My Little Buckaroo

This video is just my Father’s Day present to myself. Yes, I’m a complete sap and am totally in love with my little boy. My wife often laughs at me and says, “You are so whipped” when she sees just the way I look at him or interact with him. The picture below is his first time sitting in a tree! (Granted, only for a few seconds – just long enough for the picture! But last Sunday at church he saw several kids in a tree and I stopped to talk to the kids about the tree and how they got up, etc. but it still surprised me when Luke said to me today, “Sit in tree!” The video is all pictures of me and my little buckaroo to two of my favorite “Daddy Songs,” perhaps you’ll enjoy them too: Watching You, by Rodney Atkins and Little Buckaroo by Go Fish.

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Preamble To Father’s Day

I’m looking forward to Father’s Day. My first Father’s Day, as a dad, I blogged in 2006. Little Luke on my First Father’s Day Then I had my first official Father’s Day and blogged about it in 2007. Luke on my second Father’s Day Well, my third Father’s Day is just around the corner. It’s hard to believe – the time travels fast, but no complaints, Luke is at such a fun age and is so delightful to play and live with. Today we went on a hike in Oak Lawn at what we call the “secret river” – a beautiful hidden man made river tucked away in a busy suburb just a few houses from my wife’s folks. Granted, its more of a drainage ditch than a “river” but its still pretty beautiful. Especially a walk with daddy and son… We started out around the block and discovered a hidden bridge! the ends led to a chain link fence that was chained and locked, but could be entered from the side quite easily. There’s just something fun about going exploring! Look at that happy boy! Just too cute! What fun hiking and climbing around! It looks like a real…

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BLOG READERS ADVANCE SCREENING!

As promised yesterday , below is an exclusive SNEEK PEEK video from the next Kidology Online Training Leadership Lab: Partnering with Parents . RIGHT NOW THIS IS ONLY HERE ON MY BLOG – as a parting gift before I go completely cold turkey offline for a week, I wanted to give you a little something to hold you over. (Oh how will you survive without my blog? ) This will not be live on Kidology.org until next week some time! So enjoy this Advance Screening via a TOP SECRET YouTube link before it’s official release next week on Kidology! This is the introductory video that is part of the most JAM-packed Leadership Lab yet! This lab is the culmination of several years of work and includes exclusive content never-before-published that I’ve been being asked to release since 2005, ever since it was hinted at in the Kidology forum. I have finally provided detailed background, description, explanation, samples and more on the VIP Family Ministry philosophy that I pioneered at my previous church. But that’s not all. CHECK OUT ALL THIS LEADERSHIP LAB WILL INCLUDE: 36 Page Leader Lab PDF – This is the core content of the Online Training. 52…

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Two Raging Battles

Here is a SNEAK PEEK at the next Kidology Online Training Leadership Lab which is titled, “Partnering with Parents.” There are two battles raging today in children’ ministry. The first battle is for the hearts and minds of our children. It is a battle that we are losing on many fronts. While in many places children’s ministry has “arrived” with it’s kid-friendly facilities and multi-media “edutainment” style of teaching, there is little evidence that all this “fun” and “excitement” is automatically translating into young, fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ. This is a battle that we are all aware of for the most part, and are trying our best to engage and win. However, there is a second battle I see raging in the Church that I’m not sure many recognize. It is a battle of the “Blame Game.” As parents and church leaders are waking up to the fact that, despite all the high-tech gadgets and endless resources, we are losing the first battle, they shift to this second one, turning on each other. Parents, who feel they are doing their best, are looking to the church for help and answers, and are feeling they aren’t getting enough. And…

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Lemonade Boy

Sometimes you can’t decide which picture you like the best! I’m about to blog about my trip to Virginia this past weekend, but I wanted to post a picture of my “welcome home” dinner at Chili’s. My little boy is so cute, I couldn’t decide which picture I liked the best. Children have so many expressions it is impossible to capture them all, so here is simple a book mark I made myself with all four. Humor me and tell me how adorable he is! It’s nice to be home! I am so blessed to have in my home the sweetest, nicest, most lovable little by on the earth. I can hear him yelling “Daddy” even before I get to the front door when I come home each day. I want every day to go by as slowly as possible. His hugs and kisses and smiles and teachable spirit is such a joy. Watching his personality and humor develop is incredible. I’ve always heard about “terrible two’s” but at almost 28 months this little boy is nothing but “terrific two!” That doesn’t mean there isn’t training going on, but with loving, gentle, yet firm and consistent correction, he is responding…

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