If you are a PC user and have already upgraded to Windows 7, or are considering doing so, you might be interested to know that Safe Eyes, an Internet Content Filter for Parents, is among the first to earn the “Compatible with Windows 7″ logo from Microsoft.

In order to qualify for this logo, a product must pass tests designed by Microsoft for compatibility and reliability with their new Windows 7 operating system. What this means is that Safe Eyes is certified to block objectionable content and websites for both the 32-bit and 64-bit version of Microsoft’s web browser, Internet Explorer, which is the most-used web browser. According to Safe Eyes, most content filters will not filter the 64-bit version — even if the filter software is successfully installed — which leaves your computer vulnerable to displaying pornography and other inappropriate content.

So if you want to protect your eyes and the eyes of your spouse and kids while surfing the web on any web browser, signup for a 15-day free trial of Safe Eyes at the Safe Eyes website.

Safe Eyes also is compatible on Macs and iPhones.

In the spirit of true manhood (or more likely just for fun), we have decided to hold a contest!

There will be five winners. Each winner will receive a resource from one of our Dad Summit speakers, shown below. To enter the contest, simply register for the Dad Summit by the contest deadline, which is this Friday, June 12 at Midnight Eastern time zone. We will randomly select five winners who will each receive a free resource, compliments of FamilyDads.

The five resources are:

Equipping Men  12-CD Audio Set by Norm Wakefield $35 Value Learn More

Porn Nation: Conquering  America’s #1 Addiction by Michael Leahy $19 Value Learn More

Disciple Like Jesus:  For Parents by Alan Melton $16 Value Learn More

Father Power by Todd Wilson $10 Value Learn More

Living On The 3rd River by Craig Hill $6 Value Learn More

Each of these resources is excellent and very practical for dads. I highly recommend them all!

Your chances of winning will depend on how many Dad Summit registrations are in by June 12. Already, dads have registered from GA, CA, FL, TN, IN, NC, NJ, AZ, KY, AR, TX, MD, Germany, and Canada.

Here’s how the contest will work:

Every Dad Summit registration received by Friday, June 12 at midnight (Eastern time zone) will be placed in a hat (including those who already registered), from which my son Andrew will draw out
five winners.

If your name is drawn, we will email you and let you know which resource you won.

The Dad Summit will truly be an opportunity to be encouraged, challenged, and equipped in your role as a husband and father. We will look at core issues for men — issues of the heart — including a man’s identity, father power, practical marriage tips, discipling your children, money matters, temptation, and more.

To review session details, speaker bios, and registration info about the Dad Summit, which starts on Sunday night June 21, go to– http://www.DadSummit.com

If you’ve already seen all the info and are ready to register, just go straight to the registration page.

Even if you can’t participate all five nights of the Dad Summit, you can still access all 10 session recordings by registering.

Hope to have you with us at the first-ever Dad Summit!

“Dad, I never really knew you.”

For too many dads, this is the legacy left behind to our children.

For a dad who was mostly absent during their childhood, their memories of him are few, consisting mainly of their dad consumed with his work, hobby, sports, ministry, or some other priority… but which communicated to his children… “you are less important.”

For other children, their dominant memories of dad include anger, violence, abuse, or addictions that kept him in bondage and feared by his children.

An absent dad or abusive dad does not have to be the legacy you leave your children. Instead, your legacy can be…

“Dad, Your impact on my life was outstanding… Thank You!”

Beginning this coming Father’s Day, only three weeks away, you have a unique opportunity to be encouraged, challenged, and equipped to become a better husband and father at the first ever 5-night online webinar event for dads…

The Dad Summit

Men will gather online in a webinar environment for five nights to hear from top national men’s ministry leaders who have a passion and a burden for helping men be better husbands and fathers.

Topics addressed will include how men gain identity, the impact of father power, practical “real-world” marriage tips for men, money issues in our current economy, discipling our children, victory over sexual temptation, and more. Each session will also include Q&A from participants, giving you a unique opportunity to dialogue with the speakers with your most urgent questions.

