Noah turns 8

Happy Birthday Noah

Today my third child is 8! It's amazing how you relive the actual day they came into the world. We were living in the Blue Mountains of Australia. My wife and I went to have dinner after we dropped the older two off at a friends house. This was the first time my wife's mum was able to witness the birth. It was incredible & special.

Today, 8 years later, we are so grateful for this little guy. Full of energy, life & joy! He makes us laugh. He likes a good rumble. Most importantly, he is growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We love you Lord, for this gift of Noah in our family!

Setting an Example

As a father, I sometimes read instructions from God's Word and want to pass them on to my children. Much like Paul did with Timothy. Paul instructs Timothy - 'Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity' (1 Tim. 4:12).

My oldest is going to be 13 later this year & I want to be creative in helping him apply this passage to his life now & remind him of it until I'm taken to glory. No he's not going to be a pastor, that I know of, but I want to equip with him some wonderful Scriptures that he can be applying to his life now. I want to encourage him on how he can live in such a way as to be an example to others. However, I don't think it is just about instructing him but actually setting and example for him. This instruction from Paul to Timothy is a pretty big ask when you think about it. And yet, Paul is not asking Timothy to do something that he is not carrying out himself - aye?

In my great desire to serve my son & instruct him with what Scripture says, I think I need to begin to evaluate how am I going in my own life.

So - How am I setting an example to my wife and children in:

speech: What am I talking about? What is my tone? How's my vocabulary? Am I being vulgar & unhelpful? Is my speech full of grace & gratitude or complaining and negative?

life (conduct): Am I lazy? Am I disciplined in personal area's of study, health, finances, work? Is there evidence of righteous living?

love: Does my son see me loving my wife the way Christ loved the Church? Am I loving my son by talking about the difficult things - not just the easy things? Am I loving my Savior more & more each day? Am I sacrificially loving others.

faith: Am I modeling how to be a faithful husband and father to my family? Am I showing them how to be a faithful member to the body of Christ? Faith is not unbelief, but faithfulness & commitment.

purity: Am I being sexually pure? Am I bringing things into my home that are going to cause my kids to stumble or be unhelpful to my bride? More importantly to my Savior?

You know, there are area's that I am not doing so well in. Area's that I desire to repent of and change. And you know, having this little reflection brings me such hope. Why? Because my salvation is secure! Yea, God loves me just the same as He did yesterday. I can win no more of His favor by addressing these issues. I can however know He is gently changing me to be more like His Son! I am so grateful for His loving conviction. Oh what a Savior!

Hey dads, fathers, husbands, grandpas, uncles - men of God - let's set an example for our children!

A Prayer You Can Pray In The Midst Of Conflict...

Have you ever considered what it means to obey Paul's command to, "rejoice in the Lord always: (Philippians 4:4)? Does it mean to rejoice even in the midst of conflict? You might be asking, "What on earth is there to rejoice about when you are involved in a dispute"? Well my friend, if we open our eyes and consider God's lavish goodness to us, here is the joyful kind of worship we could offer Him, even in the most horrendous types of conflict.

Oh Lord, you are so amazingly good to me! You sent your only Son to die for my sins, including those I have committed in this conflict. Because of Jesus I am forgiven, and my name is written in the Book of Life! You do not treat me as I deserve, but you are patient, kind, gentle, and forgiving with me. Please help me to do the same with others.

In your great mercy, you are also kind to my opponent. Although he has wronged me repeatedly, you hold out your forgiveness to him as you do for me. Even if he and I never reconcile in this life, which I still hope we will, you have already done the work for us to reconcile forever in heaven. This conflict is so insignificant compared to the wonderful hope we have in you!

This conflict is so small compared to the many other things you are
watching over at this moment, yet you still want to walk beside me as
I seek to resolve it. Why would you stoop down to pay such attention
to me? It is too wonderful for me to understand. You are extravagant in your gifts to me. You offer me the comfort of your Spirit,
the wisdom of your Word, and the support of your church. Forgive me
for neglecting these powerful treasures until now, and help me to use them to please and honor you.

I rejoice that these same resources are available to my opponent.
Please enable us to draw on them together so that we see our own sins,
remember the gospel, find common ground in the light of your truth, come to one mind with you and each other, and restore peace and unity between us.

Finally, Lord, I rejoice that this conflict has not happened by accident.
You are sovereign and you are good, so I know that you are working through this situation for your glory and my good. No matter what my opponent does, you are working to conform me to the likeness of your Son. Please help me to cooperate with you in every possible way and give you the glory for what you have done and are doing .

(The Peacemaker, pages 84-85)

Read & Study God's Word

I was reading the intro to a book I recently bought. I found these provoking and stirring words: "Much of what we learned has come from studying the Bible - the Answer Book". What a wonderful, humble and transparent confession.

It got me thinking about how I am reading the Bible. Do I view it as a chore, or as a delight? Do I read because I have committed to it or am I studying it because it has Answers. Good questions to consider.

