He is My Child for Only a Second

I am proud to introduce to you my good friend Chad Miller with this guest post. Chad is a wonderful husband and father, and has written extensively about leadership and parenthood. Please share your thoughts about his article in the comments section below.

His thin seven-year-old body flopped onto the blue sheets dotted with baseballs, basketballs, and footballs, and he buried his head in his pillow as he mustered the energy for a tired groan, “I’m so tiiiiired!”

As I grab his Bible from the desk across the room, he protests, “Do we have to read the Bible tonight?” and again with more emphasis, “I’m soooo tiiiiired!”

Dad Talk: Leadership 3

(cc) heymarchetti - Flickr

(cc) heymarchetti - Flickr

When it comes to leading my children, in matters of principle or conviction I must stand my ground. I cannot compromise or “give in” when establishing and enforcing rules for their conduct that are based on God’s principles. My children need to know where the boundaries are. They need to understand that some things are wrong, period; and that some things are required of them, period. They must come to a realization of the life-critical truth that choices have consequences, both here and in eternity. If I fail to implant that truth deeply within their hearts, I have failed them. If I compromise the “rules” to be their “friend”, I may be jeopardizing their eternity.

Heritage of Faith

Grandpa Horace and Mama Grace

Grandpa Horace and Mama Grace

It was Tuesday, May 17, 1994. The east Texas sun warmed the afternoon air as we buried my 91-year-old grandmother beside her husband in Laws Chapel Cemetery on the outskirts of Atlanta, Texas. Grandpa Horace had preceded her in death by more than 25 years. He had been a faithful gospel preacher during his time. Mama Grace was a diligent student of God’s word, and had taught numerous Bible classes throughout her lifetime. These were my Dad’s parents.

The Prodigal Son (Father’s Perspective)

Return of the Prodigal Son by Murillo

Return of the Prodigal Son by Murillo

[PART 2 OF 4]

Over the course of the next few posts, we will be exploring the Parable of the Prodigal Son from three different perspectives:

  1. The perspective of the father
  2. The perspective of the prodigal son
  3. The perspective of the older brother

Go ahead and read through the parable again by clicking here. Then come back and continue reading.

Childhood Cancer Awareness

Gold RibbonSeptember is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

My daughter Ashley died of cancer in November 2001. She was 14 years old. Diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was almost 10, she went through a year-and-a-half of treatments, was cancer-free for three years, and then relapsed in the Fall of 2001. She survived only two-and-a-half months after her relapse.

In the United States in 2007, more than 10,000 children under the age of 15 were diagnosed with cancer. Over 1,500 of them will die from the disease. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in children, exceeded only by accidents. (Source: American Cancer Society)

The Little People

dean con dantos

(cc) Hugh Ryan McDonald

“A hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove … but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”

That quote is taken from a motivational poster I saw several years ago entitled “Priorities”. The picture on the poster was of a little boy, hands in his back pockets, standing at the edge of a lake looking out over the water. The picture and quote served as a gentle, eloquent reminder to me of the importance of paying attention to the little people — the children — because by doing so we are paying attention to the future!