Month: February 2022

Today brings our reading and learning from the devotional Father Like The Father to a close.

I appreciate God’s leading and sorting of articles so that the topics and instruction we can get around be the dads are on point and speak the truth in love. I have been blessed with my interaction with them as they gave guidance and support for my posts. Bible.com introduces the devotional like this:

Throughout Scripture, God is called Father. Yet how does He father His children? What parenting principles can we learn by observing His interactions with humanity? This seven-day study will examine key Scriptures which will help you to father like the Father.

Father Like The Father

Today’s devotional is connected with the following scripture Deuteronomy 4:31.

‘For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath. ‘

Deuteronomy 4:31

Today’s Word from God brings an incredible perspective on who our Heavenly Father is. Today’s Word along with the title of today’s devotional brings to mind what it would look like and what would it take for us to be the dads God created us to be. Let’s be the dads who are merciful! So that means we need to be forgiving, compassionate, gracious, lenient, clement, pitying, forbearing, humane, mild, softhearted, tenderhearted, kind, kindly, sympathetic, patient, humanitarian, liberal, easygoing, permissive, tolerant, indulgent, generous, magnanimous, beneficent, benign, benignant, benevolent, show mercy to, have mercy on, have pity on, spare, pardon, forgive, let off, be lenient on/to, and deal leniently with. Let’s be the dads who stick with it and will not abandon or do things that would destroy our kids. So that means we have to be the dads who won’t desert, leave, leave high and dry, turn one’s back on, cast aside, break (up) with, jilt, strand, leave stranded, leave in the lurch, throw over, or forsake our kids. It also means that we have to be the dads who won’t demolish, knock down, pull down, tear down, level, raze (to the ground), fell, dismantle, break up, wreck, ruin, smash, shatter, crash, blast, blow up, blow to bits/pieces, dynamite, explode, bomb, torpedo, spoil, disfigure, blight, mar, blemish, impair, flaw, deface, scar, injure, harm, devastate, damage, lay waste, ravage, wreak havoc on, waste, disfeature, disrupt, undo, upset, play havoc with, make a mess of, put an end to, end, bring to an end, put a stop to, terminate, prevent, frustrate, crush, quell, quash, dash, scotch, vitiate, sabotage, upset someone’s apple cart, cook someone’s goose, bring to naught, annihilate, wipe out, obliterate, wipe off the face of the earth, wipe off the map, eliminate, eradicate, liquidate, extinguish, finish off, erase, root out, extirpate, kill, slaughter, massacre, butcher, exterminate, decimate, defeat utterly, beat hollow, win a resounding victory over, vanquish, drub, trounce, rout, crush, give someone a drubbing, overwhelm our kids. Let’s be the dads who will build up, preserve, restore and raise up our kids. Let’s be the dads who will stick by, claim, and keep our kids. Let’s be the dads of integrity and stand on our words, say what we will do, and do what we say. Let’s be the dads who will live our lives with honesty, uprightness, probity, rectitude, honor, honorableness, upstandingness, good character, principle(s), ethics, morals, righteousness, morality, nobility, high-mindedness, right-mindedness, noble-mindedness, virtue, decency, fairness, scrupulousness, sincerity, truthfulness, and trustworthiness. Let’s be the dads God created, purposed, and desires for us to be.

Today’s devotional has been provided by Carlos Santiago and FamilyLife (more details can be found http://www.familylife.com)

Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me:
(check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)

For more information on communicating with your kids listen to, Blessing Your Child Through Your Words on FamilyLifeToday.com.

Keep Promises

• How important is your word?
• Do you realize the value of words?
• If you say something, is it as good as done?
• If you say something, can someone take that to the bank?
• Are you able to get it done when you say it will be done?
• Are you able to get it done how you say it will be done?
• Can someone trust what you say?
• Let’s be the dads who keep our promises!
• Let’s be the dads whose words can be trusted!
• Let’s be the dads whose reputation is good!
• Let’s be the dads who keep our promises to our wives and our kids, not just our workplaces!
• Let’s be the dads who can be trusted by our wives and kids, not just our workplaces!
• Let’s be the dads who have a good reputation at home in addition to the workplaces!
• Have you ever caught yourself in the midst of a busy day saying “in a little bit” and then get to the end of the day and realize that you dropped the ball and never made the time for your wife or kids?
• Are you ready to take a stand putting first things first so that you not only set commitments or give promises that can be met but that you put God, your wife, and your family ahead in the prioritization queue to everything else. In the list, everything else can only have as high of a priority as 4. God gets first place. Your wife gets second place. Your kids/family get third place. Everyone and everything else starts at fourth place.
• Consider the example of our Heavenly Father when we read Deuteronomy 4:31:
  • ‘For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath. ‘ – Deuteronomy 4:31
  • God “doesn’t forget“!
  • God’s “Word can be counted on“!
  • God “is trustworthy to the core“.
• Let’s be the dads who are promise keepers!
• Let’s be the dads who are promise keepers at home and at work!
• Let’s be the dads who realize it may not be easy but it is definitely worth it!
• Let’s be the dads who do whatever is needed to get it done!
• Let’s be the dads who aren’t so focused on our careers that we forget about our families!
• Let’s be the dads who make the same commitment to keeping our promises at home as we do at work!
• Let’s be the dads who keep our word when we set a timeline or a deadline with our wives.
• Let’s be the dads who keep our word when we promise to spend time with or play with our kids.
• Let’s be the dads whose family knows we can be trusted!
• It’s never too late to make things right!
• And like the lyrics of the song Believe For It by CeCe Winans, let’s be the dads who when we say it people believe it.
• It’s never too late to make things right and apologize for the delay!
• Let’s pray today’s prayer”
  • “Pray that God help you to be a father who keeps his word.”

With the song stuck in my head, I wanted to include it here so that as we close out on this devotional series we can pause and be encouraged.

Today we continue the devotional Father Like The Father. I appreciate God’s leading and sorting of articles so that the topics and instruction we can get around be the dads are on point and speak the truth in love. I have been blessed with my interaction with them as they gave guidance and support for my posts. Bible.com introduces the devotional like this:

Throughout Scripture, God is called Father. Yet how does He father His children? What parenting principles can we learn by observing His interactions with humanity? This seven-day study will examine key Scriptures which will help you to father like the Father.

Father Like The Father

Today’s devotional is connected with the following scriptures:

• Genesis 2:16-17
• Psalms 147:3
• Genesis 3:21

‘And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” ‘

Genesis 2:16-17

‘He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. ‘

Psalms 147:3

‘The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. ‘

Genesis 3:21

Today’s verses speak to me about how much our Heavenly Father cares for us. He cares so much that He sets healthy boundaries, not to keep us from a full life but to protect us from the threats, the temptations, and the behaviors that would bring harm and pain. He cares so much that He finds us in our pain and suffering and steps in to heal our broken hearts and bandages up and puts dressing on our wounds. He cares so much that He comes in and heals our pains and comforts our sorrows. He knows what we have need before we even ask and has it prepared for us. He is our provider, making what we need in order to help us to step in and move forward into His plans and purposes.

God set healthy boundaries when He told Adam and Eve: “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

God meets us right where we are at, knowing what we are going through and in the midst of the pain and the sorrow, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

God was there when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit and created their own coverings when they realized they were naked after eating from the tree of knowledge and yet as they were removed from the garden, God provided for them out of compassion when He “made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”

Today’s devotional has been provided by Carlos Santiago and FamilyLife (more details can be found http://www.familylife.com)

Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me:
(check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)

For more information on communicating with your kids listen to, Blessing Your Child Through Your Words on FamilyLifeToday.com.

Show Compassion

• Can you be the dads who after giving clear and concise instructions that give a very simple choice and yet your kids do it anyways can show compassion?
• Can you be the dads who won’t let one mistake be the end of the story for your kids?
• Can you be the dads who shows mercy rather than harsh and immediate punishment?
• Today’s devotional speaks to how God, our Heavenly Father responded when Adam and Eve were in the garden and ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Let’s pause to see what they have to say:
  • “When God spoke to Adam in the Garden of Eden, He was very clear. Everything in the garden was fair game, except for one tree that was off limits. Eating from that fruit carried the death penalty. With all the lavish abundance present in the garden, the choice should have been simple, yet that is precisely what Adam did.“
  • “By all accounts, the human story should have been a very short one. God should have confronted Adam and Eve in the garden and killed them on the spot, but He didn’t.“
  • “This seems like an odd way to start the human story. It’s usually not a good idea for parents to make threats that they don’t carry out. Good parents know that once you declare a penalty, you need to stick to it. You must be true to your word. You must “take the toy away”, “ground them for a week”, or literally “turn the car around and go home.” If you don’t follow through, your kids learn to ignore you.“
  • “So what happened? Why are we still here? Why didn’t the God of justice; the God who cannot lie, immediately wipe out the human race?“
  • We get the answer: “God is also a God of mercy.“
    • “Had He killed them on the spot, there would have been justice, but no mercy. Had He simply erased their sentence, there would have been mercy, with no justice. Instead He delayed its execution long enough for the relationship to be reconciled. By choosing to delay, He found a way for mercy and justice to coexist.“
• Let’s be dads who are equally interested in mercy as we are in justice!
• Let’s be the dads who can look at the situation from a higher perspective and act like our Heavenly Father!
• Let’s be the dads who turn to God to help us figure out the right balance between mercy and justice!
• Let’s be the dads who don’t lean too hard in either direction! Let’s be the dads who have balance! Let’s turn to God for wisdom and discernment in and through every situation!
  • “Lean too heavily on the side of justice and we parent with a cold, iron fist. Our children may obey us, but they do so out of compulsion. As soon as they break free from our control, they rebel.“
  • “But if you lean too far on the side of mercy, and our kids grow wild and unruly.“
• Let’s be the dads who are compassionate like God was compassionate with Adam and Eve after kicking them out of the garden as we read in Genesis 3:21 above.
• Let’s be the dads who can balance tender mercy and justice, even when it comes with hard labor and pain, like God did by clothing Adam and Eve as they were leaving the God to live out their lives of punishment working the land.
• Let’s be the dads who don’t give up on our kids!
• Let’s be the dads who love on our kids even while they are working out the hard labor of their punishment for disobedience.
• Let’s be the dads who speak love, speak life, and speak hope to our kids in the midst of their trials and troubles so they don’t lose hope but instead know that they shouldn’t give up on themselves because we aren’t giving up on them either.
• Let’s be the dads who let our kids know that we will be here for them in and through it all.
• Let’s be the dads who demonstrate our love for our kids by being active in their lives.
• So what does that mean we have to do? We have to be the dads who show compassion to our kids!
• Today’s devotional closes with the following prayer:
  • “Pray that God give you the wisdom to be able to parent with both justice and mercy.“

