He was born at home early this morning (last night) at 12:14am local time, a very healthy beautiful baby who is already showing a rather peaceful disposition. Mom is doing super too. Best delivery we’ve had yet!

Quick story…

Neither my wife nor I had a boy’s name picked out. Even while my wife was in labor last night in our bedroom, we still did not have a single boy’s name “ready.”

At some point during the evening, I slipped into the family room and opened to a scripture passage I’ve read numerous times but felt led to read again. While reading, it mentioned the tribe of Ahsher (spelled “Asher” in most modern English translations.)

As I read, I sensed in my spirit that I was to use that name if we had a boy.

Ahsher was the name of one of Jacob’s twelve sons. His name is commonly interpreted to mean “happy” or “blessed” because that is how his mother felt when she had him.

But the full ancient Hebraic meaning is “Happiness is in YAH.” (Yah is short for YHWH, the personal name of our Heavenly Father used over 6,000 times in Scripture.)

The middle name “Boaz” is in reference to the husband of Ruth, the great-grandfather of King David. It means “by strength.”

Ahsher Boaz = “Happiness is in Yah, by strength”

Pretty cool how that happened just in time for his birth, without any “advance planning,” worrying, or input on my part or my wife’s.

Sometimes that’s how our Heavenly Father works. He doesn’t always tell us the details in advance — because we don’t need to know — but rather wants us to competely trust Him and not “sweat the details.”

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the counsel of YHWH that stands.” -Prov 19:21

He always knows what He’s doing, and we can truly find our happiness in Him, by strength.

After an almost “all-nighter” home birth, this tired but excited dad is ready for some sleep now!

PS – Here is my favorite macho dad video that is sure to give you a few laughs if you’ve ever had the joy of changing baby diapers. I first posted this video when my fourth child was born two years ago. I still crack up every time I watch it.

“Delight” is a bit of an odd word to us guys.

When was the last time you told someone you “delighted” in something or someone. Or you heard another guy tell you about his “delight.”

See what I mean?

And yet, this word “delight” was used by a rugged outdoorsman, a bear and lion killer, a man who courageously engaged in face-to-face combat against a man almost twice his size.

In the opening verses of his most famous writing of Scripture, King David used this word “delight” to describe the heart’s affection of the blessed man.

“…but his delight is in the law of YHWH…” – Psalm 1:2

A blessed man delights in the words, direction, warnings, and instructions of YHWH contained in the first five books of Scripture. This is what the English-translated word “law” is referring to. It is the Hebrew transliteration of “towrah”, more commonly spelled Torah.

The second half of the verse answers the followup question I asked myself:

“Do I delight in the Torah of YHWH?”

“…on His law does he meditate day and night.” – Psalm 1:2

Meditate is more than a casual reading. It is focused thought, careful study, deep introspection, and prayerful application. To meditate day and night implies just that! It is something a blessed man finds himself doing both during the day and at night. Perhaps not every single day and every single night, but with consistent regularity motivated out of his love of YHWH and YHWH’s Torah.

Are you a blessed man?

If you are, Scripture says…

“he will be like a tree planted by a stream of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaves fall not off; and whatever he begins he accomplishes.” – Psalm 1:3

Wow! What a picture of blessing! It is the result of delighting in the Torah of YHWH, and meditating on it day and night.

From one family dad to another,

Joey Watkins

Founder, FamilyDads.com

PS – Torah and the Hebrew roots of our modern Christian faith is a subject I’ve been studying for a while now both for my personal spiritual growth and to teach my children (per instructions to parents in Deuteronomy 6:7.) If you would like to receive upcoming emails on Torah, signup here.

Did you hear these words from your dad when you were growing up? If your dad is still alive, do you hear them from him now as an adult?

If you have a son, do you say these words to him? Very often?

Do you ever proclaim these words publicly about your son where both he and other men hear you?

“I love you son. I’m proud of you.”

In the New Testament of the Bible, there are only 3 recorded instances where God audibly spoke from heaven. Did you know that 2 of these 3 instances are God the Father communicating this very message to His Son Jesus?

