This world is full of people vying for your admiration and respect.
People who will fight tooth and nail to get to the top. People who will neglect their spouse and children to get that promotion. People who will cheat and take short cuts in order to win.
But these are not the people who deserve your eyes and ears.
A good leader is someone who is right there with you. Someone who sympathizes and understands and cares. Someone with compassion. Someone who isn’t afraid to humble themselves for the good of others. Someone who is always willing to serve.
Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”
That’s why we want to encourage you to follow leaders who are humble, selfless, and kind. And be sure to be that kind of leader yourself!
Sometimes we forget that fatherhood is meant to be an adventure.
We get caught up focusing on the disappointments and the discipline and the distractions. So much so, that we forget the laughs and the looks and the love.
So today, we want to encourage you to take a moment and think through all the ways fatherhood truly is an adventure to enjoy!
Psalm 127:3-5 says, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.”
Fathers are blessed because of their children! Comment below if you agree.
Our world is turning more and more towards technology.
On the one hand, technology has the power to weaken our relationships. If we choose to spend all of our time living in a virtual reality, we will miss out on so much of life.
On the other hand, technology has the power to strengthen our relationships. But only if we use it correctly. How do we do this? Well let’s take a look at 3 ideas to get technology on your side.
- Facetime your relatives: Many of us don’t have the luxury of being able to live near our extended family. This is where technology can come in handy! Make it a point to gather up your kids and Facetime their aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents. This is sure to deepen their relationships in a fun new way!
- Start a family group text: If you have a big family, many things can get lost in translation. Maybe your spouse hears from your daughter more than you, or your son shares news with his brother first. But starting a family group text is sure to keep everyone in the loop!
- Leave encouraging voicemails: Finally, be sure to take advantage of technology by leaving encouraging voicemails for your family and friends. Kind words can go a long way. So pick up the phone today and make the most of your time!
Do you have any other ideas for how to use technology for good? Comment below with your suggestions!
We believe in the power of prayer. It has the power to foster love, the power to overcome hardships, and the power to transform your marriage.
That’s why we’ve put together a simple schedule to show how 5 minutes of prayer could impact your relationship with your spouse. Check it out below…
1st Minute: Pray for Salvation/Spiritual Growth. If your spouse is not a believer, we encourage you to begin by praying for their salvation. If your spouse already has a relationship with the Lord, be sure to pray that they would grow in their love and knowledge of God.
2nd Minute: Pray for Joy. Life is full of hardships and battles. That’s why it’s so vital you pray for their joy through it all.
3rd Minute: Pray for Health. Be sure to spend time praying for your spouse’s health–both emotionally and physically.
4th Minute: Pray for Guidance. With all the decisions that we face in life, it’s important that you pray for you and your spouse to have guidance from the Lord. Ask that God would be clear in revealing what steps He wants you to take.
5th Minute: Pray for Love. We know that oftentimes, love is less of a feeling and more of an action. So we encourage you to pray for new ways to love your spouse and deepen your relationship.
Thanks for reading, and we hope that you set aside 5 minutes today and every day to pray for your spouse.
What does it mean to have integrity?
It means to choose right over wrong, to choose justice over shortcuts, and to choose truth over deception. And we aren’t just talking about making these choices when you know people are watching. No! Having integrity means making these choices when you know that NO ONE is watching you.
So today we’re going to help you examine your own integrity. Ask yourself these questions as honestly as you can, asking God to reveal your strengths and weaknesses.
- When it comes to work, do you tend to work thoroughly on a project or get it done as quickly as you can, even if that means compromising?
- If someone wrongly attributed a success to you, would you correct them or let them believe this mistake?
- When you’re rushing through the grocery store, do you treat the cashier with respect or simply ignore them?
- What would your kids say if they saw the search history on your phone or computer?
- When you make a mistake and someone else gets blamed for it, do you stand up and speak the truth or let it go?
- Would your wife be hurt or relieved if she were to see the way you interact with your female coworkers?
Some of you may have soared through these questions with flying colors. For others, this may have been a wake up call.