Today we continue the devotional Father Like The Father. I appreciate God’s leading and sorting of articles so that the topics and instruction we can get around be the dads are on point and speak the truth in love. I have been blessed with my interaction with them as they gave guidance and support for my posts. Bible.com introduces the devotional like this:

Throughout Scripture, God is called Father. Yet how does He father His children? What parenting principles can we learn by observing His interactions with humanity? This seven-day study will examine key Scriptures which will help you to father like the Father.

Father Like The Father

Today’s devotional is connected with the following scriptures:

• Genesis 3:23-24
• Ephesians 6:4
• Hebrews 12:11

‘So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.’

Genesis 3:23-24

‘Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. ‘

Ephesians 6:4

‘No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. ‘

Hebrews 12:11

Today’s scripture speaks to us some important instruction when it comes to being the dads God created us to be. God’s Word speaks to us the importance of how we respond when our kids need correction or discipline. We see how for Adam it meant removing him from the garden. It meant taking him from where things were readily available for him to needing him to work the ground to survive. We see how it was a decision based on the consequences of his act of disobedience. We even see how God created a barrier to re-entering the garden and getting to the tree of life. God’s Word also speaks to us about how we aren’t to overdo it when we correct our kids. In Ephesians, we get the message that to be the dads we can’t exasperate our kids, which means we can’t irritate and frustrate them intensely, we can’t
infuriate, incense, anger, annoy, irritate, madden, enrage, send into a rage, inflame, antagonize, provoke, irk, vex, gall, pique, try someone’s patience, get on someone’s nerves, make someone’s blood boil, make someone’s hackles rise, make someone see red, get someone’s back up, rub up the wrong way, ruffle someone’s feathers, drive to distraction, exacerbate, hump, rasp, infuriating, annoying, irritating, maddening, antagonizing, provoking, irking, irksome, vexing, vexatious, galling, trying, troublesome, bothersome, or displeasing our kids. God doesn’t just tell us what not to do, He provides direction on what we should do instead. To be the dads, we need to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Just like when God has to discipline or correct us and it isn’t pleasant and can even feel painful, God shares the benefits of discipline and correction long term. The discipline and correction produce a harvest of righteousness and peace when we learn from it, are trained by it, and then live out our lives in alignment with God’s purpose and plan. So let’s be the dads who are there to correct and discipline our kids in a way that won’t exasperate our kids but will instead help them to become the kids who reap a harvest of righteousness and peace because of it. Let’s take the lessons God has taught us and be the dads our kids, our wives, and our world needs each of us to be.

Today’s devotional has been provided by Carlos Santiago and FamilyLife (more details can be found http://www.familylife.com)

Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me:
(check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)

For more information on communicating with your kids listen to, Blessing Your Child Through Your Words on FamilyLifeToday.com.

Discipline

• What comes to mind when you hear the word discipline?
  • Is it: “the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.“
  • Is it: “the controlled behavior resulting from discipline.“
  • Is it: “activity or experience that provides mental or physical training.“
  • Is it: “a system of rules of conduct.“
  • Is it: “a branch of knowledge, typically one studied in higher education.“
  • Is it: “train (someone) to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.“
  • Is it: “punish or rebuke (someone) formally for an offense.“
  • Is it: “train oneself to do something in a controlled and habitual way.“
• Today’s devotional shares an example of discipline based on the United States Marines Corps performance of a silent rifle drill.

“Polished patent leather shoes, crisp white gloves, and stoic expressions proclaim their readiness. Even while motionless, their discipline is evident. Once the marching begins, the soldiers work in perfect unison. Bayonet-tipped rifles flip within inches of their faces, yet no one flinches. Everyone on the team is precisely where they need to be, when they need to be there.

Their performance is the culmination of countless hours of training and strict adherence to the instructions and corrections of their squad leader. This leader is their model, not just someone who yells at them when they mess up. He is there every step of the way, taking the same risks, and helping them achieve their best.”