We want you to be with us at this first ever large-scale virtual event for dads. Because FamilyDads is hosting this event, you can register for the Dad Summit and receive a special $5 off registration during checkout by simply entering this coupon code: familydadsblog5

Each of our speakers has recording a special mp3 audio overview of their sessions which you can access at http://www.DadSummit.com

For Moms… 

Even though FamilyDads is geared just for us dads, we know that some moms also read these posts just to check it out or to get insights and ideas for encouraging their husbands. So as a mom, maybe one of your biggest questions is “How can I help my husband be more involved in our family?” or “How can my husband gain more vision to lead our family?”

If you’ve ever asked these questions, why not register your husband for the Dad Summit as a special Father’s Day gift?!

It could have eternal impact on your family for generations to come!

Moms can learn more at– http://www.DadSummit.com/moms

$5 Off Coupon

As a FamilyDads blog reader, you can register for the Dad Summit and receive a special $5 off registration during checkout by simply entering this coupon code: familydadsblog5

Blessings to you and your family,
Joey Watkins
Founder, FamilyDads

PS – We truly hope you can join us at the first-ever online Dad Summit just 3 weeks from now! But remember, even if your schedule is already booked that week, you can still register and access all the sessions later because we are recording them.

Because many dads are self-employed or have part-time businesses “on the side,” the need exists for many of them to develop email subscriber lists. Without question, it is one of the most important and effective ways to communicate with website visitors on an ongoing basis and provide information via email to those who request it, or “opt-in.”

So I wanted to let you know that from day one,  the service used by FamilyDads to send out weekly email newsletters has been Aweber Communications. If you also need to send out a series of emails automatically, weekly or monthly email Newsletters, or you have a list of subscribers that you regularly contact via email, FamilyDads recommends the Aweber email list service.

Aweber rates are very affordable, their service is extremely reliable (emails almost always go out right away — even to large lists), and we have found their delivery rate (getting past spam filters and into your subscribers’ inboxes) is exceptionally high. The Aweber system is also scalable, which means that as your list grows over time, you will not need to look for a more robust platform. Aweber can handle even very large lists as they are among the industry leaders in high volume bulk emailing with 11+ years of experience and a knowledgeable and competent, tech-savvy staff.

Aweber features include website signup forms (such as the one used on the FamilyDads homepage), professional email templates, follow up autoresponders, email web analytics, and many more features that are explained in more detail on their website. You can signup for a free test drive of Aweber to see exactly how their system works. If you’re looking for a bulk emailing solution or a way to capture the contact info of people who visit your website or blog, give Aweber a try today, you won’t be disappointed.

As we wind down 2008 and shift our focus to the new year ahead, I’d like to give you what I consider to be a very, very important “Dad Tip.”

Here it is:
Create a list of “must-read” books that you believe will benefit you greatly and help you improve in the area of being a better husband and dad this year.

Then, start reading those books, one at a time. And keep your list on your night stand beside your bed.

Now, depending on how much of a reader you are will determine how many books will be on your list. But I suggest at least one book a month.

There are a surprisingly growing number of books out there that have been written just for us dads on fatherhood and marriage.

One book that I STRONGLY recommend you put at the top of your list — to read at the beginning of the new year and not later on — is a quick but very helpful book by Andy Stanley called “Choosing To Cheat: What Happens When Work and Family Collide.”

I would give a copy to every FamilyDads subscriber if I had the financial means to do so. That’s how strongly I feel about this book.

I know from personal experience after reading and applying to my own life and family how radically transforming the truths in this book are.

The basic premise is that we all cheat. That is, we all make decisions every day to give up one thing in order to gain something else that we consider is of greater value.

Sometimes we cheat in a “good” way, like when we cheat our tastebuds and say no to dessert for the benefit of our waistline.

