Father Knows Best

Ray Hinson, my Dad.

  I never really watched the show, Father Knows Best, but back then,

  fathers were portrayed as a true patriarch of the family. Today, fathers

  are portrayed as bumbling fools always getting things wrong and

  constantly being corrected by their “got it together” wife and children.

  What happened?

  Does father really know best? Yes.

The older I get, the more I can reflect back on what my father did for his family, the sacrifices made and the example he gave us. What I know about being a father today is profoundly influenced by my dad.

  

We all have a Father in Heaven and he created this world and everything

  in it, including fathers. Why did he do that? Are fathers really

  necessary? Beyond the nostalgic view that we might have of fathers, what

  role do they actually play in a biblical family?

  First and foremost they are the head of the house. Period. Final decisions,

  approvals, and direction are given by the father. They are also the

  spiritual leader, protector and provider for the family. Unfortunately,

  many men have abdicated their role in all of these areas.

  I look up to my dad. He has taught me so much and I didn’t even know he

  was doing that. When he kissed Mom and held her hand, he was teaching me

  romance and love. When he would sit at the kitchen table and work

  through the bills or stay late at the hardware store to get ready for

  the next day, he was teaching me hard work and responsibility. When he took

  me fishing or blackberry picking, he was teaching me to love the small

  things in life. When he would come to every sporting event I ever

  played, he was teaching me sacrifice and when he was caring for mom in

  her last days he was teaching me courage, beyond anything I can

  comprehend.

  God does have a purpose for fathers. The world tells us we are

  unnecessary, that women can make it on their own. I guess they can but

  it’s not God’s design.

  As I look at my own life as a father, I can either grimace under the

  weight of the world on my shoulders or consider my father and his father

  and his father and understand what they’ve gone through. It’s a legacy

  that gives me courage to lead my family.

  My role as a father, according to God, places me over my family and

  their leader and guide. Dana expects me to lead and the kids need me to

  lead.  

  God has made explicit his will that parents, as the immediate generating

  source of individuals, are to be revered for that very fact, and the

  rights of parents are to be honored, by children and society. God has

  created a hierarchy such that my children are directly answerable to me,

  and then I answer to God. This doubles the father's responsibilities,

  because I must account to God for the way I raise my children. While I

  don’t consider them “property”, I am their steward.

  God makes fathers by giving them children. They are mine and I am

  responsible for their training.

  Thanks Dad. The older I get the more I'm convinced that you do know best. Happy Father’s Day!

LSU to celebrate Alabama Crimson Tide BCS Championship

LSU to celebrate Alabama Crimson Tide BCS Championship Saban to ride in Dalrymple Parade Saturday, February 13, 2010 - LSU System

BATON ROUGE - In a bold and unexpected move today, Louisiana State University System President, John V. Lombardi, announced that the University will plan a series of events to celebrate University of Alabama's BCS championship earned in January against the University of Texas. Nationally known both for his candor and expertise in higher education management, Lombardi held a press conference to explain the Board-approved decision. "We have gotten used to winning championships here at LSU so when the football team came up short this year, we decided to have a celebration anyway. It gives us a chance to celebrate a national championship even though we weren't a part of it," says Lombardi Beginning in August, LSU will hold a series of parades that will feature Alabama Football coach, Nick Saban, and several of his All-American players. A "Bear" Ball will be held in the Assembly Center in honor of Paul "Bear" Bryant and his successful coaching career. LSU cheerleaders will wear the Crimson and White and cheer "Roll-Tide" and "Rammer-Jammer" in the Quadrangle Pep Rally. LSU fans are encouraged to arrive early for the parades. Then, on September 3, 2010, which is the day before LSU's first football game against North Carolina in the Georgia Dome, a ceremony will be held to officially take off the Crimson and White decorations and set up LSU decorations. "After all the celebrating, we need to recognize that our loyalty belongs to LSU and we need to support our team. If any fan is having doubts about being loyal to LSU after the celebration, I'll forgive them. But August sure will be fun with one party and parade after another,' LSU Head Football Coach Les Miles. "We're excited about the celebration and know all LSU fans will join us as we recognize the Crimson Tide for their accomplishments," said Charles Weems III, board member and member of the "Roll-Tide" celebration committee. While many LSU fans consider this harmless family fun, some LSU fans are outraged at the prospects of LSU celebrating another school's championship. "This flies in the face of who you are supposed to be," says a group of students in front of the Student Union. "are we true to LSU or not?" cries one young co-ed. "This is absurd. How can we spend all this time celebrating Alabama when we know it's wrong to do this?" Lombardi says that more information about the celebration will on the LSU website in the weeks to come.

