2. He took me on regular dates, starting at a young age.
Starting at a very young age, my father took me on regular dates. I always looked forward to these times and it became part of my normal routine. My dad would use these times to ask great questions about what I was thinking and my life. It wasn’t unusual for him to ask me about what guys I was interested in, difficult things that were happening at school, or how I felt about a particular punishment I may have received earlier that week. Because it was so “business as usual” to discuss these things, it was never awkward or strange. As I got into the high school stage—my dad didn’t even have to ask these questions anymore. He became the first person that I wanted to talk about important things with and I often sought him out to talk to before talking with friends my age.
My father also took every opportunity to spend time with me (apart from our formal “dates”). If I had a messy room to clean up, he’d often sit on a chair in my room and talk with me while I cleaned it. If I had laundry to fold, he would often sit and fold with me so that we could talk. Even as I got older and moved out of the house (pre-marriage), I could always count on calling my dad up late at night to see if he was up for hanging out with my while I shopped at Wal-Mart at 10pm or went to the laundry mat.
All of this gave him a platform to speak God’s truth into my life. Because I trusted him so much with my thoughts as my young mind was developing and trying to figure out what my worldview would be—he was able to be the primary person to help shape and guide my view of the world. I never felt a desire to rebel against him, because he took so much time to understand and know why I was thinking a specific way. I was protected from much heart ache in dating relationships, drugs, and alcohol because I knew at some point, I always ended up telling my dad about poor choices I made—and there were certain things that I never wanted to have to explain to him.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Thursday, December 17, 2009
5 Ways My Dad Fathered Me To Love Jesus--#1
1.He was home for dinner, every night.
I know my dad worked a lot when I was young. He started two different businesses and I am told he worked 60+ hours a week. He often was awake at 5 in the morning to start his day and would work until late in the evening. Even in all this, my father always prioritized spending time with my sister and me. He was always home for dinner. I have vivid memories of him coming home every night (the highlight of our day!) and eating dinner with us. After dinner, he’d spend time wrestling, playing, getting us ready for bed, read us stories, pray with us…and then the best part—tucked us in at night.
Now that I’m a parent, this time that we had with my dad was probably an hour and a half, maybe two hours. I think he would be home by 6 and we would be in bed between 7:30 and 8:00. Sometimes, he had to go back to work or finish work. Thinking about it, an hour-two hours a day isn’t really a lot of time for a father to spend with his children, especially if you think about how much time children spend with teachers, friends, etc. But even though I may have spent less time with my father then with other influences in my life, my father was able to be the most influential voice in my life because of the consistency and complete attention he gave us daily.
My dad never went "out with the guys", hung out at bars to watch sports, met friends for drinks/cigars during those times that he could be home with us (maybe he occasionally did it after we went to bed). Any men’s ministry activities he was a part of (and he was always involved other men’s lives) took place on Saturday mornings or before work. He took us everywhere he went on the weekends and whatever he was doing, we went along. If it was ministry, we went. If it was spending time with friends, we were there too. If it was a bible study, we could bring a backpack of quiet toys to play with at his feet while he participated or led it. Even times he had to work at his office on weekends, he’d bring sleeping bags, movies, and lunch and we’d get to “camp out” under his desk while he finished things up.
This wasn’t just when I was older, but I know he started this when I was very young. I know he made time with us a priority long before my memories were capable of remembering. I know this time he spent was the basis for which I was able to trust him so much as I got older and which opened the doors for him to shepherd me throughout my childhood.
Next post: 2: He initiated reading scripture, asking spiritual questions, and holding me accountable
I know my dad worked a lot when I was young. He started two different businesses and I am told he worked 60+ hours a week. He often was awake at 5 in the morning to start his day and would work until late in the evening. Even in all this, my father always prioritized spending time with my sister and me. He was always home for dinner. I have vivid memories of him coming home every night (the highlight of our day!) and eating dinner with us. After dinner, he’d spend time wrestling, playing, getting us ready for bed, read us stories, pray with us…and then the best part—tucked us in at night.
Now that I’m a parent, this time that we had with my dad was probably an hour and a half, maybe two hours. I think he would be home by 6 and we would be in bed between 7:30 and 8:00. Sometimes, he had to go back to work or finish work. Thinking about it, an hour-two hours a day isn’t really a lot of time for a father to spend with his children, especially if you think about how much time children spend with teachers, friends, etc. But even though I may have spent less time with my father then with other influences in my life, my father was able to be the most influential voice in my life because of the consistency and complete attention he gave us daily.
My dad never went "out with the guys", hung out at bars to watch sports, met friends for drinks/cigars during those times that he could be home with us (maybe he occasionally did it after we went to bed). Any men’s ministry activities he was a part of (and he was always involved other men’s lives) took place on Saturday mornings or before work. He took us everywhere he went on the weekends and whatever he was doing, we went along. If it was ministry, we went. If it was spending time with friends, we were there too. If it was a bible study, we could bring a backpack of quiet toys to play with at his feet while he participated or led it. Even times he had to work at his office on weekends, he’d bring sleeping bags, movies, and lunch and we’d get to “camp out” under his desk while he finished things up.
This wasn’t just when I was older, but I know he started this when I was very young. I know he made time with us a priority long before my memories were capable of remembering. I know this time he spent was the basis for which I was able to trust him so much as I got older and which opened the doors for him to shepherd me throughout my childhood.