But all too often, when we apply “cheating” to the arena of our schedule, we are faced with a variety of choices and opportunities that are each competing for our attention — our most valuable resource — our TIME.

Work… Family… Hobbies… House Projects… Sports…

The list is endless.

Andy Stanley has spent hundreds of hours with dads who have cheated their families for the sake of their career goals.

One decision after another to work late at the office and cheat family time. Or cheat our children’s ball games and activities because of workloads and work deadlines.

But without making significant changes, cheating our family has the potential to erode the foundations of even the strongest marriages — and damage our relationships with our children.

The solution, strangely enough, is similar to the problem. Both involve cheating.  Simply put, we must choose to cheat at work rather than at home.

Choosing To Cheat is ultimately a book about establishing priorities — those things we say “yes” to even when it means saying “no” to other important things. It is a principle that is already at work in our lives.

When we choose to cheat in accordance with God’s priorities for our lives, it is an invitation for Him to bless us and our family in ways we never dared to imagine.

What will be your priorities in 2009? What will you choose to cheat?

Learn More and Order “Choosing To Cheat” for yourself, or as a gift for a fellow dad, co-worker, or friend, at DadResources.com, the bookstore that supports FamilyDads–
http://www.DadResources.com/product.asp?itemid=15

Did you know that over 75,000 books have been written on parenting?

Whoa! That’s a lot of information out there for dads and moms.

And most dads like you and me won’t have the time nor interest to read even a tiny fraction of all those books.

Author George Barna, a dad himself with two daughters, (you may have heard of him, he is also a well-known Christian pollster and researcher) recently published a new book on parenting with a very unique twist:

“To amass a body of knowledge that could be absorbed and applied by all parents to help them mazimize their parenting potential.”

Sounds very worthwhile, doesn’t it?  After all, what parent doesn’t want to maximize their parenting potential?!!

But to write such a book, Barna’s team had to gather specific data from three sources:

1. Telephone surveys nationwide of parents with children under the age of 18. The parents were asked about their challenges, successes, and failures as parents.

2. Existing books on parenting practices, particularly those with a spiritual dimension. Those elements that were identified as significant were studied more closely.

3. Personal interviews of more than ten thousand (yes, 10,000!) young adults in their twenties who were leading “transformed” lives with genuine, mature faith (not merely church attenders.)

These young adults were asked what happened during their formative years that “worked.”

Their parents were then interviewed for their input on upbringing these children.

Would you like to know what the research revealed?

It’s all laid out in a concise, timely book by George Barna called “Revolutionary Parenting.”

In the book, Barna starts with a look at the current crisis in American parenting, specifically as it relates to raising children with a Biblical worldview and an understanding of spiritual matters.

The next section… which is the bulk of the book… summarizes the parenting research that his team did.

The final section closes with a very personal chapter called “How Studying Revolutionary Parenting Changed Me” in which Barna talks about ten specific lessons he learned from his research that has impacted his own parenting of his two daughters, and he shares all this with the reader.

One dad reader commented…
“This is one of the few books every Christian parent must read! Great book!!! Wish it had been around years ago! If you are a new parent or even if your kids are already teens — you need this book. It is short: a fast, easy, but meaningful read.”

Learn More and Order Revolutionary Parenting for yourself, or as a gift for another parent you know, at DadResources.com, the bookstore that supports FamilyDads–
http://www.DadResources.com/product.asp?itemid=16

For all of us dads who have babies or toddlers in our family, I just watched this cool video clip of the newest hi-tech baby high chair made by a company in Australia. It’s called the Bloom Fresco Loft. No, it’s not cheap, but it is well-engineered, has every feature imaginable for your little bundle of joy, and it looks good!

