Cleaning the mess MOMS…are the ones who always used to get the “Hi Mom” on TV from the guys on the bench at college football games. The only signs about dads I used to see were: “Dad, send money”. Irma Bombeck, a hilarious comedian, said she didn’t know her name wasn’t “But Mom” until all […]
A letter from Roy Angel A Many of you reading these life lessons support the ministry of Abiding Fathers in various ways. And from time to time you deserve to receive a taste of the fruit you are helping produce. I get to experience it every week at Hutchins State Jail and other venues. This […]
A poem from prison Below is a poem written by one of the dads in our curriculum at Hutchins State Jail where I teach each Wednesday. Since I have written poetry most of my life, I was encouraged by Dustin S. and his ability to grasp a subject and express it poetically. Us ‘rhymers’ stick […]
Perfect happiness BEATITUDES…are defined as supreme blessedness or a state of utmost bliss. It is more than just being happy; lots of things give you earthly happiness. They are exalted happiness. The origin in Latin means perfect happiness. You get the point; it’s an awesome, life altering experience. But what can cause such blessedness? Well, […]
Inattention and confusion Not long ago, I was called upon to teach on the topic of fatherhood to a group of men inside a Texas state prison. My focus would be on a chapter early into the book From Faith to Faith by Bill Dotson, founder and president of Abiding Fathers ministries. I was well […]
An interview with Chris Harden and his wife Alexa I think what she saw and what I was used to seeing growing up were very different. I think she saw some things in me that were scary. She actually broke up with me and that really set me back. I kind of went off and […]
Prideful thinking Hunkering down…is an interesting expression. It is more related to males than females in my experience. To hunker down is ‘to stay in a place for a period of time’, ‘to seek shelter’, maybe in a violent storm or heavy winds. When I was a child, our family had a storm shelter to […]
Temporary confinement INCARCERATION…speaks of confinement of inmates inside a jail or prison. Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The term is a specially used for the confinement of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects. Either way, it is simply being ‘locked up’. I have spent […]
My dad turned me onto Og Mandino and his book, The Greatest Salesman In The World, when I first entered the workforce as a young salesman. He sold over 50 million books. So if his success is a clue, I think Og Mandino was onto something special. I heard Og Mandino say; “who you become […]
Identity ADOLESCENCE…is defined as the years from puberty to adulthood, roughly divided into three stages. Early adolescence is generally from 11 to 14; middle is ages 15 to 17 and late is 18 to 21. In addition to physiological growth, there are several key intellectual, psychological and social developmental tasks that are squeezed into these […]