This will be my monthly column for you -- to offer you practical advice for being a Great Dad to your children. So here is some critical, up front "straight talk":
BEING A GREAT DAD IS IMPORTANT!
BEING A GREAT DAD IS CRITICAL!.
Indeed, I challenge you to think of one title in life that you have had, have now, or ever will have that is more grand, more glorious than Great Dad. There is none better. This will be my monthly column to you -- to offer you practical advice for being a Great Dad to your children.

Why is that?

Because it is the lives of your children that we are talking about – those precious kids that God has entrusted to you. You know something – for as long as you live, you are going to be a father to them. You are going to be “daddy” to them. And to a child, that is an extremely important relationship.

It is through a father that a child basically derives self-esteem. It is the father that basically determines the child’s character development. It is through dad that a child primarily learns right from wrong. How much more important influence could you ask for? I call that Father Power, and we’re here to see that you exercise your Father Power in the most positive, constructive manner possible.

Here’s some more straight talk – exercising positive father power is not as easy as it sounds. 36 million children under the age of 18 suffer from Father Absence in their lives – this means that the fathers of 36 million children are exercising negative father power. That’s why we developed the 6 Basics of Being a Great Dad – so you would have a roadmap to ensure you are exercising positive father power.

But hey, fathering is not simply about this awesome responsibility and power we have. It is also about JOY. –rich, deep-down joy. The type of joy that you are not likely to find in your job or most other places. Again, far too many dads miss out on this joy and they come to deeply regret it.

But since you are here, and have read this far, you must be a dad who has a real desire to be a Great Dad. And we are here to help bring that about.

Being a Great Dad is not too complicated. There are really only two things to remember.

First, learn The 6 Basics of Being a Great Dad and, most importantly, LIVE THE 6 BASICS. If you do, I can give you this guarantee. You will have done all you can as a father to be a Great Dad to your kids. You can leave this earth knowing that you gave it your best. And that will be a real deep-down feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment.

Second, follow God’s guidance. God has expressed His vision for fathers in the last verse of the Old Testament: He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. (Malachi 4:L6) God wants to see your heart turned toward your children. And He has promised His support to you as you do so. I’ll discuss that support and how to clearly obtain it in future Straight Talk for Dads columns.

For now, enjoy the web site. I look forward to being your fathering coach for your fathering journey through the ideas and suggestions I will pass along to you in this column.

And remember, enjoy each child you have– each and every day.