This April, my wife and I will have been married for twelve years. And I’ve spent the majority of those twelve years bouncing back and forth on the pendulum of pleasing her and simply shutting off. It’s an exhaustive charade that has robbed me of peace and caused me to fall into the trap of loving her circumstantially. I treasure the fact that she challenges me and pushes me beyond my comfort zone, but it grates on every last nerve. For more than thirty years, I’ve been […]
Tag Archives | Father
Our Longing for Home: A Fresh Take on the Prodigal Son
What if the rich young ruler was the prodigal son? That’s an odd question, especially for those who are familiar with the two Biblical narratives. Believe me, it was odd to me when I felt God press it on my heart during worship this past Sunday. Those steeped in theology are quick to point out that one was a parable while one was a real account. But if you’re willing to follow along with me, I think you’ll find a […]
Just Like Dad
My sons have recently developed a desire that has become quite frustrating. Whether they’re going to school, getting ready for church, or simply playing outside, they want to dress just like their dad—down to the very last detail. If I had one child, that might be a realistic expectation, but with three boys, it has become downright comical. It’s not uncommon for all three of them to be inconsolable with emotion because “my shirt doesn’t have buttons all the way down”, or “dad’s not wearing […]
30 Things I Have Learned About Fatherhood and Boys
When my wife and I prayed for a family, we didn’t understand why God made us wait nearly three years for our prayers to be answered. All of the heartache and pain didn’t seem necessary. Why would a good, loving God drag us through a desert-like season that almost cost us our marriage? The wisdom of hindsight has revealed that God was simply preparing us for three boys. While infertility and marital struggles were challenging, nothing has been more challenging than parenting these […]
The Cure for Fatherlessness in America
Fatherlessness is the number one social problem facing America today. Men not being men. Fathers not being fathers. At the root of that issue is a single trait: SELFISHNESS: “Devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one’s own interests” I understand that there are circumstances and stories in every situation, but at the end of the day, concern with oneself overrides any motivation to be concerned for others. And the interesting challenge is that most of the time, […]