children and take care of my family well, everything else will be for nothing.   

Now, I say all this only to add this:  I’m thrilled where God has me, but I don’t want to just settle here.  I want to continue to grow.  I want to get more education in counseling so I can minister to people more effectively.  I need more ammunition for the battle, and I’m seeking God’s wisdom and guidance in how to do this.

Yesterday morning, in my time with God, this phrase came to my mind, “Moving from rhetoric to reality requires resolve.”  I don’t think I’ve ever heard this phrase before, but it sounds too complex to actually have come from me, so I’ll just give credit to God.  We need to get past fancy and glittery words and move toward actions.  It’s easy to say we will do something, but it takes resolve to make it happen.  We must be purposeful and intentional, and remember it won’t happen overnight.  Of course, it won’t happen at all, if we don’t come up with a game-plan and stick with it.  Just like with my Ten Key Moves.  If I write them down and don’t act on them, they will go down as more useless rhetoric.  Rhetoric doesn’t change lives and make a difference, action does.  With so much to do, I often get distracted from staying the course.  It seems like good things keep popping up that I allow to keep me from the best things.  That’s why it’s so important to put God first and listen to Him constantly.  When the children of Israel listened to God and obeyed, amazing things happened.  When they didn’t, disaster occurred.  I don’t know about you, but I want God’s best, not what I think is the best.  Let’s stay the course…

May God give us all the resolve to stick with the gameplan He has given us!

Ten Key Moves – Spiritual Leadership

I have had a lot of hits the past several days on my Ten Key Moves posts.  Being familiar with the Men’s Fraternity schedule, this doesn’t surprise me.  I am thankful for this because it has encouraged me to get out my list and take some time to review and reflect.  By the way, you can read all of the key moves I’ve written about under the category on my home page “10 Key Moves.”  Thanks for reading.

In reviewing my list, I see that I left out something very critical.  It’s something I’ve been working on, but is not on my list.  It has to do with my spiritual leadership at home, and I’m adding it now to be stated like this, “I will continue to grow so I will be a strong spiritual leader in my home.  I will lead family devotion and prayer times.  I will pray with my wife and children individually on a regular basis.  I will take every opportunity to teach and to lead by example, including finding opportunities for us to serve together.  I will encourage my family to pursue God individually, utilizing the spiritual disciplines that He has given us.”

In order for this to happen, I must be passionately pursuing God.  I cannot lead my family or anyone else spiritually if I am not growing.  In addition, I have to make it happen by setting aside a regular time and place where we will come together for family devotions and prayer.  Otherwise, it will be too easy to let other things take priority.

In my sermon this past Sunday I spoke about the need to be a disciple in order to make disciples.  An older couple in our church told me afterward that their 40 year old son told them that he remembers seeing his dad reading the Bible at the kitchen table and said it made such an impact on him.  That made me stop and think.  My time with God is usually spent in the early morning hours down in our basement before my family is even awake…

Okay.  With all this said, I would like to share something that I learned while preparing for my sermon.  I’ll give you the shortened version.  Have you ever heard the term “the apple of the eye?”  Usually, it is an endearing term used for someone we care about a lot, especially one of our children.   It can be found in the Bible in about four places, depending on what version you look at:  Deuteronomy 32:10, Psalm 17:8, Proverbs 7:2, and Zechariah 2:8.  Interestingly enough, it can also be translated “the pupil of the eye.”  It comes from the Hebrew phrase iyshown ayin, which means “little man of the eye.”  Have you ever looked into the pupil of someone’s eye.  You will see a small image of yourself.  In English the word pupil comes from the Latin word pupilla, or doll, which is derived from pupus or pupa (boy or girl, respectively).  Therefore, we use the term pupil to mean a student (small version of the teacher) or the black part of the eye where we see a reflection of our own image. 

I learned this as I was studying what it meant to be a disciple.  One of the definitions given for disciple is pupil.  As the word pupil means “little man of the eye” in Hebrew, we need to become little versions of our teacher (little men of our teacher’s eye).  That is what it means to become a disciple.  We should be so close to our Teacher that, in a spiritual sense, we can see our reflection in His eyes.  In addition, He should see Himself reflected in our lives.  In Jesus’ time, a disciple was one who was trying to become like his Rabbi in every sense.  He would not only be trying to gain knowledge, but would try to do everything the Rabbi did.  As disciples of Jesus, we need to learn to be like Him in every sense.  We need to have the knowledge, but we also need to live like He lived, doing the things He did.  When we do this, then we are equipped to make disciples, and it begins in our homes.

