Podcasts about dadawesome

✅ Why smartphones make us feel god-like (and why that's dangerous) ✅ The 4 research-backed rules for kids and technology ✅ How a church-wide digital fast transformed an entire community ✅ What a therapy dog named Bruce taught him about presence SUMMARY: Parenting teenagers in a digital world feels impossible—especially when you're struggling with your own phone addiction. In this episode, Darren Whitehead (dad of 4 teenage girls) shares how he led his entire church through a 40-day digital fast and discovered the secret to high-definition parenting. You'll hear why smartphones make us feel god-like, how to have the phone conversation with your kids, and what a Havanese dog named Bruce taught him about presence. FULL SHOW NOTES: Key Takeaways: Smartphones simulate God's attributes (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) and we weren't built for limitless power Collective action is more effective than individual willpower—do digital fasts as a community, not alone No smartphones before high school, no social media before 16, phone-free schools, and more unsupervised outdoor play When you put your phone down, you experience parenting in "high definition"—fully present and aware of these fleeting moments The most precious moments with your kids are being exchanged for infinitely trivial distractions Guest Darren Whitehead is the author of The Digital Fast and senior pastor of Journey Church in Franklin, Tennessee. He's a former youth pastor turned girl dad of four teenage daughters (ages 11, 14, 16, and 18). Darren has led thousands of people through digital detoxes and speaks regularly about technology, parenting, and spiritual formation. He and his wife live in Tennessee with their daughters and Bruce, their Havanese therapy dog.   Links Mentioned: Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word "Dad" to (651) 370-8618 The Digital Fast by Darren Whitehead Journey Church Franklin, Tennessee The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt Sissy Goff (teenage girl counselor)      

✅ How healing from father wounds creates ripple effects that impact generations ✅ The power of showing up consistently (Leo hasn't missed a single one of his son's games!) ✅ Why prayer cards with specific prayers for each child have created lasting impact ✅ How to break generational cycles even when you didn't have a model FULL SHOW NOTES: SUMMARY Growing up with a famous boxer father who never showed up for his games taught Leo Clark what it means to truly fight for the hearts of his children. In this powerful conversation, Leo shares how he's breaking generational cycles through his basketball ministry, intentional parenting, and the healing journey that transformed his ability to love. You'll hear how pain that isn't dealt with can block our capacity to parent well, and how God's restoration can create ripple effects that impact not just our own children, but countless others. TAKEAWAYS Breaking generational cycles begins with healing your own pain and allowing God to father you first A dad who fights for his kids shows up consistently, even when they try to push him away Being intentional about prayer and writing down specific prayers for your children creates lasting impact Your smile can be a gift that breaks down barriers and opens doors for meaningful connection Pain that isn't dealt with limits your capacity to love well and be fully present for your children The words you speak to your children become their inner voice—make them words of life Creating a legacy of love requires intentional reflection and being willing to be vulnerable GUEST Leo Clark is the co-founder of Go Get It, a basketball training ministry that mentors young men on and off the court. Growing up as the son of a famous heavyweight boxer who was physically absent from his life, Leo has dedicated himself to breaking generational cycles and being fully present for his five children. His powerful testimony of healing and restoration was featured in episode three of the Wild at Heart documentary series. Leo lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Marianne and continues to impact countless young men through basketball, mentorship, and his passion for fatherhood.   LINKS Wild at Heart Documentary Series: Episode 3 featuring Leo Clark Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word "Dad" to (651) 370-8618

SUMMARY Fatherhood isn't about perfection—it's about presence, moral consistency, and showing up when it matters most. In this heart-stirring episode from the vault, Bob Merritt shares powerful stories about those precious moments that define a father's legacy. From confronting hard truths with his college-aged son to the tear-filled goodbye when his daughter left for college, Bob reveals how staying faithful in the small things prepares you for the big moments that matter most. TAKEAWAYS Consistency in three areas—staying married, staying moral, and pursuing God—creates a foundation that enables deeper father-child connections. Only strong fathers have the courage to ask their children where they need to improve; weak men avoid this vulnerability. When your child makes concerning choices, choose thoughtful engagement over passive silence—staying in the battle is more important than saying everything perfectly. The most meaningful moments in fatherhood are earned through years of faithful presence and moral consistency. Choose laughter and joy in your home—a house that hasn't heard genuine laughter in months reveals deeper issues. GUEST Bob Merritt served as Senior Pastor of Eagle Brook Church for over two decades before transitioning to leadership teaching, consulting, and coaching. He is a father of two, grandfather of six, and author of several books on leadership and faith. Bob is known for his practical, down-to-earth teaching style and his passionate commitment to helping people grow in their faith and leadership.   Links mentioned: Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome https://www.speakpipe.com/DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word "Dad" to (651) 370-8618 Bob Merritt's website and resources https://www.bobmerritt.com/ Eagle Brook Church