Discipline — Father Like The Father

• You may notice that the word discipline mirrors or the from the same origin as the word disciple.
  • “The English word for “discipline” comes from the Latin word discipulus, or disciple. A disciple is a student.“
• So discipline isn’t all about punishment or stopping bad behavior but it is also about training them up in the ways they should go so that when they are older they will not depart from it. Discipline is about training them and developing in them good behavior.
• For us to be the dads, we need to become teachers to help our kids know what good behavior looks like.
• For us to be the dads, we need to lead by example so that our kids can see good behavior modeled for them.
• Jesus modeled life to the full for us and so we need to learn and live following His example so that our kids will do the same.
• Let’s be the dads who pick up God’s example of disciplining us and make the goal of discipline to train up our kids to perfection.
• Let’s be the dads who pick up God’s example of discipline so that we can help our kids remove everything that makes them miss the mark.
• Let’s be the dads who pick up God’s example of discipline so that just as God wants us to avoid and remove sinful behavior from our lives, we can train up our kids in the same way.
• Let’s be the dads who help our kids live the lives God intended them to live.
• Let’s be the dads who walk alongside our kids and holding them to a higher standard that what society is peddeling.
• Let’s be the dads who give our kids something to strive towards as they live out their lives that calls them to God’s higher calling and standards.
• Let’s be the dads who offer correction when we see something going out of line.
• Let’s be the dads who offers the right level of correction based on the situation and the behavior.
• Let’s be the dads who provide correction for the bettermenet of our kids and our relationship with them.
• Let’s be the dads who if or when pain is involved in the correction or discipline that it has purpose.
• Let’s be the dads who point our kids back to the importance and need for God and relying on Him.
• Let’s be the dads who teach our kids to trust God at His and trust God’s Word.
• Let’s be the dads whose discipline enhance rather than exasperate our relationship with our kids.
• Let’s be the dads who discipline in order to create disciples of Jesus.
• Let’s be the dads who use discipline as a way to help our kids with discipleship.
• Let’s be the dads who are looking for the long term best of and in our kids.
• Let’s be the dads whose discipline is effective without causing our kids to want to hide from us.
• Let’s be the dads whose discipline is appropriate and necessary for the here and now as well as for the health of our long term relationship with our kids.
• Let’s be the dads who are more interested in fathering our kids than just being their friends.
• We can be their friends but we need to be the dads God created us to be first.
• Let’s be the dads who have a positive impact and influence on our kids.
• Let’s be the dads who live our lives in a way our kids can respect us.
• So let’s lead by example just as Jesus has done for us.
• Let’s look to apply discipline as a means and method to help our kids grow to their maximum potential and to become who God has created and purposed for them to be.
• Today’s devotional closes with this prayer:
  • “Pray that God help you to walk in a manner worthy of your child’s emulation, and for wisdom as you disciple them.“

Today we continue the devotional Father Like The Father. I appreciate God’s leading and sorting of articles so that the topics and instruction we can get around be the dads are on point and speak the truth in love. I have been blessed with my interaction with them as they gave guidance and support for my posts. Bible.com introduces the devotional like this:

Throughout Scripture, God is called Father. Yet how does He father His children? What parenting principles can we learn by observing His interactions with humanity? This seven-day study will examine key Scriptures which will help you to father like the Father.

Father Like The Father

Today’s devotional is connected with the following scriptures:

• Genesis 3:8-9
• Genesis 2:16-17
• 1 John 4:10

‘Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” ‘

Genesis 3:8-9

‘And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” ‘

Genesis 2:16-17

‘This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ‘

1 John 4:10

Today’s scriptures point us to God for His love. We see how God desires an intimate relationship with us, walking through life with us and yet when we walk out of the will of God and break the boundaries He has set up to protect us we feel guilt and fear. God is omnipresent and so we can’t really hide from Him and we can’t really run away from Him and yet He loves us so much to not force Himself on us but hopes that we will make our own decision to invite Him into our lives and to choose to walk out our lives with Him. Where are you today? Are you walking out your life with God or are you trying to go it your own way and avoid God? Let’s be the dads who choose to walk out our lives with God. Let’s be the dads who choose to have an intimate relationship with God so that no matter where we are, what we are doing, what we are thinking, we are looking to live out our lives in alignment with Him and according to His purposes. Let’s be the dads who stick so close to God that He is able to speak the truth and lead and guide us in love through all situations and circumstances. Let’s be the dads who hear what God wants us to do and do it. Let’s go from being hearers of the Word to being doers of the Word. Let’s not allow the lies of the devil to tempt us into doing something that can harm ourselves or our relationships with God. Let’s be the dads who when we get off track, quickly turn back to God, humbling ourselves for what we have done, so He will forgive our sins and heal our land. Let’s be the dads to look to live out our lives in accordance with God’s example of love. Let’s be the dads who sacrifice for our kids. Let’s be the dads who sacrifice for our wives. Let’s be the dads who sacrifice for this world around us. So where are you today? Where are you in relation to your relationship with God? Where are you in relation to your relationship with your wife and kids? How will you choose to live your day? Will you choose to live your today in a way that will bring God the praise, the honor, and the glory? The choice is yours! The decision is yours! It’s in your hands!

Today’s devotional has been provided by Carlos Santiago and FamilyLife (more details can be found http://www.familylife.com)

Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me:
(check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)

For more information on communicating with your kids listen to, Blessing Your Child Through Your Words on FamilyLifeToday.com.

