Affirmation

Hi Dads

I received this email a few days ago and thought you might enjoy it too... It is one of the most touching stories I have read in a long while, of how a father affirms his child. Read on......

Click here -> The Power of Affirmation

Blessings
Mark

BIG Dissapointments :-(

Today my son arrived home with a very sad look on his face. His head was hanging low and he was dragging his cricket bag with little enthusiasm. When I asked what was wrong, all I got was "I went out on the first ball".


I had been wrestling with a big decision all day (and most of last night) but at that moment all this was forgotten while I sat and hugged my sad boy. Nothing was said, we just sat together in silence. I said a quiet little prayer for my sad boy.


After a while I went over to the computer and a good friend of mine had written this verse of scripture on his blog - Romans 15:13 - "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."


I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to explain this to my son but it certainly gave me encouragement to know that God is with us ALL THE TIME!!!


Blessings
Mark

The "Perfect Parenting Manual"

The other morning I was listening to Dr. James Dobson on the radio, talking about parenthood.

The core of his message was that there is NO instruction manual on how to be the perfect parent. Everyone seems to have a different opinion on what it means to be a good parent.

I would like to hear some of your thoughts!!!

Blessings
Mark

Frisbee - Blazer?

When last did you throw a frisbee with your kid's?

A few days ago my son came home with a really cool, red frisbee. We stood on the front lawn throwing it to each other.
During this time of fun I was able to pry an answer out of him as to where he had obtained this "wonderful" piece of plastic aerodynamics.

His answer was not what I had expected. "A friend at school borrowed my blazer and said I could take his frisbee home for a few days."

My next question was quite clinical, and I'm sure one that every parent would have asked. "Why did he need YOUR blazer?" Again the answer was not expected. "Dad.....He left his at home and needed it for a cricket match he was playing that afternoon. Without a blazer he would not have been allowed to play."

I marvelled at the willingness of these young men to lend their possessions to others in order to help them out of a pickle. I certainly have lots to learn from this kind of generousity!!

So dad's, I challenge you to get out the old frisbee and toss it around with your kid's. You will be amazed at what you can learn from them!!

God Bless
Mark

11-11-12...Crack!

11 Years, 11 Months, 12 Days.

That is how long ot took my son to break his first window. Yep, the inevitable finally happened. It was a perfect shot that propelled a little white golf ball through the skylight window of my daughters bedroom.

I received the call from my wife and the message was simple. "YOUR son has broken his first window,"
I felt a strange sense of pride at this statement. One because he was suddenly MY son and two because he had hit such a perfect shot.

When I arrived home later, his first words to me were; "Dad but it was a sand wedge!". His face was beaming with pride at the perfection of the shot. What could I say to turn this into a life lesson?

In the time I had to digest this information, I was able to relate this event back to how God is full of grace and mercy and how He gives us a second chance. Should I not give my son the same privelege that my heavenly Father has given to me?

I sat my son down and told him that I would give him a second chance this time, provided he helped me repair the window BUT the next time he would not get off so lightly. I pray that he learnt something from this mistake and that he will understand a little better how much God loves him....

It really was an AWESOME shot!!!

Blessings
Mark

DADS - Invest In Your Kids

I found this awesome reminder and would like to share it with all of you!

http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=cace28bc02aa631f7b88

What do you spend your time on DAD?


God Bless

Mark

Cricket, School, and all that stuff

On Saturday morning I spent many hours watching my son play his last cricket match at his current school. He had a wonderful game - 7 runs in 12 balls, 1 wicket, and a catch to round off a team-mates hat-trick. He came off the field with a huge smile on his face, and winning the match by 65 runs also helped boost the morale. (We spent most of the afternoon in the back yard throwing a ball to each other.)

I felt a little sad that he was no longer going to be part of this great team but realised that it was the end of one chapter and the start of a new exciting one. We read many stories in the Bible of how change was a normal part of life.

My aim through this transition is to provide my son with the love and support he will come to rely on as he tries to find his place in the new school and sports teams. What more can a parent do?

Please pray for us during this difficult phase.

God Bless
Mark