Christmas Break

It wasn't intentional, but it seems I needed a little rest from making posts.

Having a Christmas break was great!

I'm looking forward to a new year of strategic fathering...

Leader Of The Band

I'm not a huge Dan Fogelberg fan, but I was saddened to hear that he died after battling cancer.

One song of his that touched me was Leader of the Band. Right up there at the top on any "best of father/son music" list along with Harry Chapin's Cat's in the Cradle, this is one of those songs that can give you a lump in the throat the first time you hear it, and can make you stop and think almost every time you hear it.

Here's the lyrics with my emphasis added. See the link at the bottom for more on this singer/songwriter.

Leader Of The Band

An only child alone and wild, a cabinet maker's son
His hands were meant for different work
And his heart was known to none
He left his home and went his lone and solitary way
And he gave to me a gift I know I never can repay
A quiet man of music denied a simpler fate
He tried to be a soldier once, but his music wouldn't wait
He earned his love through discipline-- a thundering, velvet hand
His gentle means of sculpting souls took me years to understand
(Chorus)
The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band

My brothers' lives were different for they heard another call
One went to Chicago and the other to St Paul
And I'm in Colorado when I'm not in some hotel
Living out this life I've chose and have come to know so well

I thank you for the music and your stories of the road
I thank you for the freedom when it came my time to go
I thank you for the kindness and the times when you got tough
And, papa, I don't think I said 'I love you' near enough
(Chorus)
I am a living legacy to the leader of the band

Dan Fogelberg

Christmas Meditation

The really staggering Christian claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was God made man -- that the second person of the Godhead became the 'second man' (I Cor. 15:47), determining human destiny, the second representative head of the race, and that He took humanity without loss of deity, so that Jesus of Nazareth was as truly and fully divine as He was human.

Here are two mysteries for the price of one -- the plurality of persons within the unity of God, and the union of Godhead and manhood in the person of Jesus. It is here, in the thing that happened at the first Christmas, that the profoundest and most unfathomable depths of the Christian revelation lie. 'The Word was made flesh' (John 1:14); God became man; the divine Son became a Jew; the Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do more than lie and stare and wriggle and make noises, needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child.

And there was no illusion or deception in this: the babyhood of the Son of God was a reality. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of the incarnation.

-- J.I. Packer, "Knowing God"

Christian Storytelling

Telling your kids stories is a great way to impart lessons to them. Storytelling as a narrative technique is a powerful way to communicate the truth of God's word. While most anyone can tell a story, there is a real art and technique to storytelling.

Check out this website for some resources for developing storytelling skills, a growing list of Christian Storytellers across the nation, and a monthly free story:

Christian Storytelling.com

The Advent Event

It is that time of year where amid all the hustle and bustle of the season, we have to intentionally make time to sit down as a family and talk about the real purpose and meaning of Christmas.

One of our newer traditions is to go through The Advent Event, "an easy, fun and enriching family project to help focus attention on the event of the birth of Jesus while discovering the big picture of God's plan throughout the entire Bible."

It is put together by Scott Wiley, our Pastor of Children's Ministries, and his siblings but even if I didn't know the authors, I'd say it is an excellent resource that everyone in our family loves.

The Advent Event

Spotlight: Tim Tebow

This is rather indulgent of me, but as a University of Florida grad, I can't pass up the chance to give a nod to the winner of college football's most coveted award.

More important than his football prowess though is his potential to be a role model to young boys. In a day where most college players are sporting tattoos and mohawks to go with their prideful attitudes, it's good to see one that still says "yes mam" & "yes sir".

Tebow is the fifth and youngest child of parents Bob and Pam Tebow, both University of Florida alumni. Home-schooled, he was born in the Philippines, where his parents were missionaries, and grew up in Jacksonville. He spent three summers doing missionary work himself before attending Florida.

He says his list of priorities, in descending order of importance, is faith, family, academics and football.

Congrats, Tim!

University of Florida Spotlight: Tim Tebow

Strategic Fathering

If you had to boil down the essence of what I as a father am trying to do with my kids, and what I hope to encourage through this ministry in providing resources for other men, the two word phrase I would use is "Strategic Fathering".

Sure, we are providing good things for our kids...reacting to issues as they arrive, showing up for sports events and recitals because they're on the calendar, answering questions about life and spiritual matters as they come up, etc. But I'm talking about giving them the best things...intentionally following a plan of action, working with them to find their strengths, taking up the mantle of spiritual leader of the household, etc.

In the process of strategically fathering our children, something else happens as well. Our Heavenly Father strategically fathers us!

I believe it begins with us allowing the Father to love us as sons, getting to that place where we hear Him call our name, knowing the pleasure He takes in us.

Check out this website which seems to capture and expound on the fact that this journey is as much about growing us up as it is about growing our kids up.

Strategic Fathering

Confessions and Compasses

Confession time...my family and I (not the youngest) have watched the Lord of the Rings movies, Narnia, and *gasp* Harry Potter. A couple of them have even read some of the Harry Potter books. I just don't get why certain fantasy movies are accepted in Christian circles and some are considered anathema. Yes, I've read the Christian books explaining why one is acceptable and the other not, but I just don't totally buy it.

The latest movie starting to generate some Christian anti-buzz is The Golden Compass, and although I haven't really researched it yet, I stumbled on this blog post from the "Confessions of a Bad Christian" blog that captures my feelings on the subject pretty well:

Paul was aware of the opposition to his faith and to the God he believed in. He was informed about the philosophies of those who opposed his faith. He engaged them in intelligent and probably spirited debate. The book of Acts honestly records the results.
...

Maybe that is why we are often more comfortable decrying the culture instead of engaging it. Most of us don’t like being labeled as airheads (The Message) or as a babbler (NIV).

Give this post a read and see if you agree that God can use even this movie for His purpose if we will just let Him. If you think I'm totally off base here, let me know...

Christians Shouldn't Lose Their Bearings Over a Golden Compass

e-Sword

I'm sword shopping! Strange as it sounds, I am researching for the purchase of a sword for my oldest son's 16th birthday. He received a shield at 13 and now it's time to take it up a notch...leading to his pronouncement as a "knight" when he turns 19.

I'm sure I'll have many posts in the weeks ahead as I dive into the complex world of sword buying.(ever notice how whatever field of interest you get into, there's always a lot more there than you bargain on?)

In the meantime, here's a segue to a tool that no man should be without: e-Sword. From the author:

e-Sword is a fast and effective way to study the Bible. e-Sword is feature rich and user friendly with more capabilities than you would expect in a free software package. The fact that e-Sword is free is just one of the blessings and does not speak of the quality of the software. I make my living writing software and I believe I have put forth my best effort in this endeavor.

e-Sword

All Pro Dad Experience

Two of my boys and I attended an All Pro Dad sponsored "Carolina Panthers Father & Kids Experience" and had a great time. Mike Minter came out and briefly spoke, and then the dads & kids moved from station to station having fun by mixing football and fatherhood. I have to admit that by the end, my kids calling me an "All Pro Dad" and really meaning it felt good.

I really like the way this organization doesn't beat dads over the head with their message, but instead gets it across in a way that piques your interest. I am seriously considering becoming a "team captain" for the All Pro Dad's Day Monthly Breakfast.

Take a look at other upcoming father & kid events: NFL Events.