Next post: 2: He initiated reading scripture, asking spiritual questions, and holding me accountable
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Abortion Debate
Check out Vocab's debate/discussion on abortion. He is in the middle of a series of thought provoking posts. Jim Lippard, a very intelligent pro-abortionist, is debating Vocab's points on his blog. The diolouge back and forth is great!
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Adopted for Life Book Discussion: Adoption, Jesus, and You
“As we become more attuned to the gospel, we’ll have more of a burden for orphans. As we become more adoption-friendly, we’ll be better able to understand the gospel.”
The opening chapter introduces us to some great ideas about the interconnectedness of God’s adoption of us and how that is reflected in our adoption of children. Russel Moore begins to tell us about his own journey of preaching and thinking about the “theology” of adoption without ever thinking about how that relates to earthly adoption of orphans. He does a great job of showing how we cannot appreciate one fully without the other.
Please take a minute to comment on one of the following questions:
“Without the theological aspect, the emphasis on adoption too easily is seen as mere charity. Without the missional aspect, the doctrine of adoption is too easily seen as mere metaphor.” (p.18)
1. What do you think that statement means? How have you seen this to be true in your own life?
2. When thinking about God’s adoption of us, why is it important for us to understand it beyond “mere metaphor”?
3. How does interlinking the two help us see adoption of orphans as more then just charity or a good deed?
The opening chapter introduces us to some great ideas about the interconnectedness of God’s adoption of us and how that is reflected in our adoption of children. Russel Moore begins to tell us about his own journey of preaching and thinking about the “theology” of adoption without ever thinking about how that relates to earthly adoption of orphans. He does a great job of showing how we cannot appreciate one fully without the other.
Please take a minute to comment on one of the following questions:
“Without the theological aspect, the emphasis on adoption too easily is seen as mere charity. Without the missional aspect, the doctrine of adoption is too easily seen as mere metaphor.” (p.18)
1. What do you think that statement means? How have you seen this to be true in your own life?
2. When thinking about God’s adoption of us, why is it important for us to understand it beyond “mere metaphor”?
3. How does interlinking the two help us see adoption of orphans as more then just charity or a good deed?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
book discussion starting this week!
We are starting the "Adopted for Life" book study this week! I will be posting an overview of each chapter on Friday or Saturdays with questions for us to discuss/think about. This week, lets read chapters 1 and 2...I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts this weekend!
Friday, November 06, 2009
Preaching vs. Worship
Jeff Purswell does a great job of explaining why preaching is essential to worship:
Throughout salvation history, all the way into the new covenant, God’s Word is at the center of worship. The early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and every church was nourished on God’s Word, all the way down to the last chapter of the last book that Paul wrote, where he tells Timothy to preach the Word “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).
Why? Why so much preaching? Why all this talking? Because the primary way we encounter God in worship is through the preaching of the Word of God.
Think about it this way. Normally, in what we call “worship,” we spend significant time—perhaps the whole time—addressing God, singing to him, praising him, extolling him, praying to him. Wonderful! But in preaching we are no longer addressing God; he is addressing us. Nothing is more important than this moment. And this is why the most important worship leader in your church is your pastor.
That really gets to the heart of preaching. The Bible is not simply a book that we talk about. When God’s Word is faithfully preached, God is addressing us. God is speaking. We hear not merely a man’s voice. We hear the voice of God.
Read the entire post here.
HT: Pure Church
Throughout salvation history, all the way into the new covenant, God’s Word is at the center of worship. The early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and every church was nourished on God’s Word, all the way down to the last chapter of the last book that Paul wrote, where he tells Timothy to preach the Word “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).
Why? Why so much preaching? Why all this talking? Because the primary way we encounter God in worship is through the preaching of the Word of God.
Think about it this way. Normally, in what we call “worship,” we spend significant time—perhaps the whole time—addressing God, singing to him, praising him, extolling him, praying to him. Wonderful! But in preaching we are no longer addressing God; he is addressing us. Nothing is more important than this moment. And this is why the most important worship leader in your church is your pastor.
That really gets to the heart of preaching. The Bible is not simply a book that we talk about. When God’s Word is faithfully preached, God is addressing us. God is speaking. We hear not merely a man’s voice. We hear the voice of God.
Read the entire post here.
HT: Pure Church
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Orphan Sunday this week at Roosevelt!
November 8th is Orphan Sunday and I am VERY excited about some things that will be happening at Roosevelt this weekend!
1) We will be having a ministry spotlight talking about foster parenting/adoption with resources available for families who would like to further consider/pray about becoming foster or adoptive parents.
2) Vocab & Nicole will be teaching a RU class called, "A Biblical View on Adoption" after service (lunch will be provided). You don't want to miss it!
3) We will be launching a new Roosevelt book study. We have 6 copies of "Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches" by Russel Moore. I will be commenting/ opening up for discussing a chapter each week on my blog. I hope to have at least 6 people join me on Sunday in reading/discussing this book. (If you don't attend Roosevelt and would like to join the study, order the book now--we will be starting next week.)
**even if you think you will never foster or adopt, this book is well worth reading. 1) to support our families in the church who do and 2) to have a deeper appreciation of God's adoption of you!
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