May God bless you as you seek to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ and lead others to do the same!

Tools, Tools, Tools

Nothing too deep today.  Just a story to share.  It was just my little guy and me at home last night, as the girls all had other things going on.  I decided to hang a mirror in the kids’ bathroom that we purchased on Saturday.  It was so cool because we found the perfect mirror that would tilt down for the kids, and it was on clearance at Lowe’s for 50% off!   We were finding that one mirror was not enough for three girls when they were all trying to brush hair, teeth, etc… in the mornings to get ready for school or church.  Imagine that!

So, I started getting all the tools together – drill and bit set, level, screwdriver, tape measure, hammer…  Yes, I needed a hammer to install a mirror as scary as it sounds.  I had to tap the wall anchors in.     I got a little nervous when I looked at the list of recommended tools for the job, though.  It included a hacksaw, pipe wrench, and pipe cutter!!  Even though I’m a little slow in the home improvement department, I quickly figured out that this was a generic list for any fixtures that this company produces, especially when one of the instructions said to be sure and cut off the water before installing the product… 

Immediately, my son got excited, and ran to his room to get his tools.  I decided to stop for a minute and help him pick out the same “tools” from his toolbox that I was going to be using.  Of course, he had to get his hard hat, too.  Maybe he was afraid I would drop the mirror on his head.   He kept asking, “What are you doing?” and “What’s that?”.  I really laughed when I said, “Hmmm…”, and then heard a little echo, “Hmmm…”   He was mimicking everything I was doing.  I’ve come to expect that, but it still fascinates me that he is watching me so closely. 

When we were finished, we had done something constructive and had some great time together.  I was just happy that it was all level and looked nice.  For me, there is a great sense of satisfaction when I’m able to do things like this, and especially when I can include the kids.

Now, I just need to schedule my projects so I can include other kids who don’t have dads around.  I would love to do that, but I do so many things on the spur of the moment.  Of course, there wasn’t room in the bathroom for too many more little hands, but I need to be thinking along those lines.

May God richly bless you today!

I’m Watching You, Dad

I have a bum finger, making it a little uncomfortable to type, plus I’m trying to get ready to preach on Sunday.  Therefore, I’m not going to write much today.  However, I do want to share this video that one of my good friends sent me yesterday.  It meant a lot coming from him because he said it reminded him of my son and me.  I actually have a picture of my son and I “mowing” the yard together like the one in the video.  Powerful message…

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=5486ae62fd502645138e

May God bless you today!

Fathers Matter

If you have followed my blog much at all or have read some of the archives, you know I am passionate about ministry to single parent families.  This article from All Pro Dads sparked me and I want to share it with you.

This post is really not for single moms.  It is for those who have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of fatherless children.  However, I know that some single moms will read this, so I want to give this disclaimer:  If you are a single mom about to read this,  PLEASE don’t automatically think that your son or daughter is going to fit into one of these statistics just because they live in a single parent family.  God is the father to the fatherless and the defender of widows.  Put your children in God’s hands.  He will bring mentors around them to fill the gaps where you can’t.  Pray fervently, and watch God work in the lives of your children.

Dads, let’s make a difference in the lives of our children.  Be engaged.  Help them grow in their walk with God.  Don’t leave them hanging.  Be intentional.  Teach your sons what it means to be a man.  Let them know they have what it takes – don’t leave that question unanswered.  Let your daughters know they are lovely, beautiful, and captivating.  Let them know they are a real princess, because their real Daddy is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (part of a Dean Trune quote).  Teach them what to look for in a man.  Tell all your children that you love them and are proud of them and tell them some things they are good at for starters.  I could write so much more, but I need to end here for today. 

If you cannot tell, I have a renewed sense of urgency today.  Read this and learn why.

http://www.allprodad.com/playbook/viewarticle.php?art=53

May God give you wisdom in living our true and undefiled religion…

Gracious or Graceless?

