Supplemental vitamins for your spiritual walk

Healthy living is paramount in the 3 realms of our life:  Physically, Mentally and Spiritually.  Exercise, healthy eating and making the right choices are beneficial to this lifestyle and will likely play an integral part in our longevity.  Some people take vitamins and protein along with actively hydrating to help supplement their physical needs.  (I find it amazing how many people are chronically dehydrated). The key to all of this is balance.  The pressures of life and busyness pull us in every direction in sometimes ways that are not honoring God and family.My kids are 8, 6 (soon to be 7) and 5.  I can see just how society (through hobbies, sports and the like) are already pulling us in every direction instead of building the family up, we could be potentially tearing it down.  I don’t want the sport enthusiasts or activity gurus to come down hard on me.  I believe that all of these have fruitful abilities in raising a child (teamwork, discipline, obedience to rules and building confidence).

Mental awareness and health are also critical and keeping the mind sharp and active are irreplaceable.  There are so many studies out there that I don’t even want to get into the particulars on this.  I will, however, give you one thing that my father always told me and that is, “Dante, you will never be old enough to keep learning.”  Those words are very true, and for the most part (minus the days of running around for my wife and kids), keeps me sharp and active.

I was reading some scripture the other day and I came across these verses from 2 Peter 1: 5 “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,[a] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities[b] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers,[c] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

As of today, I will refer to this Scripture as the supplemental vitamins for a healthy spiritual walk.  If we can train our spiritual walk in these supplements then we are given certainty of our entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior.

Virtue          moral excellence; goodness; righteousness.

Knowledge   acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition

Self-Control control or restraint of oneself or one's actions, feelings, etc

Steadfastness  unwavering, as resolution, faith, adherence, etc.

Brotherly-Affection  “brotherly affection” (philadelphia), is just what it says. It’s the        affection of a family that comes with long familiarity and deep bonds.”

Whether we turn to the right or to the left; when we find ourselves in God’s will for our lives, then we can count on the abundant life that God has in store for each of us.  Plans not to harm us, but to prosper us.  Prosperity that comes form godliness, not from ways of this world.

Have you taken your vitamins today?

Remember two things:  Finish Well & Serve Well.

God Bless you,

Dante

5 Things to know about $$$

•1. Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. If you have lived much life at all, you are probably well aware that putting your trust in the economy, your employer, or your bank account is not a good idea. They are all fair-weather friends. They all can be helping you greatly one minute, and then the next everything has changed.

•2. Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” It is a bold step of faith to start tithing. Cynics sometimes argue that tithing is not required in the New Testament. I actually agree, since our salvation is no longer based on works, but on faith in Jesus. But there is no escaping the truth that tithing opens the door for blessing that can not be opened without doing it. From my own personal tithing experience, I can attest that I am so overwhelmingly convinced beyond any shadow of a doubt that tithing increases blessing, that I will never live any other way.

•3. 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. This verse is so often misquoted that it is almost laughable. Money is not evil. The love of it is. Having a million in your bank account doesn’t mean that you love it. Having $5 in your account doesn’t prove that you don’t. For example, Warren Buffett has billions in his accounts, but he is giving almost all of it away to benefit the lives of others. On the other hand I have heard stories of people getting killed over a matter of $20. It is a matter of the heart that only God can judge.

•4. Acts 20:35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Giving sets us free, while hoarding entraps us (James 5:2). Giving changes the lives of others (John 3:16). Giving brings blessing back to us (Luke 6:38). Giving allows us to store up treasures in Heaven rather than here on the earth (Matthew 19:21).Giving really is fun – we need to be in on it.

•5. Proverbs 22:7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. The freedom of being debt free has always been so incredibly enticing to me that I have been willing to give up a whole lot in exchange for it. The last 3+ years my wife and I have been diligently chopping away at it, passing up opportunities to spend as frivolously as some of our peers have done. Getting out of debt is not easy and often requires a fight, but the freedom that comes with it is so worth it.

A glimpse of unconfessed sin...

I am a movie guy.  I love all aspects of them including subtexts and sub-themes and symbolism.  For instance, when you look at Star Wars, you can make many references toward the Gospel (The Force, A Savior, The Evil Emperor...etc.,).  Often, we find ourselves making comparisons to movies (especially guys who love to quote lines from all different types of movies).When it is all said and done, that is:  Addictions, anger, malice, debauchery, lust (pornography), we can ascertain that for the most part these are symptoms of the core issue of PRIDE.  When we find ourselves contrary to God's will, we inadvertently (or sometime willfully) find ourselves putting us in front of God.  That is, to say, we are making the decision for God instead of letting his sovereignty reign over us.

