The X-ray Trip

This is Noah! He is a rambunctious 6 yr old. He makes us laugh so much. He is full of beans! I just love the little guy.

Today he had to go and have an x-ray done of his nose because his adenoids are a bit bigger than they should be. Why is this a problem? Because it effects your breathing, makes you snore like a bear, along with causing tooth decay (which is how we discovered this problem!).

Nevertheless, today he and his mummy went to the hospital for an x-ray. This is his second trip to the hospital this month... He is feeling pretty special. The trip earlier was because he could not walk, thanks to a flu virus, at least until the matron hollered at him to get a move on! Lo and behold...he walked before my very eyes... little rug rat! (though it was with great pain and tears!) Today was not as dramatic or damaging. It was just to get the x-ray done.

When he returned home this afternoon he looked like he was on cloud nine. He told me how he had a nice doctor who had a cool camera and that he would like one too! Then he told me how he and his mum got a coke and chips, and then went to the Bible book store for some DVD's!

For me, there is some joy in my heart when I hear my son has had a special time with his mum. I think it is special because these times are rare. Rare because in a big family we sometimes fight to find special "alone" moments with each other. But when we do have them, they are forever memories!

Even though it is difficult to have these special "alone" times, hearing the joy in my son's voice and the delight on my wife's face, I realise that I need to fight, protect and plan for these times. As dads I think we should initiate these times, not just for our wife to spend time with the kids, but for ourselves to spend time with our kids. We need to commit to be strategic and purposeful with an eternal perspective in mind...

The Power of a Woman

Proverbs 31:10-31 provides us with a remarkable picture of the power of a woman, for good/positive and for ill/negative.

The good/positive wife is responsible, capable, hardworking and completely trusted. Who can find such a one? Her worth (to her husband) is beyond price (vs 10). Not only her husband, family and household depend on her provision and foresight for their physical needs; they owe her their well-being at a much deeper level (11, 12, 26). Her influence extends beyond this immediate circle to society at large (20). And she finds ample scope for all her gifts in the wider sphere of buying and selling and business transactions (16, 18, 24). Where does her secret lie? In the fear of the Lord in which all true wisdom has its roots.

Today I am reminded of this - because it is a another Sunday when my wife silently serves us as a family, while I run around getting ready to minister to God's people.

My love, I applaud you for the grace on your life to love the Lord Jesus so much, that you tend to the needs of us as a family for His glory.

You are a wonderful companion! I love you, my love! Your worth is more then I could describe - but thank you! It is a great honor to be the father to your children & your life companion!

Glory to God!

Keen Advertising - or - Lack of Discernment???

"Now this is funny", some might think (my dad will crack up!). This could also be seen as creative, innovative, disturbing, & uhmmmm SHOCKING!!! I can hear my mother now... "Especially for his family", she would say...

Sometimes as men, we forget that others, those whom we deeply love, reap the consequences and rewards of our decisions and choices.

We must be so careful that we consider others when we are being funny. That is, our wife, kids, parents, inlaws & church family & friends. You know how I know?

I speak from experience!

We are called to be Godly husbands, fathers, sons, sons-in-law and friends. Our reason and purpose for doing this is so that those who come behind us may find us faithful & funny...without bringing shame to them!

Get some rich theology into ya...

Not sure what you think of theology - but whether your into it or not - you do it - without knowing it probably. We all have our ideas and questions about God. Is there a God? What is He like? Where is He now? How does God work? etc...

I want to provide you with a snippet of theology to feast on... I sent it to my wife on email, because I believe it is important to think about God. It is good to be challenged by the way we are thinking and the way we are called to think. I won't say anymore, but let you read...

Actually...can I say one more thing? Please read this & read it slowly... I do trust that this will serve you as readers. Especially you men, as you lead your wife and children, with an eternal perspective in mind...

2. KNOWLEDGE OF GOD INVOLVES TRUST AND REVERENCE*

What is God? Men who pose this question are merely toying with idle speculations. It is more important for us to know of what sort he is and what is consistent with his nature. What good is it to profess with Epicurus some sort of God who has cast aside the care of the world only to amuse himself in idleness? What help is it, in short, to know a God with whom we have nothing to do? Rather, our knowledge should serve first to teach us fear and reverence; secondly, with it as our guide and teacher, we should learn to seek every good from him, and, having received it, to credit it to his account, For how can the thought of God penetrate your mind without your realizing immediately that, since you are his handiwork, you have been made over and bound to his command by right of creation, that you owe your life to him? — that whatever you undertake, whatever you do, ought to be ascribed to him? If this be so, it now assuredly follows that your life is wickedly corrupt unless it be disposed to his service, seeing that his will ought for us to be the law by which we live. Again, you cannot behold him clearly unless you acknowledge him to be the fountainhead and source of every good. From this too would arise the desire to cleave to him and trust in him, but for the fact that man’s depravity seduces his mind from rightly seeking him. For, to begin with, the pious mind does not dream up for itself any god it pleases, but contemplates the one and only true God. And it does notattach to him whatever it pleases, but is content to hold him to be as he manifests himself; furthermore, the mind always exercises the utmost diligence and care not to wander astray, or rashly and boldly to go beyond his will. It thus recognizes God because it knows that he governs all things; and trusts that he is its guide and protector, therefore giving itself over completely to trust in him. Because it understands him to be the Author of every good, if anything oppresses, if anything is lacking, immediately it betakes itself to his protection, waiting for help from him. Because it is persuaded that he is good and merciful, it reposes in him with perfect trust, and doubts not that in his loving-kindness a remedy will be provided for all its ills. Because it acknowledges him as Lord and Father, the pious mind also deems it meet and right to observe his authority in all things, reverence his majesty, take care to advance his glory, and obey his commandments. Because it sees him to be a righteous judge, armed with severity to punish wickedness, it ever holds his judgment seat before its gaze, and through fear of him restrains itself from provoking his anger. bAnd yet it is not so terrified by the awareness of his judgment as to wish to withdraw, even if some way of escape were open. But it embraces him no less as punisher of the wicked than as benefactor of the pious. For the pious mind realizes that the punishment of the impious and wicked and the reward of life eternal for the righteous equally pertain to God’s glory. Besides, this mind restrains itself from sinning, not out of dread of punishment alone; but, because it loves and reveres God as Father, it worships and adores him as Lord. Even if there were no hell, it would still shudder at offending him alone. Here indeed is pure and real religion: faith so joined with an earnest fear of God that this fear also embraces willing reverence, and carries with it such legitimate worship as is prescribed in the law. And we ought to note this fact even more diligently: all men have a vague general veneration for God, but very few really reverence him; and wherever there is great ostentation in ceremonies, sincerity of heart is rare indeed. (Christian Library Series VL 7 pg 86&86) [picture of John Calvin 1509-1564]

