Fatherly Insight from Pastor Mike
We talked with Pastor Mike last year around Father's Day and thought we should share his advice for new fathers and old fathers alike again this year.
Here is what Pastor Mike had to say about Fatherhood:
As I think about fathers day coming up, I always think about how fast the years have gone by. When Sister Annette and I were raising children, we were doing our best to raise our children in such a way that God would be proud, teach them the difference between right and wrong, and let the results speak for themselves. Home schooling was part of our plan, and Sister Annette did a wonderful job of raising good, smart children that grew up to be intelligent, God- fearing adults.
Proverbs 22:6 was and still is a staple belief for our family “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” I believed this when we were raising our children, and I still believe it today. Back to that in a moment!
Along the way, I never really thought much about how grandchildren would be painted into the picture of our lives. But sure enough, eventually all of our children grew up, and our desire turned from raising children to wondering about grandchildren: How many we would have, what they would call us, things like that. It’s funny, until our children became adults, I never thought much about scriptures that talk about Grandparents – scriptures like Proverbs 17:6 that says “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.
” But of course, those scriptures are written deep in our hearts once we become “the aged”.
Back to Proverbs 22:6, and what that scripture means for me as a grandparent. I believe whole heartedly that this scripture is for parents – but I also believe it’s for grandparents. I’ve never really liked the saying “It takes a village to raise children”, I prefer to say “it takes a family”; and that’s where we come in as grandparents.
Grandparents have the unique skill set of blessing their grandchildren with all kinds of things their grandkids like. Things like: candy, junk food, a sip of a soft drink, doing things their parents wouldn’t let them do (within reason). And because of that, I think grandkids hold a special place in their heart for their grandparents, which gives us the opportunity to have the greatest influence on them.
So how can we have the greatest influence you ask? Not by trying to be their parents, that’s for sure! One set of parents is enough for a child (another story for another day). We become the greatest influence in our grandchildren’s lives by being there for them whenever they need us, and by showing them unconditional love – just like Jesus did for us!
So, on this Father’s Day, if you are blessed to have grandchildren, thank God for giving you the greatest gift He can give – your children’s children!
Here is what Pastor Mike had to say about Fatherhood:
As I think about fathers day coming up, I always think about how fast the years have gone by. When Sister Annette and I were raising children, we were doing our best to raise our children in such a way that God would be proud, teach them the difference between right and wrong, and let the results speak for themselves. Home schooling was part of our plan, and Sister Annette did a wonderful job of raising good, smart children that grew up to be intelligent, God- fearing adults.
Proverbs 22:6 was and still is a staple belief for our family “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” I believed this when we were raising our children, and I still believe it today. Back to that in a moment!
Along the way, I never really thought much about how grandchildren would be painted into the picture of our lives. But sure enough, eventually all of our children grew up, and our desire turned from raising children to wondering about grandchildren: How many we would have, what they would call us, things like that. It’s funny, until our children became adults, I never thought much about scriptures that talk about Grandparents – scriptures like Proverbs 17:6 that says “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.
” But of course, those scriptures are written deep in our hearts once we become “the aged”.
Back to Proverbs 22:6, and what that scripture means for me as a grandparent. I believe whole heartedly that this scripture is for parents – but I also believe it’s for grandparents. I’ve never really liked the saying “It takes a village to raise children”, I prefer to say “it takes a family”; and that’s where we come in as grandparents.
Grandparents have the unique skill set of blessing their grandchildren with all kinds of things their grandkids like. Things like: candy, junk food, a sip of a soft drink, doing things their parents wouldn’t let them do (within reason). And because of that, I think grandkids hold a special place in their heart for their grandparents, which gives us the opportunity to have the greatest influence on them.
So how can we have the greatest influence you ask? Not by trying to be their parents, that’s for sure! One set of parents is enough for a child (another story for another day). We become the greatest influence in our grandchildren’s lives by being there for them whenever they need us, and by showing them unconditional love – just like Jesus did for us!
So, on this Father’s Day, if you are blessed to have grandchildren, thank God for giving you the greatest gift He can give – your children’s children!
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