What Do You Stand For? Christian Observation Of the Democratic Platform and Convention

Posted on September 23, 2012 by admin

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

I write today as a Christ follower, husband, father and citizen of the United States.  I do support the political process and representative government, but I do not first align myself with the changing platforms of either Democrat or Republican political parties.  I do stand on the Holy word of God as my platform or foundation for instruction and authority of my life and my family.  II Timothy 3:16 says “16 All Scripture is [h]inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for [i]training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”  I trust in the God’s Holy word as given to us in the bible for redemption for my sin, instruction for all of the worldly relationships and values, including government, and is my hope for the future.  I write to you, fellow Christians, to remember your identity is in Christ and to stand firm in the words of the apostle Paul to the Church of Rome.  Romans 1:16 16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Where is the Church?  Our nation was founded by church leaders who led their congregation to the new world to escape religious persecution and build new lives in America.  It is these leaders who put their trust in God, fought for the freedom we enjoy today and built a government and nation on biblical principles.  Where are these courageous patriots that were the fabric of our country and leaders of the people for many generations?

Where is the outrage when a political party has the arrogance to vote on whether God should be included in the platform (What we stand for) of a major political party?Democrats vote on God and Israel

Where are the spiritual leaders of millions of Christian Americans when a political party that seeks to represent Christians determines to redefine marriage and the family?  Do we not recognize that God established the family as a holy relationship between one man and one woman?  Do we not remember that the family unit led by a husband and wife is the fabric that holds all civilizations together and civilizations that moved away from this divine institution are no longer?

Where are the leaders of the protestant churches in protecting life?  How can we stand quietly as a major political party affirms an individuals right to choose over an innocent life?

As Christians we are not rich, poor, red, yellow, black or white, but those that believe the bible as the living word of God.  It is our responsibility to vote.  I implore you consider what you stand for when you choose who to vote for each office in both local and national elections.  If you are a Christian I suggest that you vote not for one party or another, but for the candidates that represent what you believe.

Below are the statements from the Democrat platform in 2012 directly from their website specifically relating to the values mentioned in this writing.

Protecting A Woman’s Right to Choose. The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay.

The Middle East. President Obama and the Democratic Party maintain an unshakable commitment to Israel’s security. A strong and secure Israel is vital to the United States not simply because we share strategic interests, but also because we share common values.  Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel.   The parties have agreed that Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations. It should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths.

Faith. Faith has always been a central part of the American story, and it has been a driving force of progress and justice throughout our history. We know that our nation, our communities, and our lives are made vastly stronger and richer by faith and the countless acts of justice and mercy it inspires. Faith- based organizations will always be critical allies in meeting the challenges that face our nation and our world—from domestic and global poverty, to climate change and human trafficking. People of faith and religious organizations do amazing work in communities across this country and the world, and we believe in lifting up and valuing that good work, and finding ways to support it where possible. We believe in constitutionally sound, evidence-based partnerships with faith-based and other non-profit organizations to serve those in need and advance our shared interests. There is no conflict between supporting faith-based institutions and respecting our Constitution, and a full commitment to both principles is essential for the continued flourishing of both faith and country. (NOTE:  The word “God” was specifically excluded from this statement)

Freedom to Marry. We support the right of all families to have equal respect, responsibilities, and protections under the law. We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples. We also support the freedom of churches and religious entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference.

Posted in Family Leadership, Family Vision, Mission, Core Values | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on What Do You Stand For? Christian Observation Of the Democratic Platform and Convention

“Fun Is Dangerous” – Tex Robertson

Posted on August 5, 2012 by admin

It was the first weekend in October and several families from our neighborhood went camping at Inks Lake.  Close by were some bluffs that we could jump off and across the lake was Camp Longhorn.

Inks Lake Bluffs 1980’s

We decided to swim across the lake on some blow up rafts and go off the multi-colored waterslide.  The camp was closed which made it all the more fun.  I think we had made it down the slide once or twice when Tex Robertson came out to greet us.  I am sure we anticipated getting yelled at and kicked off the property, but Tex understood what was going on and kindly greeted us and let us on the slide before sending us back across the lake.  I never attended Camp Longhorn or can say that I knew Tex Robertson, but reflecting on the brief encounter with him I know now we share a kindred spirit.  Tex was born in 1909 in Sweetwater Texas.  He attended the University of Michigan where he was a swimmer and won a bronze medal in the 1932 Olympic Games as a member of the Water Polo Team.   The International Swimming Hall of Fame credits Tex with the invention of the flip turn as he coached Adolf Kiefer to the gold medal in the 1936 Olympics.  In 1935 Tex founded the University of Texas swimming team where he coached until 1950.

