The material I’m using with the Saturday morning group of men is now into the 2nd book which is all about marriage and parenting. Only half of the group is married so I wasn’t sure if the group wanted to go into it. Yet, even the single men said they’d like to do it as they hoped to be married someday and have a family. At the time I had no idea just how beneficial this section would be. I’m use to using curriculum that goes deeply into the topic helping the user to go to the root of the problem they’re facing. This curriculum is helping one to grow more fully into a true disciple for Jesus Christ living a balanced life for Jesus so their prayers are never hindered by choices made.

The lesson for Saturday is regarding parenting and grandparenting. One needs to take a look at their own days of being reared and apply strengths from it and address weaknesses by replacing them with Godly wisdom from His Word. As I approached this portion of the assignment I wanted to just skip it. In the little space for the parenting weaknesses from my childhood I simply wrote that I’d written a book about this. As I did write it God reminded me of a positive I’d set aside from dad. It was the spring of my senior year in high school, 1968. A cow had given birth that night and as I’d finished the milking she was walking up the lane with her newborn. I didn’t have time to milk her so I went on and readied myself to catch the bus for school. As I was walking out to the bus stop my dad asked if I’d milked the cow? I told him yes so he’d leave me alone. Two days later I was very guilt ridden so I told him I’d lied and hadn’t milked the cow. His response was simply, “I knew from looking the cow hadn’t been milked. I also knew you’d come around and tell the truth.” It felt like a compliment and that was a rare thing from dad.

Dad had lots he needed to learn about being a parent, but this one moment was something he did that was very right and I thank God for it.