LSU fans, can you imagine if this were true? Of course it's not but what was your first reaction? Unbelief? Outrage?
Can you actually believe we would be crazy enough to do this?
Yet, don't we do the same thing when we celebrate Mardi Gras? Do you see the irony?
I live near the epicenter of Mardi Gras. It's everywhere. What's wrong with it? It's not the binge of alcohol, nudity and wild living. That happens everyday.  And, it's not harmless family fun either. I just can't see the purpose. It flies right in the face of what I believe and yet I see other well-meaning people, Christian people, participating in Mardi Gras as a normal part of their lives.
Listen friends, Satan is blinding us. We have bought into a set of lies to keep us from finding the life that God wants us to enjoy. What are those lies?

Forgiveness is cheap.

 Anytime we fall into temptation, we have made the decision to disobey God and sin. In the back of our minds, most of us believe that God will forgive us. After Mardi Gras, people attend church on Ash Wednesday assuming God will forgive them because he's supposed to. They assume that moment of indescretion is a simple matter for God. Sure forgiveness is free to us but it came at the highest price. 

Holiness is about sacrifice 

- Satan used this in the Garden of Eden. He convinced Adam and Eve that God was holding back on them and keeping the forbidden fruit from them because it was so desirable. Holiness is not about saying "no" but about saying "yes" to eternal life with God. Some things are forbidden but it's because there is more satisfaction and fullfillment  when we become the person God created us to be.

We have to give in to temptation so that we can resist temptation. 

- Wait...What? Satan says, “You can't resist temptation for too long. So it’s best to give in from time to time to take off the pressure.” Giving in doesn’t make it easier to resist temptation. It makes it harder. The longer a person resists any particular temptation the less strength that particular temptation has for him or her.

Stop and think...Do you believe the Bible is God's word to us? Then please read what it says. These scriptures are His words, not mine.

The idea of partying before repenting seems to be to get as much revelry and additional sin out of the way before you decide to do anything about it. But that attitude doesn't show a belief that God's way is really right and that sin is really wrong, harmful and something to be avoided because it wars against us (1 Peter 2:11) and is contrary to God's instruction (Romans 13:13-14). It doesn't show the 100 percent commitment that God wants (Romans 12:1-2).

God says we should always live holy lives and obey His laws because they are good for us (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). Satan is the one who wants us to think that doing wrong things is fun, and his deception has been quite successful (Revelation 12:9; 1 John 2:16).

"Roll Tide!" Yeh, sounds crazy doesn't it?

Julie schooled me in basketball...and life last night.

To set the scene, the SCHEF Lady Lions were playing a team from Houma last night. Julie's team is young and inexperienced and were up against some girls who were several years ahead. Julie had played lights-out basketball already scoring a career-high 24 points. 
With five minutes left in the game, the Houma team was leading by about 30 points.  Julie seemed to be playing four corners by the way she kept passing the ball and not taking anymore shots. We weren't scoring anymore AND turning the ball over. I knew if she would just shoot, she'd score but that's not what happened. In a time-out, I told her she was wide open and should take the shot. That's when she rang the school bell and proceeded to let me know that class was now in session. 
Her response went something like this. "Dad, we're not going to win. I want to give them (her teammates) a chance to score so I'm setting them up. It'll be good for their experience."
I was all about her taking advantage of scoring opportunities and she was all about letting her teammates gain valuable experience. She showed me that this is not just a game, but a place where we put our character to the test. Her attitude on the court, even when getting hammered by the opponent, is nothing short of true sportsmanship.  One of her teammates did score a basket. After the game, her teammate was so happy and Julie pointed that out to me. It's all about spreading the love around.
Does she want to win? Yes. Is she aggressive? Yes. Is she self-absorbed in getting all she can at the expense of her team? Absolutely not. In fact, more than winning, Julie just wants to play.  
I'm so proud of her and would take a whole team of girls just like her. Nothing would stop them...but then again, I think Julie would say that that's not the most important thing.

Philippians 2:3  says, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves."

We buried mom yesterday

It's kind of like eating sweet & sour pork. It was sad to see her go but joyful to know she's with her Father in Heaven. As much as I wanted to be in control of my emotions, they won and so it was a rollercoaster ride all day. I was exhausted. Dad must truly be tired. We've worked hard to make sure he is getting rest but all the people at the house yesterday kept his adrenaline pumping. He'll crash very soon and it'll be good for him. Dana and I reflected on the whole process of funerals, burying, etc. and both feel like there has to be a better way. Strictly looking at it from Dad's perspective, he had been at mom's side day and night for weeks. The emotional rollercoaster he was on had to be incredible. Then after all that, spend many hours at a funeral home entertaining guests. I know it was great to see old friends but he was so tired. I don't know what the better way is yet but I started asking questions about why we do some of the things we do at funerals and cemeteries. I'll have to get back to this. Any thoughts?

