Recently some friends of ours 12-year-old pug was lost in their neighborhood. The dog has numerous health problems, so they naturally assumed the worst. They were obviously upset about it and asked us to pray. Thankfully a few days later they found their pug. I wanted to share the story of how their 3-year-old son reacted to the dog’s disappearance.
A journalism student at Ohio University, Ty Komjati, asked to interview me for a story he was writing on the state of marriage and divorce. I decided to share my answers here:
This year, instead of another card that someone else wrote, I decided to make my own Happy Mother’s Day tribute. My mother is one of the greatest women I know. I am blessed to have her for a mother. She is the picture of a Proverbs 31 woman. She is strong, hard working, loving, and kind. Here are 20 random things I love about my Momma:
My advice to parents is to surround your children with kids they can be encouraged by later in life. Pick your children’s friends, while you can, based on their parents. Look for people who share your values, share your discipline philosophy, and are heading their children in the same direction you want your children to go. Then get your children around those children as much as you can. Hopefully you will instill in your children the skills of picking the right kinds of friends wisely that will carry over into other periods of their life.
I just saw this video. It’s been out for a year, so maybe you have. “Someone” thought I needed to view it. I guess if your spouse is a pastor you get this video. Frankly I don’t. Have you ever heard your pastor talk about his wife in the message?
I don’t usually read forwarded emails (Please pay attention to that comment), but I received this about four times in one day and one was from my wife, so, sensing she may ask me about it later, I read it. Glad I did. Here are some things most men want you to know ladies, but for whatever reason they were afraid to say them. I’m not!
I wish it never happened to anyone and I hope it never happens to you, but in my job I hear it almost every week. It’s a word we are afraid of, one that can destroy, and certainly one that will break a heart. Sometimes people admit to it, but mostly they deny it.
The word is AFFAIR.
Jesus experienced something I think most of us have at times as believers. Sometimes the hardest people to witness to are those we love and know the most. I know countless pastors who have lost siblings, parents and childhood friends, but have limited success witnessing to them.
I always said that I wanted to be a father deserving of those corny plaques displayed at the Christian bookstores. If my boys ever gave me one of them, and I deserved it, then I would feel I had accomplished what God called me to do as a dad. I’m thinking now that I may need to contextualize that standard with the culture of the day.
As a counselor and pastor who teaches on parenting issues, I can’t help observing the parenting I see in public. Tonight at the supermarket I saw an extreme example of bad parenting. Thankfully it presents some lessons and reminders all of us need.
