Every daddy of daughters knows the fear . . . some goober boy will steal his daughter’s heart. Never mind that every daddy started out as a goober that his father-in-law feared. As the saying goes, girls look for a husband who’s much like her daddy. Dad's example sets her expectations in a mate. I [...]
I’ll never forget it. My throat choked and my hands shook. Tears streamed. Barely able to catch my breath, I watched the doctor deliver my first child and proclaim, “It’s a girl!” As they cut the cord and rubbed her down, I thought: Wow, we made her! . . . Now what? If you’re a [...]
“Alexa, make my child behave.” If only it was that easy. As a young parent, I struggled to lead my kids. Then I realized that my kids weren’t the problem. The problem was raising them without scarring them for life. A friend said her only goal as a mom was to minimize her kids’ counseling [...]
Last week, our family, like yours, tore into wrapped Christmas gifts with oohs and aahs like a Wheel of Fortune episode. COVID, however, cancelled our much-anticipated white elephant gift exchange – a chance to regift previously-received, yet unused, gifts. This year, though, I want to regift something COVID can’t cancel, something people are actually more [...]
Oh, the whoopin’ that is parenting. Exhausted from endless whining, we’ve all resorted to “because I said so.” But we don’t have to live there. We can’t live there . . . if we want whining kids to become winning godly adults. Kids need our provision and protection, but they need something even greater. Kids [...]
With my best British accent, I asked my wife: “If I were to call you, ‘My laaady,’ would you call me, ‘My looord’?” Without hesitation, Anna replied, “Aaahh, NO!” Although never dubbed “my lord,” I’ve been blessed with something far greater. It’s politically unpopular, yet biblically brilliant . . . something my wife gives our [...]
It’s not until you become a parent yourself that you realize how much parents give their kids. Looking back, I see how my mom gives unending love, undeserved patience, and unmatched enchiladas. And my dad is still simply the most humble, giving man I know. Despite few words, Dad’s generosity spoke volumes. Whatever he had, [...]
When bad things happen, we ask, God, why don’t You care about me? While I can’t explain such pain, I also can’t explain God’s favor. In August 1979, God extended His favor, and I was left to ask, God, why do You care so much about me? A few days before my senior year, I [...]
Godly sons not only carry on a family name; they also carry on a family legacy. Godly sons are strong and masculine, yet supportive and mindful. They lead out, yet lean in. Undaunted protectors, yet unending praisers. Uncompromising fulfillers, yet unquestioned fuelers. Godly sons are flawed too, but they funnel others to a forgiving Savior. [...]
I love my sons, but there’s just something about daddy’s little girl. The first time you hold her and imagine swinging her in a playground and walking her down the wedding aisle. You wonder if she’ll be as inspiring as her mother. Three decades later, I no longer have to imagine. I’ve seen the power [...]