The point that I am trying to make, is that when we allow are old selves to gratify our sinful desires (Watch the video clip) then we let sin (and the evil one) have a foothold on our lives.  We let sin overwhelm us to a place that few can turn back to without the confession and repentace of sin to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As a legacy dad, we should rethink what we are modeling to our wives and families.

Thoughts?

Let us know,

Dante

Leaving a legacy

Often I find myself asking myself if I am doing enough as a dad.  That is, to say, could I be doing more for my children.  This past Memorial Day weekend was both busy and relaxing.  On Friday, I picked up the two older children and my wife had a birthday party to attend with our youngest.  We went out for tacos and then to see the Avengers (will post on that at a later date).  Saturday was our men's group. It was a very good morning that led to some very heartfelt conversations among men.   We went to church that night and just relaxed the rest of the evening.On Sunday, I found myself waking up very early and then as I heard the kids rustling around, I told them to get ready for breakfast (yes, I left the wife to sleep in).  We drove to their choice (Dunkin Donuts) and then I took them to a Memorial Park where they read and saw statures, military equipment and testimonies of those passed who died and sacrificed for our freedoms.  It was very humbling to know that these kids understood what sacrifice meant ("like what Jesus did for us").

I think about the sacrifices that soldiers make everyday for us (in this country) and they ask for so little in return - very humbling.  If the day could not have been any more somber, I drove home and helped the wife get ready for some friends that we had over.

I looked at the refrigerator and found this note from my son.  The note was a reminder from a time where I had to drop the hammer on my son and only later to reveal the consequences, attitude and gravity of the circumstance and later followed up by mercy and love.  To my surprise, after I felt like I really blew it as a dad, I found this note on my desk from my son.

It is little reminders like this, that we, Legacy Dads, have to remember to serve our wives and kids well.  We have to remember to finish well and first and foremost we have to serve our God with the presence of Coram Deo.

Food for thought,

Dante

Legacy Dad Checkup - Where do we stand....so far?

The Legacy Dad Life Map

(Lance wrote this (from the early years of this blog)

My first instinct was to type out every minute detail of this process but something told me to simple give you a snap shot and let you see the process unfold on my blog. Here is the Legacy Dad Process in summarized form with minimal details.

The ultimate goal of Legacy Dad is to create this in ourchildren:

Security in their Hearts

Significance in their lives

Strength for the future

The “Real” Essential Life Skills

Spiritual morals as a Compass

I was in search for an authentic, Christian parenting style. A style that created a close bond with my children, created a more dynamic and happy family, instilled Christian values and other life skills that my wife and I deem important and prepared our children in a number of certain areas for life.

I wanted my children to grown up to become mature and experienced in the following areas:

Spirituality – FaithMorals and ValuesLeadershipMarriage and RelationshipsFinances and Investing

I was confused and I wanted a process, a map to follow to help this style of parenting along. I wanted my children to have rights of passage, to learn “real world” values and to culminate in a Legacy Crossover, where my children were now congratulated on their progress and reassured they were ready for the world.

So, I read a bunch of books, mostly Christian based. Each one had its own unique area but nothing all inclusive. So I decided to come up with my own road map and call it Legacy Dad. This is a work in progress and will be refined as the years pass.

Legacy Dad is a program to mentor and guide your children from birth to adulthood in all things spiritual while adding life skills that you, the parent, deem important.  Legacy Dad researches the top methods and programs for attaining this type of mentorship relationship and then puts them into a personally customizable parenting package to fit your parenting needs and style.

The Foundation of Legacy Dad is Grace Based Parenting.

Grace Based Parenting:

• Accepts Children regardless of their merit
• Serves Children’s needs without a sense of obligation
• Motivates children to a higher holiness with condemnation

Grace Based Parenting happens when we apply four key areas  to our children’s lives:

Create and Maintain an atmosphere of grace.

Focus on Meeting their Three Inner Needs.

Build Character in their heart

Aim them at True Greatness rather than success.

As a child gets older, the amount of control by parents loosens as the child begins to make their own decisions and learns from mistakes with their parents guidance.

Legacy Phase I: Preparatory Phase – This is from birth to around age 9.

Some of the key factors of this area are:

Ensuring my children felt secure and loved in their own unique wayTeaching your children discipline and obedienceThe Moral Reasons WhyCharacter PillarsDiscussions on SexIntroducing a strong Christian faith and belongingSpending Abundant Time with your childrenCreating Family MemoriesTeaching the Basics of Money: Spending, Saving and CharitySetting a Strong Example in all of the Legacy Areas

Phase II: Pre-Adolescence – This is from age 9-12.

We continue with all the key factors of Phase I and add thefollowing:

Deeper self discipline and respect for others and ourselvesTeam Sports – TeamworkBegin Confirmation of FaithChecking Account, Basic Investing, Basic Business skillsDeeper Gender Specific Guidance – Puberty, Dating, SexCreative ExpressionResponsibility and Real Life Decision MakingImplementing morals and values into real life situations

Phase III: Adolescence – Ages 12-14 – Focused Training Begins

This is the stage where your plan is fully revealed to your child; your child starts to search for their own answers but is still seeking guidance from the parents. 