At Jesus’ baptism, a voice from heaven spoke audibly to those who were present saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22)

At the mount of transfiguration, God again spoke, this time from a cloud, saying “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Hear him.” (Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7, Luke 9:35, 2 Peter 1:17-18)

These are incredibly powerful and affirming words that boys and men of all ages long to hear — need to hear — from their father. It was important for God the Father to communicate this on more than one occasion audibly to His Son Jesus and those who were present. It was important for Jesus to hear these words audibly from His Father.

Likewise, it is important that we fathers speak these words audibly to our sons.

“I love you son. I’m proud of you.”

A dad recently asked for my input on a very big decision he is considering — a career change from being employed to self-employment at home so he can give more time to his family.

Since this is something I have done — more than once — I shared with him from my experiences and thoughts on making big decisions. My response doesn’t cover everything on this topic, but here is what I said…

Regarding transitioning to working at home, I commend you highly on that decision. The benefit of having the flexibility with your time by working at home is extremely rewarding, much more-so than making more money working for someone else at the expense of time away from your family.

Having said that, I can also tell you it can be very challenging. Among other things, you must be very disciplined to focus on your work, and you do face risk of lapses in income.

First and foremost, you must be led by God’s spirit. Listen to His still, small voice and the impressions He speaks to your heart. Pay attention as you read the Bible and as you listen to other believers (not just Bible teachers but ALL believers who are walking with God.)

Second is unity with your wife. You must both be very confident and united in God’s direction. As the leader, you must take the action steps, but you should desire and esteem her input very highly.

God has confirmed His will for my wife and I on many occasions by speaking the same thing to us separately. It is amazing and very confirming when we come together and discover He has been telling us each the same thing. When this does not happen, I tend to not make a decision but continue to seek Him, listen to what He is saying to me, wait on His timing, and confirmation.

Third, God sometimes stirs in our hearts a longing/desire for the direction He wants us to go. For me, he put a heavy burden on my heart for dads to discover and embrace their influence and leadership as dads in their families.

In what way do you desire to help other people? What problem do you want to solve? What can you see yourself doing day in and day out? Once you have identified this, begin to discern God’s specific leading in relation to it.

A brochure I once picked up said this on the cover… “If you followed your heart, where would you go?” This question was so profound yet simple to me, I still keep that brochure in my laptop bag to this day as a reminder to continue to ask myself that question when facing important decisions.

Obviously, our hearts can deceive us if our desires are impure, but scripture tells us God shows Himself strong on behalf of those who are wholehearted toward Him. (Read the story surrounding 2 Chronicles 16:9.)

Fourth, be attentive to your circumstances and notice any repetition. When I was seeking God on moving, He identified a particular city and then one time after another brought up the name of that city through numerous random circumstances. Circumstances by themselves aren’t everything, but I have found them to be very important when seeking direction from God on a matter.

FInally, let me leave you with a quote that riveted me the first time I read it… “God responds to our faith, not our needs.” Jesus was frustrated, disappointed, and even limited in what He could do on numerous occasions when he encountered lack of faith.

Be a man of faith, which means simply “relying on God.” Don’t be presumptuous and foolish in your actions, but wait on God and step out in faith and obedience as He leads you. Do not merely make decisions based on logic and reason.

I recently had to make a very important decision that did not make sense from a financial standpoint, but I felt very strongly that God told me the time to make the decision was now and not wait for everything to fall into place financially first. My wife was in full support of this decision. So I took the step of faith and “stepped out into the water” BEFORE it parted, so to speak!

Here’s the bottomline…

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

I hope this helps you with decisions you may be facing in your life and on behalf of your family. You might want to bookmark this post for future reference, and also forward it to other dads you may know who need encouragement in making decisions.

Blessings to you and your family,

Joey Watkins

Founder, FamilyDads.com

Caught Between A Dream and a Job offers very practical help for transitioning from a job you don’t enjoy to pursuing your dreams. This book helps you identify your ultimate purpose and helps you transition startegically from where you are to where you really want to be. Watch a video interview with the author and Learn More and Order.