“Fun Is Dangerous” Tex Robertson

Tex and his wife Pat started Camp Longhorn in 1939 as a summer camp that has been a rich part of childhood memories of thousands of Texans and has left a legacy of great stories and fun adventures.

During a weekend trip to Canyon Lake I met Brian who was a swimmer and former counselor at Camp Longhorn.  We began sharing memories from the camps we attended.  I remember being the first humans to test out the new camp waterslide at Kanakuk Kamp and thinking there was no way the insurance company ever knew of us crawling on our bellies and swimming through caverns deep in caves of Arkansas.  I learned that following the war Tex purchased some fuel storage bunkers that he planned to use for tents or tarps.  Some of the counselors got the idea to blow them up and launch each other into the lake by jumping from a tower onto the balloon.  Commonly known as the “Blob”, this has become a staple at camps across the country.

The Blob

According to my new friend, Brian, there was a reunion of old Camp Longhorn families and staff before Tex passed away and so many of the crazy stories were shared.  While reflecting on all the harrowing adventures, the exhilaration and great fun that was had it was a wonder no one died or got seriously hurt.  At that moment Tex told my friend Brian.  “Brian, Fun is Dangerous”.  It is too bad that insurance companies and lawyers have taken away so much of the danger that made life fun.  I had many opportunities to see the vision and work with Spike White, founder of Kanakuk Kamps and appreciated the man that he was and the spirit of adventure and fun that we shared.  I wish I had the opportunity to know Tex Robertson, but know the legacy that he has left has shaped a couple of generations of men for the better.

May we never forget the men who invested in our lives and became our heros and may we carry on this legacy to the next generation.

Spike White – Kanakuk Kamps

God has blessed us with men like Tex Robertson and Spike White.

 

Posted in Camp Applegate, Rites of Passage | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on “Fun Is Dangerous” – Tex Robertson

Tim Tebow Has Got It Right

Posted on July 7, 2012 by admin

Washington Post John 3:16 is #1 Google Search after National Championship game with more than 90 million searches

What I like about Tim Tebow is that he knows who he is.  The media does not know what to do with Tim Tebow.  They want to cover the game, the struggle and the heroic plays, but they can’t cover Tim without revealing Jesus.  There have been many who have come before that have recognized their God after a conquest on the athletic field, but none have drawn the attention that Tim Tebow has brought to his “Tebowing”, his solo act of taking a knee, bowing the head with a fist on his forehead, and offering up his prayer after making a great play or at the end of the game.  Tim’s athletic performance in college put him on a grand stage where he proclaimed the gospel on the field and with John 3:16 written under his eyes.  Many skeptics did not believe his style of play would be effective in the NFL, but Tim proved them wrong as he seemingly put the entire Bronco team on his back and willed his way to a comeback or win.  Tim’s season with the Bronco’s almost seemed supernatural and served to draw more attention to everything he did on and off the field.  Tim has painted a big target on his chest and is required even more to live to a higher standard as the world is looking for him to fail.

Tim’s faith permeates everything he does.  You cannot cover Tim Tebow without covering his faith because Tim and his faith are one.  On the field and off the field Tim’s faith goes with him.  How many of us tend to compartmentalize our lives?  We go to church on Sunday.  On Monday we go to work and leave Sunday behind.  Friday and Saturday we enjoy in our hobbies and social activities and mix well into any crowd.  Do the people at our work have the opportunity to experience God’s love through interacting with us and observing our actions and decisions?  Does our relationship with Christ permeate our hobbies and social interests?  Are the fruits of the spirit evident in the daily activities of life and work?  If the media were covering you would your life, your actions and your faith be intertwined and consistently represent the love of God that lives in you?  When interviewing you about your career would the discussion reveal Jesus as your strength, confidence and hope?

