With the unexpected snowfall last weekend, it got me thinking about the holiday shopping my wife, Amy will be doing again this year. (Less than 3 weeks until Black Friday!)

Notice how I said that “my wife” will be doing it? Quite honesty, the shopping part of the holidays is my least favorite part. Plus, she always does an excellent job and meets our budget every time. In reality, my contribution is usually just funding the effort, acting as a sounding board for gift ideas and babysitting the kids while my wife goes store to store. It is a partnership, but I think I am getting off pretty easy. In some ways, I blame my lack of participation on how commercial the holidays have become and how we have forgotten what this time of year is really about. Finding a “meaningful” Christian gift in the mainstream stores can be pretty difficult at times. Sure, they are out there… but who wants to search more then you have to. This is shopping, not a search and rescue mission!

For years, I have worked in Latham, NY in the British American business park, each day driving by Peter Harris Plaza on Route 7. Over the last year, I discovered a treasure that is tucked away in that plaza. A store called the Living Word Parable Christian store. This small but spacious store has a variety of Christian related items including music, DVD’s, books, home decorations, cards, bibles, software, jewelry and many other wonderful gift ideas at reasonable prices. One visit and you will truly see the difference when shopping for that special gift for that special person. These stores are an association of independent retailers that are locally owned and operated by people who love the Lord and consider their business a ministry to their community. They also believe that Christ-centered products can change people’s lives, so they build relationships with publishers, music companies and manufacturers who share the same vision.

Personally, I visit the store weekly….sometimes to buy an item for the house or a birthday gift, or just to “refuel” and refocus during my lunch hour. It has become a refuge from my hectic work schedule, keeping me grounded with Christian messages. Even Amy and the kids love going to the store. In fact, after reading this, Amy advised me that things are going to be different this holiday shopping season.

When I asked “different how” she said “for starters, now that you have a store you like, you’re helping with the Christmas shopping…no more excuses!”

My apologies to the men who now have to go shopping this holiday season as a result of post… 🙂

Issue 3

“Practice makes perfect” I was always told. Whether it meant extra layups for basketball or extra homework, repetition helps us learn, grow and remember…so we can get better and be “ready”. Will practice really make us “perfect”? Of course not, but I don’t think “being perfect” is what God wants. We should put God first, always do our best, confess our sins, pray for forgiveness, and leave the rest up to Him.

“He who began a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” Philippians 1:6

As some of you know, my 2.5 year old son Matthew was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy 2.5 years ago. All of a sudden he began having uncontrollable seizures…up to 100 a day. We saw many doctors, at many local and out of state hospitals but no one knew what to do. No answers, led to no hope. The daily pain and unknowns of having a sick child consumed our time, thoughts and energy. So much so, that we forgot to turn to God for help, comfort and grace. We were left with an uncertain future and to handle things on our own… so we thought.

Thankfully, after another sleepless night of worry, I was channel surfing and came across a Christian program called “Enjoying Everyday Life” by Joyce Meyer.   From the beginning, her candid, no-nonsense approach and deep understanding of the Word caught my attention. She focused on helping people understand the Word and how it can help us “enjoy every day” life. She used her own painful past and life experiences to connect with the audience and show how God has and is working in her life. She has a unique ability to use humor, honesty and the Word to remind viewers to keep God at the center of their lives “everyday” and that the Bible is the only “self-help” book we will ever need through life’s challenges. More importantly, it gives viewers a daily way to reinforce the Word from their own home so that they too can “practice”.

One way my family and I “practice” every day is by watching “Joyce”, as my kids affectionately call her. It grounds us in the Word. It reminds daily us that God loves us and that He is with us through life’s challenges…whether we seek him or not. It reinforces the Christian messages we want our children to hear and helps us deepen our understanding of the Word in daily, digestible portions that are relevant to everyday living.

We asked God for help. He cured Matthew, who now has been seizure free since February 28, 2010. The doctors still cannot explain why it started or stopped. For us, we know….. God wanted to pull us closer. He wanted to open our eyes. It is all part of a greater plan he has for our lives. By reinforcing the Word daily, challenges in life are easier to accept, making us more likely to look to Him for help.

Issue 2

Fatherhood. Few words carry more responsibility. Yet, in today’s society, I am not sure we truly understand what God intended it to mean.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6

It sounds simple, but how? Growing up in a single parent household and not having a strong father figure, I have struggled over the years to define what being a good father means and how to “train” my children the way God intended.

Last weekend Sherwood Pictures, the makers of “Flywheel”, “Fireproof” and “Facing the Giants”, debuted another must see movie called “Courageous”. For those not familiar with Sherwood Pictures, they are an American Christian film company in Albany, Georgia and a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church. The company uses mostly volunteers in their movies to deliver powerful messages about putting God at the center of our lives. They address universal themes including honesty, marriage, debt, teamwork, never giving up and most recently… fatherhood. From the opening scene, “Courageous” challenges fathers to think. To think about what they would do, what they are doing, what they should do, but most importantly what they will do after seeing this movie.

The movie is set in Albany, Georgia with four policeman and their families, each dealing with their past, the stress of their careers, maintaining their marriages, and most importantly “connecting” with their children. Early on, the movie paints a picture of each father and their family, allowing the audience to decide which they relate to the most.

It is not long before tragedy strikes one family, challenging their faith in God’s plan and what it means to be a good father to those left behind. Emotional, relatable and heartfelt, the producers give a front row seat to one man’s journey to make sense of what happened, his realization that he no longer wants to be a “good enough” father and that it is his responsibility as a father to “train” his children on the Word of the Lord. He authors his decision in what he calls a “resolution” based on the Bible, inspiring the other fathers to make the same commitment in a moving ceremony with their families and before God.

Several twists and turns occur throughout the movie, symbolizing that our commitment to the Word will always be tested but that our faith in the Lord and the example we set for our children should never waiver. This ensures that generations to come “will not depart from it [the Word]”. Producers end the movie honoring these men and challenge fathers in the audience by asking “where are you men of courage… who will answer the call?”

In today’s terms, a “good” movie is usually measured by how well it did at the box office, DVD sales and/or its entertainment value, not necessarily on whether there was a relevant or useful message the audience can take with them. “Courageous” is a another example from Sherwood pictures that proves a small group of people can make a difference by helping people see that God should be at the center of everything we do… especially fatherhood.

Issue 1