Thursday, September 25, 2008

Blogging with an eternal perspective....

Q. Is blog viewing, being done with an eternal perspective?

A. I hope so!

Husbands/Fathers - have you noticed what your wife is reading on blogs or posting on other peoples blogs? I'm not sure about you - but I am shocked!!!

As a husband, I have noticed that my wife can spend a lot of time on other peoples blogs investigating their arguments or positions on a certain topic. Damaging? No! Concerning? Not always. Yet I do have a desire to lead and encourage my wife as she reads other peoples blogs and to ask questions as she does so: "Is this helping her or is it causing her discouragement?" "Is it causing her to be judgmental & critical?" "Are these blogs provoking her to view life through Cross-centered lenses?" "Or is she being tempted to engage in philosophical ideas or 'worldly' views because a 'respectable' 'christian' lady has presented a good case based on worldly wisdom?"

Look carefully at those whose blogs your wife is frequenting. A good place to start, after reading what the blogger themselves writes, is to look at what other websites they link to and what other blogs they recommend. This can often give you a good insight into what thoughts and ideas they also subscribe to, and what is important to them. We all know, it's very easy to sit behind a key board and type our views in - but what is the writers character like? What is their life like? Are they just throwing words around carelessly? Do they think of the consequences to the reader who may be reading their random thoughts? How are they serving their sisters in Christ?

As I have read comments from others on some of these blogs, who have read the posts from those who blog various thoughts and arguments, it has also seemed to highlight both the misguided views of many who subscribe to a worldly wisdom instead of starting with a Biblical framework. Obviously we have many and varied points of view on many topics, however we should never be swayed (or encourage our wives to be) by worldly wisdom that is based on culture and philosophy, rather than God's Word.

A few final thoughts - if your wife appears to be spending more time engrossed at the computer reading blogs, sending and receiving emails, using Facebook or surfing the Internet than she is spending time in the Word, then maybe it is time to ask some tough questions. Where is her heart gaining food from - the Internet or from the Lord?

Now don't get me wrong, there are many helpful blogs and websites with a whole range of things from encouraging blogs, Godly or thought provoking articles, all manner of 'how-to' pages and information galore, not to mention the convenience of communication via things like Facebook and email, all of which my wife and I use. However, if these things draw you away from time with the Lord, time with your family, productive work or study time, time in the community (with real life people!) or much needed sleep, then it is time to reassess your priorities... something we did around our dinner table last night, with both my wife and I having to admit that we have been wasting way too much time on the computer of late and that we needed to change our computer habits.

One last thing to consider is how our time may be better spent - perhaps we ought to move away from the computer and get involved in community. Serving each other who are struggling with not having children, having 8 children? Perhaps even visiting the elderly or hospitalised? Perhaps we could encourage our wife to be looking for evidences of grace in others and encourage them in the race that they have set before them? Not everyone is running the same race... and we can be offering cold cups of water in Jesus' name!

Husbands - I think it is important that we lead our wife (& children) in the way she (they) reads blogs or website articles, as well as how she spends her time. I would encourage you to site down with your wife and ask her what she is reading and how she processes that information. Not to be her 'overseer' or 'big brother', but out of love and care for her heart and what she is being fed. I recommend we ought to be reading & writing with an eternal perspective...

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Blind Spots!

"A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday". - Alexander Pope

I have shared on this blog, how once a week, I meet with my two sons, Caleb (10) & Noah (6). It has been awhile since I have reported on our catch up's. Tonights was a good one, so let me share with you what we discussed...

Tonight we discussed how easy it is to blame someone else for a mistake/problem, instead of asking if we are the problem or the cause of the problem. Which is what some might call a "blind spot"

Imagine this scenario: Dave walks up to the waitress at the club house and asks about the lunch special. He's wearing his new golf shoes. The waitress always wears sandals. Dave accidentally gets too close. He doesn't mean to, but he stands on her foot. While Dave chats, her face begins turning red. Then, without warning, the waitress hauls off and slaps him hard enough to send him silly. She turns and limps back on one foot to the kitchen. Dave shakes his head and says to himself, "What's her problem"? Dave has a blind spot.

You and I have blind spots like Dave. What are mine? I don't know. If I knew, it wouldn't be my blind spot. Knowing we have blind spots should cause us to be a little less self - confident. Maybe we're not all right and maybe everybody else isn't all wrong. It ought to make us stop and consider our ways.

Maybe somebody has tried to tell us about our blind spots already, but we didn't believe them. Maybe we just figured they had a problem and were blaming us for it.

The next time you have a disagreement with somebody, or perhaps have some other trouble on your hands, pause and ask yourself, "Am I part of this problem?"

If you have the courage, though not many men do, try going a step further. Ask the person opposite you, "Do you think I have a blind spot that is causing trouble between us?" You might be surprised to hear what they say.

It is the godly man who looks for his own foot before he criticizes somebody else...

Tonight Caleb & Noah & I were able to ask each other about our blind spots. You know what was cool? I had an opportunity to hear my son's observations of their dad. WOW! How humbling! I have some blind spots! I need to work on them!

