Devotionals from Dad

Love to hear from and know who is listening Soon after my marriage to my first wife ended, I became a single father doing my best to raise 3 little girls, My oldest Samantha was 8 years old, Sophia was 6 and Sara was 18 months. I spent the next 4 years of my life earnestly searching for and praying for a wife, someone that could come along side me and help me raise girls. Because I was not the smartest guy in the world when came to understanding females. Oh, I knew the physical anatomy of gi...

Love to hear from and know who is listening A thousand ways to die was a television series that aired from 2008 to 2012. The program recreated unusual deaths, some based on true events and some on urban legends. The show interviewed experts who describe the science behind each death. Over the years the human race has become experts at killing each other. The history of war begins with the evolution from primitive hunting with spears to organized warfare, marked by the first recorded war in 2...

Love to hear from and know who is listening The octagonal Heinz ketchup bottle was patented in 1890. The bottle is know for its iconic shape. However, the eight sided ketchup bottle posed issues for both the consumer and the brand. Consumers were often perplexed by the difficulty of getting the thick condiment out of the bottle. Sometimes, they resorted to sticking a knife in the bottle, resulting in a messy red goo all over the handle. Pounding on the bottom of the bottle sometimes worked. ...

Love to hear from and know who is listening There is a faith based marketing campaign titled, “He Gets Us.” They use advertising to encourage people to explore their questions about Jesus. Essentially, "Got Questions" is a creative marketing tool by the "He Gets Us" campaign to spark dialogue and invite people to ask questions about Jesus and their personal faith journey. I have no idea who is behind this campaign or what their core theology is and I don't want to start a debate about the co...

Love to hear from and know who is listening I was listening to Christian radio the other day and the host of the program asked this question. Why do so many people have dusty bibles and shiny new electronic devices? This really made me take a deeper look at my habits. I opened up the settings on my phone. In the section called, digital well being, a very appropriate title I must say, I looked up the amount of time I spent on my cell phone. In one week, my total screen time was 12 hours and 3...

Love to hear from and know who is listening Many people have suffered the loss of a spouse or a child and in a moment of despair have cried out to God and said, “If you really loved me then why did you let my loved one die?” If God is all powerful, and if prayer really works, then why I am here at this tombstone morning the death of my loved one? This is such a difficult question and to be honest with you I don't have a good answer. However, I can tell you this; it is important that we confe...

Love to hear from and know who is listening Forty-four percent of Americans say they are very satisfied with the way things are going in their personal life. This is according to information gathered by surveys conducted by the Gallup corporation, a firm know for its public opinion polls. According to Gallup there has been a continued decline in personal satisfaction since January 2020, when the measure peaked at 65%, just before Covid. Gallup also reported that those who attend church on a ...

Love to hear from and know who is listening I am confident at some point in time you have heard the saying, “A job worth doing is a job worth doing right!” This means that if a job is started, it should be completed with care, and to the best of my ability. You should take pride in what you do and emphasize quality over quantity, rather than just going through the motions or doing a half-hearted job. Essentially, if something is worth doing at all, it's worth doing well. I spend a lot of tim...

Love to hear from and know who is listening Have you had one of those days when nothing seems to go right? I know I have my share of days when I look back at what I have accomplished for the day and I feel like I have been working my tail off... all day... and I still don't have anything to show for it. Days like this just make you want to through your hands in the air and say, I give up! There is a song by Brandon Lake titled, Hard Fought Hallelujah. The lyrics to the first verse and chorus...

Love to hear from and know who is listening When I was a teenage boy I questioned all authority, especially that of my parents. If my parents asked me to do something well then that was enough motivation for me to do the opposite. It didn't matter if they asked me nicely, tried to bribe me or simply demanded that I do something, I did everything in my power to do the opposite of what they asked, even if I knew it would be good for me. They were the ultimate authority in my life I wanted to b...

Love to hear from and know who is listening When my kids were still living at home and going to school upon occasion they would attempt to fake an illness to skip school. Maybe they had a test or report due at school that they thought they were going to do badly on or they may have been afraid someone was going to pick on them. No matter what the reason they had for not attending school, dear old Dad had a stead fast rule, if you were not puking to pooping uncontrollably, you were going to s...

Love to hear from and know who is listening Unless you have been living under a rock you have been to Walmart and seen some really weird outfits. I know there have been times I have noticed someones outfit and thought to myself I wouldn't have left the house in that, let alone worn it in public. There is even a website that is devoted to the strange outfits and antics of Walmart customers. The site, “The People of Walmart,” is a humorous site that depicts the many customers of Walmart stores...

Love to hear from and know who is listening I am pretty confident that most of us have had one of those, “What If” moments where you wondered just how things may have turned out differently if you had made a different choice. My biggest, “What If” moment has just recently came across my mind. When I turned 18, I signed up for the draft because I was required to. I thought myself I will serve if drafted, but I am not going to volunteer. I had several of my classmates signed up to serve in the...

Love to hear from and know who is listening I have a common response to all who ask me how I am doing, most days I reply, “If I were any better there would have to be two of my and my wife would say, WOO HOO!” If the truth be known my wife's response would likely be something more like, “OH NO!” My wife has the patience of Job! She has the ability to accept or tolerate all the harassing, teasing and torments I hand out without getting angry or upset or at least she doesn't lash out at me, bu...

Love to hear from and know who is listening In the early 90's there was a movie called, Wayne's World. Wayne and his best friend Garth run a popular cable access show called, Wayne’s World. They get the the attention of a TV executive who wants to exploit their show. In the movie there is a scene where Wayne and Garth repeatedly say, We're not worthy. It occurs when they meet Alice Cooper, a rock and roll icon. After Alice Cooper suggests they hang out with him, Wayne and Garth, in a state o...

Love to hear from and know who is listening When my children were young there were several things that I was known for with all their friends. First, if your car blocked the driveway and you parked me in you would find your car at the top of the hill, a couple blocks away. If your car was not running right, I would fix it for you or if you wanted a new stereo installed in your car, well I was your man. I was also a bit ornery, matter of fact I was infamous for being a a joker. Children frequ...

Love to hear from and know who is listening I got married and started my family at a very young age. When I married my first wife I was 18 and she was only 16. We were married for 8 years and had 3 girls, who I love with all my heart. Our marriage failed for many reasons, but the main reason it failed is because God was not in the center of our relationship. I will be brutally honest with you! I chose my first wife for the same reason many men choose a bride. She was beautiful and I was cons...

Love to hear from and know who is listening We all have that one person in our lives that the moment they walk into your presence just makes you grind and grit your teeth. When they speak there is just something about them that grates on your nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. Maybe this person is your next door neighbor, maybe they are a co-worker or worse yet, and I hope I am wrong,.. maybe they are a fellow church member! The minute you see this person you start searching for the ne...

Love to hear from and know who is listening Influencer marketing has become one of the most popular and effective forms of online marketing. Millions of internet users are browsing social media platforms for entertainment, inspiration, and product recommendations daily. It is no surprise that marketers are harnessing the power of social media’s most recognizable faces for promotion. Influencers help brands grow quickly because they have a lot of followers who trust them! They're experts at c...

Love to hear from and know who is listening I am blessed to have a job with great fringe benefits. I earn sick pay and vacation pay ever 2 weeks and my sick pay is unlimited and has no cap. I have great health insurance that is very inexpensive. I have a pension plan and a deferred compensation plan. I get 14 paid holidays a year and my employer provides basic life insurance. For the most part I have every weekend off and only on a rare occasion do I get called in to work a night or weekend....