Why Fathers Matter

Last month, I had the chance to meet & hear a young man who’s running for office.  He happened to sit next to me, & we had the chance to talk before the meeting started.  I asked him if he had a family.  He shared that he & his wife have 2 young children, & are preparing to have a third child.  I smiled & said, Oh, those are good years for children.  Some of my favorite memories of our children are when they were that age.  He quickly agreed.  He runs a small business.  When he spoke to the group, he spoke very passionately about his beliefs about government, faith, & marriage. 

After the meeting ended, I encouraged him that whether he won or lost the election, to spend time with his children while they’re young.  I said, your children will be this young only for a limited number of years, & this is the period when a father can have the most influence.  The time that a father invests in his children when they are young, will pay dividends later.  He seemed touched, & said that that was so true.

When our son was in high school, he was in a youth ministry in which he taught & mentored boys ages 6-10.  Later, when he was in college, he wrote a term paper about the importance of fathers.  In the paper, he wrote about the behavior & decisions that he observed in these young boys.  He described how without exception, the boys who behaved well & made good decisions, had a positive role model for a father in the home.  The boys who misbehaved & made bad decisions, had a negative role model for a father or had no father in the home. 

Chuck Colson was one of the top officials in the Pres. Richard Nixon administration & was caught up in the Watergate scandal of the 1970s.  So it was very humbling for him to find himself in a prison cell, but his experience in that prison cell lead him to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  After he was released from prison, he began a ministry for prisoners.  He initiated Bible studies & programs for prisoners; his ministry called Prison Fellowship grew & grew.  Colson invested decades of his life into prisoners.  He also read studies of prisoners.  He discovered that the thousands of men in prison had virtually nothing in common, except for one thing.  Every man in prison had a negative role model for a father or no father in the home. 

That’s right.  When a boy grows up in a home with a positive role model for a father, he learns positive values & learns to make good decisions.  That’s why I have a heart for fathers of young children.  When I meet a man who had young children, I encourage him to spend time with his children.  Young children will learn so much from watching their parents. 

That’s why fathers matter.  That’s why fathers are so important.  Fathers have the influence to shape the next generation.  When our children became teens & then young adults, they made decisions that were so much wiser than the decisions that I made at their ages.  It was humbling for me, but watching them also made me proud.  It all started when our children were babies, toddlers, & then young children, playing with them & showing them what a man does.  If you know a father of young children, please, for the sake of those children, encourage him to invest time in his children.  Happy Fathers’ Day! 

God seeks to be reunited with his children.

A couple years ago, I read a book (The Radio Signal) by a German-American - Friedhelm Radandt.  Friedhelm Radandt was a child in Germany during Hitler's rise to power in the 1930s.  His father refused to enroll him and his older brother in the Nazi school for teenage boys, and because of that, his father lost his job, & their family had to move.  Friedhelm also had 2 older sisters.

In the early part of WW 2, Friedhelm's older brother enlisted in the Nazi program for teenage officers, against his parents' wishes.  Shortly after that, he disappeared on the motorcycle the Nazis provided for teenage officers.  Friedhelm was about 7-8 years old when he too became separated from his family because an approaching army, but was reunited a day or two later.  His sister was a children's nanny for another family when they had to flee a quickly approaching army.  His siblings were separated from his parents because of the war, as many families were separated in Europe during WW 2.

At the end of the war, Friedhelm and his parents were living just West of Germany.  Like many fathers who had been separated from his children, his father wanted to see his young adult children back in his home again.  So he began writing letters to any government official in any place that any of his children might be.  He wrote letter after letter after letter after letter.  When a returning letter informed him of where one of his children were, he traveled to that place to rescue his child and bring him home again.  After months and months of this, Friedhelm's 2 sisters were reunited with his family.

Then they learned that Friedhelm's brother was being held in prison along with other German soldiers just East of Germany, in an area occupied by the Soviet army.  His father traveled across the area held by Allied forces, to just across a river from the prison.  The river along the prison was the line between the Allied forces and the area held by the Soviet army.  Friedhelm's father sent a secret message to his son who snuck out of the prison during the night & managed to escape across the river without being seen, to be reunited with his father, & together they traveled back to join the rest of their family.

The point is that Friedhelm's father went through many steps, some of which were costly & risky, to be reunited with all his children after the war.  In a similar way, God went through many steps to be reunited with his children.  Sending his Son to be born in humble circumstances was the costliest & riskiest thing that God did, to rescue his children & be reunited with them.

We're separated from God by our sin which is like cancer; it's awful, painful & destructive.  Prior to Christ, in the latter part of the Old Testament, it became clear that the old Jewish system of sacrifices, was not enough to restore God's people to Him.  That system had become abused by selfish people who took advantage of the poor & gave special privileges to the wealthy.