We are called to be a light in a dark world.  We should be noticeably different in an attractive way that begs people to ask why we are different?  What I like about Tim is that he is not ashamed of the gospel that saved him and his life is about living out his faith courageously and boldly testifying to the greatness of God’s love for all.  You can’t separate Tim’s athletic accomplishments and performance on the field from his faith and that is what I admire about him.  That is what encourages and inspires me.  I tend to put my trust in my hard work, my network and my position.  When the prospects look grim and I tend to trust in my own efforts my internal stress increases.  However when I find my trust and confidence in God’s sovereignty and grace I can face and accept these uncertainties with the confidence and hope that my Heavenly Father is in control and has given me His Word and he cares for me and developing my character in good and challenging times.  When I can count my trials as joy knowing that the testing of my faith produces endurance and help to be complete and lacking in nothing I know that God is in control and I am confident in His plan for me.  When I can be content in every circumstance as the apostle Paul, the world does not have an answer.

Whether you are a fan of Tim Tebow or not I hope you will all be inspired by his consistent lifestyle and find your faith in Jesus inseparable from all the areas of your life.

Fox Sports Interview

Posted in Family Leadership, Family Vision, Mission, Core Values | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Tim Tebow Has Got It Right

Camp Applegate “Wednesday Night Moccosin Hunt”

Posted on June 24, 2012 by admin
Water Moccosin Alley

Camp Applegate is a series of fun activities that are done around the house as a family.  These activities are spontaneous, fun and have little or no cost.  The things we cherish most are the life experiences we share as a family.  These adventures create the lasting memories and open up opportunities for great communication and fun together.  I hope you enjoy our craziness and find some fun adventures that you can do with your family.

It is a Wednesday summer evening and we had a good rain today.  We just finished dinner and thought it would be a good night to hunt snakes.   Ben is deadly accurate with his blow dart and is loaded with small broad heads.  We follow the paths careful to watch our steps.

Up ahead a frog jumps and we spot this monster coiled up in the grass at the edge of the puddle looking for his evening meal.  Normally we end up chasing these guys and getting a long shot in the grass, but we were quiet and he was hoping his disguise would keep us from noticing him.  Ben readies his blow dart and puts a broad head squarely through the center of his head.

Head Shot

Blasting from his coiled position he heads toward safety with Ben in pursuit.  After 4 or 5 more darts in the head and body we retrieve him from the grass to take a look.

Venomous Teeth

The venom from this monster is a wicked hemotoxic brew that will destroy your flesh.  Within 15 minutes of a bite your limb will swell to twice its normal size and is very painful.  These guys are very common and we made sure to educate our kids early in life so the were able to identify a water moccasin and know the dangers.

A Successful Evening

The whole adventure is typically 30 – 45 minutes and provides for a great experience that I can share with our kids.  The problems of our days and the complexity of life seems to go away.  While exploring the outdoors we often see deer, non-venomous snakes, crawfish, and occasionally a coyote or racoon.  The element of adventure and danger keeps it exciting and makes for lasting memories.

No matter whether you live in the city, suburbs or the country there is a world just outside your door waiting to be explored and full of adventure and opportunities to create lasting memories.  Go out tonight and see what is in your neighborhood.

Posted in Camp Applegate, Family Adventures | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Camp Applegate “Wednesday Night Moccosin Hunt”

Camp Applegate “Family Night At The Ditch”

Posted on June 17, 2012 by admin

family frog huntCamp Applegate is a series of fun activities that are done around the house as a family.  These activities are spontaneous, fun and have little or no cost.  The things we cherish most are the life experiences we share as a family.  These adventures create the lasting memories and open up opportunities for great communication and fun together.  I hope you enjoy our craziness and find some fun adventures that you can do with your family.

“Family Night At The Ditch” has become one of our summer time favorites.  It sounds like an episode from Hillbilly Heaven.  In this manicured gated community there is a drainage ditch that runs through the middle of the neighborhood.  The streets cross over large culverts.  Cars traveling over these culverts never considering the life that lives below.  When the sun goes down the ditch comes alive with singing crickets, croaking bullfrogs and slithering snakes.  We maintain one of every size rubber boot for whoever is over to join in the adventure, pile into the Suburban with spot lights, and head for the ditch.  We head down the hill and into the culvert looking for the returning glow from the eyes of the big bull frogs.  Typically they are lined up along the creeks edge looking for a meal.  We spot one laying in the grass and the excitement builds.  All carefully but swiftly converge on the unsuspecting bullfrog.  One holds the spotlight in their eyes and one of the kids go in for the grab.  Pinning a big bullfrog to the ground while he is wildly trying to hop away can be intimidating at first, but with experience they rarely get away.  There are times that they anticipate the approaching danger and leap into the water making for a fun chase through the grassy banks.  family night at the ditchThe captures take a few photos and let em go for the next family night at the ditch.

What must the neighbors think of this crazy family darting about with spotlights in the  ditch.  The whole adventure takes 30 – 45 minutes and the kids love bringing their wary friends on the adventure.  We leave the niceties of our home and neighborhood for a brief adventure with the underground world and return safely with stories and memories that will last a lifetime.

The First Frog Hunt

The First Frog Hunt

Whether you live in the country or in the middle of the city there are adventures like these, minutes if not steps from your door.  Grab a light and take a few moments to explore the places others don’t go.  You will find a fun adventure is just a minute away.

Posted in Camp Applegate, Family Adventures, Meet the Applegates | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Camp Applegate “Family Night At The Ditch”

Friendship – The Chief Happiness Of Life

Posted on May 6, 2012 by admin

I Samuel 18:1 "...the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David."

A number of years ago as I went through a crisis in my career, I reached out to a friend who I knew had not only gone through this on his own, but had been inspired to help others find their way through his ministry to other men.

In the pursuit of a job that was “too good to be true”I found that not only was it “too good to be true”, but the primary motivation for pursing this career change was flat wrong.  Not all motives were wrong, but it only takes one significant wrong motivation to lead you astray.  You see, I did have a young family and desired to eliminate travel so I could be home.  I did want to gain a new experience in a different industry and see if I could make the transition.  But, I made the decision primarily on the promise that if we were successful I would be financially secure.  In the end I was lost and needed to step way back, come to a complete point of surrender and find my trust and full confidence in God.  Having a long time friend to turn to and be able to lay out my life in total honesty and surrender was one of the greatest blessings I have ever experienced.  I have a group of 5 other men who have invested a long weekend in each other for more than 16 years.  We have spent many of long nights challenging cultural thoughts and encouraging each other in our relationships with Christ, our families, friends, hobbies and careers.

My good friend invited me to his home in Aspen where I arrived to a reservation in one of the nicest hotels, a gift basket and a wonderful meal with his family at their home.  Over the course of the next 2 – 3 days my friend put his job responsibilities on hold and dug deep into my life to pull out the things that are the most important in life and bring these together to guide me in a path to find the right career.  For me those five things that would make for the right career were meaningful relationships, entrepreneurial, control of key decisions, adventure to live-had to be fun, challenge to conquer – satisfaction in accomplishing our goal.  Meaningful relationships, I discovered was not only the #1 characteristic I needed in a career, but in every area of my life.  This discovery has set the table for how I view the investment of my time and is the lens that I view how I spend my time at work and outside of work.  Fellow co-workers, customers, vendors, family, worship and prayer, men in my church Bible study, community service, and maintaining friendships that I have formed over my life.  I cherish my relationships with others and count these as God’s great blessing in life.

I am currently reading The True Measure of a Man by Richard E. Simmons III, which I highly recommend and Richard shares the view of friendship from C.S. Lewis.

“My happiest hours,” Lewis wrote, “are spent with three or four old friends in old clothes tramping together and putting up in small pubs-or else sitting up till the small hours in someone’s college rooms, talking nonsense, poetry, theology, metaphysics…There’s no sound I like better than…laughter.”  In another letter to his friend Greeves, Lewis writes: “friendship is the greatest of worldly goods.  Certainly, to me it is the chief happiness of life.  If I had to give a piece of advice to a young man about a place to live, I would think I should say, ‘sacrifice almost everything you have to live where you can be near your friends.’ 