This phase you tell your child of this process but not every detail.  I came up with a compelling way to introduce this process to my children. A way that creates mystery, intrigue and challenges them to want to take this journey.  I focus on the end rewards and the greater happiness, wealth and spiritual closeness they will feel by taking the journey.

Some of the tools included in this area are:

Specific books to read that spark conversation and reinforce the Legacy Dad Pillars as well as reflect on what is learned.A Journal kept by your children to record this journey and their thoughts.Practicing Grace Based Parenting in the preteen years.Opportunity Training – Pressure to instill moral decision making.A Yearly Family Adventure.An End of Phase Real World Test in one of the Legacy Dad Pillars.Phase IV: Teens –Ages 14-16 – Cause and Effect

This stage is where you child is starting to take their own path and we need to support it but also be there to influence and guide it subtly. Being too overbearing will cause your child to rebel and we address ways to mitigate that.

More Advanced Books and Concepts enforcing the Legacy Dad Pillars.Opportunity Training continues to further refine character traits and morals.Yearly Family AdventureLife Skills that are not taught in school.Real World Test in one of the Legacy Dad Pillars.Moral Decision making in Real World Scenarios

Phase V: Entering Womanhood and Manhood – Ages 16-18-Choosing Direction

This is the critical stage in most children’s lives; they are striking out on their own, making their own decisions and deciding their own destinies. We focus extensively on this phase to re-enforce biblical principles and continue to cultivate the Legacy Dad Life Map while also giving our children the freedom to try their own paths and giving them the freedom to fail.

We also add more difficult real world tests and yearly adventures that will leave memories that last for a lifetime. Here are some possibilities for these adventures:

Christ in the TetonsFather and Son Grizzly Hunt Brio Mother Daughter Cruise Date With Destiny Youth EncounterHabitat For HumanityTom Brown Jr’s Survival SchoolBoundary Waters Canoe TripsDog Sled Adventures

These adventures are not meant to be a walk in the park, adding an air of adventure and difficulty further teaches the lesson and forms a tighter bond between the participants.

My wife and I did a 7-day canoe adventure into primitive Canada when were still dating,  There was no towns, motorized vehicles or boats from days 2-6 and only a few other people.  The trip consisted of running out of food, bathing in a lake, having one of our camp sites (an island) raided by a bear and another raided by wolves.  We also fished and caught crayfish to eat.  After seven days, we made it out and checked into a local hotel and ate pizza all night.  At the time, we thought it was pure hell, especially my wife, it was the most challenging thing she had ever done.  Now, she looks back at that trip with fond memories and of all the bonding we did together on that trip.  It is one of our best memories together.

These trips or ones you devise are also where we hold the crossing over ceremony. This is a ceremony signifying their movement into manhood or womanhood.

Security in their Hearts

Significance in their lives

Strength for the future

The “Real” Essential Life Skills

Spiritual morals as a Compass

Phase VI: College– Graduate Phase – Ages 18-? -Implementing Their Skills

This is the phase where you let them go out in the world and try on their own. They will make mistakes and you need to support them no matter what. You will continue with the Legacy Dad Life Map but at their pace and desire.Phase VII: Marriage – Age? – The End of the Journey

This is the final stage of the Legacy Dad Life Map, at this time you are simply a bystander and mentor. I have yet to determine at which year in the marriage the ultimate Legacy is revealed. I believe we all go through some early struggles in our marriage and those are valuable to our marital process. Possibly at the birth of a first child would be a good point? This will then give them the chance to start their own Legacy program?

 

Stewardship of Time

If the average person lives to the age of 70, then we can equate the time that person has to live:365*70 = 25550 days + 17 extra days = 25567 days

now multiply it by 24 for the hours

25567*24 = 613608 hours

and finally how many minutes in one hour so you multiply 613608 by 60 minutes:

613608*60= 36816480------70 years = 25567 days70 years = 613608 hours70 years = 36816480 minutes

After we take away the time spent sleeping and working that doesn't leave much to focus on why we are on this earth.

Whether rich or poor, in plenty or in want, what we do with our time is very important.  We could choose to waste it.  We could watch TV, surf the internet, or whatever we choose that may not construed as relevant in a life that should be for the glory of God.

We could make the most of our time, whether as an athlete, profession, lay person or husband and father.  Leader in our church...How we manage our time will be judged.

James 4:14

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Proverbs 27:1

English Standard Version (ESV)

27 Do not boast about tomorrow,for you do not know what a day may bring.

More to say and do about this and the Stewardship of our time, talent and treasure.

Thoughts?Let me know,

Dante