On Thursday, many of us are going to be sitting around a table with family and friends. And before we dive face first into our golden brown turkey leg, yams covered in marshmallows, and a piece of pumpkin pie that looks more like a big pile of whipped…
We can follow anything. People, viewpoints, diets. Following is simple. Study the teachings of a person or movement and adopt them as your own. On Twitter, in requires nothing more than a simple click of a button. But there is something much more powerful than being a follower.…
I have three great callings in life. Love my wife well Raise my children to live godly lives Help people grow in their faith and find their purpose in Christ I am humbled and honored to dedicate my life to each of these areas. Nothing brings me greater…
What is a man these days? There's a lot of discussion in our culture about the roles of men. So, what is a man in 2015? How do you know if you're on the right path to becoming a man? What would that look like? Is there a…
Everywhere I look there is an article on work-life balance, juggling a family, or how to be a better parent. Unfortunately, a lot of it seems to be crap. I have a theory that most of this stuff is written by people with all sorts of degrees and…
I strongly believe in adopting a "Family First" philosophy. Too many husbands and fathers leave family as a distant second behind work and career. Even hobbies. For parents, our families are our first calling. (You can read more of my thoughts on Family First here) However, one push…
Family first.
I believe it. I love it. I live it. Being a family man is my favorite job. It’s my #1 calling.
Yes, I am driven to create something beautiful in this world. I am an entrepreneur at heart and love to build, move, and progress forward. I want to look back on my life and see the fruits of hard work and dedication.
But investing in those closest to me, my family, stands head and shoulders above all else. I refuse to sacrifice my family on the altar of my career, my portfolio, my influence, or even my ministry. I hope to succeed in each of these areas, but my family will not be left behind.
Before we dive in, the three roles require some explanation. Each of the three words used to describe the roles can be twisted. While I truly believe these three areas are important for every Christian husband and father, I know of many men who have distorted these words for their own purposes.
Actually, it is so important that we don’t use these three words in the wrong way that I want to give a quick foundation that should be the basis of all biblical masculinity. (Taken out of context, these three words have been used for all sorts of verbal and physical abuse. That is why this is so important. Every good thing has the potential for darkness. My worst fear would be that my words, which are meant to encourage, would be twisted for evil.)
The foundation of biblical masculinity is humility. (more…)
Earlier this week, my wife, Kristen, and I celebrated eight years of marriage! It was exciting to look back over the time we have been together and see how we have grown. It’s crazy because we have experienced a LOT of life in those eight years.
It was only nine months from the time we met until we were married. Yes, you read that right. And no, the nine months didn’t mean anything. But, we did get pregnant about six months after our wedding! That was NOT a part of the plan. Also, in that first year of marriage, my dad died unexpectedly. Over the next two years, that entire side of my family disowned me, my mom, and my sister. Kristen and I have moved four times, and we are moving again in a month. This is just a taste of our years together. Yet, through it all, we have only grown closer. This is a big deal. Many relationships crumble under this amount of stress, anxiety and change. So, what is the secret?
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About a year ago, my son discovered cell phones. Every parent experiences this at some point. We were still living in Indiana and Noah was three. I don’t remember exactly when it happened, but suddenly and with no warning at all, Noah wanted Mommy’s and Daddy’s cell phone. He finally discovered that our phones were different from his phone. His Micky Mouse cell phone just beeped a few times and gave a nice greeting from the Disney character. But Mommy’s and Daddy’s cell phones had games. If you pressed the right buttons, their cell phones would call Nana or Mama. He was hooked. If a cell phone was left unguarded, it was soon at the disposal of a three-year old.
My son loves slides. But the journey begins on the ground, looking up at the amazing opportunity that awaits him. And the only way to get from here to there is to tackle those intimidating stairs.