Pursue

• Have you ever blown it with God? Known you did the opposite of what He told you to do? How did you respond?
• “Adam and Eve knew they had blown it.“
• We see in Genesis 2:16-17 how they had the entire garden of fruit trees to eat from and only one they weren’t to eat from but the devil pursuaded them to do it anyways.
• Ever blown it and realized you should have obeyed what God had told you? How did you respond? Did you turn back to Him quickly and humbly and then ask for forgiveness? Did you try to mask or hide it? Did you try to hide from Him, like you think He didn’t know or can’t see you?
• Remember how God is our provider? So He gives us everything we need to accomplish His calling and purpose. Is that enough for you or will you allow the lies of the devil to keep you from His calling and purpose by disqualifying you through disobedience?
• Remember when you were a kid and you messed up? Remember when you heard your parents coming and how you responded? Did you hide under the bed? in the closet? under a blanket? under a table? somewhere else? It’s the same thing that Adam and Eve did when they heard God coming, they hid.
• So while you are trying to be the dads and when you see this response, how will you respond? When you see this behavior or pattern, what will you do?
• You know what they did. You know where they are hiding. Now what?
• How will you respond when they try to hide?
• How will you respond when they try to shift the blame?
• How will you respond when they try to change the subject?
• How will you handle dealing with the consequences of disobedience?
• Will you be the dads who show them how much they need you?
• Will you be the dads who embrace them and tell them how they could of and should have turn to you first?
• Will you be the dads who will invite them to come to you when they feel tempted for strength, courage, and wisdom?
• Will you be the dads who will invite them to come and confess what they did because it will allow them to only have to deal with the consequences of that event and not magnify or amplify the consequences by lying about it?
• Consider what happened with Adam and Eve and how much they needed Him after making such a big mistake.
  • “God knew what they had done.“
  • “He knew they needed His forgiveness and He knew exactly where they were hiding.“
  • “He could have taken that opportunity to remind them of His power “
  • “He could have taken that opportunity to remind them” “the futility of trying to hide from the all-knowing, omnipresent, almighty God“
  • But that’s not what He did because He loved them and so “He pursued them—gently.“
  • God gives us the best example of how to respond in how He responded to Adam and Eve.
  • God’s example speaks more than had He lectured them about His power and who He is.
  • God’s example shows that the relationship was more important than the mistake.
  • God’s example shows that they could go to Him even when they messed up.
• Let’s be the dads who are more interested in our relationships with our kids and our wives than pointing out mistakes.
• Let’s be the dads who are more interested in being able to come together with our kids and our wives even when they mess up.
• Let’s be the dads who inspite of the consequences they are going to had to deal with they will know that we love them so much.
• Let’s be the dads who inspite of the consequences for their actions wants to love and forgive them.
• Let’s be the dads who inspite of the consequences for disobedience have kids and wives who know they can come to us whenever they get in trouble.
• So let’s be the dads who follow God the Father’s example and pursue our kids.
• Let’s be the dads who are proactive and go after our kids even before they come to us with a spirit of repentance.
• Let’s be the dads who are present and pursue our kids even if they hide because of a wrong doing or withdraw because they are growing up.
• Let’s be the dads who know that our kids need us in their lives, even when they are getting older and building up their independence.
• Let’s be the dads who build relationships with our kids and make time with them rather than having them withdraw into what society gives them like music, video games, and their cell phones.
• Let’s be the dads who pursue and are present so that we are always present and available for our kids.
• Let’s be the dads who keep our guards up when it comes to our kids and wives so that to help protect and guide them.
• Let’s be the dads who provide guidance to our kids even when they don’t think they need it.
• Let’s be the dads who are willing to pursue like God pursued and make the move like God did by loving us and sending Jesus.
• Today’s devotional gives us a prayer topic:
  • “Pray that God fill you with perseverance and humility as you purse the hearts of your children. “

Today we continue the devotional Father Like The Father. I appreciate God’s leading and sorting of articles so that the topics and instruction we can get around be the dads are on point and speak the truth in love. I have been blessed with my interaction with them as they gave guidance and support for my posts. Bible.com introduces the devotional like this:

Throughout Scripture, God is called Father. Yet how does He father His children? What parenting principles can we learn by observing His interactions with humanity? This seven-day study will examine key Scriptures which will help you to father like the Father.

Father Like The Father

Today’s devotional connects with:

• Genesis 1:4-5
• Genesis 2:16-17

‘God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. ‘

Genesis 1:4-5

‘And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” ‘

Genesis 2:16-17

Today’s scriptures speak to the importance of healthy boundaries. They speak to the benefits and drawbacks of staying within the boundaries versus going outside of them. The rules help set the foundation for us. Grace is the oxygen that helps keep things moving forward alive. We see how the first boundary God set was between light and darkness, between day and night, and how they together give us a day. We see how God gave Adam and Eve a boundary to help them stay pure and holy. God set the boundary that they could eat from any tree in the garden except the ones found on the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God let them know the drawback or detriment of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil would bring death. So are you ready to live within the healthy boundaries God has given you? Are you ready to live your life with the boundaries that will bring you life? Are you ready to live your life by setting healthy boundaries for yourself and your family? Are you ready to be the dad who sets boundaries for his family so that they can be blessed?