Just know that today is a new day and God is full of grace, wanting to bless you with true integrity!
What season of life are you in right now?
Some people are beginning new jobs while others are retiring. Some people are starting to date while others have been married for 50 years. Some people are welcoming newborns while others are dropping their kids off at college.
Wherever you are in life, there is one thing that never changes: God’s presence.
Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
So be encouraged this week knowing that the Lord will never leave you or forsake you! He promises to be with you every step of the way.
What do you do when troubles come your way?
Many people become angry–they grow bitter towards their situation and blame God for allowing such a horrible thing to happen.
Other people become sad–they cry and can’t understand why God would allow His children to feel pain.
While these emotions are natural, both cut us off from God. They turn us inward and keep us focused on our own feelings and situations and hardships.
But in John 16:33 Jesus says, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
God understands that troubles are a part of living in a broken world. But he doesn’t want you to dwell on them–he wants you to run to Him and keep your eyes on Him! Why? Because He has already overcome the world.
What hardships do you need to place in God’s hands this morning? Leave your prayer requests in a comment below.
How many people do you interact with each day?
Most of us wouldn’t say many. Maybe our family and a couple of coworkers.
But what about the coffee shop employee handing you your coffee? Or the lady standing behind you in the checkout line? Or your son’s friend as you drive them home from school?
The point is, we have waaay more interactions with waaay more people than we realize. So why is that important?
Luke 6:31 commands us to, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” That means that we aren’t just called to tolerate the people around us. We’re called to love and care for and show compassion to the people we come across. Because at the end of the day, we’re called to always be ready to influence others and share with them the love of Christ.
Lauren Dungy has spent two decades reading to kids in schools that serve low-income students.
She and husband Tony Dungy want to show kids that reading isn’t punishment or a chore. It can be a portal to adventure.
But there are no more classes for the Dungys to read too. Kids are stuck at home now. To Lauren Dungy, that means reading is more important than ever.
That’s why she, through the Dungy Family Foundation, has teamed up with the nonprofit WeSeeU to provide books, coloring materials and activity packets to the students whose families are picking up meals at some Title I school distribution sites in Hillsborough County.
Children, Lauren Dungy said, are particularly vulnerable right now.
“They hear tidbits of the news and hear their parents talking, but they really don’t have that security,” she said. “It’s important for the kids to stay busy.
“If their minds are free to wander and worry without someone beside them to walk them through it, it can be pretty devastating. They may or may not have an adult in their lives to comfort them or keep them busy.”
To read the article in it’s entirety, click here.
Posted on: April 14, 2020
There are countless black men and women who we could honor in our celebration of Black History Month. A month…nor a decade would give us the space needed to share all of the people deserving of recognition for how they paved the way to where we are today. So we thought we would share a bit of the Dungy’s family history with you that has given so many a worthy perspective to live by…
Tony’s father, Wilbur Dungy, was a Tuskegee Airman and educator who died in 2004. Dungy’s father, who taught when schools were segregated, was not allowed to teach in Arlington, Virginia, when Dungy was a child. However, he didn’t complain about the lack of opportunities — he along with other men in Tony’s early professional career as an NFL coach found ways to make the situation better. They were role models and mentors for Tony and his generation of young African-American men and women.
When Tony won Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, he was invited to the White House with his team. He drove through Arlington “in the front seat,” as he put it, and reflected on his father’s life on his way to the White House. Just a little more than 50 years ago, Dungy’s dad couldn’t teach at the white schools, but he did what he thought he could do to make things better. Now, one generation later, his son is riding in the front seat, going to the White House as the first African American head coach to win a super bowl.
In 2017, Tony shared this sentiment at the Florida Department of Children and Families Black History Month Celebration. “I think that’s what this month is all about. That’s what this is all about. Black History Month, celebrating children and families. One child at a time. One family at a time. One step at a time. You never know what that step is going to be, where it can go, what it’s going to lead to.”
Will you join us in considering one thing you can do to make someone else’s life better? It just might change someone’s whole world.
Sources
Posted on: February 24, 2020
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