A long while ago I reviewed the book Age of Opportunity by Paul Tripp. I pulled it back off the shelf a couple of days ago to look something up and realized (anew) what a great book it is.
The teaching ministries of Paul and his brother Ted Tripp have had a significant impact our family. If you are not familiar with their work I would encourage you to take a look:
Paul Tripp Ministries
Tedd Tripp Shepherd Press
Here's a well written article by a father of three boys who did not have a strong manly influence in his life. He succinctly captures in a few paragraphs several thing so many of us fathers can't seem to put into words, but struggle with constantly.
What I'm discovering is that as I try to guide these ornery, wild-hearted little boys toward manhood, they are helping me become a better man, too. I love my sons without measure, and I want them to have the father I did not. As I stumble and sometimes fail, as I feign an interest in camping and construction and bugs, I become something better than I was.
I have not read the book or been to the conference, but just a glance at the website and watching a couple of the videos makes me think this might be worthwhile...kind of reminds me of a Christian version of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" (which I investigated prior to becoming a Christian and have come to find out is very new-agey).
Love and Respect - Presented by Dr. Emerson E. Eggerichs
I'm facilitating the Raising a Modern Day Knight class at my church again starting in October. You would think I might be getting tired of this by now, but I am very excited. I think of something different or learn something new every time. My favorite financial adviser, Dave Ramsey, always says God has him teach "financial peace" because he needs to hear it more than anyone else...I feel the same way about Him having me teach "strategic fatherhood".
I'm praying the right guys show up. I'm taking a little different tact this time and having an intro session where the guys get a chance to see more of what it is about before committing to take the 6 week class. Hopefully, this will get more guys in the door ("I'll attend the first meeting just to see what it is about...") and they will get hooked and stay.
Here's the announcement:
Raising A Modern Day Knight
The next class of Raising A Modern Day Knight meets on Wednesday evenings from October 1st through November 19th at 6:30PM. RMDK meets in room CC222 at Colonial Baptist Church.
Raising A Modern Day Knight is an 8-week class for men who are raising sons. This study will give you the opportunity to explore how you can raise your sons into a noble, vibrant masculinity and a healthy manhood, thus propelling your fatherhood to another level.
This series is led by Dave Conklin, a father of three sons.
The series is a study for men based on the best-selling Focus on the Family book, Raising a Modern Day Knight. The class format will consist of the following three elements:
* Group time to discuss the reading from the previous week.
* Video featuring Robert Lewis and Dennis Rainey
* Small group discussion
We do ask that if you choose to participate, you make attendance a priority. Also, please note that there will be reading assignments each week from the book Raising a Modern Day Knight.
Registration:
The first session is an introduction to the course. Feel free to attend the first session with no obligation. At the first session, you will have the opportunity to register for the remaining sessions, and purchase the materials.
A great story from today's news:
"I just kept thinking about her and how I was not going to leave her without a brother and her father in the same day -- not on my watch..."
Leadership is the activity of influencing people to cooperate toward some goal which they come to find desirable. -- Ordway Teal
Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. It your are in control, they are in control. - Tom Landry
A leader has been defined as one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. -- Franklin P. Jones
Skill in the art of communication is crucial to a leader's success. He can accomplish nothing unless he can communicate effectively. -- Norman Allen
The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to carry on.
-- Walter Lippman, in Roosevelt Has Gone (April 14, 1945)
No man ruleth safely but he that is willingly ruled. -- Thomas A. Kempis
The political season always brings about the bandying of the term "family values". Here's a little article on God's Family Values.
In view of the true condition [born twisted and practice sin moment by moment] of all people, including children, what should a Christian father do? He must read the Bible. Christian family values do not come from politicians, judges, or professors, but only from the one book which is in accordance with reality--the Bible, the very word of God. Therefore, a Christian father should study the Scriptures daily and diligently so God's family values will be coming from God the Father through the human father into a family. If a Christian father refuses to study the word of God daily and diligently, he will have nothing to offer his family in terms of family values. He will instead subscribe to and teach the secular orthodoxies prevalent in the world.