Today’s devotional has been provided by Carlos Santiago and FamilyLife (more details can be found http://www.familylife.com)

Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me:
(check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)

For more information on communicating with your kids listen to, Blessing Your Child Through Your Words on FamilyLifeToday.com.

Set Boundaries

• Let’s be the dads who set healthy boundaries for our kids for their good, for their well-being, for their lives.
• Do you remember when they were babies and how we had to setup all the baby proofing?
  • Plug covers as a healthy boundary to keep them getting shocked?
  • Padding on sharp corners to keep them from getting cut or hurt?
  • Baby gates to keep them from falling down the stairs?
  • Baby seats to get them around safely and even home from the hospital?
  • Cribs to keep them safe through the night?
  • Baby monitors to be able to ensure they were safe when they went to sleep?
  • and many more…
• Do you remember finding the things you missed or forgot because they found them for you? And if you were lucky you stopped them before any harm was done?
• Do you remember having to change or adjust the boundaries as they grow up? From barely moving to crawling to walking to running?
• Do you remember trying to stay one step ahead of them but realizing you needed a new safety mechanism, a new boundary to come into place?
• Do you remember setting curfews? Do you remember setting bed times? Do you remember setting up washing and bathing practices?
• In the midst of the troubles or pains we face, we need to be the dads who setup clear and concise boundaries for the good of our kids and our families in general.
• Let’s be the dads who love our kids like God loved Adam and give to our kids.
  • God loved Adam so much that He “gave him everything he would ever possibly need.“
  • God loved Adam so much that He gave him “a wonderful environment“.
  • God loved Adam so much that He gave him “an intimate relationship with his Father.“
  • God loved Adam so much that He gave him “a good job.”
  • God loved Adam so much that He gave him “good food.“
  • God loved Adam so much that He gave him “safety.“
  • God loved Adam so much that He gave him Eve as his wife.
• Let’s be the dads who are generous and lavish with our kids and yet still set healthy boundaries for them to live within.
• God set the laws of nature by setting the boundaries between light and darkness.
• God set the boundaries for Adam when He told him not to eat from the fruit of knowledge of good and evil but that he was free and clear to eat from every other tree.
• Let’s be the dads who set boundaries to protect our kids like God did for Adam.
• Let’s realize that no matter how good our intentions just like Adam who received freewill from God, our kids have freewill too and may choose to cross those boundaries.
• Let’s be the dads who set boundaries to proetect our kids and let them know and realize the consequences if they choose to cross them.
• For Adam it meant being removed from the garden of Eden.
• For Adam it meant being having to go and work the land for food.
• For Adam, his disobedience of crossing the boundary mean inviting sin, pain, and death into the world that continues today.
• Let’s be the dads who like our Heavenly Father set clear boundaries for our kids.
• Let’s be the dads who like our Heavenly Father set clear consequences for our kids if the break or cross the boundary.
• Let’s be the dads who like our Heavenly Father who let our kids know the penalty associated with not staying within the boundaries.
• Let’s be the dads who learn to live within God’s boundaries for our own good.
• Let’s be the dads who are equipped to better lead and guide our families because we are following our Heavenly Father’s example.
• Let’s be the dads who equip our kids for when they grow up so that they too can set healthy boundaries for their families.
• Let’s be the dads who set godly boundaries based on biblical principals from God.
• Let’s be the dads who ask God for the wisdom and discernment, the boldness and courage to set and enforce the boundaries.
• Today’s devotional speaks for us to pray:
  • “Pray that God give you the wisdom to know which boundaries to set and the courage to enforce them.“

Today we continue the devotional Father Like The Father. I appreciate God’s leading and sorting of articles so that the topics and instruction we can get around be the dads are on point and speak the truth in love. I have been blessed with my interaction with them as they gave guidance and support for my posts. Bible.com introduces the devotional like this:

Throughout Scripture, God is called Father. Yet how does He father His children? What parenting principles can we learn by observing His interactions with humanity? This seven-day study will examine key Scriptures which will help you to father like the Father.

Father Like The Father

Today’s devotional connects with

• Genesis 1:29
• Luke 11:11-13

‘Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ‘

Genesis 1:29

‘ “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” ‘

Luke 11:11-13

Today’s scripture points us to a good Father, our Heavenly Father as an example of how to be the dads He created, purposed, and wants us to be. We see how our Heavenly Father provides for us, He gives us seeds to plant and the produce of those seeds to eat. God knows we have need of both spiritual and physical food to be able to survive and thrive. God even provides produce so that the food the seeds produce contain the seeds needed to plant again and plant more. We see in Luke how God even challenges us to be the dads when He shows His goodness and how He is available and will give us what we have need of. So let’s not be the dads who would give a snake to our kids when they ask for a fish. Let’s not be the dads who would give our kids a scorpion when they ask for an egg. Let’s be dads who know what our kids need and follow the example of our Heavenly Father in loving them and giving our kids good gifts. Let’s raise the bar by being the dads who will pursue God’s goodness and God’s example in how we will love on and treat our kids. Let’s raise the bar and invite the Holy Spirit into our lives and every situation so that we can have the wisdom we need and the discernment we need to be able to give our kids what they need rather than spoiling them by giving them what they want. Let’s choose to be the dads today that will glorify God in the ways we choose to live our lives and love on our wives and kids. Let’s choose to be the dads today that will bring God the praise, the honor, and the glory by shining for Jesus in the world around us. Let’s be the dads God created, purposed, and wants us to be!