I just created a new webpage of a video interview with John Eldredge that I highly recommend all men watch. Click here to watch. In this interview, John talks about several critical areas that we dads need to hear:

- The two fundamental questions every little boy is asking his dad

- The two core needs of every daughter that her daddy can meet

- Healing from the wounds we received from our own father

- The power a father has in the lives of his children

- God wants to be our father

- How to build true masculinity in your son

- The stages of a man’s life as illustrated by men in scripture

John is a New York Times best-selling author, speaker, and counselor. He is well-known for his popular books Wild At Heart, Way of The Wild Heart, and You Have What It Takes.

     

Your purchase of these books at www.DadResources.com
provides direct financial support to FamilyDads so we can reach more dads
with these critical messages of fatherhood.

When Dad Speaks
by Joey Watkins, Friday, September 12, 2008

One of the most powerful aspects of being a dad is the words you say to your children.

I’m not talking about casual words like… “go take the trash out” or “time for dinner” or “good night.”

I’m referring to the words of LIFE or DEATH you speak to them, like when you tell them you’re proud of them, or you love them, or they are a blessing to you.

Or when you speak negative words to them that are degrading, discouraging, humiliating, or
hurtful.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21

The very words YOU speak can build up or tear down your son or daughter… at any age.

The words you speak can encourage your children… or destroy them.

The most powerful true story I’ve ever heard told about the “father power” of a dad’s words is by
singer/songwriter David Meece.

His story about his relationship with his father is incredibly impactful and full of many truths helpful to all of us who are dads.

You may even find parts of David’s story similar to your relationship with your own dad.

David has been gracious enough to make available a recording of his story at no charge. Download David’s story here and then take time to listen to it in the next couple days–

http://familydads.com/blog/david-meece-father-power-story/

Your thoughts? Encourage and challenge other dads with your input at the FamilyDads
blog.

by Joey Watkins, Thursday, August 14, 2008

Outside of the Bible, what book has most impacted you in your role as a dad?

For me, that question is very easy to answer. My wife and children would quickly agree with my answer because immediately after I read this particular book, they began seeing a very noticeable change in my choices, my actions, the time I spent with them, the things we did together as a family, and other evidences of major impact. And this book’s impact has not diminished.

Outside of the Bible, the book that has most impacted me in my role as a dad is Father Power by Todd Wilson.

Below is a short portion from Chapter 1. If you have not read this book, I of course highly recommend doing so… very soon. It will change your life… and your family.

“Guess what an adult believes about God whose earthly father was always gone on business or too busy at the office? He or she believes God cares very little about his life. He can be reached if something big comes up, but he’s uninvolved in the daily aspects of life.”

“On the flip side, if a father communicates love and acceptance, his children will grow up believing God loves them. They will be able to succeed and fail without fear. They will turn to their heavenly Father and trust Him, because they were able to turn to their earthly father and trust him.”

“They won’t struggle with accepting God’s love. It will come as naturally as a hug from dad.”

“Why? Is it because they have a great grasp on their theology and doctrines of God? NO! They will view God in that way because their father taught them to, whether intentionally or not.”

“That’s Father Power with a capital P. That’s the power you wield. It affects not only your children, but your children’s children and their children as well.”

“How you wield the power will affect the way your great grandchildren view God. Your influence ripples across generations to come. Wow! Awesome! Incredible! And, really, really scary!”

“Dad, I can’t overstate the extent of your power. What your children will one day become is largely dependent on you. What they believe or don’t believe about God will come from you. The little words you say or don’t say will be cherished or bitterly remembered forever.”

“Why? …Father Power.”

“God has laid upon fathers the responsibility of transmitting His truth to the world, one child at a time.”

“Am I diminishing the power of God’s written Word? NO! Am I saying that people can’t get saved without the aid of another human being? No! What I am saying is that your incredible influence as a dad is the single greatest means of assuring that future generations will follow God. Getting the right men into politics or fighting for religious freedom isn’t the key. The key to turing this country around and even the world is through father power.”

R E S O U R C E   for   D A D S

Father Power

by Todd Wilson