Coming Soon

Part of my job is disaster recovery work so I've been in Joplin, MO much of this month. I'm returning home tomorrow and hope to begin posting the first entries from the book Jared and I have worked on. For now I can say that fathers play a crucial role in the lives of their children. This may seem like common knowledge, but it's important to realize this is true whether you're a good father, a bad father or an absent father. Your behavior as a father directly impacts your child for their entire life. Even if they live to be 100 and even if you never meet them. This blog and our book is dedicated to helping men see their role as father and encourage them to take it seriously.

In my last post I shared some about the fact Jared, at 12 years old, had already experienced three different men in the role of father. For me it was two men. My biological father left when I was three years old. My stepfather left when I was 20. Both have left indelible marks on my life that will be woven into what's shared here. For now I can tell you that one died in 1991 and the other in 1992 and every day I still deal with their influence on my life. And some of that influence was good...most was not. As always, I encourage you to really consider your father(s) and join me on this journey to become the dad you wish you had.

Here's to Being Good Dads

Four years ago I started a book writing project with a young man who, at the time, was in seventh grade and was already on his third father. Having had two fathers myself, we had a lot in common. We met weekly and talked a lot about what he wished a father would be. We approached several publishers and no one seemed interested in our book. I've since moved away and fallen out of touch with that young man who's now in high school. But I wanted the work we've done to get out to people. And I wanted to continue working on the book in a different forum. So I've chosen to blog. At first I'll be posting the early work Jared and I did together. Eventually I'll add to it as I flesh out the chapters he and I talked about. But I also want feedback from you. What do you wish you had in a dad and how can I help you become the father to your children that you longed for your father to be for you? This isn't about bashing 'bad' dad's, though we may sometimes offer examples of bad fathering as contrast.

Father's play a crucial role in our development as human beings...good or bad. Men and women alike carry scars from their fathers. My hope is that you will find encouragement to be the best dad you can be here in these posts. Start by thinking about what you wish your father had been and let's go from there.