40 Lessons from 40 Years

If you are married and reading this or you hope to be married and are reading this, the stark reality is that you most likely will never make it to 40 years of marriage.  My grandparents were married for 65 1/2 years. That is my bench mark.  One of my goals in life is to raise the bar of marriage and even eclipse my grandparents years of marriage.  I realize that I cannot do this alone.  

In a given week, married couples are rarely encouraged in their marriage. Instead, a typical week is full of challenges and even threats to a thriving, Christ-centered marriage.   This week Dennis Rainey has been sharing 40 lessons form his 40 years of marriage on FamilyLife Today. (http://www.familylife.com/) For the past 21 years of my married life, Dennis has been mentoring me on a weekly basis. I have attended the Weekend to Remember Conferences with my wife multiple times. (Shop FamilyLife - Cincinnati ) I have read his books.  And most recently, I have listened to his podcasts on family. The reason: I need help. I am a broken man who needs instruction on how to be a better husband and father.  And I desire to finish well as a father!  I hope you too will enjoy.

Knock, Knock... You can change the course of your life!

As I have been working with college students for over 22 years, I have seen both the positive and negative influences  that can come from a father.  I would argue that unless we deal with these wounds from a Biblical perspective, we can be set up to repeat them with our children.  Check out this poetic video that can give young men hope!

COURAGEOUS TRUTH IS NEEDED IN OUR CULTURE, ask Steve Jobs...

This  past weekend I saw the movie "Courageous" with my family.  And while I know some will refuse to watch movies from Sherwood Pictures, I would like to say that it is worth both your time and money.  The Biblical truth this movie promotes hits our culture right between the eyes.  How do we get to the end of our lives without regret?   We invest in that which is eternal.  Think about this past week. How often were you encouraged to invest in eternity? If you are a father, how often were you encouraged to be a great father?  The movie "Courageous" is calling men to step up and be fathers who take their responsibility seriously  to lead their family spiritually and invest in eternity.  Namely, we are challenged to invest in people.  After living on planet earth for 56 years, Steve Jobs was arguably one of the most innovative men of our time. Yet, it came at a price.  He gives the following reasons (From MSNBC.com)  for writing his anticipated autobiography:


"I wanted my kids to know me," Jobs was quoted as saying by Pulitzer Prize nominee Walter Isaacson, when he asked the Apple Inc co-founder why he authorized a tell-all biography after living a private, almost ascetic life.

"I wasn't always there for them, and I wanted them to know why and to understand what I did," Jobs told Isaacson in their final interview at Jobs' home in Palo Alto, California.

Steve Jobs obviously had regret. He had accomplished more in this life than most will ever. But it came at a price.  Let's be men and women who invest in eternity.  This moment, this day, this week, this month, this year because Finishing is better then starting!  Check out the "Courageous" trailer.

Fathers Shepherd Your Family Spiritually

This morning I was studying the idea of Shepherding the flock among you from 1 Peter 5:2. While I am in full time ministry and this relates  to my specific role, it also reminds me of my responsibility as a father.  I am to be a shepherd of my family. Paul puts it this way: "And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 5:4)  How are you doing in this area? How am I doing in this area?  I have made great progress yet need to excel still more.  If you are a father of young children, I would recommend the following devotionals that will help you lead your family spiritually. When our four children were younger, we had a family night once a week. And while I first thought I would be using an overhead with detailed notes, instead I found a series of devotionals that are  simple to use.  The series is called the Family Nights Tool Chest. The first book is entitled: "Introduction to Family Nights Tool Chest."  They also have Family Nights Tool Chests for Holidays, Science projects and many other topics. If fathers want to finish well, we need to be leading our families spiritually.  I have two listed in my what "I Recommend" panel.  So, let's lead our families well by shepherding them spritually!