6 Aug 2013

W&BT #1 Name Above All Names (Week 4)

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We continue our look at Begg and Ferguson’s book Name Above All Names this week by thinking through their chapter on Jesus being the Conquering King.  This chapter brings much hope to those who have an interest in politics, or really anybody who longs for a world as God created it to be.

 

Here are some of the thoughts I took away from this chapter:

 

1.  I love how the authors point out that Jesus is everywhere in the Bible – not just the NT.  On page 78 they include a little list of the general ways that Jesus is looked at in the pages of Scripture.  The entire Bible is about Jesus.  Jesus is eternal and only had an earthly beginning as a man when He was born through a virgin.  But, if Jesus is in the entire Bible – we need to look at the whole Bible in light of the Gospel – the good news that Jesus did indeed come for us to make us reconciled to God.  That is great news: especially when reading through the Law or the Prophets, or the lament psalms.  What glorious hope for “Glorious Ruin“!

 

2.  Thankfully we live on this side of the manger and the cross.  Can you imagine being OT God-believers?  Those especially living through the prophets and the judges and the silent years who were longing for the Messiah to come?  Wondering who He would be and when He would come?  May we live continually in the same wonder and amazement: believing that Jesus already did indeed come to show us the Father and will be one day returning to bring us to the Father – so that we might have eternal life – in knowledge of the Son!  “All the hopes and fears, all the anticipations, all the dreams, all the OT promises of the One who would come and embody the great prophetic announcements about the Messiah – they are now all somehow coming to fulfillment there in Bethlehem.” (pg 85)

 

3.  Friends – what are you longing for?  Is there a job? Position?  Relationship? Money? Something that you would want for your life that you think would make you happy?  On page 86, the authors say that indeed many were longing for the True King – but all of the kings they were given fell short, because they were human and sinful.  But, all of our longings are wrapped up in one person – or as John Piper puts it – God is the gospel.  He is our everything!  Nothing else will fill every longing.  All of our longings will be unmet by earthly goods and relationships.  Only One will suffice and surpass.

 

4.  Faith, works, grace?  How do we live in light of these words?  “Jesus has done everything that we needed to be saved from sin.  He has done everything we needed in order for us to be saved from the judgment of death.  And He has done everything necessary to set us free from the bondage of the Devil.  In a word, He has done everything we need done for us but could never do for ourselves” (pg 89).  A little note to myself in the corner below this quote is: do you live in the reality of this?  A friend at church on Sunday told my husband in front of me that I am such the Proverbs 31 woman, singing my husband’s praises all the time.  I said, I might do that, but you should see my floors.  It was comical – but really – are we always striving to do more – or to live in the grace of God?  Even this morning, after finishing a summer book study on Loving the Way Jesus Loves – I mentioned to the ladies present that if they were struggling with the thought that they can never live this out – go read Ryken’s Grace Transforming – because it teaches us so much about grace.  Grace isn’t cheap – and it sure wasn’t free.  It was costly.  It costed Jesus’ life and will cost your life as you die and are hidden in Christ.

 

What were your takeaways?  Or if you aren’t able to read the book with us – what thoughts come about after reading this post?

31 Jul 2013

Guest Post: Preparing for Vacation (Kendra Thornton)

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Here we are smack in the middle of summer – and you may have a vacation coming up.  Hear these words of advice in planning so you can have an easier time getting away!
Proper Preparation for this Year’s Family Vacation

If you are on the verge of traveling with your children this summer, don’t let the excitement derail you from properly planning for your trip! Sometimes, we forget the small things and don’t realize we have little ones with us who have special needs while on the road. Although the summer is almost coming to a close, it’s never too late to go on a vacation to spend some great quality time with your family. Careful planning can erase easily avoidable problems while away from home. Here are some quick tips to keep in mind when traveling with your loved ones.

1. Baby Food

Don’t throw away the baby food yet! Just because you are traveling on an airplane doesn’t mean you can’t bring baby food with you. TSA allows parents to bring baby food on the plane so long as the food is still within its original containers. Also, the last thing you want to is to potentially expose your baby to food allergies. They can take anywhere between three to four days to appear. Sticking with what you have been feeding your baby is recommended.

2. Make a Packing List

In the weeks leading up to your vacation, make an extensive list of all of the items you need to bring with you. Procrastination is the worst thing to do right before a vacation, as it will lead to forgotten items and incomplete agendas. The last thing you want to do is have to go out of your way and spend extra money on clothes or other accessories simply because you forgot it at home. If a list is likely to get lost in your purse or underneath a car seat, try downloading an app like Packing Pro, where you can have a list on your mobile device.