My need for a mentor has never been more evident to me than it was yesterday as I talked to mine by phone.  He graciously, without beating it over my head, pointed out some things and made some connections to things to which I’ve been totally blinded.  These are things that could have some serious implications in the future if not corrected.  These are things that are affecting my relationship with God and with those around me.

God has been teaching me some things in my time with him, and then He used my mentor’s wisdom to really bring it together.  I have a critical spirit, and I know that about myself.  I just didn’t realize how bad it was and to what degree it was being manifested in my life.  My mentor told me yesterday that often he is critical of others in areas where he is weak in order to make himself look and feel better.  It’s a thing he does out of pride to cover his weakness, so others won’t see it and think more highly of him.  At first, I didn’t think it applied to me.  WRONG!!!  He hit the nail on the head.  In fact, I’m pretty sure he saw it in me, but was gracious not to come out and say it.  Instead, he said it in such a way that made me think on it for 24 hours.

I believe my critical spirit and attitude has hurt my relationship with my children and with some people in our church, particularly the other staff and leadership.  It mostly happens with those I have the highest expectations of.  It has caused me to be highly frustrated and I’ve allowed it to steal my joy in parenting and in ministry to a degree.  I’m sure it has actually come out in my blog posts, but I’ve been blinded to it.  While my intention was to make this blog a place where people can come for encouragement, I’m not sure that’s what my readers always find.

My mentor pointed out the fact that I ”might be” taking on responsibilities that aren’t mine to take on.  I have taken up battles that are not mine to fight, especially alone.  With this, I often feel the weight of the world on my shoulders.  I take on so much responsibility that I have no down time.  Then, I begin to get frustrated and tired, and then begin to get critical of others when they aren’t stepping up and taking responsibility the way I think they should.  I know this has been evident in my blog posts because I have been especially critical of fathers who aren’t stepping up.  I have taken on a crusade, of sorts, to single handedly end fatherlessness and defend the widow and the orphan.  I have even been applauded by others for my efforts, which feeds this insanity and encourages me to keep on fighting the battle.  While on the surface, all this may seem valiant, it is really arrogant and prideful.  I’m trying to be the savior.  Not only am I trying to play the role of God in convicting people of their actions or lack thereof in “my battle”, I am also being so arrogant as to think I can win this battle alone.   The result – fatigue, discouragement, finger pointing, lack of joy, etc…  Then, I come across as very graceless rather than loving.  The truth is, my negativity will never bring out the positive in others, so I’m really defeating my purpose and fighting against the tide. 

The thing that hurts the most is that I know I’ve been very critical toward my children.  I’ve been trying to convict their hearts so much that the encouragement and “truth in love” part hasn’t been so evident.  I’ve come across as very graceless.  I know I’ve touched on this before in a previous post about never being able to please my stepdad and how that hurt me.  And, I know I’ve said that I don’t want to hurt my children in that way.  However, I’m afraid I have been, with comments like: “you know better than that” and “what were you thinking” and “don’t you know there’s a billion starving children in this world”.  There’s not much room for mistakes and learning.  While it hurts to admit that, I believe it is the first step in God changing my heart.  He’s done it before in other areas where I’ve been blinded and weak, and I know He’ll do it again when I humbly seek Him.

Don’t get me wrong.  I do have a good relationship with my children and we have some good times together.  However, I can see where my critical spirit will have some incredible implications for the future and needs to be taken care of now, while they are still young.

I see now that God has been gently and methodically teaching me in recent months so that I was ready for my mentor to help put the pieces together yesterday.  I’m thankful God and Dean have been more gentle and full of grace toward me than I’ve been toward others.  God could not have taught me through a better person because He knows I’ll listen to him, even though it took  a little time for it to sink in.

I don’t know if all this makes sense to anyone else, but it has never been more clear to me.  Please pray that God will change my heart and that His grace will shine through me toward others.  Please pray that God will also continue to point out my blindspots as I grow.

May God’s grace be evident in us all.

What a Boy Needs to Hear From His Dad

This post stems from an email conversation I had with a friend this morning in regards to the post I wrote a few days ago about manhood lessons.  I may have written this same stuff another time, but that’s okay, it’s worth repeating.

