Ever since my children were small I’ve noticed that it can be easy to make excuses for sinful behavior. When they are two we call it “the terrible two’s“. Many behaviors are excused because it is said that they “are normal for that age“. When they turn 13 “their bodies are changing!”. When they are 16 “it’s hormonal” or “they are teenagers“. When they are college age “they are just immature…it’s ‘normal’ to act that way ‘at their age“! What I find interesting is that it doesn’t stop there. Women blame sinful behavior on hormones. When we’re pregnant, “it’s hormones“. …
3 Ways to Prevent Insecurities in Your Kids
DO YOU EVER WORRY THAT YOUR CHILDREN WE STRUGGLE WITH INSECURITIES? This week I’m sharing about insecurities on my website and couldn’t help but think about how many insecurities we develop as kids and what moms can do to help prevent those insecurities from taking root in the hearts of our children. Insecurities can be debilitating. They hold us captive and prevent us from fulling becoming who we were created to be. They give us a skewed view of God, ourselves and others. Children who struggle with insecurities become adults who can never fully live out their dreams, conquer their …
My Story ~ DAVE THOMPSON
By Guest: Dave Thompson Father’s Day month is a great time to focus on relationships, so Stephanie Shott asked me to share about being a dad and my relationship with my Heavenly Father! I learned about God and Jesus in my teens, but in my early adult years—I became a “self-made man.” Robert Ringer’s book Looking Out For Number One was my motto. In Ringer’s book, he talks about not letting anyone take your marbles, so I walked over and through everyone or anyone who interfered with me achieving my goals. I was a successful corporate executive, married with a …
What I wish I knew and hope to teach you… ~ SHANE BARKLEY
By Guest: Shane Barkley My sweet, sweet daughters, you are growing up in a world that is much different than the world I was raised into. The great deceiver has won many battles with the secular world and is battling, with many successes, in the church. We know the end result of the war because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but Satan does not recognize his defeat just yet. One of the biggest traps Satan sets for us is with money! He knows us even better than we know ourselves and his desire is for our society to …
In Praise of Father by BILLY COFFEY
By Guest: Billy Coffey I’ve been a father for eleven years and a father of two for nine, but I’ll be honest—I still have no idea what I’m doing. There is no how-to guide for fatherhood, no instruction manual the doctor hands you along with your new child. We’re in the dark about a lot of things. Like what to do when your three-year-old accidentally locks herself in the bathroom and starts crying because she can’t figure out how to free the door (what I did: Kick the door in. Result: louder crying). Or what to do when your four-year-old …
Moment in Time by DAVE MOORE
By Special Guest: Dave Moore THIS IS YOUR MOMENT IN TIME! GIVE BACK TO GOD! For 57 years, God has graced me with the opportunity to live life in this world. While many days my body feels much closer to 100 years old, having worn it out lifting thousands of pounds a day at my job, my mind and spirit still feel amazingly youthful. I still feel like a teenager! For several years while being in my front yard, I would occasionally see an older gentleman taking a daily walk through our neighborhood. We always shared the cliché, neighborly hello …
Fatherhood – A Beautiful Calling ~ MATT PATTERSON
By Guest: Matt Patterson I have to say – there are not many things in this world better than being a father. To be called Dad, Daddy, Pops, Padre and even in those rare moments – Big Fella. The list could go on and on. Please… feel free to add your own! It is a beautiful calling. When I think of fatherhood, I also have to say that there are two words that quickly come to mind. Servant. Leader. A servant and a leader protect his family. He provides – materially and spiritually for his wife and little ones. And …
Prayer Genealogy by MARK BATTERSON
By Guest: Mark Batterson I want to be famous in my home. That is the deepest desire of my heart and the greatest challenge of my life. Parenting our three children is far more difficult and far more important than the thousands of people I have the privilege of pastoring at National Community Church. Pastors are replaceable. Parents aren’t. You’ll never be a perfect parent, but you can be a praying parent. Prayer is your highest privilege as a parent. There is nothing you can do that will have a higher return on investment. In fact, the dividends are eternal. …
Leadership Begins at Home by DAVE STONE
By Special Guest: Dave Stone Why do some of the sharpest leaders step up in the workplace but flake out when they walk into their home? Is it fatigue? Work overload? Or are they just out of their element? With Father’s Day approaching, this blog is written from one dad to another. Moms, I encourage you to keep reading, too, because you’re our partner, and often our greatest supporter. Hopefully, the single parents who read this will also be encouraged and challenged. Most of us tend to view leading as something that’s work-related—it’s something we do with and for our …
What is a Man? by CHRIS SMITH
Thursday night the doorbell rang. There was a man with a two and a half foot long sword standing on my front porch. Not to worry. He was coming to our weekly Raising a Modern-Day Knight meeting. This is a book and study that the men from our church small group are in the middle of right now. Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis is about raising our sons with a sense of what it means to be a man. It is an excellent program and you can check it out at www.RMDK.com. A Father is a man, but …