3. Find A Family-Oriented Hotel

When you’re traveling with your family this summer, you’ll want to make sure you find a hotel that is family oriented and has amenities that cater to children of all ages. Consulting the hotel management is a good start, but be sure to read reviews from fellow travelers about the true treatment the hotel provides. I used Gogobot to research through a great list of Orlando hotels, and found an affordable, family friendly destination. Some hotels come equipped with cribs, highchairs and other baby necessities. However, some hotels might charge an extra fee for this. Checking beforehand can help you avoid having to spend extra dollars that could have been saved or spent elsewhere.

4. Document your experience

For the parents and older children, make sure you bring your cameras/smartphones and plenty of chargers and extra batteries! These memories should be able to last you a lifetime, so document them. For the younger children, provide them with their own disposable cameras. When you return home, you can have further bonding with your children by scrapbooking the photos you all took.

5. Make Boarding Easy!

Don’t wait until you get to the airport to print your boarding passes. Have them already printed out and ready to hand over to TSA. Prepare your children for security ahead of time by making them wear sandals or slip on shoes. This will make getting through security much quicker and hassle free.

Make sure you do a little extra planning and stay away from easily avoidable problems. And remember, plan on having lots of fun and good times with your family!

Written by: Kendra Thornton at www.thorntonpr.com

Bio:

Kendra Thornton: Travel advocate, TV spokesperson, PR businesswoman, proud wife and mama of 3. I am a long time travel expert who has been packing my bags and traveling the world since I was 3 months old! I’ve found my utmost desire in life is right here in my own home. I have taken my excitement for travel and brought it to you with some of my favorite travel tips and tricks. Enjoy!

Reference 1: If a list is likely to get lost in your purse or underneath a car seat, try downloading an app like Packing Pro, where you can have a list on your mobile device.

Link: https://itunes.apple.com/US/app/id312266675?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Reference 2: I used Gogobot to research through a great list of Orlando hotels, and found an affordable, family friendly destination.

Link: http://www.gogobot.com/orlando-walt-disney-world-florida–hotels

Reference 3: For the younger children, provide them with their own disposable cameras.

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Disposable-Kodak-Camera-3Pack/dp/B000OFW65I/ref=pd_sim_sbs_p_8

 

 

 

 

 

 

30 Jul 2013

W&BT Week 3 – Name Above All Names

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Out of all the chapters in this book, by far this is the one that has the most writing in my copy of the book!  Jesus as being our Great High Priest is very applicable in my life right now, and it is reassuring to know that He is mine.

1.  Trials.  How many of us have never encountered a trial in our life?  These trials look differently for each person, but just in case you need some ideas: death, financial hardship, loss of job, rejection by friends, being the target of gossip, saying something you’ll regret, burning dinner, infertility, children with struggles whether physically, socially, or mentally, getting along with others, moves… need I continue?  What is our reaction to those struggles?  Just now I was thinking how hard submission is.  Jesus had to submit.  He found it difficult (prayer in the Garden), yet He submitted.

2.  Encouragement in Hardship.  Pages 58-59 of this book should provide a believer, YOU, with great encouragement when facing any hardship – if you choose to look there.  I’m not saying you never speak about your trials or your discouragements.  The past few months have been difficult for me as I’ve been trying to learn wisdom in what I write, keeping much of it inside me.  But, in all things, I need to be encouraged and persuaded to look to Christ.  The book of Hebrews is such a little book that needs to be re-read often with new eyes.  A former pastor, Andrew Davis of FBC Durham, preached an entire sermon series through every verse of Hebrews.  I only caught the last year, but man, such impactful wisdom in that book and hope for the hurting.  Also the Reformed Expository Commentary is one that you need to pick up if you are doing a study through this in depth book.

3.  Bondage Breaker.  Do you know that Jesus is your bondage breaker? He’s my bondage breaker!  I no longer have to be enslaved to sin because Jesus freed me from it.  He paid my debt and made me free!  We can either listen to our sin and continue to be enslaved, or we can look to the One who has freed us!  Are you enslaved to: fear of man, overeating, body images, perfectionism – you name it.  What are you enslaved to, and how can you look to Jesus and accept the freedom He has already offered you?!

