Healing a Man's Father Wound

I remember being introduced to the concept of the "Father Wound" many years ago and thinking it was a bunch of nonsense...

Years of experience in talking to men has proven otherwise. Much of what men struggle with in their quest to be "real men" and subsequently passing it on to their boys centers around this important relationship.

It is important for all men to know:

Only a father (or a surrogate or substitute father) can affirm a man's masculinity and make him feel that he's a man. Neither fame nor fortune nor all the women in the world can ever do this for him. Only a father's love can.

Here's a short article explaining the concept, the consequences, and how to begin to heal.

Healing a Man's Father Wound

She Calls Me Daddy

With three boys in the house, it is always a struggle to keep my daughter from "falling through the cracks". I'll be honest...it's just easier to deal with boys.

Going through an old box of books the other day I found this book again. My daughter is a teen, so it's been a few years since I read it. But if I remember correctly, it is a good book.

Check it out:

She Calls Me Daddy Review

Holds Everything You Need

Stumped on what to tell your kids that you want for Christmas?

What could be more manly than a new wallet....but not just any wallet....

You need the Slim Clip*! Reduce your plastic cards down to 7 or so, get yourself $20 cash to carry around, and quit collecting receipts (you never look at them anyway!)

I've been using one of these since last Christmas (I discovered and ordered it and gave it to my wife, to give to my kids, to give to me) and I love it. I carry it in my front right pocket and it is so convenient and cool.

You'll never go back to that bulky, soggy, chunk of leather you have stuck in your back side!

Official Slim Clip Website

*I'm not getting any kick-back, I just really like the product!

Strategic Dads

Well over a year ago I posted a link to the blog pre-cursor of this resource.

Now it looks to be a full-on ministry with really great content. Of particular interest to me is the "Create a Crest" feature.

Check it out at:

Strategic Dads

Fatherwork

I briefly browsed this website and it struck me as rather clinical and academic...but I can't argue with the content:

Fatherwork provides stories, ideas, and activities to encourage generative fathering. Harold B. Lee stated that "The most important...work you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes."

I'm not sure if you'll find anything useful on the site, but being a "charts and diagrams" guy, I found one or two things of interest. One warning: I didn't find any overt references to LDS teaching, but the authors appear to be professors at BYU.

Fatherwork

I Did Not Save the World Today

Ok, it's pretty obvious that I did not save the world today. Did I even think I could?

It sounds silly to say, but sometimes I think in the back of my mind I think I should. I've even caught myself saying it as a response to my wife and her innocent inquiry into how my day went:

"How was your day, honey?"

"Well, I didn't save the world today...."

Sometimes I live my life like I think it is possible...

Sometimes I think it is required of me: being the best husband, father, friend, coach, church member, employee, etc., etc., etc.,

The reality is there is only one Savior of the world...and He has already done it. Any echo of that in me, is Him in me!

Here's a song by a Christian folk singer I just discovered (and now love!) that really hit me hard..."up side the head" hard. He pretty much sums it up. Make sure you listen to the chorus. This one's going on my iPod!

Did Not Save the World Today | Allen Levi Song - Yahoo! Music

Men of Armor

Just found out about this ministry/blog. I'm totally on the same page with the great things they are doing to help men in their daily fight....

Cool thing is, they're in my "back yard"! Turns out we have lots of shared connection points.

Check them out at:

Men of Armor

Useful Knots

If you're not already covering it in scouting or some other group, you may want to make sure your boys know how to tie a knot...as it's the kind of thing that a man finds useful from time to time.

You could even work it into a ceremony, requiring them to learn and/or demonstrate it.

Here's a list of the 10 most useful knots. I'm sure a quick trip to youtube will get you all the instruction you need...

How to Tie the 10 Most Useful Knots

Christian Engravers

Here's a website providing engraved plaques and similar items. From a recent post on Familymanweb.com forums:

[Raising a Modern Day Knight] helped me to see the importance of raising Godly young men for the Lord as well showing me their examples of what they did for their sons so that they would remember and never forget. This token of rememberence is vital and anything you can present to him will be forever engraved with him (pun intended). This weighs heavy on my heart as I would have loved something similar from my dad. The other men I included in this ceremony for my son were just as blessed as we were also.

Some of you know that my family and I run a Christian Engraving Business. With that being said, I have some solid Marble 8x10 plaques I could engrave for you to present to your son (if interested).

Check out the website: http://christianengravers.com/

Gone Too Long

Hard to believe it's been more than a year since I posted here...

Going to get back into it!