Robert Lewis teaches in Men’s Fraternity that boys need to hear three things from their dads:  1)  I love you.  2)  I’m proud of you.  3)  You’re good at ________________.  Let me add here that these things need to come from the dad’s heart and must be lived out in his life.  I’ve shared before that my parents divorced when I was about 5.  My dad would sometimes come and get us on Sundays.  He was and still is a very social person (liked to be the center of attention), so he knew a lot of people around town.  We would go to the bowling alley, and he would say stuff like, “Here’s my pride and joy” or “meet the boss,” etc…  While that should have made me feel good, it had the opposite effect because it wasn’t lived out.  He didn’t do things that told me that I was his pride and joy.  If I was his pride and joy,  why did I always play second fiddle to softball, golf, bowling, and dog shows?  Why did he not attend my graduation from high school or either graduation from college (though in the same town where he lived)?  Empty words don’t fill an empty heart.  Again, we have reconciled and there has been forgiveness.  I only use this as an example from my life experience.

At least twice in the book of Matthew, God gives us an example of what Robert Lewis is saying.  Matthew 3:17 says, “And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased’.”  Matthew 17:5 says, “While He was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is My Son, who I love; with Him I am well pleased.  Listen to Him!’”

Can you imagine having affirmation from your dad like this?  Can you imagine your dad telling your closest friends:  “This is my son, and I love him.  Listen to him because he knows what he’s talking about.  He’s really good at what he does.”  I would just settle for my dad telling me that from his heart, without telling my friends… 

I won’t hold my breath on that one.  However, I have learned to find my significance from my Heavenly Father.  I don’t have to work to impress Him.  He loves me just the way I am.  Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t want me to stay this way.  He wants me to grow, but He meets me where I am and gently guides me along.  He has even given me His Holy Spirit to counsel me and to affirm me when I have pleased Him or convict me when I’ve sinned.  Shouldn’t we take a lesson in how to love our sons according to how God loves us.  Won’t this help our sons to have a healthy view of who God is? 

Ouch, I think I may have just hit a nerve.  Many of us don’t have a healthy view of God because of how our fathers treated us, so we pass this along to our children.  Men, let me encourage you to draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  He will heal the hurts of the past, and make us whole.

Men, we have a choice to make.  We can perpetuate the cycle or we can shut it down.  Our sons can grow up confused like we have or we can teach them a different way that is found in an abiding relationship with Christ.  Let’s affirm our sons and those other boys in our lives who don’t have fathers around.  Let’s let them know that we love them, are proud of them, and that they are good at something.  Let’s bring honor back to the title of “Father.”  Let’s honor God by teaching our sons and other boys, by example, to be men after God’s own heart.   We can change the course of history.

A few years ago a group of men came together at our church to call a boy from a single parent home into manhood.  We gave him gifts and told of their significance.  We each wrote him a letter.  We prayed for him, and each of us touched his shoulders with a sword.  We told him that we loved him, that we were proud of him, and affirmed him in what he is good at.  He knows that even to this day he call on any one of us.  This is one young man who didn’t leave the church after high school.  He still attends and serves faithfully.  The growth has been phenomenal.

Once again, I’ve said more than I intended when I started out.  Please, let me reiterate that I’m no expert.  I’m just a dad trying to navigate the rough waters of fathering in a fallen world.  I’ve had my share of failures when it comes to fathering, and I mess up daily.  I’m just sharing what I’ve learned from others and from life experience.  I have a little guy at home who is trying to be like me.  I just want to try to be like my Father, so I can be a good example to him.  Fortunately, my girls want to be like their mom, so there is still hope!!

On that note, you may be thinking, “you’ve talked a lot about sons – what about daughters?”  Well, I’ve learned that little girls need something different from their dads, and I’ll have to get to that another day.  We still have to set the example of being a loving father, but we speak to them in a different language.  It’s called shopping….  Just kidding. 

By the way, I’m guessing the majority of my readers are women, so please feel free to pass this along to men you know.  However, please do so in love, not with a ”here’s what you need to fix your problem” attitude.

All praise and glory to our Heavenly Father, who loves us just the way we are!  May He bless you and keep you today.