4.  Forgiveness of others.  Jesus was rejected by men yet still chose to die for the ones His Father gave Him.  He was spat upon, beaten, laughed at, ridiculed, lied about, gossiped about, and still He said Father forgive them.  As I’ve been thinking about what forgiveness looks like: yes, do you need to forgive?  Absolutely.  What we have been given we also need to give to others.  Since we have been given it, we have no gospel-right to not forgive.  But…does the relationship with the person need to look the same?  If there is a person who has verbally abused you, yes, you should forgive, but no, you shouldn’t continue to subject yourself to that abuse.  If you have loaned money to a person and they’ve not paid you back, forgive them?  Yes.  But loan more money to them in an unwise manner?  Probably not.  In all situations, pray for wisdom, ask for biblical counsel, act upon the Word…God will give you wisdom.

23 Jul 2013

Bonhoeffer on the Christian Life (review: crossway)

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If you are a die-hard Bonhoeffer fan or don’t even know how to say his name, much less spell it – this book is for you.

This series by Stephen Nichols (church historian) and Justin Taylor (Crossway/blog guru) is apt to make all of us less stuck in our chronological snobbery (as I think CS Lewis referred to).  The other two “thinkers” in this series is Warfield and Schaeffer.  The new one is about the WW2-time period theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
The best-selling work of Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, is by no means his only work, just his most well-known.  The rest of his life and work are highlighted in this book.
One aspect of the book that I enjoy is the historical work that Nichols has put in to it: using the lesser well-known works of Bonhoeffer to justify what Nichols says about the book’s main star.  He also uses history to corroborate.
Most importantly, the readers get a true glimpse of the theologian, man, pastor, and martyr.  We get a glimpse into his struggles with the theology of the day found in Germany, his love for his homeland, and how he stood up to the anti-God mentality that was so prevalent in the days of Hitler and Nazi Germany.
If you want a readable primer on Bonhoeffer, a good overview of his life, work, and the gospel that filled every thought – you will want to pick up Nichols’ work.
15 Jul 2013

W&BT#1: Name Above All Names (Week 1)

by | posted in: Books, Uncategorized, Women & Books Together, Worship | 2

I hope you have all enjoyed reading this week’s first chapter in Alistair Begg’s and Sinclair Ferguson’s new gem of a book on the person of Christ.  It has been a blessing to me and I’ve been learning much from their study and have thrilled at their writing and teaching style.

How these weekly studies will go, for the next 7 weeks, is this:  I hope you will come to each Monday having read the chapter for that week, but if you haven’t, feel free to join in anyway. I guarantee you will get more out of this blog each week if you have read the material.  I won’t walk through the chapter, but more offer my gleanings and what I’ve learned in light of the author’s writings.  In the comment section, you can either comment on what you’ve read in the book, on the blog, or something else you’ve read in pertaining to the subject matter at hand.  Everyone will interact with each other.

Here are some of my reflections on Chapter 1:

1.  Why study Jesus?

“They (the names of Jesus) express the incomparable character of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  Reflecting on them better prepares us to respond to the exhortations of Scripture, to focus our gaze upon Him, and to meditate on how great He is.” (pg 15)

The study of Jesus greatly enhances our worship.  True worship, if you remember John 4, has to be through Jesus. If you look at the hall of faith in Hebrews 11, they were worshiping the Yawheh God through the future faith in the coming and reign of Jesus. My husband has been reading a Dennis Johnson book in preparation for his DMin class on preaching – the entire book is on how the entire Bible points to Christ.  The Old Testament, New Testament, the 400 years of silence in between.  Jesus has everything to do with our yesterdays, todays, and forevers.  According to Sinclair in another sermon, God is a speaking God – and through the person and work of Jesus is one of the primary ways God chose to speak.

There are many types of religious affiliations in the world, that is an understatement.  However, one distinct person separates true Christian, gospel-centered worship from every other religion in the world: Jesus.  Others have works, ladders, lists, and good deeds, but as a former pastor of mine said, Christianity doesn’t equal DO, it equals DONE.   Does your worship, both daily and on Sunday among other believers, center on the person and work of Jesus?  If not, something is most definitely missing.

This is what gets a lot of us women in trouble on a daily basis.  We are seeking to do everything we need to do: whether our jobs, schooling, motherhood, being a wife, serving others, being a homemaker, etc. in our own strength.  However, knowing Jesus and what He has done for us as believers, and daughters and co-heirs, will enable to us to free our minds from a perfectionist mindset and set our hope and our calling on Him.