On October 12th, Chris Klicka, a 48-year-old faithful husband and father to 7 children, passed away after a 15-year battle with the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.

His life, his commitment to his family, and his vocational work were an inspiration to many and a blessing to those who knew Chris personally.

Chris worked as an attorney for Homeschool Legal Defense Assn. and helped many families who faced obstacles exercising their right to homeschool.

This past June — just 4 months before his death — Chris was interviewed about his physical struggle and how he dealt with his feelings and suffering with MS. His attitude was amazing. The words he shared leave us dads with a profound message on suffering, discouragement, pain, priorities, and the brevity of life.

So imagine this scenario at your place of work. It’s Friday afternoon and your supervisor steps into your office with a seemingly casual question…

“Can you come into the conference room for a brief meeting?”

You finish your email, save the document, or complete whatever task you are right in the middle of, and then make your way down the hall to the company conference room. In the past, you’ve participated in many staff meetings, strategy planning sessions, and even birthday parties in this conference room, but none like today’s meeting.
“As you know, our company’s revenue has gone way down in recent months, and we’ve had to evaluate ways to significantly cut costs. Effective immediately, your position is being eliminated.”

And with that, you find yourself out of a job — without any advance notice and through no fault of your own. What makes this especially painful is the fact that you have given five years of faithful service to your company, many of those weeks spent working well over 40 hours.

When God closes a door in our lives — especially a major one like our work — the natural tendency is to panic and to project negative “what if” scenarios about our future. If we haven’t been in close relationship with God and regularly hearing from Him, we can be be easily overcome by feelings of fear, rejection, and even anger.

The song lyrics of “Look For A Window” give encouragement and advice to the person facing this very scenario:

Hot on the trail of God’s will
And getting warmer still
Stopped by the slam of a door
God, what’d You do that for?

When God closes a door, look for a window
Don’t stand at the door, there might be a window

Responsibilities change
And so do our pathways
One way God shows which way to go
Is to let the old road close

There’s no point in getting down on yourself
God is only pointing you somewhere else

In challenging times like this, a wise dad will go to God with this attitude in his heart and prayers…
“God, this did not take you by surprise. You knew this was going to happen, and You knew when it would happen. I am so grateful that you take care of me and my family. Help me guard my heart and my thoughts as I seek to know what you are doing in my life and what the next step is for me to take. You know our financial needs, and You are the source of provision for my family. So help me remain full of faith in You during this time, waiting on You, listening for Your promptings, and obedient to whatever You tell me. And thank You for your faithfulness to me during the past five years that I worked at this company.”

As I consider my closing thoughts on this topic, my six-year-old son, totally unaware of what I am writing about, just blurted out in the other room…

“Do you know what song I have in my head right now?”

He then proceeded to sing a kid’s song version of Matthew 6:34 which says, “Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will look after itself.”

I suspect that verse is directly for someone who will read this. Out of the mouth of babes!

If you’re in the midst of job transition, stay encouraged, and continue to…

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” ~Proverbs 3:5-6

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

PS – This would be a good post to forward along to another dad you may know who is in the midst of job transition. Also, take him out for lunch or breakfast and spend some time with him talking and praying together. He would probably appreciate your friendship, kindness, and prayer support right now.

Do you know the five Biblical uses of money, the spiritual power behind money, the symptoms to guage where you are spiritually with your finances, and the two different economic systems in the world? Learn More

After a fun visit to enjoy the furry and feathered animals at a local pet store, we walked across the parking lot to a newly built massive furniture store. It was HUGE — taking up at least a city block, if not more.

Once inside, we were immediately impressed with the size of the store, and even more impressed as we walked around looking at the variety and quality of all the expensive furniture inside.

That’s when I began to notice something potentially DANGEROUS happening in my heart.