In the journey of life, sometimes one reaches the point where one wishes to be reunited with lost family members.  Would you like to be reunited with your spiritual family?  Would you like to develop a relationship with your heavenly Father?

If you've come to the point in your life where you can see your need for help to overcome your problems & sins, you can be reunited with your heavenly Parent through the help of Jesus.  Admit your sins and weaknesses, to be reunited with God, and trust in his Spirit to help you.  If you want to learn more, read the Gospel of John in the New Testament in the Bible.

What Do These Stones Mean?

 I knew a man in Iowa who built a stone retaining wall in his backyard.  His wall had gray stones, silver stones, brown field stones, and blocks of pink granite.  It took him about 8 years to build the wall that would keep the dirt in place and be a nice backdrop for a flower garden.

But he didn’t have any big stones.  He thought a farmer would have tons of rocks.  When they find a big stone out in the field, they toss it in a pile.  He thought he’d get some stones from a farmer he knew.  But when he called the farmer, he was told, “This is Iowa.  There are no rocks in Iowa.  If you want rocks you have to go someplace else.”

So he collected rocks for 8 years.  Whenever his family took a vacation, they bring back a rock.  His wall had rocks from Michigan, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota.  Coming back from a fishing trip in Canada, the customs officer looked in his trunk and said, “What’s this?”  The man said, “a stone.”  The officer said, “Don’t you have any stones in Iowa?”  “No.”

Memorial Day is a good time to stack stones.  After the children of Israel crossed the Jordan River, Joshua ordered 12 strong men to stack 12 large stones on the shore as a monument.  “In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.  When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.  These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”  (Joshua 4: 6-7)

Are there stones in your life?  Are there monuments to which a child can point sand say, “What do these stones mean?”

            -“Why do we always pray before supper, Mom?”

            -“Why do we always go to church?”

            -“How come we read the Bible?”

            -“Why do you put money in the offering plate at church?”

Joshua built the memorial not for the people who crossed the Jordan that day, but for their children.  Your children (and grandchildren) are looking at you, looking for memorial stones, looking for a God who lives and reigns in your life.  Your children are on a spiritual journey.  You must provide the markers and milestones along the way.  If you don’t give your children stones, who will?  Children today need stones.

Stories That Bind Our Families

Colossians 3:14 says, And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 

In Sept., Readers Digest had a report on researchers who studied the ingredients make some families resilient and happy.  One learning-disabilities specialist said, The students “who know a lot about their families tend to do better when they face challenges.”  Two researchers used a Do You Know survey of 20 questions, such as Do you know where your grandparents grew up?  Do you know where your mom and dad went to high school?  Do you know about an illness or something really terrible that happened in your family?   They concluded: “The more children knew about their families’ histories, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem.”  Another study showed the same: The children who knew more about their families proved to be more resilient.

Why does knowing where her grandmother went to school help a child overcome a skinned knee or a horrible attack?  It turns out that the children who have the most self-confidence, know they belong to something bigger than themselves.

The holidays are a time when families of all generations, get together.  When you’re sitting around the Thanksgiving dinner table, share your stories of growing up with the children in your family.  Honor your parents (Exodus 20:12) and grandparents by asking them to share about what their lives were like when they were growing up. 

2 Tim. 1:5  I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Some readers will recognize this song:

Bind us together, Lord, bind us together with cords that cannot be broken. 

Bind us together, Lord, bind us together, Lord, bind us together, in love.

Use your family gatherings over the holidays, to share stories that bind our families together.

Receive God's Treats on Halloween

Christians have been divided over how to handle Halloween for as long as I remember.  Most acknowledge that the worldly history of Halloween; the controversy is over whether today's Halloween practices (trick-or-treating, costume parties, decorations, etc.) are sinful or not. 

When our children were younger, my wife and I allowed them to participate in a limited amount of trick-or-treating, but avoided the devil and evil-type of costumes and decorations.  We now live in a neighborhood that receives hundreds of kids trick-or-treating, and we enjoy greeting children, many of whom know my wife at a local school.

Our church will offer GOD'S TREATS on this Thurs, Halloween, at 5-6 pm.  The best treat that we can offer is Jesus Christ who offers the treat of eternal life, forgiveness, and hope all year round. 

Put your trust in the One who can save you from evil, and forgive your sin if you ask for his mercy for your sins. Don't let the devil influence you; Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Please call me at bluesky09 at juno.com if you have questions.  God’s biggest treat for you on Halloween is his grace in Jesus Christ.

Preppers for Jesus

Have you heard of the preppers?  Preppers are preparing for a disaster, or as some say, for “The End of The World as We Know It.”  They gather large quantities of food, water, and other supplies.  They learn skills to become more self-sufficient.  They prepare for a long period of time without the electrical grid.  Most have guns to protect themselves in case law enforcement cannot help them.  You can learn more about preppers at www.survivalblog.com/ or americanpreppersnetwork.com.  Some see prepping as a wise plan, while others see it as unnecessary or strange.

