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Every dad will get a chuckle from these videos. These are great! “The smallest moments can have the biggest impact…”

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

This weekend, my oldest son Andrew did something for the first time.

He mowed our entire half-acre yard… front and back… with my riding mower.

I didn’t have to do a thing except give him a few pointers, keep an eye on him, and make sure he was being safe and doing a half-way decent job.

I’ll admit… it was nice delegating that chore to him! I’ve been looking forward to doing so for a long time.

But something strange happened inside of me as I watched him lap our yard with my yellow earmuffs cupped over his ears, his feet barely reaching the pedals.

If you’ve been at this stage of fatherhood, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Yes, I was proud of him…

- Proud that he was mature enough at his age to be doing this.

- Proud that he was willing to take on this new responsibility.

- Proud that he wanted to “be like Dad.”

But something inside of me struggled with seeing my boy growing up!

Yes, I know it is inevitable.

I just wish there was a pause button to slow down his progression toward adulthood.

In just a few years from now, I will be looking my son in the eye, because he will be as tall as me. His voice will have changed. He will be driving a car. And he will be thinking about his future as a young man.

When that time comes, I hope to reflect on lots of fun times we had together when he was just a lad, and the privilege of being the Dad who got to raise him, invest my time, money, and energy preparing him for manhood, and more importantly, for eternity.

…and perhaps I’ll have a few regrets too.

But for now… we Dads can be thankful for our children.

And do our best to intentionally make the most of each day with them… one day at a time… while they are still with us growing and developing their minds, bodies, souls, and spirits .

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

PS – If you are looking for a fun Christmas game to build memories with your family, click here to see a game our family has lots of fun playing.