Today’s devotional has been provided by Carlos Santiago and FamilyLife (more details can be found http://www.familylife.com)

Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me:
(check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)

For more information on communicating with your kids listen to, Blessing Your Child Through Your Words on FamilyLifeToday.com.

Provide

• God is the God of provision! God knows what you have need of even before you ask. Will you humble yourself enough to ask?
  • ‘I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. ‘ – Philippians 4:10-13
• Let’s be the dads to live up to the calling on our lives to be the providers for our wives, our kids, our family, and our community.
• Let’s be the dads who pick up and take the responsibility of provider seriously!
• Let’s be the dads who love their wives and partner with them to ensure the family has what is needed.
• Are you a dad who organizes their life around answering the call or taking on the responsibility of providing for your family?
• Don’t miss out on everything else that being the dad means though too by getting or being consumed with providing.
• Choose to receive the message Jesus gave the religious leaders when He said:
  • ‘ “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone. ‘ – Luke 11:42
  • ‘ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. ‘ – Matthew 23:23-24
• So let’s be the dads who are both providers and also caretakers of our family.
• We know that provision is a key element to being the dad God created us to be from His example as the ultimate provider.
• God even has the name Jehovah Jireh which means the Lord will provide.
• God provided through creation – like giving the seeds and the plants for us to be able to plant, grow, and eat.
• God provided an environment for us to be able to live and thrive as His children through creation.
• God provided a safe place for us to be able to live, thrive, and grow.
• God provided a place that will be able to meet our physical needs.
• God provides us with a way to also have a relationship with Him in order to meet our spiritual needs.
• Let’s be the dads who work to produce a safe place for our wives, kids, and family.
• Let’s be the dads who work to provide safety and food for our wives, kids, and family.
• Let’s be the dads who reflect our Heavenly Father’s love by demonstrating our live by the work we do and the provision it brings to the family.
• Let’s be the dads who grasp the full reality of providing for our wives, kids, and family though as pointed out in today’s scripture from Luke where it says:
  • ‘ “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” ‘ – Luke 11:11-13
• Let’s be the dads who do not overlook the spiritual needs of our kids and wives.
• Let’s be the dads who know the difference between good and evil.
• Let’s be the dads who know how to give good gifts and meet the needs of our kids.
• Let’s be the dads who don’t try to go and do it all in our own strength and on our own but let’s invite God, our Heavenly Father, into the situations so that we lead by example and show our kids and our wives our dependency on God and how He provides for us.
• Let’s be the dads who receive and share the biggest and best thing God provides us with, Himself!
• Let’s be the dads who receive Jesus into our hearts and lives.
• Let’s be the dads who walk out our lives asking the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us every step of the way.
• And just like how God provided us with Himself, we need to be the dads who give ourselves to our kids and wives too.
• We can’t be working all the time but instead we need to be spending time with and giving of ourselves to our kids and wives.
• We can’t be spending all of our time away from our families but instead we need to be the dads who spend quality and quantity time with our wives and kids.
• Let’s be the dads who provide for all of our kids needs! That goes beyond just the physical needs but also includes their spiritual and emotional needs too.
• Let’s be the dads who make the time to be with and hear from our kids so that we can see, hear, and identify their needs.
• Let’s be the dads who make the time to be with our kids so that we build a relationship with them and they are able to share their needs, their concerns, their hopes, their dreams, and their worries with us.
• Let’s not forget to do what is most important! The physical is but a small portion of what they need! Let’s be the dads who provide for their spiritual and emotional well being too.
• Are you ready to be the dad who will adjust their lives and schedules in order to make time and be present with your kids?
• Are you ready to be the dad who prioritizes time with your kids over your own personal schedule or activities?
• Let’s be the dads who provide more than just things but love and support, encouragement and hope.
• Today’s devotional calls on us to pray:
  • “Pray that God show you how you rearrange your schedule so that you can provide your children with more of yourself.“

Today I started a new search for “dad” devotionals on bible.com and the next one in the series is Father Like The Father. I appreciate God’s leading and sorting of articles so that the topics and instruction we can get around be the dads are on point and speak the truth in love. Bible.com introduces the devotional like this:

Throughout Scripture, God is called Father. Yet how does He father His children? What parenting principles can we learn by observing His interactions with humanity? This seven-day study will examine key Scriptures which will help you to father like the Father.

Father Like The Father

Today’s devotional connects with Genesis 1:28 and Hebrews 1:1-2 which tell us:

‘God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” ‘

Genesis 1:28

‘In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ‘

Hebrews 1:1-2

It is interesting what God speaks to us in Genesis 1. If we expand on today’s verse we see:

‘So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.’