I sat down and leaned back in a very nice leather recliner couch. It was luxurious and very comfortable.  I casually mentioned to my daughter, “This is much nicer than our couch.” She agreed.

Then we went over to the bedding section and began testing the selection of mattresses, laying down on one after another. Again, we commented on how much more comfortable and nicer they were than ours at home.

After wandering around the store together through room after room of showroom furniture, we finally made our way back to the entrance.

Heading back across the parking lot, we walked past a late-model luxury car. I noticed the inside, which sported an elegant wood trim dashboard console and stylish leather interior.

“Wow,” I thought to myself. “That car sure is a lot nicer than ours.”

My heart wrestled with these longings for “bigger and better”, “nicer and newer” things as we made our way to our car. Before me was a choice: to allow discontentment to take root in my heart, or to be thankful and grateful for the provisions God had already given to me and my family.

When we compare the provisions God has already given us with newer, nicer, more expensive, and more comfortable items that don’t belong to us, there is usually a struggle, a wrestling, a temptation, a DANGER — envy, covetousness, and discontentment.

Whether it’s a new car, a recreational vehicle, furniture, a house, or even our spouse, when we compare what has already been provided to us with what is “out there” in the marketplace, a tv commercial, a webpage, or even another person, we run the risk of becoming discontent in our hearts. Which can lead to foolish decisions and regrets, bondage to debt, and even more tragic consequences in our lives.

If we compare any provision God has given us with something else that we don’t have, there is potential for danger around the corner. We must always be on guard, paying attention to what is happening in our hearts in any given situation.

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” ~Proverbs 4:23

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

Attention Dads with Daughters: Two Great Resources

She Calls Me Daddy Seven Things Every Man Needs To Know About Building A Complete Daughter Learn More

What A Daughter Needs From Her Dad How A Man Prepares His Daughter For Life Learn More

One son was divorced. The other son was getting ready to file for a divorce.

The parents had never liked their son’s wife and had tried everything they could to split the marriage and find him another wife.

The sons and the father had a broken relationship. It was so bad, if either son even saw him in a store, they walked down another aisle to avoid him.

There was much bitterness and hatred.

Yet this was a father who was very involved in church, even in prominent leadership roles.

The father attended an event where he heard about God’s promise and provision to fathers, God’s blueprint for the family, and the Biblical role of the father.

God turned the heart of this father in a very significant way… toward his sons, toward his family.

He was so convicted about his failure as a father, he asked himself…

“Is it too late? I’ve already done my child rearing. My children are adults now.”

He wrote 12 letters to his sons. Letters of repentance…

“Would you please forgive me for not being the father to you I should have been?”

“I didn’t know I was supposed to do anything with you?”

“I didn’t know how to call you out as sons?”

“I want to minister to you now.”

“I want to be the father to you that God intended me to be.”

As the father did that, and his heart was turned toward his children, God turned the hearts of his children to him.

The first son turned his heart to God for the first time, came to his father, and began to confess to him things he had done wrong.

The 2nd son, on the very day of filing divorce papers, after listening to the teachings from the event the father attended, was so convicted that he confessed his own sins and turned his heart to seek God.

His wife said when he walked in the door, she immediately knew something had changed his life. She said “I want that” and came with him to his parents for counseling! The parents confessed to the daughter-in-law how they had not loved her and all the things they done against her.

The dad sent the teaching messages to his daughter. Her husband listened.

The daughter said it completely changed his heart and turned his heart toward his family.

God healed this family!

It is a testimony of God’s promise to broken families:

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD; And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers…” ~Malachi 4:5-6

God keeps His word.  He  will turn the hearts of a family back to the fathers when the heart of the father is turned to the children.

Norm Wakefield will be sharing this teaching at the Dad Summit, the first-of-its-kind LIVE webinar event for dads. It starts this Sunday night at 9pm Eastern. There is still time to save $15 on Advance Registration.