2.  Scripture is more than knowledge, it is doing.

As my husband and I studied the book of James for most of 2012, I read weekly or daily the verses about doing the Word of God, not just listening, reading or knowing it (James 1).  This was so convicting.  Often times we ourselves, or others in our presence, will spout Scripture, but often times we fail to do what we know.

As the authors talk about Jesus being the Seed of the Woman, the reason the Seed was needed was because of sin.  And the action of sin in the garden was not listening and obeying the Word of God.  God has spoken very clearly as to what Adam and Eve were to do and not do – however, they both chose to turn away from the spoken word of God and do their own thing.  “The distinctive feature of this tree is what God had said about it.” (p 16).

Sweet friends, how do we fight this battle daily – the battle of our minds?  We fight this battle daily with some of the following (and think for yourself what some of yours might be): putting our hope in status, a clean house, happy kids, a husband, a successful career, etc. (other than putting our hope in Jesus); worrying and being fearful (this only tends to get worse in our sinful nature once we have children); fighting our own battles (wanting to be the justifier instead of waiting for God to act on our behalf), etc.  We need to memorize and act upon the Scriptures that God has so graciously spoken to us.  We only do this by choosing to believe in the Gospel every minute of every day.

3.  Conflict Resolution.

I once had the opportunity to hear Ken Sande speak at Southern Seminary.  A gracious man, he taught his listeners about means of being a peacemaker.  There are some helpful resources on his website, so if you aren’t familiar with his ministry, I would encourage you to “google” him.

We have conflict in our lives (between friends, church members, spouses, children, bosses, family) because of a great conflict that was started in the Garden of Eden.  This ultimate conflict will eternally be won by Jesus, but there are daily ramifications of conflict for us in this world.  “When Christ appeared, he came to undo what the Serpant had done.  By His life and ministry and ultimately through his death and resurrection, he destroyed all the works of the Devil.”  (p 20)

Oh, isn’t this a happy thought?  When there is conflict in our lives, we can rest assured that we know who will be the Victor.  I really don’t know anyone who loves conflict; I certainly don’t.  In our marriage, we strive to resolve conflict as soon as possible.  But this conflict between the Seed of the Woman and Satan has been going on for centuries.  And the outcome is still secure – Jesus wil be victorious.

So dear one, when you find it hard to battle the conflict daily – that battle of sin and of the flesh and of the war that Paul speaks about in Romans 6-7  – please take heart that this is not an eternal battle – but one that Jesus has already won!

4.  There will be pain.

Since everyone knows this…I can move on from this point.  Wait.  As I think about the ladies I know who are doing this book study with us here on the blog – I know their stories (most of them).  I know the pain in their lives – pain today, pain yesterday, knowing that pain will certainly come in the future.  Lost jobs, lost loved ones, unsaved loved ones, difficult family circumstances, family members with lifelong disabilities or illnesses, betrayal of friends, etc. – pain is so real in our lives.

I found much hope in this statement by the authors: “We must not allow ourselves to be tricked into thinking that if things are going well with us, then we can be sure of God’s love.  For life can often seem dark and painful.  Things do not always go well for us.  Rather, we look to the sacrifice of the cross and the demonstration God gave there of His love.  This is the proof I need.  This is the truth I need to hear if the lie is to be dispelled” (p 33).

This last month of my life has been a very hurtful one.  But, I’ve actually had much comfort that has come from friends speaking the Gospel truth into my life – words of hope and life that have dispelled (somewhat, honestly, at this stage in the game) lies.  I’ve had a husband and close friends who point me to what God has said about me in His Word and that has given me much hope.

Ladies – there will be hurt.  There will be pain. But, as the authors of this book and the glorious Bible has said, Jesus gets the victory.  Pain will one day lose all of its sting.  Pain can no longer have the victory if we believe in Jesus.  That is a great HOPE!  In your hurt – where do you find hope?

What have you gained from the book this week?  What was your most applicable takeaway?  What thoughts have you read here that have triggered some new thoughts in your understanding of this truth about Jesus?

Join us next week as we reflect on chapter 2!

 

6 Jul 2013

Ruby Red Madeleines

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The taste of summer.  Bright fresh citrus in the form of red grapefruits.  Pretty pinkish color throughout these delicate, sponge-like cookies.  Perfectly shaped into sea shells – which is another favorite of mine in the summer – the beach.  These cookies are perfect!