How about you? How are you going with reading your Bible?

If your not doing so well - today is a new day. Pick it up and be encouraged and refreshed. It is the Answer Book!

If you are new to Bible reading you may wonder, how much should I be reading? Well it doesn't really matter how long - just read... Though, I recently was challenged by a colleague at work. He was sharing that some of the leaders at his church challenged them to remember, when they wrote the date 2010 - to let that be a reminder to spend 20 minutes reading God's Word and 10 minutes praying. That's a helpful idea. But if you don't do 20 minutes that doesn't mean you are not acceptable. It's just a suggestion. So - pick up the Bible and learn about the greatest Answer to Life: J-E-S-U-S!

You know, its one of the disciplines I want my children to see my wife and I doing. Why? Because God's Word is full of wisdom. Mostly importantly, it tells us the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I challenge you - to read & study the Bible... You will learn so much about our wonderful Lord, as well as be guided as you seek to parent with an eternal perspective.

Assuming can get you into trouble!

Have you ever learned about the danger of assuming? Fortunately, I learned an important lesson at a young age.

I remember as a young man, working in a Bible Book Store in Modesto, California. The owner of the Book Store was very professional and taught me heaps.

One of the most important things he taught me was the danger of assuming anything.

There was an order of books that I had marked at the wrong price. The previous lot of books were marked at a different price & I assumed that these books would be marked the same. I was wrong in assuming that.

I remember my boss came to me and asking me why I did what I did. I told him that "I assumed that these books would be the same price." He asked me if I new what assuming does. I said, "no, I don't." He informed me that, 'when I assume things it makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me".'

I have never forgotten that... It was a hard way to learn an important lesson & it has stuck with me.

I hope you are not assuming anything of your wife, children, or friends. Things like, assuming that they know you love them. You are glad that God has given them to you. I also trust that you are not assuming that your colleagues, relatives, neighbours or strangers know who Jesus is. They need to know & someone needs to tell them. Will it be you?

Don't do like I did and assume things...

Another Book For Your Library

You gotta -- gotta -- gotta get yourself a copy of this book!

My son's have enjoyed it so much. Actually, I have enjoyed it as well. How to make paper airplanes, make a battery, learning the rules of chess & poker, learning how to build a catapult, learning the rules of grammar... the book is a must! It will serve you and your boys... Gets em off the Wii, off the computer, away from the TV & out doing stuff with their hands...


Dad's once you get it - go through it with your boys! I've been loven it & I want to do it more...

You can pick up a copy from any of the following places: just click here!

Danger Danger - gotta let your kids try this at home!

Over protective parents can sometimes take the fun out of kids having a go at some "dangerous" activities. It ought not be!

I'm sure you don't want your boys growing up as wimps and we don't want our girls unaware of fun activities that create a bit of danger. They'll have fun - for sure!

There's a book you can purchase with some ideas of dangerous fun for kids. Just click on the highlighted area... but the pictures around, offer few examples of exciting, supervisable, & relatively risk free dangerous things we should let our children do... Have fun with it - I know I will!

No Hope...

I sat with three young men on Friday. I asked each one of them to give me some goals that they would like to achieve this year. One goal in four areas of life. Financially, physically, spiritually & academically.

Out of the three guys - not one of them could offer a goal. So I began to feed them with some ideas on goals that they could attempt to achieve. Still, they refused to dream of what could be.

Where has the dream in young men to do something with their life gone?

I finished the day reflecting on these three boys. Each one healthy, each one capable, each one a man of the future, but with no hope.

Proverbs 13:12 reads: Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

In the old testament a woman by the name of Rachel wanted to have babies but could not. She became jealous of her sister just as Jacob (her husband) was of his older brother. This jealousy made their hearts sick.

These young men can look at what others are doing & be jealous which makes their hearts very sick. And yet, they could aim for something & find fulfillment by achieving what God has enabled them to do.

Isaiah 40:31 reads: but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Those who hope in the Lord are described as, "trusting in or looking expectantly to." You see, I want nothing more than these young men to hope in the Lord. Not in money. Not in good grades. Not in physical abilities or musical abilities. There hope must be in the Lord! And when they are trusting in the Lord, He will renew (exchange) their weaknesses which will give way to God's strength.

The Hebrew word used in this passage for this verb is used of changes of clothes which can symbolize strength and beauty. Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ instructs us to clothe ourselves with Christ (Ephesians 4:24).

Well dads, there are alot of young men who need a male role model. They need to be encouraged to hope. How do you help a young man hope?

Here's four ways...

Holler praise

Offer to model obedience.

Patience will be required

Encourage often

Perhaps you can practice this with your own children, I know I need to.

You know - we can often be tempted to think we need to do more. But the Gospel is our HOPE... have a look at Romans 4:18-25 & rejoice in the finished work of the cross...