Who's Your Daddy?

My house is filled with kid art. We have a curio cabinet of collectibles, and some of them are handmade by my children. There is a plaster tiger, a ceramic bell, a clay dog with a bowl, and plaster of paris pig.

I really do have talented kids!

This week the Kingdom faithful are going to write about what it's like to lead a family. Last week we blogged about church leadership, and this week we're encouraging you to "try this at home!"

Erin, my 19-year-old was telling the youth group leader about me. And she told my daughter that she wanted to meet me. Wow, that's strange, what could she have said to to elicit that response?

My 22-year-old, Zöe tells her friends I'm a sick guitarist. And I might be - you decide.

My little one, Charlotte is just 6. She will say "that's my dad," if she even remembers to say that much.

It's an interesting topic for a guy who has been divorced. That alone caused a lot of damage to my older kids, and doesn't make it easy for the little one either. All that is another long blog.

My job is to be the head of the house as Christ is to the church. There are lots of teachings about that - but I am to simply lay down my life for them. Their needs come first, and mine come last. That is the position of a Christian leader.

As the leader, I need to look at how I lead them. I can only lead by example - and well - I am not always the best example.

I have tried to make the dinner table an altar (Duet 6). It is place to talk about our day with each other, to have the cell phones shut off, and to skip the discipline that is so easy to turn on. I don't alway succeed, but we do pray together holding hands, we talk to each other, have worship music playing, and we stay until the end.

As a leader, I want my kids to succeed in their dreams. One daughter wanted to be a fashion designer, and I worked with her to find a college; she just graduated with honors. She hasn't found a job yet, but it is what she wanted to do. I have another that really wanted to be at hair school, she was going, but it doesn't seem to be for her. I am not mad about it. I think she could have stuck it out, but she has other plans.

My wife wants to live on a farm and take care of horses. We went looking for farms today. I want her to succeed.

That's really the job of being a leader in your home. You get to be a cheerleader for what everyone else wants to do. It makes me feel as if I have some success when those I love achieve their dreams and have a mountain top experience. (Yes, that us on top of Mt. Washington - 6,288 feet)