I borrowed a madeleine pan a few weeks ago from a friend at church.  Then I realized today that I had accidently not juiced a red grapefruit – then I hopped off the couch and ran to the kitchen to make these.  Glad I always have butter and eggs.

As long as you follow the directions and spray the pan – these are really fool-proof cookies and the entire plate will disappear shortly!

4 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

3/4 of a grapefruit – zested

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Glaze:

powderered sugar

fresh squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice

 

In a mixer, mix together eggs, sugar, and salt for about 8 minutes on low-medium speed until thickened.  Then add the vanilla and zest.  Then the flour until well-combined.  Finally, add in the melted butter.

Well grease your madeleine pan (I used pam).  Use a cookie scoop to get the batter in the molds.  Bake at 375 for about 9 minutes, depending on your oven.  Let cool slightly, pop out of pan.

Mix glaze until you get your desired consistency.  Drizzle over warm cookies.  Enjoy!

 

2 Jul 2013

Loving is Hard

by | posted in: Books, marriage, Uncategorized | 2

Is the title of the blog news to anyone?  Anyone who is married, in a relationship, friends with someone, or even just someone who loves yourself – you know the truth to the title – Loving is Hard.

Loving may not be hard when you look at the way the world defines or acts out love.  If you have ever watched an episode of the Bachelor or Bachelorette or any other “matchmaking” reality show – you might think that love is all fun, easy, and highly entertaining.  But, one thing you would not find much of on these shows is the Biblical definition of love.

Some ladies here in AR this summer are studying a newer Crossway release that I had already read and reviewed but am going back through with some friends.  It is a highly convicting read – Phil Ryken’s Loving the Way Jesus Loves – but so good.  The point of Ryken’s book is not to put love in a certain category, but make Jesus love applicable to every area of your life.  Ryken takes the basic outline and characteristics of 1 Corinthians 13 and puts it in context of the gospels – showing how Jesus fulfilled every one of these characteristics of love.

One of the hardest displays of love is “love is not irritable”.  At least it is one of the hardest for me to live every day.  One aspect of love that I am working on in our marriage is not giving the silent treatment when I am hurt.  I tend to be easily offended (that is the one thing I am often seeking forgiveness for) and my way of dealing with it (sinful way) is the silent treatement.  That does nothing for a marriage at all.  My rationale for it is I don’t want to say anything in the moment that would hurt worse – but while there is wisdom in it – during my silent time I’m usually becoming more angry rather than praying and seeking God’s wisdom on what to do about the occuring situation.

Jesus has never given me the silent treatment.  He listens, talks (through his Word and the Holy Spirit), ever pleads my case to the Father.  I need to be more like Jesus – keeping in mind that it isn’t my righteousness at all that makes me look or act or love better – but only having more of the love of Jesus in me – which is all Ryken’s premise in the first place.

Do you find it hard to love?  Easy to love?  Pick up this book for encouragement and edification in how to love.

1 Jul 2013

W&BT: Name Above All Names

by | posted in: Books, Uncategorized, Women, Women & Books Together | 0

A new month and a new feature on kd316.  As I’ve lived in many places there are many women whom I would love to have the ability to sit down in my living room and study this book together (or any other).  But, that can’t happen.  So, that’s why we have technology right?

Women from all over are going to join up and study Crossway Book’s new release (June 2013) of Alistair Begg and Sinclair Ferguson’s readable, applicable book on Jesus: Name Above All Names.  This has been an outstanding book in my opinion and I’ve been enjoying getting to know Jesus better, getting to know the authors better, and getting to know myself better (as you inevitably will when you study Jesus).

So, join us.  We will be starting on July 15 and the comments will be how we dialogue.  If you don’t necessarily want to comment via the comment section, you can always use facebook or email to dialogue.  But, I’d love to hear your thoughts (whether you are here in Little Rock or halfway around the world).  You have plenty of time to order your book.  The chapters are not long and they are very readable even for the average woman who has never been to seminary or anything. Jump on in!  Everyone needs to learn more about Jesus!

I’ll post the study from each chapter each Monday, starting with chapter 1 on July 15 (so if you have time, please go ahead and read it).

23 Jun 2013

Living for Pleasure

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I love the Psalms.  It is one of the books of the Bible that always brings me comfort when I read it.  I’m thankful that God orchestrated and breathed every word of the book of Psalms.  As my worship pastor husband said to me: these words of the psalmists weren’t only read in ancient churches but also sung, there were notes and melodies and harmonies.  Singing is something that usually comes from deep within us and stirs up great emotion.  There is great struggle and great rejoicing in the Psalms – anywhere from lament to generational jubilation.  I love it all!

