You can tell a tree by its fruit ACORNS…are the fruit of an Oak tree. I have heard people saying they are from an Acorn tree. Go figure! They are falling all over our yard and up and down the street. As I was reflecting on the ones pictured here, it reminded me of an […]
Playing with fire MATCHES …can be very useful and yet dangerous. They come packaged in boxes or folded packets. Some are wooden while others are simple cardboard. A few clubs or cafes put their logo on the packets and used for advertising. When I was a young boy, it was so much fun playing with […]
Jorge Rodriguez Mentor, model, pastor, father figure. My uncle, Jorge Rodriguez, played a very special role in my life as my mentor, model, father figure and eventually a pastor. I remember vividly how every afternoon he took time to help me with my homework and especially with school projects. Back then there was no technology […]
Impactful lessons Testimonies…are life impacting stories, usually about how someone or some event redirected their journey in life or thought process. Some just slightly, while others can be profound, especially if it is a spiritual encounter. Most likely you have experienced this in your own life. It is so vivid, probably unforgettable. Rafy spent the […]
Fathers and daughters You don’t have to look far to see the fatherhood effect. I read recently that the depression of fathers and their daughters is linked, and that an adolescent girl is more at risk of developing mental health problems if the father had experienced depression in the weeks after her birth. It made […]
Being a father When you have a speaker at one of the Fathers Forum events, you assume that person is an expert. You expect that the person has gone through training to become knowledgeable. But I have fallen many times as a father. I have gotten back up by the grace of our Lord, Jesus […]
The fall of Judah The story of Daniel is one of those great parts of Scripture that clearly and repeatedly reminds us that we are never far from God. So much of the story is so familiar that I have a tendency to blow right by some of its truths when reading it. For example, […]
Bruce Springsteen I’ve been friends and ministry partners with Bill Dotson for over 30 years now. One of the many things that sometimes give Bill doubts about me is my lifelong love of the music (not necessarily the politics) of Bruce Springsteen, who I’ve seen live in concert 40 times since 1976. As Bruce sings, […]
‘I don’t give a flip’ AMBIVALENCE…has many meanings. What one came to mind when you started reading this? When I was drawn to write this, mine was ‘I don’t give a flip’. Dictionary.com records it this way. ‘Uncertainty or fluctuation, especially when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to […]
Adventures Growing up, did you ever have an adventure that you took with your father? If your father was busy or not present, did you ever have friends that you joined on different adventures? Growing up in the Midwest, the kind of adventures we sought out many times depended on the seasons. In the winter, […]