I believe that some preparation is wise.  Since 9/11, FEMA has recommended that you store one gallon of water per person, per day, so that you can survive 3 days in your home, and enough food to last 3 days.  Life brings unexpected disasters.  What would you do if a tornado hit your home?  How well were you prepared for this recession?  If your electricity was cut off in an ice storm, how many days could you survive without electricity?  Does your family have a plan on how to deal with a fire in your home?

In Genesis 41, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream that Egypt would have 7 years of abundant crops followed 7 years of famine.  So Joseph was put in charge of saving up extra food supplies during the 7 years of abundant crops, to prepare for the 7 years of drought and famine.  That lead Pharaoh and Joseph to wisely use the abundant years to prepare for the lean years of hardship.  The decision lead to the saving of the Egyptian people, and to the survival of the Israelites when Joseph’s family came to Egypt to receive food from him.  Maybe Joseph and Pharaoh were the original preppers.

Have you ever considered spiritual preparedness?

Are you trusting Christ’s mercy for the ultimate day of judgment in Revelation 20: 11-15?  Do you regularly confess your sins?  Or do you, like the Pharisee in the temple, give thanks to God that you’re not like those “sinners?”  (Luke 18:9-14)

Have you ever learned to read the Bible for your own spiritual nurture?  What if you were in a situation where you did not have access to a good Bible-teaching church or pastor?  (Those who have lived away from the Bible-Belt may have experienced this.)  Would your faith decline or deteriorate in your new world?  Or would you be able to sustain your faith? 

If you’re a parent or grandparent, are you training your children or grandchildren in the ways of faith, hope, and love in Christ?  Relying on your church to train your children is not enough to prepare your child for life in today’s world.  Imagine a rope that is 168 inches long.  There are 168 hours in a week.  If your child is taught by a church for 2-3 hours per week, that leaves huge segments of time when you child will be influenced by others.  Consider your child’s daycare workers or school teacher.  Are they influencing your child for good or for worldly ways? 

Can you devote a few hours every week, or say 20 minutes a day, to reading the Bible to your young child?  Or talking to your older child about what the Bible means?  When you watch TV or a movie with your child, do you point out good or bad things in the show and bring up what Scripture teaches about those things?  Do you know what your child is looking at online?  There are software programs that monitor children online.  Do you pray with your child at mealtime or bedtime?  How much are you influencing your child or grandchild for God?  Is your child being prepared for a life of faith in Christ?

I’m not affirming all aspects of the prepper life, but I believe that the Christian life includes getting prepared for some things.  You can become a prepper for Jesus.

Whose Hand is Guiding Your Stroller?

It was a touching scene at a Christian convention.  In the space between the seats & the convention hall wall was a mother & toddler standing together.  The little toddler would not be still, as you can imagine.  His Mom let him stand in the stroller, holding its back while he pushed with all the energy he could muster.  He didn’t know where he was going, as his Mom turned the stroller in a different direction.  This could have been a problem except that the loving mother was behind him, close enough to guide the stroller handle whenever it began to move away.

The toddler was free to follow his heart’s desire, with regular correction from his mother to keep him where she wanted him to end up.  So it is with you & me & God.  We are free to follow our heart’s desire, although the Heavenly Father corrects our course.  When one gets humble before God, He lifts that lowly one up.  When one becomes too proud, well, remember that proverb that says pride comes before a downfall.

This raises the question: Who or what is guiding the stroller of your life?  Are you submitting yourself to the Master daily?  Or are your desires & decisions leading you astray? 

Many years ago, I heard & read that money, sex, & power are the 3 main temptations for Christ-followers.  Those 3 things - $$, sex & power – include a lot of temptations, temptations that have led many of us into sin.  If you struggle to identify your sins, try reading the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5.  Are you loving the Lord with your whole heart and loving your neighbor as yourself?  Do you see yourself as a sinner?  Do you truly need the guidance of the Master?

How can we know that God’s hand is guiding your or my stroller of life?  It’s a matter of faith & trust, & lining up one’s life with the Bible that was inspired by God’s Spirit.  When you feel unsure of God’s will for your life, read relevant Scriptures, bring it to the Master in prayer, and ask a mature Christian for guidance.

Jesus called his followers to become like little children.  That means that we’re not in control; the One who guides our stroller is in charge.  Let the Master steer your stroller of life.

We’re all riding a stroller through life.  Sometimes the ride is as exciting as a roller coaster.  Sometimes it’s a leisurely stroll down a country lane.  You and I will experience more peace & joy when we let the Master steer our stroller.  Put yourself in the Father’s stroller and let the Master steer the stroller of your life.