The Discipleship Ministry of Scott Chafee
My sweet daughter is almost 16 years old, and boys have already taken an interest in her, so on this Valentine’s Day I thought I would be proactive and begin the application process for permission to date my daughter.
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Here is the “dance with your daughter” scene that we did NOT get to see in the Courageous film; a music video featuring Mark Harris’ “When We’re Together.”
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Saw this just today; if you are a father, you’ll understand. There is a much larger illustration of God’s love for us. I barely understood the love of God until I became a father.
Men, we need to date our daughters. Think about it, if we want them to be respected on dates when they get into high school, we need to take them out on dates to show them what to expect out of a boy who wants to date her. If he doesn’t measure up, she needs to know that she has the freedom to dump him. She will respect herself enough to insist that the young man respect her.
Bethany and I recently traveled back from Alabama and we stopped at a Chick-fil-a in South Carolina; her choice. I love spending time with her, and wish I had more opportunities to be with her. But on the whole, I feel we spend a lot more time together than most dads and daughters. She is beginning to get interested in boys, and even has a fellow pursuing her, but I insist that he talk to me and get to know me (and I want to know him) before he expects to go out with my daughter (when she turns 17 or 18).
Take a look at this great idea to get dads and daughters together.
The restaurant company as a whole gets a lot of respect from me because of their stance on being closed on Sundays, and the extraordinary work they do in the community (such as the Winshape Foundation, the Chick-fil-a Bowl on December 31, and the recently attended Chick-fil-a Leadercast).
In the near future, I intend to post many of the notes I took while at the leadercast back on May 6, 2011.
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May this Father’s Day be the best. Leadership is influence, so men, lead your children to love God and follow in your example. Pursue Christ and allow him to change you into the dad you need to be for your kids, and the kingdom’s sake.
This Sunday is Father’s Day, so plan ahead accordingly. You may have seen this video but it puts the focus on all the things dad’s do, for no credit at all. Take pride in being the dad God has called you to be, faithful, available and teachable.
I always want to offer helpful ideas, stories and suggestions to help us all become better husbands and fathers. Check out this story I read about this week.
A young man once told about an unusual present he received from his father. As a young boy, he peeled back the layers of wrapping paper from a tiny box. Inside the box he found a small, hand-written note from his father. “Son,” it read, “this year I will give you 365 hours, an hour every day after dinner.”
“This simple present became the greatest gift I ever had in my life,” explained the boy as an adult. “My dad not only kept his promise, but every year he renewed it. I am the result of his time.”
One hour after dinner is all it took to change this boy’s life forever. One hour of leading, loving, and learning. It is such a simple idea, an obvious one. Time for our family is like oxygen to our bodies–there’s a minimum necessary for survival. And it takes quantity as well as quality to develop warm and caring relationships.
What can Dads do?
A man whose family was so infatuated with time that he could rarely enjoy a quiet moment of reflection said, “My Dad was an expert at hurrying. And he inflicted it on our family. We would hurry to go on vacation, hurry to enjoy it, and hurry to drive home, so we could hurry on to something else!”
The misuse of time might be the most pervasive enemy the healthy family has. Dads, determine to make the most of the time you have with your children.
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I was a part of the student group last night; Craig Goodmurphy led a presentation about teenagers making responsible choices during these developmental years. While a lot of the information probably went in one ear and out the other, he presented scientific details about the development of neural pathways. Drugs and alcohol have a significant effect on the brain (and therefore decision-making), because nerves need to wire and fire properly. When we ask the kids “what were you thinking?” they have an imagination that honestly tells them that what they are doing is safe, responsible and logical. They are convinced they can handle it, and they are doing a good job… while observation from the outside shows they are wasted and reckless.
During this season of proms and ring dances, there will be teens all over this city making poor choices that will effect the rest of their lives. What is a parent to do? Check out this verse:
Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. (Proverbs 22:6)
Every year I approach May and June with mixed emotions. I know how exciting it is to be finished with teachers, classes, and homework and to look forward to a summer of fun. And for high school graduates, the future seems exciting, filled with potential. But I also know of the shipwrecked lives, kids who never even make it to summer because of careless celebrations at proms and other parties. It seems like every year we read of carloads of kids who are killed through drinking and driving, and other tragedies.
As I watch seniors walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, I know that they will be headed for the whole range of ups and downs as they make the difficult transition into adulthood. Our future as a nation truly does rest with this generation, and I wonder what that future will hold.
I also wonder about the kind of world we are giving them. My generation has made a few contributions, but we have also formed a society based on self-centeredness, materialism, and greed. It’s a violent world, filled with guns, gangs, crime, abortion, and abuse. Despite the progress and the optimism of the ’60s and ’70s, racism is on the rise again. Personal freedom and choice have come to mean that a person should have the right to do almost anything he or she wants, with no restraints. Families are falling apart. Alternate lifestyles are being taught as normal, and this generation has been trying its best to purge public life of every trace of biblical faith.
It’s not a pretty sight, but it’s not hopeless. There is time to change the direction, but it must begin with our children.
This is a good time to think about our kids, of all ages. We need to reach them now; we dare not wait until graduation.
The Bible verse above is not a guarantee of raising successful kids, but if we don’t raise them right, we can nearly guarantee they won’t turn out right. Think of what you can do to reach this generation. There is no better investment of your life.
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I saw this today and needed to pass it on. Be warned, I consider this R-rated. I don’t condone any of the ugliness you will see here, but in order to help parents see how their behaviors and attitudes are passed down to the next generation, it is extremely important to view this.
Parent Advisory Warning: this is disturbing video, and there is a vulgar gesture in one part. But if this video disturbs you, then it has been a success. Make changes as needed.
As Christian men and parents, let’s commit ourselves to move toward kindness, love, compassion, patience, peace, forgiveness, tolerance and respect… qualities which are not present in this video. “Don’t be that guy.”
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Protecting our daughters is an important task of all fathers. This Christmas Bethany received a “True Love Waits” purity ring, but I have discovered another deterrent for boys who might have other ideas; the trunk monkey:
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