Tag Archives: rite of passage

Summer in El Salvador

I dare to say that it is not uncommon that a father could live their entire life without spending an extended time alone with their children. If your children have yet to reach 16 or if they are already grown and have families, I would encourage you to plan an extended time one on one to give them your blessing. I set out to give my blessing to Summer, but I was the one who was so richly blessed. Continue reading

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Big Sky Backpacking

One of the great privileges a father has is to give his blessing to his son or daughter. To memorialize the fact that your love for them is beyond circumstances or performance. To celebrate their practice of making good choices that follow the values that you have taught and modeled for them. Continue reading

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This is my son in whom I am well pleased

I shared with Drew the characteristics of these men that I admired and allow each of these men to speak a word of affirmation and encouragement to Drew. I really had no formal agenda or ceremony, but allowed it to happen naturally over the 3 days we were together. Continue reading

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Learning to Finish What You Start Even When The Project Doesn’t Work Out

My son was over his head and really would have preferred to back out of the project. My neighbor and I discussed the situation and recognizing this was as much about teaching a life lesson to my son as it was about fixing the problem thought it would be good to push through the problem and work toward a satisfactory solution. Continue reading

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Saying Goodbye To A Family Pet

This blog post describes our thoughts and experience of losing our family pet rabbit, Mason. I offer some tips to consider when your family pet dies. Continue reading

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Leading with Truth and Love

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to encounter Jesus face to face as he mixed with the people in the towns, on the roads, or in the marketplace?  What were the attractive qualities that caused men … Continue reading

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Raising Up Living Stones

 A couple of weeks ago I visited a friend’s office and noticed a pile of rocks on a piece of cardboard in the middle of his very nice conference table.  I couldn’t help but ask about the rocks and he … Continue reading

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“What you get…is who you are”

On September 4, 2007 my father gave me a little poem that was framed and had been in his bathroom for as long as I can remember.  I don’t know if I had ever read the poem until the day … Continue reading

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The Dark side of Leadership

“I have worked so hard to direct my child how to follow the Lord and instruct them in the ways they should go and they seem to go in the exact opposite direction.” – Frustrated Parent In the opening chapter of … Continue reading

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Bear Hunting with God

Obedience brings Blessings Psalms 128:1 For most of my career I have hunted bear.  Not the furry wild animals with big teeth, but pursuing large new customers for the businesses that I have worked for.  Generally the sales process is … Continue reading

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