Time to write

~ Dear ol' Dad ~ 1 Comment

My new year’s goal was set in early January, and I have fallen short of maintaining this blog daily. This morning, I revisited my goal setting post from early this year, and it has given me encouragement in a few areas needing attention in my life.

This has been a year of new beginnings. It’s been a year that will be one we will look back at as formative in so many ways. My new habits have in large part involved, and revolved around my new business venture. I’ve learned incredible things this year as a business owner, father, husband and child of our Heavenly Father. However along with all these great new things, structure for daily/weekly routine has been needed.

Monday mornings will become a jumping-off point for re-establishing my blog. It will be my place to get the inspirational juices flowing, and to stretch muscles that need to be toned a bit.

Thanks for hanging in there with me.

DoD-

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So much hope.

~ Dear ol' Dad ~ Leave a comment

It’s tough to imagine my life without my wife and kids now. If not for them, I wonder what lens I would view the world through. Through my relationship with them, my view of world events has taken many turns. I have been all things from overprotective and scared for the lives of my children, to defiant and at times militant against a brutal and controlling world of negativity.

  
Just yesterday, a neighbor recollected a discouraging comment from a family member. Something along the lines of “…it would be tough to feel good about bringing a child into the world today”. I’ve seen this point of view with great simpathy.

Part of me wants to look at today’s world with sorrow, disappointment, and at times, downright disgust. As bad as it seems, there have been people feeling similarly for generations. Ponderings from the past and present – “How have we strayed so far from God” and “Jesus has to be on his way soon” or “Things just can’t get much worse…”

In this journey of life, we have taken the not-so-easy road to homeschool our children. To be clear, there has been a place for public education, and there still is. The decision to do so may have been hatched during one of my “militant” phases, but it is a decision we do not look upon with regret. In the last year, never has it been more apparent we are on the right track. Through this process, there is a sense of hope seldom found anywhere else. Ownership, responsibility, commitment, courtesy, faithfulness. These are just a few of the values missing from many vocabularies today.

When we attend gatherings of families today who are choosing to take on the leadership, and lost lexicon of true education, I am blown away. What we are witnessing is as close to revolutionary as I can imagine, yet so naturally and biblically basic. The love poured out upon our children through the hard work of loving parents is the baseline of humanity.

A true measure of time

~ Dear ol' Dad ~ Leave a comment

The sun sets, the sun rises. Another day, another blessing-

  
There are observable milestones in Gods natural law that we use to build our calendar, schedule our life, and plan our future. The moon changes phase, the leaves change, days become short, then long again. We rest on the seventh day, ’cause Dad showed us how.

History and the true measure of time, depends on more than this. When we think back upon our life, or world history, the day is only given meaning by the events of man. Natural disasters are given meaning only because we are here to observe, react, and at times mourn.

As goes the old adage: If a tree falls in the forest… It is not so much the hearing of the tree that matters, it is the experience of witnessing and recalling that event that defines that moment in time. It is the age of the hiker’s children, the car he drove to the trail head, among other things.

Events, achievements, but above all, birth of new life give us an understandable and relevant timeline to this journey through time and space. It is in this context that we can better understand how time can seemingly fly, or drag depending upon our environmental exposure.

Here is to full days and a fully defined life-

-DoD

Big Rocks

~ Dear ol' Dad ~ Leave a comment

There’s been a shift. A bit of a regrouping of priorities, and blogging has come in as one of my smaller aggregate time expenditures.

The post a day was lofty, but manageable if other “rocks in my jar” were not so big right now. There is part of me that wants my blog to be a bigger priority, but for many reasons, it’s not. And that’s ok.

Pragmatism was a word I shied away from for a long time. For more and more reasons lately I’m begining to grow fond of the practice. Two main reasons:

  1. Life is a work in progress. There are lots of things I’ve had to re-prioritize in order to live the life God has called me to.
  2. I’m a slow learner. My bride would say that’s a cop out – but it’s true. 

I’m taking a full accounting and a pragmatic evaluation of where my family finds itself now. To get my big rocks in first, I’ll see about a blog a week. If more turn up, it’s Gods grace and gravy on top!

  
Love from-

DoD

Decision Time

~ Dear ol' Dad ~ 3 Comments

It is time to plant a garden. Will this place be the best place on the property to plant? It may, or it may not. It’s time to try.

Here is to things worth trying. Here is to moving forward. Here is to soaking your brand new birthday shirt with hard earned sweat, before its first wash. Here is to not sitting around and wondering, over-analyzing, getting upset, or appologizing when it does not quite work out – at least the way you had in mind.  

Through it all, here is to remembering it was your Dad who taught you to work like this.

 
Thanks for our wonderful family for the help this weekend. Thanks for the wonderful weather, and the land we have been blessed with. Thanks for the day I was born 37 years ago, the parents who raised me, the Father who forgives me, the children who teach me, and thanks for someone to share the next 37 years and beyond.

-DoD

Love Letters from Dad – 08MAR2016

~ Dear ol' Dad ~ 1 Comment

To my little man-

You are a gift. A natural protector, and tender loving soul. 

I pray God will lead me in a way to strengthen and not discourage your talents and gifts. May you always strive to build up and encourage your sisters, your mother, and the family you will lead.

And always remember to have fun.

  
-DoD

Forgiveness

~ Dear ol' Dad ~ Leave a comment

As fathers, there may be no better work we do than to forgive our children. As children ourselves, there is no greater give we can receive.
A word, a comfort, a gift. A reflection of our Father’s mercy and love.

To forgive does not come easy to our flesh. We hold on to pride and our idea of perfection. When we truly can give in to Grace, and acknowledge our own ability to forgive, we are set free.

Often, the simple answers are best. The gifts that cannot be purchased are those most valuable.

-DoD

Perfection 

~ Dear ol' Dad ~ Leave a comment

There a few words that I have made a conscious effort to eliminate from my day-to-day vocabulary. “Perfect” is one of those words. So few things in this world can be truly described with this incredibly strong adjective. The work of God is perfect. Much of man’s work is not perfect.

Earlier this year, I set a goal of a post a day for a year. Currently, I’m falling behind. I may have established a habit, and I am definitely striving for excellence in this endeavor.

Learning, growing, loving, and enjoying this journey. Thanks for listening-

-DoD

Love Letters from Dad – 28FEB2016

~ Dear ol' Dad ~ 4 Comments

To my second baby bear.

You are a fabulous gem. A fine sparkling stone, with a dimple set just so.

  
A best buddy to your younger brother, and a loving, loyal sister to our oldest. A true blessing to us all.

There are times, more frequent than I’d like, when I forget your unique and important place in our lives. I will work to be a better “Daddy Pommy” for you.

You are sensitive and sweet. You are my pipsqueak, my pommy, and my likeness in so many ways. 

I love you little one. Good night.

Daddy