Psalm 16:11 (ESV):

“You make known to me the path of life, in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

I’ve been thinking on this particular Psalm much over the last 10 years, but as soon as a friend tweeted it the other day, something new stood out to me.  I love the depth and the richness of the Word of the Lord.  Find hope in this Psalm.

Ultimately, this Psalm is a Christological Psalm – meaning it refers to Christ.  We find hope from knowing how Christ lived.  He was a human much like us (though without sin) and found his ultimate pleasures on this earth in communion with His Father.  That pleasure, that closeness, is being revealed in heaven now at the throne of God that Christ is standing at the right hand of the Father, interceding for His own, even when we don’t know how to pray.  He prays for our pleasure to be found only in Christ.  He prays for us to be satisfied with Him and Him alone.

How do we find that pleasure?  The only way we find pleasure in God, forevermore (which includes today), is by His covenantal nature.  He will not forsake His own.  WE can have covenant with our pleasure-giving God because He has made a covenantal promise of faithfulness to those who are found in Him.  He didn’t forsake Christ to the depths of Hell – and He won’t forsake us either.

We do ourselves harm when we find ultimate pleasure in anything else besides God.  Sure, God gives us many gifts, callings, jobs, to enjoy for His glory and with His blessing – but not to find our ultimate, final pleasure.  As the great author and masterful writer/theologian said it (paraphrase) – if we look at the mud and mudpies and are content with those, than we are wrong in doing so.  Don’t fix our eyes on the mudpies.

One of the ways we continue to dwell in the pleasure before our final resting place in His true and glorious presence, is by staying close.  I’ve heard it said stay “clean and close”.  Here are some ways to stay close to our God:

1.  Renounce sin.  Not saying that you will never sin, because even though we have the righteousness of God imparted to us, we still live in the flesh and are at war with our Enemy who delights to see us sin.

2.  Hope in God.  When we do sin – find joy in the fact that Gospel prevails.  Christ has conquered the grave.  Our sin is not ours to bear anymore.

3.  Read and love.  When reading the Word – love the Word.  It will be of great benefit to you – even in  your discouraging times, even in the hard times (read Piper’s When I Don’t Desire God).   There are times when I don’t, and from the words of my mentor as well as many of the psalms, read anyway, praying the Spirit would refresh your heart toward His righteousness.

Live and dwell in His presence, there finding all your pleasures.

16 Jun 2013

Reclaiming Father’s Day

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This weekend coming up holds a special holiday.  It is definitely not as highly promoted as Mother’s Day – but that is a fault of the American public.  I hope by now you have bought cards, planned meals, and bought gifts as a way to show appreciation to the Father in your life.

As I was at Target the past few weeks, I’ve been highly disappointed in the types of Father’s Day cards out there to choose from.  The above display will show you a great majority of them and what their common theme is.

The aobve card should not be the sentiment of Father’s Day.  Fathers get a bad rap out there due to some of the population living up the cards and also the television shows that depict fathers as dead-beats, uninvolved, lazy bums.  This is not who God designed Fathers to be.

There are three overarching commands that Fathers (and husbands) need to be that God set up as a design:

1.  Protector.  I feel this greatly in my relationship with my husband and the father to our children.  I remember the way he drove us to the hospital before Elijah came along and the first ride on the way home from the hospital with eli.  He also is our protector here at home, protecting us not just from harm from the outside, but also harm from within (by what we watch, do, and listen to.

2.  Leader.  Men are commanded to lead in a Christ-honoring way.  This is a self-less leadership but one that knows that it his job to lead our family.  My husband/father to our children does this by choosing what we read, sometimes how we spend our time, and how he leads our family in financial matters.

3.  Provider.  My husband/father of our children is a great provider for our family.  He is a hard worker and has a strong work ethic.  I had that in my Father as well.  E not only provides for our family financially, but provides a strong Christian-spirit for our home.

Bodily noises and beer should not be the focus of our celebration of our fathers.  But, unfortunately for so many of us, that is where we are because that is the type of father we know or have.  If this is the case for you, I pray you would ask your perfect Heavenly Father to redeem the time that you have with your earthly father and ask Him to work a good work in your Father’s life and heart.