Becoming MEN

I believe that there is no better way for a father to spend some quality time with his boys, than being outdoors. There is something about being out in the wild, surrounded by God's beautiful creation, that seems so natural. If you want a better perspective on this, read "Wild at Heart", by John Eldredge.

My daughter was away (at Kings Island - luckeee) with one of her friends this past Monday, so I decided to do something manly with my boys. I took them to Miami Whitewater Forest to do a little hiking. Whitewater covers 4,329 acres and has three separate hiking trails. The trail that we chose was the Badlands Trail, which is a 1.8 mile loop with rugged terrain. As we ventured into the head of the trail, I immediately felt thankful for this opportunity. This is what quality time looks like with my children. I felt God's presence and was thankful for some quality time with Him as well.

Anthony, who is six years old, had the responsibility of controlling our dog's leash for this hike. He was very proud and excited that this was his job on this day. It was entertaining to watch a sixty pound dog pull a fifty pound kid through the woods. Dominick, now eleven, stayed by my side and asked me his normal amount of thousands of questions that run through his mind daily.

At one point in our quest, I noticed how much these guys are growing, and how much they have changed in the past several months. I saw the men that they are morphing into and I felt overwhelmed from the responsibility that I have had as a father to them. I'm not just raising my boys, I'm raising God's boys. I realized how important my role as a Godly man is to these guys. I once read an excerpt from my bible by Dr. Charles Swindoll and he states, "The reality is that God does not give us men - He gives us boys. To us, as parents, He gives us the task of forging these boys into men. And to help equip us for this task, God has provided the book of Proverbs, which is largely the advice of a father to his son". It is our job as men, to raise the Noahs, the Moses, the Abrahams, and the David's. It is our job to set Godly foundations for our sons so that they will recognize their calling from God as the men they were created to be.

Proverbs 2:1-11
Moral Benefits of Wisdom

My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,

turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,

and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,

and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,

then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.

For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

He holds victory in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.

For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.

Peace!