"Everybody's Shot"

There's a scene in "Black Hawk Down" that contains some dialogue that really has a much deeper application. In the scene, the U.S. Army Ranger colonel is in charge of a small convoy of humvees trying to make its way back to base under heavy gun and rocket fire. The colonel stops the convoy, takes in some wounded, tears a dead driver out of a driver's seat, and barks at a bleeding sergeant who's standing in shock nearby:

Colonel: Get into that truck and drive.
Sergeant: But I'm shot, Colonel.
Colonel: Everybody's shot, get in and drive.

"Everybody's shot."

I think all of us are high maintenance these days. We all have "needs." We all have "unmet expectations." The problem I see is that we are very sensitive but not towards each other. Why? I think it's selfishness. I certainly experience it. I want things my way. This is sin. No matter which way you look at it, it is sin.
It seems like so many people have a chip on their shoulder and are daring anyone to knock it off. People want to be a "victim." Are they in that much need of attention that they'll allow themselves to be that absorbed in their own life that they will ignore the needs of others? I'll admit that I have. Consider what Paul predicts in 2 Tim 3: 1-5...
¹But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ²People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

Ouch

The lesson that I've learned is that God has commanded us to esteem others higher than ourselves. Jesus wants us to "other-oriented." So, check your baggage at the door. Look at others first and meet their needs.

Everybody's shot. Get over it and focus on someone else.
Or to put it another way. "You're unique. Just like everybody else"

"All work and no play makes Dad a dull boy."

At least that's what my oldest son told me the other day. I think it's amusing to listen to the perspectives of a younger generation. He told me the other day that he doesn't envy me and said I do nothing but work. That it must be a drudgery for me. He said I should play more. That I don't have any fun.

Without life experiences, it's hard to comprehend older people. I find it hard to understand people older than myself, but to have a conversation with my son about how I should live my life was interesting. My son will soon be 20 years old. He basically has a life without responsibility. Sure, he has a couple of jobs and a class at a community college but in comparison, his life is free. So to hear him give me "sage" advice about what I should value was interesting. And from his view of the world, he's right.

Ok, I'll admit, he's right to a degree. Having too much house and too much yard takes away from your family. Sure, you're at home but your constantly working on something. I could have had a smaller house or lived in a neighborhood where I didn't have to do so much work. But I think on a larger perspective a son is never going to comprehend what a father can find enjoyable or relaxing or satisfying.

• There is satisfaction knowing that your children are living a life without wondering if they will eat tonight.
• There is joy when you drive up and your little kids open the car door to give you a big hug and a kiss. What's that worth?
• There is joy when your teenage daughter asks you if she can talk and ask for some advice. How much would you pay for that?
• Is there any satisfaction knowing that your kids want you to play with them? Even when they're 16? You betcha.

My son hasn't experience what it's like to have a wife, a lover and best friend. I don't blame him for having these ideas about me. It's just interesting that his perspective about my life is the way it is.

1 Cor. 13:11 says: When I was a little child I talked and felt and thought like a little child. Now that I am a man my childish speech and feeling and thought have no further significance for me.

So I wonder...What I am not seeing that my heavenly father is seeing? What is satisfying to Him? What brings him joy? Many times I think that I have been given the wonderful privilege of being the father of six children in order to get a glimpse of what He sees, feels and desires. It brings me satisfaction to have my children truly desire me and want to be around me and talk to me. It breaks my heart to see them disobey and avoid me. My heart is troubled until I know they are safe, etc.

While I will not stop being the father I think they need, I'll take my son's advice and loosen up a bit.

Note: I've not fully thought this out but would be curious if any of you have any thoughts.

I was just minding my own business when God appeared.

You never know when God is going to grab you, shake you, get your attention to tell you something. I was looking at some Christian T shirts on-line when I saw one that grabbed my attention. I began to read it. It had a scripture on it. Jeremiah 29: 11-13. It goes like this:

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Verse 12 had a profound impact on me. I literally stopped and cried. We all know that God is the creator of everything and sort of yawn at that statement. I really needed a friend this morning and I just became overwhelmed that my God says, "talk to me and I will listen." How many times have I heard that and took it for granted?

For various reasons, I have drifted from my relationship with him and when I was least expecting, he reaches out to me. Just like a father would do. I am so thankful he can love a sinner like me!