Tag Archives: family

How I Failed the Father’s Day White-Glove Test

Posted on by

This Sunday is Father’s Day. For those of you who no longer have your dad with you, or maybe never knew him, you have my respect and condolences. I lost my mother 10 years ago, so I have some small idea how this day might feel to you. May Sunday, and these days leading up to it, be filled with good memories and recounted blessings from your Heavenly Father.

This morning I signed the Father’s Day card to my dad. I didn’t buy a serious one, just an amusing little cartoon of a stereotypical dad asleep in his comfy chair and a quip to go with it. Some years I’m moved to write a few serious words expressing my deep gratitude to God for my dad. This year I kept it short and sweet. Thankfully, my father and I are good friends, so there’s nothing I would write that he doesn’t already know–and that in itself is something to be thankful for.

The only problem with writing the card this year is that it was over too quickly. I sat down at the kitchen table, slid the card over, wrote a little something, and slid it back to its envelope so I could mail it. I thought about it, but I didn’t think about it. It was, for me, another year and another Father’s Day card. I’ve done this since I learned to how to scribble my name as a boy–35+ years of Father’s Day cards come and gone. Get Father’s Day card in the mail (on-time!) to Dad…Check.

My dad turned 80 last November. (Read my ode to him at SBCVoices.com here.) Realistically, I’ve signed and sent more Father’s Day cards in the past than I will in the future. Not to sound cold, it’s just a statistical fact. It’s a very important fact though.

On one hand, I’m thankful that my dad and I get along so well that if I either of us passed from this world today, nothing would be left unsaid. That is a huge comfort, I think, to both of us. It’s a privilege from God, really. Yet, how quickly I wrote out the card today shows the danger of familiarity. Telling my father how much I love and appreciate him should never be a “been there, done that” triviality. Take time to stop and smell the Father’s Day card.

At the same time, it’s not just dad who deserves special treatment (and not just once a year). Yesterday I watched on TV as an expert handled unique artwork and a pocket-watch with white linen gloves because of their extra-special value. These were rare and unreplaceable; they deserved special treatment. All of us can learn a lesson from that. We should be so careful in our handling of the lives and relationships around us–like our spouses, family, friends, coworkers, even strangers–which are infinitely more valuable.

Category: Devotions | Tags: , , , , ,

You Might Be More Like Herman Cain Than You Ever Thought

Posted on by

No sooner did I read Al Mohler’s commentary on the series of allegations against Herman Cain than I read this Associated Press article entitled, “Meeting with Wife May Be Key to Future of Cain Bid.” Speaking Wednesday night to reporters at his New Hampshire headquarters, Cain had this to say:

“Since I’ve been campaigning all week, I haven’t had an opportunity to sit down with her and walk through this with my wife and my family. I will do that when I get back home on Friday…I am not going to make a decision until after we talk face to face.”

STOP. RIGHT. THERE.

Whether the allegations are true or not, in my mind they take a back seat to his own abysmal prioritizing of his life.

Really? You just admitted that despite being accused of a 13-year affair you haven’t even had the decency to address the matter in-person with your wife? You just told the world that your wife does not matter to you nearly as much as your own political ambitions. If there is any shred of truth to the story (and the truth will come out), you talked face-to-face with strangers and reporters and did not have the decency to set all the vanities of your political windmill chasing aside to go home and talk to the only human being on the planet you pledged your life to.

But Cain is not the only one to make such a tragic blunder. You might be making one also.

I once spoke to a man whose wife is a nanny to a young couple with a young child. The wife owns her own business and the husband is spending hours and hours at the office to build his reputation for present and future successes. On average the nanny watches their little one 12 hours a day, 4 days a week.

Yesterday my wife was reading out of a used book of devotionals based on the Psalms. She read Psalm 106, which recalls events of Israel’s history and God’s ongoing faithfulness. Psalm 106:36,37 says:

They served their idols, which became a snare to them.
They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;

Scribbled in the right-hand column next to those words the previous reader wrote, Choosing a certain lifestyle over your children. When a man chooses his own ambitions–political, corporate, or yes, even ambitions of ministry–to the neglect of his family, is he not guilty of the same sins as Israel? Or when a woman prioritizes her ambitions over her children or husband, is she not doing the same?

We must beware the sin of Herman Cain. We must beware the sin of Israel. We must beware the sin that lurks in the motives of our own hearts.

Category: Challenge, Children/Family, Culture, Current Events | Tags: , , , , , , ,

A Guy With No Kids Blogs About Homeschooling

Posted on by

Yep. I’m doin’ it.

My friend and guy-who-has-kids, Doug Hibbard, has a four-part series on his blog about homeschooling. Doug is a pastor and his wife, Ann, (also a blogger) is the schooler of their home. They have one child in Kindergarten, one in 3rd grade, and one in 5th grade. Doug is also homeschooled–he takes online classes through New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Below is a quick run-down of his series, but don’t sell yourself short with my Cliff-Notes version of it, go read it for yourself, and for the children (that’s always a guilt-producing crowd-pleaser line, isn’t it?).

Part 1 – Reasons to Homeschool (His introductory thoughts)

This is also not about pure religious indoctrination…Homeschooling is not about building a wall that keeps the world out or blocking all alternative views. It does allow for blending more aspects into education: no one is going to sue us for our kids singing Christmas songs about Jesus in school.

Part 2 – Whys and Why Nots (Think of it as Reasons, Part 2)

It’s not a complete protective bubble at home anymore than it’s a guaranteed sewer at school. We do not homeschool them because their morals will definitely collapse at school…We want to equip our kids to make good choices, make right decisions. To that end, we keep them at home and teach them at a better pace that fits them.

Part 3 – Answers objections and questions raised about the child’s social skills and development.

Here is one of the top challenges when it comes to homeschooling your children: social skills. It’s the major question asked by family members, was the subject of a 5 minute diatribe by a pediatrician who criticized us for homeschooling during a routine visit, and one of a conscientious homeschool parent’s major concerns.

Part 4 – Doug challenges the idea of the child being “a witness” in the public school system.

Let’s think a little further about this: I am a Southern Baptist, and we have a process for appointing missionaries that involves examining spiritual maturity, preparation for the challenges, and long-range support….Yet a child is qualified to tackle the mandated-atheist environment of a government school simply by living in the district?

See, I told you it was good stuff.

Category: Children/Family, Current Events | Tags: , , , , ,
Older Entries →
%d bloggers like this: