When the Alarm Sounds in Your Life

What do you do when you wake up to the sound of a loud alarm sounding throughout your home? Allow me to share what we did because this happened in our home a few years ago.

First, you need a little of the backstory. I am somewhat deaf...OK, I'm a lot deaf. The technical term is "Legally Deaf." I'm not sure what that would mean in a court of law, but in laymen's terms, I have over 50% hearing loss. I compensate with the use of hearing aides, but they get a break at night.

The mere fact that I heard an alarm should tell you it was loud, but it also makes this story interesting.

Monthly Summary for August

On the last day of August, I though I'd try something new and offer  a summary page of the post from August. I appreciate the many readers who tell me they enjoy my content. I encourage you to share the stuff that you feel is "sharable." All it takes is a "Copy and Paste" routine with the URL (website address) in an email, Facebook or Twitter. If you are a SUBSCRIBER (you get the email when I post...if you want to join them, find the big arrow on the right) all you need to do is forward the email. I would love to connect with new readers.


Guest Post: Logan Morris, "Swallow the Big Frog First"
While I was in Nicaragua, I asked my daughter Logan to post in my place. She did a great job. She actually garnered more comments that I usually do...

Smiles From the Trash Dump
This is my summary from my visit to Chosen Children Ministries in Nicaragua.

Get Out of the Way
Sometimes God wants to do great things, but we tend to get in the way.

No - I'm not on Facebook and Twitter all day!
Due to some tactical procedures, I give the impression of being on Social Media sites "all day." Here are my secrets...

How to Answer Your Kids' Questions
A simple strategy to slowing down in your parenting and engaging with your children.

What is Success?
My response to how a Christian defines success.

How to Answer Your Kid's Questions

What's your favorite ride at Disney World?

My family has made three trips to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. As we reflect on our trips from time to time, someone will usually ask, "If you could go back right now, what would be your first ride?" Another way to pose the question is, "What is the "can't miss" ride for you?"

I'm a little nostalgic with my pick. In fact, I prefer to board my at night. My "can't miss" ride at Disney World is the Jungle Cruise river ride. The humor is always lame, but comical. In fact, without the narration, it would be a very boring ride. This is because the river guide helps you know what to look for as you weave your way down the "Amazon." This is how I approach my time reading the Bible.

Guest Post: Logan Morris, Swallow the Big Frog First

Dad has challenged me with the task of writing a blog post for him this week while he is away. I am not much of a writer but I love to take a challenge. I am Logan, the middle child of my family, and I will be in the ninth grade this upcoming school year.

This past July, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend Student Leadership University in Orlando, Florida. I had a fantastic time, and I was surprised at how much I learned during this trip. We learned about various topics from many different speakers, including Jay Strack, Brent Crowe, Bruce Ashford, Chuck Allen, Elizabeth Dixon, and Pat Williams.

One of my favorite sessions was “Swallow the Big Frog First,” by Brent Crowe. This phrase was not new to me. My dad has told me this phrase multiple times before, but I learned at SLU how to put it to action.

Wrecked - Getting Messed Up In a Good Way

I was privileged to get a pre-release of Jeff Goin's new book Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into Your Comfortable Life. In exchange for the sneak peek, I was asked to write a review. 


Very Good Stuff
I'll go ahead and confess, I'm not sure if I can do that effectively. The book has so much great content, that to attempt to whittle it down into a summary may not do it justice. I have a different approach that I want to use. Before I do share, let me set the stage with this simple overview.


Wrecked will make you pause and look back over your life at the moments when your life collided with the world and in those moments, your eyes were opened to a new perspective. More than likely, those experiences altered the direction of your life. Jeff attempts to help us understand those experiences and how the people around us respond to their own Wrecked moments.

Are You Raising a Nimrod?

Before you answer that, are you sure you would know a Nimrod if you saw one? My guess is that most people would say a Nimrod is synonymous with an idiot. In fact, recent American use of the word lends itself to a negative tone. Some even link its origination to its constant use in the ridiculous battles between Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd (I know, I just dated myself…).  However, that’s not the Nimrod I want you to consider. I’ve used capital “N” because there was a man named Nimrod and you find his story in the Bible, Genesis 10:8-9.

Do You Have the Guts to be a Dad? [Video]

Happy Father's Day!


