by Joey Watkins, Thursday, September 4, 2008

In less than 60 days, many people across the United States will go to their local polling location and cast their vote for the next U.S. President. Predictably, the news media is fixated on John McCain and Barak Obama. Many, if not most, people look to the President as the individual who will solve the pressing problems facing the country.

However, there is a FAR more important and powerful leader than the winner of the upcoming presidential election.

That leader is YOU and me, Dad!

As dads, we are the most powerful person in our children’s lives. What do I mean by that? I’m talking about the level of INFLUENCE we have with them.

We influence them with our words, our actions, the time we spend with them, the time we don’t spend with them, what we teach them, what we model to them, how we relate to our children and our wife, our attitude toward our work, what we spend money on, what we do with our “free time,” and so on.

We have this unique influence JUST BECAUSE WE ARE THEIR DAD.

And it is FAR greater influence than the President has — both in this life and for eternity.

Dads who are committed to leading their families, demonstrating true loving fatherhood, praying for their spouse and children regularly, and instilling their values, faith, skills, and character into their children are the foundation for solving any country’s problems.

John McCain, Sarah Palin, Barak Obama, Joe Biden, or any other politician is NOT the answer… nor the problem.

Your thoughts? Encourage and challenge other dads with your comments below.

by Joey Watkins, Friday, August 29, 2008

I was walking across my bedroom toward the bathroom when a thought occurred to me…

“Am I just living WITH my family, or am I LEADING my family?”

There is a huge difference…

A dad who just lives WITH his family simply co-exists with them under the same roof.  He may share meals with them, drive in the same vehicle, watch the same tv shows, and sleep in the same house at night.

But in reality, his focus, his time, his thoughts, and his attention are primarily given to matters unrelated to his family such as his work, sports, hobbies, and other interests.

A dad who LEADS his family is entirely different.

His thoughts are daily on his children and his wife. He prays for his wife and children.

His work does not dominate his life, even though he works with all his heart when he IS working.

He values and priortizes time with his family. He blesses them with his words. He serves them in love.

He is intentional about personally instructing his children in the ways of God: teaching them about love, faith, truth, forgiveness, evil, and more.

Dad, carefully examine your daily patterns. Determine if you are just living WITH your family or LEADING them.

Your children desperately need their dad to LEAD them. Your wife desperately needs her husband to lead the family.

Your feedback: Give your feedback or input below to encourage or challenge other dads on this topic.

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by Joey Watkins

Today’s message is dedicated to all dads everywhere who have children still living at home. I pray this message will penetrate our hearts and impact our actions.

As tempting and overwhelming as it is, we must not let our work consume us. It is so passively easy to get wrapped up in our work, be absorbed in thoughts and actions to get our work done, take on more projects, try to bring closure to existing projects, focus our effort and energy on our work, and give constant attention to our job/career/business to generate more income or because our identity, purpose, or calling are falsely tied to our work.

All at the expense of our family… our wives and children. They crave time with us. They desperately need our time. They need us to simply spend time with them. Often. Daily.

They need our influence. They need relationship with us. And this cannot happen if our work consumes us.

Are our wives and children not the most important people on earth in our lives?

Do we not cherish them greater than everyone else?

Let us then be committed as dads to prioritize them. Every day. Not just on the weekends when we “unwind” from our work.

“But my work is my sacrifice for my family and my way of providing for them.”

The Bible says in 1 Samuel 15:22 that “…to obey is better than sacrifices.” God has called each of us dads to obey Him and His Word in raising our children and loving our wives. And that involves our TIME and proactive involvement in their lives.

As a husband and dad with 4 young children, I constantly remind myself of this message. I pray it stays at the top of your thoughts too.

R E S O U R C E S   for   D A D S

by Joey Watkins, Friday, July 18, 2008

July is quickly passing by, and that means so is summer for those of us in the northern hemisphere.

Summers are, of course, unique for our sons and daughters.

It is the time of year when most of them are out of school and have more time for other activities, summer jobs, time with friends…

And more opportunities for us dads to spend time with them.

How am I doing with spending time with my children so far this summer?

Have I taken extra time off work to be with my family?

Am I taking advantage of my kids being out of school for these few short weeks?

If not, let me encourage you to maximize the remainder of the summer and do so.

Be intentional about spending time with your children.  Work can wait. It will always be there. Your kids won’t.

R E S O U R C E S   for   D A D S

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by Joey Watkins

Last week a young dad was leaving his office for the night, a Christian recording studio business in Garland, Texas.

Shortly after midnight, he phoned his wife to let her know he was finished and on the way home. As he and his best friend left the building, they were shot in the parking lot and their cars were stolen.

28-year-old Matthew Butler never made it home that night.

He left behind his wife, his 2-year-old son, and his 1-year-old daughter.

What a horrible tragedy for this family.

My eyes swell with tears as I type this, knowing that Matthew’s young children will never know their dad on this side of eternity, except through their mom’s stories, photos, homemade videos, and their dad’s work — his music.

It is a painful reminder of how we dads need to live in the now with our family — not in fear — but because of our immense role in their lives, and how fragile life really is.

What are we doing as dads to create lasting memories in our children’s lives? How will they remember us if our lives on earth end prematurely? What are we teaching them? What will be their “take away” from us after we are gone?

FamilyDads will be sending a financial gift to help support Matthew’s wife Jamie and his two children Matthew Jr and McKayla. If you would like to add a contribution as a fellow FamilyDad so that we can send one large check, send your gift by paypal to familydads@gmail.com

or if you want to write a check (made payable to FamilyDads with “Matthew Butler Family” in memo section), send to:
FamilyDads
c/o Joey Watkins
2135 Chadwick Dr
Cumming, GA  30028

This tragic story was covered by the Dallas Morning News and Fox News.