A Kiss Good Night

Hey Dads -

You're not missing out on an opportunity to tuck your kids in, pray with them and kiss them goodnight are you?

I am often tempted to let the kids wander upstairs to brush their teeth, do the bathroom thing and then tell them I will be up shortly...but then not go up until they are fast asleep...

Pictured on the top right is one of my twin girls. She is one of four pictured below, who often look forward to a kiss and a cuddle from dad at the end of the day. Why should I not be making it a priority to serve them and remind them of how much
I appreciate them?

I know it is easy to do, but please don't short your kids...

Remind them of the gift they are to you - a gift from our Heavenly Father! The reality is, we don't know how long we have been entrusted with them for...

Truly being a Father is an amazing chore...

It's sowing...with an Eternal Perspective in mind...

Exit Strategy

On Wednesday nights at 7:00pm, my wife and I meet with our two oldest children. I with Caleb & Meg with Abigail. We quite enjoy these times together. It is an opportunity for us to draw our kids out and find out how they are thinking about themselves and others.

Last night Caleb and I talked about an exit strategy. Let me explain it for you...

When you board a plane, before you even leave the ground, the attendants provide you with an exit strategy just in case anything were to happen whilst flying. They tell you where to find the life jackets & how to administer the oxygen masks in case the cabin loses pressure. They also point out where all of the exit doors are. If you have flown much, you can probably see the hand motions of the attendant in the aisles as you are reading this!

The flight attendants do this so that their passengers know how to exit the plane in all emergency situations. Normally, exiting a plane is done by filing out the front after the flight has come to it's destination. There, the attendants wish you a nice day and ask you to fly again soon.

But what about an exit strategy for projects you start? Do we have an exit strategy? How about for marriage? How do you want to be remembered?

Caleb and I had a wonderful time talking about our exit strategy. We delighted over seeing our Savior who died for us, and even recalled how He had an exit strategy when He came to earth. He did not come to serve Himself, but to make a way for us to have eternal life.

Let me tell you, if you have not talked about the Gospel with your children, there is great joy in doing so!

With tears and laughter, Caleb and I were able to confess sin and pray that God would continue to grow us into men who will remember the exit plan, that we enter eternity full of joy and by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ without being indebted to no man. That when we see our Savior we may hear "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter the joy of the Lord"!

Last night was a joy...

Fathering for my Savior!

Trials and Temptations

In the Bible, there is a letter called, James. I want to let you see these words for yourself.

James 1:2-8
Consider it pure joy, my brothers,
whenever you face trials of many
kinds, because you know that the
testing of your faith develops perse-
verance. Perseverance must finish
its work so that you may be mature
and complete, not lacking anything.
If any of you lacks wisdom, he
should ask God, who gives generously
to all without finding fault, and
it will be given to him. But when he
asks, he must believe and not doubt,
because he who doubts is like a
wave of the sea, blown and tossed
by the wind. That man should not
think he will receive anything from
the Lord; he is a double-minded
man, unstable in all he does.

It should be understood that these words are not promoting a positive thinking mentality. These words are bringing comfort to those who are enduring difficult times.

These words that have been written have been written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These words were written so that we might persevere in trials.

Are you in a trial friend? Is your faith being tested? There is joy to be had in the midst of this. You are not alone in this trial. God cares for you and He is developing perseverance. and as vs 4 says, perseverance must finish it work so that you may be mature and complete...

I pray that God will help us be fathers who will not run from difficult trials. But we will stand the storm remembering...

We have been called to - Father for His Glory!!!

Baptising your son...

I had the wonderful, yet humbling experience of baptising my eldest son on Easter Sunday. Caleb is just 10 years old, but what a man he is becoming. A young man after God's own heart!

As a father, you see your son take his first steps, you watch him learn to talk, you watch him grow up so quickly. But watching him stand on the side of the baptismal waiting to enter into the water to identify himself with Christ, is just awesome and yet overwhelming!

Then as he enters into the water you remember...Caleb is not your son. He belongs to Christ. He is on loan from God. You are then humbled as you remember that you are just a steward of this young man. Then you begin to ask yourself how well am I training him? How well am I modeling for him, what it is to be a Godly man?



It truly is God's grace that allows us to see our children living for Him. It is not what we say, or what we do necessarily. It is God's work in their lives, that allows them to hear from Him.

Keep praying for your children to respond to the Gospel!

For truly -

It is a pleasure to Father for HIS glory!