Blessings to you and your family,

Joey Watkins

Founder, FamilyDads.com

The only families that were spared of this tragedy were those whose dads took a young lamb without blemish, killed it on the specified day, and applied it’s blood to their doorposts and lintel (the long horizontal beam above the door.) They were to then roast the lamb over a fire and eat it that night, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

Interestingly, they were told to keep this meal as a “feast to the LORD, a festival throughout your generations; you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.” (Exodus 12:14)

And so this meal became known as the “feast of unleavened bread” or ”passover feast” and it involved celebration, holy gatherings, and days without working (Exodus 12:14-19.)

And the very next day, they were given freedom to leave the Egyptian land of slavery and bondage which they had endured for centuries!

Now, I found it very interesting that Moses told the dads to observe this feast “for yourselves and your sons forever.” And he gave the men instructions on exactly what to say to their children when asked why their families observed this (Exodus 12:21-28.)

In spite of these instructions, I suspect most families today do not keep the passover feast.

Yet it was this very passover feast which Jesus Christ was observing with His disciples the evening of his betrayal, His illegal arrest and trial, and ultimately His crucifixion.

He was killed on the same day of the year which Hebrew families had for centuries  sacrificed an unblemished male lamb, applied it’s blood to the entrances of their homes, and consumed the lamb’s flesh internally as a memorial of God’s mercy, sparing them from judgment and death.

What a remarkable picture of the Christian/Messianic message of salvation!

Jesus Christ was the unblemished human “passover lamb,” dying a cruel, torturous death so that His blood might spare from eternal death and judgment those who apply His blood to their own lives, and exit a life of bondage and slavery to begin a new life of freedom.

Passover is a fantastic, historical story which we can use to communicate rich spiritual truths to our children!

I encourage you to read the passover story in Exodus 11-12 with your family this week, as the “feast of unleavened bread” begins at sunset on Wednesday, April 8th.

Then, relate this story to the New Testament Gospel accounts where Jesus observed passover with His disciples in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22, and Himself became the Passover Lamb.

Where I live, we get to enjoy a lengthy holiday season, decorated houses and yards colorfully lit up at night, the sending and receiving of Christmas cards, fantastic Christ-focused music playing in the stores, delicious food with family and friends, and extended downtime from work to spend with our family.

Andy Williams’ song indeed says it best… “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

But there’s something else I like that is unique to December…

It gives us an opportunity to do two things:

1. Reflect on the year coming to an end
2. Consider the new year approaching

As dads, this involves significant reflection on our role in our family.

So, fellow dad, how was your 2008?

Here are some questions I’m asking myself as a dad…

Did I spend enough time, quality time as well as quantity, with each of my children this year? How about with my wife?

Did I teach and train my children in the things I wanted them to gain understanding in this year?

Are they closer to reaching my goals for their lives than they were at the start of this year?

Dad, how will 2008 be remembered in your memories?

Among my top family memories are…

1) Attending with my son Andrew our first father/son outdoor camping trip/retreat… which was also a highlight of his year!

2) Enjoying a “1950’s” themed father/daughter dance with Angela. To this day, she proudly displays our dance photo beside her bed.

3) Washing our car “shirtless” with my 5 year-old son Abraham in Florida.I will always remember him asking if he needed to take off his shirt, because he wanted to be “just like dad.”

And my wife and I had a short but relaxing getaway at a nice hotel on a gorgeous beach in Florida… something we very rarely get to do alone without our children in tow.

Dad, let me encourage you as we wrap up this year to set aside some time alone to reflect on the year
we are about to say goodbye to.

Do this together with your wife too. It’s a great bonding experience.

Share your memories and thoughts with one another. Reminisce about the fun times and significant events
and memories from 2008, and even write them down.

And then consider and discuss how you might make 2009 an even better year… for you personally, for your marriage, and for your family.

Listen carefully and openly to your wife’s input.

Spend time praying about this, too, discerning God’s direction for you and your family. Listen to Him most of all.

And commit to honor Him in the new year as the dad of your children, the husband of your wife, and the leader of your home.

Blessings to you and your family,

Joey Watkins

Founder, FamilyDads.com and DadResources.com