Here is a story about a friend who had to make some tough decisions as a dad. This will show you a picture of leadership. Anyone can be a father, but courage is necessary in order to be a dad. Courage to make hard decisions and to sacrifice your own wants and desires for the good of your family, especially your children. 
(The video is 6:00)

Are you this kind of leader?

Are You Blessing Your Children?

What is your child's best skill? What can they do really well? If you can't answer that, we have a problem.

A few weeks ago, I partnered with some friends to host a Courageous Families Experience. We showed the Courageous film and then followed up with two afternoons of teaching/discussion/exchanges based on the principles brought to light in the film. It was a neat opportunity to connect the movie to our everyday lives.

One session was based on the concept of blessing your children. We used God's expression of joy over Jesus going to John the Baptist to be baptized as our model.

"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.'"

Matthew 3:16-17

New International Version (NIV) 

Did you catch it? Let me unpack it:

Are You a Dream Maker or Dream Breaker?

Back in the Garden of Eden, when God created Adam, He recognized that "it was not good for man to be alone." He knew the value of relationships and having other people in our lives.  His solution was what the Bible calls "a helper" also known as Eve. Eve's task was to help Adam fulfill the responsibilities that God had placed on him...in essence she was to help Adam be successful.


In our world today, most everything we do involves relationships with people. People we know, people we don't; people we see everyday, people we see once and never again; people we love, and people with the capacity to be loved although we don't pursue it. There's not much that we do in our daily routines that does not involve people.


In your "world," how do you engage with those people? When they see you coming, do they walk toward you or away? Do you add value to their lives or suck the life out of them? Are you a Dream Maker or a Dream Breaker?

You're AWESOME!

Question: How does a kid who is 5'8" tall, growing up in an abusive home, surrounded by poverty make it into the NBA?


Answer: He has a dream and he has someone who believes in him.


Meet Melvin Adams. He's a former NBA player and Harlem Globetrotter who travels the nation encouraging kids and adults to embrace the challenges in their lives as opportunities to grow and move toward success. He says it all started when a guidance counselor at his school began to tell him he was "Awesome!" He shares that she said it every day and soon, he started to believe it. That simple act of reaching out to a kid to create value in him made all the difference in the world to Melvin. It actually changed the course of his life.

Are You Cheating?

I'm sort of an unusual bird when it comes to running with an iPod. Where most people listen to up-tempo music to help keep their pace strong, I choose a much different genre. I like to listen to podcasts that range from ministers to marketing. It's just another way I can continue to grow as an individual. One of my favorites is Andy Stanley, pastor of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, GA. His dad is Charles Stanley, the popular pastor of First Baptist Atlanta.


Recently, as I was on a run, my iPod finished the podcast it was playing and rolled right into the next one which was Andy's popular sermon, "Choosing to Cheat." This was a pleasant surprise as I had heard him mention this sermon (and book) on a previous Leadership Podcast and that he had re-branded it as "When Work and Family Collide: Keeping Your Job from Cheating Your Family ." It had been a while since I heard this sermon, so I was anxious to get refreshed.

Are you Rewriting the Dictionary?

It's Science Fair time at my house. Nothing creates tension in our home more consistently than this season of home laboratories, deadlines and display boards. We have made it a team effort, playing to each contributor's strengths. My wife, Angela, is the project manager. That means she checks the assignment sheet daily to see what needs to be completed and when. I am the Project Encourager as well as provide "Adult Supervision" for power tools and sharp objects. Our kids do the work with an occasional hand from us with glueing objects and proof-reading.


As we were working on this year's project, Angela and Logan (this year's "scientist") ended up in a typing war to see who could type the fastest on the computer. The only thing missing was the music from Dueling Banjos.

Have You Blown the Magical Moments?

I have.


I heard a speaker say once, "The wise man learns from his mistakes. The wiser man learns from other's mistakes. But the wisest man learns from other's success." You're about to learn from my mistake, thus making you a wiser person than me.


I was out for a run yesterday, and listening to the Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast on the topic of "When Work and Family Collide." Normally it's just Andy and his host bantering back and forth over specific leadership topics. This particular episode had a special guest, Joel Manby. Here is a great video (4:30) produced by Giant Impact and Jeremy Kubicek (Leadership is Dead) that will give you a snippet of Joel's story (and a great leadership conversation).