Genesis 1:27-31

God created man and woman, male and female, and told them to be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. God created man and woman with a plan and a purpose that was good. God created man and woman so that they would come together in a holy union to be able to be fruitful and increase in number. In Genesis 2 we see this spoken to give us additional context where it says:

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Genesis 2:24

God’s plan was for His glory and our good. God’s plan is that we will have hope and a future. God’s plan is good.

God wants to have a relationship with us. He isn’t wanting us to have a checklist of tasks to do and go on with life but rather that we will have a relationship with Him. He desires a relationship where we spend time together, talk with Him, and build a deeper and more intimate relationship. There are many who may be looking for a list or be going through the motions but it isn’t about rituals and routines but rather it is all about having a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Our second scripture for today’s devotional tells us and points to us how we can have a direct connection and relationship with God. We don’t need to be working through someone else but can have a direct connection and intimate relationship with God. So today as we consider today’s devotional about being the dad that mirrors being a father like the Father, our Heavenly Father, let’s pause and be ready to not only speak but listen to what God has to say to us and through us today so that we can be the dads He created us to be.

Today’s devotional has been provided by Carlos Santiago and FamilyLife (more details can be found http://www.familylife.com)

Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me:
(check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)

For more information on communicating with your kids listen to, Blessing Your Child Through Your Words on FamilyLifeToday.com.

Communicate

• Had an interesting conversation on the weekend between dad and father. And yet when I got started on this journey the word dad is what was used. My friend is correct that it takes one act to become a dad and yet a lifetime to be a father. To me they should be the same, dad should not equate to sperm donor. When I say Be The Dads it is the lifetime commitment of how God created us to be the dads. So with that in mind for us to be the dads God desires and created us to be we need to be more like Him, our Heavenly Father.
• What comes to mind when you think of the word dad?
• What comes to mind when you think of the word father?
• Do you equate them to be the same thing or did you have a similar response to my friend?
• Did something happen in your life that broke the connection because you had a dad who wasn’t a father?
• Did something happen in your life that broke the connection because your dad wasn’t present and left you with your mom?
• Did something happen in your life that broke the connection and the trust because your dad didn’t act like or treat you like a father should?
• Do you realize the impact a father has on the lives of his kids?
• Do you realize that when we are the dads God created us to be it has a tremendously good impact on our kids?
• Do you realize that when we aren’t the dads God creates us to be it has a tremendously negative or bad impact on our kids?
• Do you realize the impact will be that our kids will want to be like us or nothing like us based on how we lived and treated them.
• So are you ready to be the dads God created us to be?
• Are you ready to be the dads who resemble our Heavenly Father?
• Are you wondering what that means?
• Are you wondering what that looks like?
• Are you wondering how it can be possible?
• Thankfully God gave us an instruction manual called the Bible.
• “God calls Himself Father.”
• “Some of our best lessons on how to be a good father come from observing God interact with His children through Scripture.“
• We see in today’s devotional how the qualities of our Heavenly Father will be shared with us over and through this 7-day devotional.
• Today’s theme or quality is that God is a good communicator! We need to grasp that and lean in and learn to be good communicators too.
  • God spoke creation into existence
  • God spoke to mankind, starting with Adam and continued through angels, dreams, and prophets.
  • God spoke through Jesus
  • God speaks through the Holy Spirit
• To be the dads like God is our Heavenly Father, we need to learn to communicate frequently!
  • How are you with communicating?
  • Are you feeling drained from busy days or work and have a hard time being able to communicate?
  • Are you talked out after your busy day and not feeling energized enough to communicate with your family?
  • Remember, to be the dads we need to put first things first and so we shouldn’t be using up 90% of our energy on our lower priorities. For me when I had the put first things first aha moment I came to the realization that my priorities (1) God, (2) Wife + Marriage, (3) Kids + Family, … that meant everything else started at (4). So that means we need to put the time and effort into (1), (2), (3) and then (4) and beyond would get the leftovers rather than the other way around.
  • Instead of having little to say to our wives and kids, why not look for ways to engage them with questions about how their day was?
  • Instead of looking to find a place to unwind and get away, why not look for ways to connect with and be with your wives and kids?
  • Why? you may ask.
    • Because they need our input.
    • A dad’s words are powerful
    • A dad’s words can can often define the course of a child’s entire life.
    • A lack of words from dad can leave our kids lost and without direction.
    • We need to be the dads who give our best words to our kids and our wives.
    • We need to make sure the good words we speak don’t only go to our employees and coworkers but that the best ones are given to our kids and wives.
    • We can’t be the dads if we are giving our family the leftovers.
  • What was the last thing you said to your kids?
    • Was it a command?
    • Was it an expression of disapproval?
    • Was it a proclamation of your love?
    • Was it a proclamation of your admiration?
    • Was it a statement of hope for them?
    • Was it a statement of how proud you are of them?
    • What if the last words you say to them was that?
    • Is that the last thing you want them to remember or have in their head about you?
  • Let’s be the dads who are like our Heavenly Father and be good communicators.
    • Let’s pray to God for wisdom to know the words to speak, the words our kids need to hear
    • Let’s pray to God for the boldness and the courage to speak them.