Hey Friends, The book is almost finished! I appreciate your prayers regarding the logistics of pulling everything together in the next few weeks. Here’s a peek at the Introduction: I wasn’t into zombies or The Walking Dead franchise as much as my kids were, but I have enjoyed other post-apocalyptic expressions like The Terminator, The Hunger Games, and Cormac McCarthy’s … Read More
Snapshots of Father Involvement
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes … Read More
Understanding Father Absence as One of Our Most Serious Social Problems
“The supreme test of any civilization is whether it can socialize men by teaching them to be fathers.” Margaret Meade Father absence refers to the fact that there are now 18.4 million children, 1 in 4, who are growing up in homes without their biological, step, or adoptive father in the home.[1] Tragically, father absence affects minorities disproportionally, especially the … Read More
Properly Understanding Mal. 4:6, Part 2 of 2
Identifying “the Fathers” of Malachi 4:6: Parents, Biological Fathers, or Jewish Forefathers? As we mentioned in Part 1, this week we’re going to examine arguments for each of the above, make a case for the third, and conclude with some important applications. First, let’s mark out the possibilities: Parents: Less literal translations like the New Living Translation (NLT) are not … Read More
Properly Understanding Malachi 4:6, Part 1 of 2
It’s the mother of all fatherhood passages and in my eleven years working at National Fatherhood Initiative, it was the most oft-quoted verse by faith-based practitioners. Unfortunately, as often as it was quoted, it was just as often poorly understood and applied. And it still is. The common conception goes something like this: “400 years before Jesus came to this … Read More
Why I Believe in a Loving Creator
Let the godly sing for joy to the LORD;it is fitting for the pure to praise him…The LORD merely spoke,and the heavens were created.He breathed the word,and all the stars were born.He assigned the sea its boundariesand locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.Let the whole world fear the LORD,and let everyone stand in awe of him.For when he spoke, the world … Read More
All “I’s” on Hero-Dads
It was a cool morning in August 2005, and Johan Otter, 44, and his daughter Jenna, 18, were only 90 minutes into their morning hike in Montana’s Glacier Mountain National Park when it happened. Apparently in an effort to protect her cubs, a huge female grizzly suddenly appeared on the trail running straight toward them! Jenna was knocked aside, suffering … Read More
Giving Moms the Honor They Deserve
As I [Paul] remember your [Timothy’s] tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother, Lois, and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. (2 Timothy 1:5, ESV) I’ve spent a good part of my career … Read More