In the podcast, Joel mentioned that his wife was the catalyst to his personal "re-org". As they went away for a long weekend to work through how they would make the necessary changes to save their family and their marriage. He mentions asking, "What are the things you need from me at home?" Her response: "I want you to put the kids to bed, not send the kids to bed." Then Joel added, "Because that's where the magic happens."


I almost stopped running.

The Family That Serves Together, Spends Time Together

When I look at my role as a parent and consider the many responsibilities I have to lead my kids, none gives me greater joy than simply spending time with them. One of the first bits of wisdom I received as a new parent was to cherish the time I have with my kids. Conventional wisdom says that they WILL grow up and leave the nest...no matter how much we might resist.

A friend of mine tells the story of her husband coming home one day to find her sitting in her closet in a complete emotional meltdown. It was just a few short days after they had brought their newborn son home from the hospital. Apparently she had just come to the realization that her precious bundle of joy was already growing and changing and, in her mind, would be leaving for college tomorrow. Her husband just chuckled, "Now, now...It will be OK." 

Fast forward to that very event. It's the night before her firstborn leaves for college and the family is sitting at the dinner table. By this time, there's a second son added to the family and he's so giddy, he can't stand it. Why? He's about to get a promotion. He's moving into his big brother's room and his enthusiasm only announces one thing: the first born had grown up and is leaving home.

Who's Talking About You?

Yesterday, I heard a story and knew immediately that I wanted to share it with this audience. It was shared by my friend Donna Ward, whom I hope to see joining the "blogosphere" in the near future. She has a great perspective on the Bible, loves teaching it and does so with much passion.


Donna shared how she was in the midst of a challenge in her life. At the same time, her teenage daughter, Hannah, was having her own challenges that frequently raise their head in the life of a teenager. As any mom would do, Donna was carrying both challenges, seeking resolution and closure. As she lay in bed one morning, praying through her situation and feeling as though no one had ever been in this place before, the Lord asked her, "How do you think Hannah feels?" It was as if He was reminding her that she wasn't alone and that others are in the same boat.


Later that morning, Donna was sharing this experience with her daughter. She was simply trying to encourage her by telling her how God's Holy Spirit had brought her situation to mind. (This is where it gets good.) As she continued about her morning routine, she noticed the room had grown silent. She turned around to see her teenage daughter standing there with a tear gliding down her cheek.

Donna: "What's wrong, Hannah?"

How to Help Your Kids be Successful, Part 3

(This is part 3 of How to Help Your Kids be Successful. Here are links to the previous post: Part 1 / Part 2. In order to conclude this series of posts, this one will be a little lengthy.)


The book, Different Children Different Needs (see below) was an instrumental tool in guiding us to explore how God wired our three children. Through a series of observational questions, we were able to identify where each child landed on Dr. Boyd's spectrum. It turns out that the genetic code is different in each child. I'll unfold this in birth-order.


Taylor was our firstborn. She was our trial-and-error child. Fortunately, we used another resource that really helped direct our path as first-time parents (see the link below for Baby Wise.)  As I eluded to earlier, she is our "life is a party" child. Everything to her is an experience full of inward and outward emotions. She smiles and laughs a lot. Part of the identifiable traits for her personality is expressiveness. Not only with emotions, but in other areas as well.

When she was two years old, she loved puzzles. She would just sit in the floor and work puzzles. One would think how fortunate we were to have a child that would find a spot, sit still and occupy themselves with something like puzzles. This would be accurate were it not for the fact that in her concentration, she uttered this LOUD humming noise. We never had to wonder where she was...we just traced down the buzz.


As she grew older, she moved from puzzles to drawing. It was about this time that we discovered the DCDC book. The basis for Dr. Boyd's book was that once a parent had an inkling of the gifts, abilities and personality traits their child has, they should explore those areas further. Not with the notion that their child is the next prodigy, but to allow them to develop their natural, gifted abilities. Taylor's kindergarten teacher recognized her ability to draw very well and suggested art lessons. We jumped on the idea.