I was encouraged as my older son listened to his younger brother and how Noah listened to Caleb. Then watching them reconcile and pray together...

We have family members who can loving show us our blind spots. Thank you Lord!!!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Prayer

As a husband and a father do you model prayer? Are you found praying by your wife or children? I am grateful for my wife who will initiate praying with me and our children. I am thankful too for her expression and confession that she likes it when I lead her and the children in prayer.

I don't know about you, but sometimes I find that prayer is something that get's talked about more than it actually get's done. We (I) get too busy or distracted to fulfill the commitment we (I) made to pray for that brother or sister who requested prayer!

Recently, I have come across some verses in Scripture that have encouraged me to prayer. I trust you too will be encouraged to be a man who prays & leads & models for his family, how and why we pray.

Isaiah 65:24
"Before they call I will answer, while they are speaking I will hear," says the Lord.

Matthew 7:7-8
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks received; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

1 John 3:21-22
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.

1 Thessoalonians 5:17
Pray continually!

Psalms 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call on him to all who call on him in truth.

Psalms 55:16-17
I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress and he hears my voice.

Matthew 6:6
When you pray, go to your room , close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Jeremiah 29:12-14
"You will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord.

Men, lets be husbands and fathers who our praying to our Father in Heaven!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Anger

As a dad - do you find you are angry often?

Here are some verses to reflect on that may serve you well... - Just have a read of them & then maybe try to commit them to memory... hopefully these words will pass through our noggins before we are tempted to blow a gasket! Ask God to help you ... I need His help daily!

'Better a patient man than a warrior,
a man who controls his temper than one
who takes a city'.
Proverbs 16:32

'Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires'.
James 1:19-20

"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.
Ephesians 4:26

'Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out'.
Proverbs 17:14

'A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger'.
Proverbs 15:1

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.
Proverbs 12:19

Monday, September 15, 2008

'Daily Help' from Spurgeon

As a father it is easy to compare what you don't have with those who "appear" to have it all... It is easy to think your not a good provider, and if you could give your wife and kids more things, they will be happier... It is easy to listen to what the world says, instead of what God wants for us...

There is a man who I read sometimes, and this is his 'Daily Help' for today:

"Look at your possessions, believer, and compare your portion with the lot of your fellowmen. Some of them have their portion in the field. They are rich and their harvests yield them a golden increase, but what are harvests compared with your God who is the God of harvests? What are bursting granaries compared with Him, who is the Farmer and who feeds you with the bread of heaven? Some have their portion in the city. Their wealth is abundant and flows to them in constant streams until they become a very reservoir of gold, but what is gold compared with your God? "Thou art my portion, O Lord" (Psalms 119:57)"
'Daily Help' Charles Spurgeon

Monday, September 8, 2008

D - A - D

Yesterday was father's day in Australia. I was asked to present a 5 minute talk about fathers and father's day. I took the opportunity to challenge the men to give a gift to their children this father's day.

The gift I recommended, was that they love their children s mum.

How do they do that?

D = Draw
A = Affirm
D = Do

D = Draw out your wife... How? - Ask alot of questions: How was your day? What is the Lord teaching you? Are you OK? Is there anything you want to talk to me about? Am I upsetting you or the children? Have you watched anything today or listened to anything today that has distrubed you or challenged you?

A = Affirm your wife... - Unashamedly, often, loudly, proudly, openly & in front of the children! Have you succumb to the condition of taking your wife for granted? Dishes done, clean clothes, meals cooked, kids scheduled, bed made, house clean & the like? So often our wife has done many things that go unnoticed and unappreciated. If we don't affirm our wife for the things they have done, will our children?

Another thing we need to affirm is when our wife makes choices to serve Christ instead of serving themselves. This needs to be done loudest.

D = Do things for your wife... - When I was preparing this little talk, I was talking to my wife about the "do" word and asking Meg, what sort of things should I suggest? She said, "look honey, men have "needs" right"? She continued, "wife's get tired but might have more strength to meet needs if husbands helped out a bit more"... My first question was, "what can I do for you"!

The best gift fathers can give their children - is to love their children s mum...

Friday, September 5, 2008

Family UPDATE

So much has been happening - Let me give you a brief update!




Caleb's team were minor premiers of their league and have each received 1 medallion, 1 trophy & a track suit. Plus a team trophy & a shield to remind them of their achievements. WELL DONE - Son - We are so proud of you! What a season...

My great Uncle Carol passed away. He was a man who stood up to the plate, and took good care of my mum and her brothers and sisters, when things were difficult for them as kids. He is going to be missed.



We got a phone call the other morning... Yea, one that you don't hope for... But a man who has been a great friend, support, encourager, mate & father-n-law was in casualty... He is OK, but in a bit of pain.

My beautiful bride, prepared and presented a review of our homeschooling program to the Education Board of NSW, for Caleb & Abigail for the past two years. What a feat! Then she had to present a future program for Noah, Abigail & Caleb.

The Education Board representative had many encouraging things to say! I am grateful for your investment into our children honey! How exciting - now we wait another two years for the next review!

These little events have happened on top of our normal week of homeschooling, work & college...

So we will resume our normal posting soon...