I concur with Lewis that friendship is the chief happiness of life.  We are all tempted by the responsibilities of life, fame, fortune, and other pursuits that are exalted by the culture, but have no meaning.  For at the end of our life all that will really matter is the true friendships and meaningful relationships that we have established.  I write these things to encourage you to consider the number of friendships and meaningful relationships that you enjoy in your life.  I also write this in a spirit of gratefulness for my friend Blake who, although lives in a distant place was and is there for me.

Posted in Family Leadership, Meet the Applegates | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Friendship – The Chief Happiness Of Life

The Most Important Question You Will Ever Have To Answer As Parents

Posted on April 21, 2012 by admin

 

Deuteronomy 6:7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons..."

This moring I was skimming over Dr. James Dobson’s book Bringing Up Boys that I read many years ago when my boys were little children.  When I read a book I like to star, underline and make comments in the margins of the things I learn and want to take away.  As I turned the pages this morning I read the areas that I had starred or underlined and was again challenged by Dr. Dobson’s comment.  I hope that today you also are challenged and inspired to action by this comment.

“I believe the greatest sense of fulfillment as you prepare to close the final chapter will be in knowing that you lived by a consistent standard of holiness before God and that you invested yourself unselfishly in the lives of your family members and friends.  Most important, knowing that you led your children to the Lord and will be with them in eternity will outrank every other achievement.  All else will fade into insignificance. If that is a true representation of how you feel when your days are growing short, why not determine to live according to that value system now, while you still have the opportunity to influence the impressionable kids who look up to you?  This may be the most important question you as a mother or father will ever be asked to answer!”

I shared breakfast with four men and fathers of 13 year old sons today to discuss how we can take the next year to work together to teach our sons what it means to be a man.  I do not know all of the fathers or their sons and our kids do not all know each other, go to the same school or church.  However,  I am ever grateful to have acquaintences and friends that challenge me to not be complacent, but to take action in seizing these swiftly passing years to make eternal investments in our boys.  If you do not have friends like these then BE one.  If  you have friends like these, you are indeed blessed. 

Posted in Family Leadership, Family Vision, Mission, Core Values, Rites of Passage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Most Important Question You Will Ever Have To Answer As Parents

How To Act Like Men

Posted on April 15, 2012 by admin

 

I Corinthians 16: 13-14 "Be on alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love."

How many of us have found ourselves telling our boys to toughen up and act like a man?  What does it mean to “act like a man”?  While instructing the church, the apostle Paul gives five divine directives of how God expects the believer to act.

I Corinthians 16:13-14 “Be on alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  Let all that you do be in love.” 

5 Divine Directives

  1. Be on alert
  2. Stand firm in the faith
  3. Act like men
  4. Be strong
  5. Let all that you do be done in love

This instruction may not be Paul’s effort to describe “How to act like men”, but the four surrounding instructions offer support and characteristics of what Paul expects the church and gives a picture of what it looks like to “act like men”.

Men stay alert to spiritual dangers that can put their faith in jeopardy.  Men stand firm in the faith and diligently support the principles of the faith.  Men are strong defenders of the Truth.   Real men know how to act in love and be a light that reflects God’s love to others.

So men, let this be a reminder to us.  Our faith and our principles are under attack by the world and it is our responsibility to protect ourselves so that we can be the leaders of our families, our church and our communities.

Posted in Family Leadership | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on How To Act Like Men

How To Lead Your Family During Holy Week

Posted on April 1, 2012 by admin

 

John 16:33 “Take courage, I have overcome the world”

Holy week is the week where the Jews celebrate Passover and the Christians celebrate Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter.  In the Jewish calendar the feasts lead up to the celebration of passover where they celebrate the liberation from slavery in Egypt and the “passing over” of the angel of death sparing their homes by the covering of shed blood from a sacrifical lamb.

Many Christians recognize God’s feasts as given to Moses and pointing to God’s plan of salvation.  Christianity claims Jesus as King of the Jews who pronounced Himself as the fulfilment of prophecy at the Feast of Tabernacles prior to His death and ultimate resurrection.  On the 8th day as prescribed in Leviticus 23:36 at the height of the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles the Jewish leaders were reading the promises of God regading salvation.  Isaiah 12: 3  “Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.”  At this moment of the celebration Jesus announces Himself as this salvation.  John 7:37  If any one is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water”.  This connection was not missed by the Jews and stirred up the controversy as to who Jesus was.