The photo to the right reveals Taylor's ability. As you can see, she really has a gift. It was apparent early on that she has a flair for expressive art. Along the way to the present day she has been an award-winning dancer, won public speaking contests and has won championships with teammates in Competitive Cheer and Cross-Country. We simply discovered that she thrives in environments where she can engage with others and outwardly express who she is on the inside through art (dance, drawing, and speaking.)


Logan has the honor of being the "middle child."

How to Help Your Kids be Successful, Part 2

(This is the second installment of a series of post on how my wife and I sought to develop our children's gifts and abilities that are enabling them to fulfill their God-given potential.  You may want to go back and read How to Help Your Kids be Successful.)

As a young dad early in my parenting days, I made it a discipline to listen to the wisdom of those who were already raising children. Two observations that seemed to be consistent were: "Enjoy your children as much as you can because they grow up so fast" and "You will be amazed at how two children who come from the same parents and live in the same home will be absolute opposite of each other." This last bit of wisdom proved to be 100% true in our home.


Our firstborn was the "life is a party" child. I picked up on this when I entered my bathroom one night to see her as a three-year-old standing on a step giving her mom an enthusiastic rendition of "Jesus Loves the Little Children" without one stitch of clothing. Yep! This one was going to enjoy life.


When her sister came along, I fully expected another version of our first child. Apparently, the wisdom I had gleaned from others had escaped my mind and I was in for an eye-opening experience. Where our first child appeared to be the life of the party, our second one was the party planner. She was the organizer, server and cleaner all in one. We should have used "Detail" as her middle name.


A few years later, their brother came along. Just the mere fact that he's a boy says enough. He's all boy...there's no confusion on that part. Yet, he has his own outlook on life and strangely enough, he fits somewhere in the middle between his sisters.


So here I was in my own Behavioral Science laboratory, trying to figure out "the way they should go."

How to Help Your Kids be Successful

The title of this blog gives the impression that much of my posting is out of the overflow of my "world." It's my perspective on the "abundant life" promised in scripture (John 10:10). Sometimes, it is a closer look into the events of my personal life. As is the case of this post.


My family has had an unusually public life in recent weeks as our middle child, Logan (13), has been put out in public forums like youth sports magazines, websites, and local papers. She has established herself as quite the distance runner. I'm sure that carries a very strong parent bias, but the stopwatch speaks for itself. I also know that we all have our own tribes and thus her performance is most significant to those within the running community.


As you might imagine, her mother and I are often asked about her background. "How did she start?", "What makes her so fast?", "How does she train?" are the more popular questions. This is not an attempt to answer those questions. Rather I want to share how we ended up in this spot.

Dads Talk Purity

This post was the catalyst for a whole new site. You can find it at www.DadsTalkPurity.blogspot.com.

The new Sherwood film, Courageous, opened this past fall. If you've not seen it, I assure you this is not a "spoiler" post. It is however, a resource I hope many dads find helpful.

In the movie, one of the dads takes his teenage daughter out for a very nice date. The intent of this date was to talk with her about protecting her innocence and waiting for God's man for her life to engage in the intimacy of sex.  This Daddy-Daughter Date is a great concept. In fact, I shared this same experience with my oldest this past Valentine's Day.

As our big date approached, I wanted to be prepared for what I would say.  I didn't want to just wing it. Like many, I turned to the internet for assistance only to come up short handed. I did stumble across a few things that pointed me in the right direction, but nothing exhaustive. Through much prayer and many drafts, I finally crafted something I felt said what I wanted to communicate.

If you're interested, here is a bulleted list of how I structured the conversation.

10 Simple Things Every Kid Wants to Hear

As school has begun, I wanted to empower you with something that would help you become a champion parent...

10 Simple Things Every Kid Wants to Hear

1. Yes
2. How can I pray for you?
3. Will you forgive me?
4. God has a plan for you!
5. We are excited that you are growing up (entering a new stage of life)!
6. I know it hurts.
7. You are more important to me than...(you fill in the blank - report cards, work, sports, etc.).
8. I am so glad you are in our family.
9. I love you too much to let you do that.
10. Try to be patient with me. I've never been the parent of a 10-year-old (or whatever the child's age is) before. (Caution: This only works on the firstborn!)

Be your kid's #1 fan...

Taken from The Parent Adventure by Rodney & Selma Wilson

Used with permission from HomeLife, July 2009