Involved Dad…Because of Mom

If you are a Dad, how much do you interact with your child?

 Here’s an interesting bit of research, about fathers and the level of their involvement with their children. Evidently Dads take their cues from Mom.     

       

Scientists from Ohio State University and the University of Illinois, who studied 97 couples, said mothers are play an important role in determining how active a role the father plays.The researchers found that fathers were more involved in caring for their babies on a day-to-day basis when they received active encouragement from their wife or partner.       

Full article here.

Three Beautiful Girls

 

A while back I took my girls to a Father-Daughter Dance. Hosted by a local school, it was an enjoyable and memorable evening.

Look at them there. Three beautiful daughters, each with special gifts and personalities. I am a blessed Dad!

One of the things that we’ve tried to stress with these darlings is that while they are might good looking ladies, beauty inside is best. Scripture tells us that the inside is valued most highly by God, and yet our culture seems to overemphasize the externals.

If you have a daughter, check out this link for a special video about how you can equip your girl with the right perspectives by one of my colleagues, Dr. Bill Maier. There’s also a fascinating interview with a beauty and fashion expert - and well-known television star Nancy Stafford.

D-Day Remembered

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My former neighbor fought in WWII. When he was only 16, Tony lied about his age and joined the U.S. Navy. Despite his youth, his heart was brave and he was compelled to defend his country. Tony wasn’t at Normandy on June 6, but he exemplifies to me the courage and honor that our military had to have on that fateful day when they stormed the beaches.

Remembering the heroes of that incredible D-Day invasion, here’s a site that aggregates perspectives and points to some great links. The photo above is courtesy of the U.S. Library of Congress.

Our deepest appreciation and gratitude to those who served, and to their families. This is history that our children must know about. I fear that the coming generation is woefully uniformed about the “greatest generation.”

Let’s change that!

Moms Who Say No

I’m married to a wonderful woman. She’s a terrific wife, and offers a lot of grace toward my many idiosyncrasies. As a mother, Dena’s heart for her kids is evident. She gives her all for our children - and could have an easier life if she’d be less interested in their character and heart and soul. But she is committed to developing responsible adults who love God and others. So she invests…and invests…and invests. I’ve learned so much about good parenting from her.

Among the many things Dena does well: she says no. Many permissive parents have a hard time denying their children’s requests - who wants to be disliked? My wife knows, however, that kids need an authority figure, not a friend. So while she often says, Yes,” she is also quite comfortable in drawing the line, saying “No” and sticking to it. That’s what good moms (and dads) have to do.

Another mom who thinks that same way is Julie Ann Barnhill, who says,

“You have to draw a line in the sand, and I think you have to communicate that verbally and then follow through … You don’t apologize or quantify or reconsider what you’re doing. That’s part of the difficulty of being ‘one tough mother.’ “

Hear more of Julie Ann’s wit and wisdom about motherhood here.

And be encouraged, Mom, to choose and win the right battles with your children!

Win a TIVO!

I don’t watch television - just not a priority at this stage in life - but for folks who do, TIVO is an indispensable tool. Every single person I know who has a TIVO loves it! If you watch television but don’t yet have one of these remarkable boxes, here’s your chance. Watch the video below for more details!


Tell us about the Dad you know - yours or someone else’s - who is a great father. You might be one of the winners of a TIVO - including a year of service - so what have you got to lose?

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Strong Opinions!

What do you think? The current two-day series featuring Mrs. Elaine Donnelly and arguing against the U.S. military placing women into combat roles has really stirred up some strong response. Our audience is clearly seeing this issue from various perspectives. Here are some of the comments we’ve received thus far:

Wanted to say how much she appreciated the program on the military today. She enjoyed listening to Elaine Donnelly.

We hear so much about women’s rights and everything should be fair, wage, etc. but when it comes to service, not so. Really rubs me the wrong way.

Caller criticized the premise of today’s program. He is in the National Guard and has been on active duty since 9/11. He claims to be very offended by the notion that women are not able to perform the same duties as men or that they should not be allowed to serve in combat areas.

Called to comment on the broadcast today on “Challenges Facing Today’s Military”. She believes that when a woman decides to be in the military on the front lines, she has to be willing to go into combat.

We’d welcome your comments. Please be constructive - we want to better understand your view, and personal attacks and rants won’t be posted.

Many Military Families Struggle

I’ve had a lot of stability in my life. We’ve been in Colorado Springs for over 16 years, attended the same church for the entire time, lived in the same house for nine years. There is a certain predictability to our family patterns and a real connection to our surroundings.
Contrast that with men and women who serve in our military. They move frequently, leave loved ones behind as they go overseas for months (years) at a time. They sometimes leave before a child is born, and miss out on that son or daughter’s first steps, first words. Sometimes they never come back.

The challenges a family faces enormous pressures, more than most families encounters.

How about you? Are you in the military? What kinds of struggles has your family gone through?

Here’s a helpful article for those who are fighting for freedom…and their family. And here’s a conversation about what you can do to help strengthen our armed services.

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