A few months later after raising Lazarus from the dead Jesus is ushered into Jerusalem as King of the Jews riding in on the back of a donkey as foretold in Zechariah 9:9.  Jesus was coming to Jerusalem as the passover lamb.  As is tradition for the Jews on the 10th day of the first month of Nisan, a lamb was taken into the home and kept there for 4 days and inspected to make sure that he had no blemish.  He was then suitable to serve as the passover lamb sacrifice.  So too, Jesus, on exactly the 10th day of Nisan, rode into Jerusalem, God’s home, and for the next four days he was examined and questioned by the priests to see if they could trip him up.  Pilate made the declaration that he could find “no fault” in Him.  To satisfy the religious leaders, he washed his hands of “personal responsibility” and delivered Jesus up to be crucified.  This pure, sinless Lamb of God was then led to be crucified, and died at the exact time that the passover lamb was being sacrificed in the Temple.

His entry into Jerusalem was a detailed picture of the lamb being brought into the home for examination.  Because He had raised Lazarus from the dead the week before, the crowds were claiming Him to be Messiah as He rode into the city on a donkey.  They cut down branches from the brooks and ravines and laid them down at His feet, shouting out “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna” (Which means, save us now) This was the greeting for the Messiah.

Now celebrated by Christians as Palm Sunday, Jesus is proclaimed as King of Israel and foretells of his death and resurrection. (see John 12:24)  As commanded by God in Leviticus 23:41 we should perpetually celebrate for generations.  As Christians, we share in this rich lineage and teach our children of God’s provision for His people.  Giving the background and making the connection for our children to God’s feasts and Jesus’ fulfillment of God’s promise on Palm Sunday sets the grand stage for the week to come.

Maundy Thursday is the day Jesus shared the passover meal celebrating liberation from bondage and the last supper with the disciples where He washed their feet, identifies the one who will betray Him, commands the disciples to love one another, institutes the breaking of the bread and drinkng of wine to symbolize his body and blood, reveals what is to come to the disciples, tells of the Holy Spirit and His return.  John 17:33 records Jesus saying “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world”  There are many things we can do to celebrate and teach our children about the last supper by the types of food we eat, washing the feet of our guests, and the sharing of the bread and wine to remember the broken body and blood.  Do a search on the passover meal or Seder meal to find out more about the meal.

Good Friday was the day of preparation for the passover celebration and is a solemn day where we remember the trial, beating, and crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus who took the penalty of sin of the world on Himself, as God’s own sacrifical lamb.   Many Christians attend a Good Friday worship service to remember.  Watching portions of the Passion of the Christ brings the reality of his suffering home.

Easter Celebration – He is Risen!  Celebrated by Christians as the greatest event in the history of the world where death was overcome.   This fulfillment of God’s perfect plan provides redemption for all who believe.  Romans 10:9  “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you shall be saved.”

Each day through the passion week take a moment to read the scriptures account, remember the events, and make this week a true celebration for the greatest act of love that redeems us for all eternity.  He is risen!

Posted in Family Leadership | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How To Lead Your Family During Holy Week

Be A Courageous Mom or Dad

Posted on March 20, 2012 by admin

 

Last week was spring break for our kids and Julie and I took them to Keystone Colorado for a few days skiing.  I have never seen Colorado with less snow during spring break.  Under the lifts were rocks and dirt, but the runs had plenty of snow.  There were no lift lines and it was sunny and 50 degrees.  What a privilege it is to build life experiences and memories with your family.  On the way home I watched the movie Courageous and wish to share the message from the movie.  In the movie there are 4 father characters that play out their various challenges in life and join together to pledge a resolution to be better fathers.  Not far off from the vision, mission and core values that I have outlined in my book to be a one page guide and statement of family beliefs.  I commend the producers of Courageous for putting this inspiring and challenging video out to America and the world.  If you don’t have the time to watch the movie take the 3 minutes to watch this final Father’s Day speech by one of the characters.  The Movie Courageous Father’s Day

Joshua 1:9  “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and Courageous!  Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Posted in Family Adventures, Family Leadership, Family Vision, Mission, Core Values | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Be A Courageous Mom or Dad