FROM THE VAULT: Initially released in August of 2021

In this episode, Brian Doyle shares what it was like to parent through the unimaginable. After losing his wife to cancer at age 54, Brian had to navigate his own grief while guiding his teenage and young adult kids through theirs. His story will challenge you to keep your eyes on the future, disciple your kids with purpose, and take initiative to invest in the dads around you.   TAKEAWAYS: Instead of avoiding grief, learn to walk through it in a healthy way so your sorrow can eventually lead to joy. If you want your kids to follow Christ, you have to show them what that looks like in your everyday life. You're not raising kids; you're launching disciples. No one else can do what God designed you as a man to do. The time you invest in younger dads today can equip them for the challenges they'll face decades from now.   GUEST Brian Doyle is the Founder and President of Iron Sharpens Iron and serves as the National Director of the ISI Ministry Network. The mission of Iron Sharpens Iron is to equip churches to train men for spiritual leadership in the home, church and community.  #DadAwesome #christiandad #dadlife #parenting #dadpodcast #fatherhood   Links mentioned:  Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word “Dad” to (651) 370-8618 Iron Sharpens Iron  

Joy isn't just about feeling good. It's your secret weapon for raising resilient kids and showing up as a healthy, loving dad. In this episode, Chris Coursey unpacks the brain science behind joy and shares practical strategies you can use to stay calm and connected, whether it's your own emotions flaring or your child's.   Key takeaways:   Joy is built through connection, while happiness depends on your circumstances. God wired your brain for emotions, so it's important to know what helps you return to your relational, peaceful self.  Validation and comfort sets the stage for effective correction. Building joy helps you and your kids navigate life's challenges with more resilience.   Guest bio:   Chris Coursey is the President of THRIVEtoday. For nearly 25 years he has been developing and practicing brain-based solutions to make relationships work. Chris is a published author with ten books in print, husband to Jen, and father to Matthew and Andrew.      Links mentioned:    Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word “Dad” to (651) 370-8618 THRIVEtoday Emotions Wheel The Joy Switch  The 4 Habits Series All Books and Resources  

There is never a dull moment as a parent, especially in a world dominated by screens and technology. In this episode, Dave Willis shares how he's tackling tough conversations with his sons about sex, boundaries, and the dangers of pornography. Plus, he explains how the words you speak as a dad can become your child's inner voice—for better or for worse.    Key takeaways:   The best moments come from undistracted one-on-one interactions where you connect with your kids in their world each day.  A child's mind and heart are like wet cement, and the words you say leave lasting impressions.  It's important to create a safe, shame-free space to talk about sex and God's design for the body with your kids.  Be prepared to guide your kids through a complex digital world filled with AI, robots, and other predatory technology. God designed your marriage to flourish.    Dave Willis and his wife, Ashley, are the authors of multiple books including the bestseller, The Naked Marriage. They're also Christian speakers, marriage coaches, and the hosts of The Marriage on the Line Podcasts. They have four sons and live near Augusta, Georgia. Key Quotes: "Being present in these moments in like every single day looking for the undistracted one-on-one conversation with each kid, trying to connect with them in their world each day. It doesn't have to be big or fancy or structured, but being intentional about that, those tend to be my best moments of the day." [00:05:41] "We cannot overestimate the power of our words. And God designed it that way. He created the whole universe using His words... the words we're speaking to our kids, they're gonna become the soundtrack, the inner voice in those kids' heads as they grow. I mean, they're gonna hear our voices for the rest of their lives." [00:01:12] "When our kids, what they see in us, they think is healthy and they think it's normal, even if it's totally broken." [00:05:59] "Your teaching authority, moral authority, doesn't come from a place of perfection... but they desperately needed to come from a placed of honesty and authenticity to say like, listen, this is where I blew it." [00:25:43] "Let's be dads who pass along generational blessing instead of baggage to our kids." (This is from his closing prayer) [00:39:05]   Links mentioned:    Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word “Dad” to (651) 370-8618 The Naked Marriage by Dave & Ashley Willis Raising Boys Who Respect Girls by Dave Willis The Marriage on the Line Podcast “When I Tell You that I Love You” Poem  9 Days to Great Sex Free eBook  

When you set aside your programmed pragmatism and rediscover wonder, life with Jesus takes on a whole new depth. In this episode, John Eldredge shares how technology and the internet constantly fight for your attention and how you can push back by embracing ordinary, mystical moments to connect with God. You'll also hear why prayer, lingering, and turning your heart toward God are essential for your Christian walk.    Key Takeaway   The hyper-rational, left-brain approach to life isn't good for your soul. You were designed to experience beauty, wonder, and connection with God.  There's a battle for your attention and affection, and the world is constantly trying to pull your union with God apart. Turning your heart toward God often comes before intellectual understanding. Learning to linger in God's presence is essential for healing, connection, and repairing your soul in a world programmed for distraction.   John Eldredge   John Eldredge is an author, counselor, teacher, and the president of Wild at Heart. He and his wife, Stasi, have three sons and are proud grandparents. John loves all things beauty, nature, adventure, and more.    Key Quotes   10:35 - " Psalm 91, he who dwells in the shelter of the most high will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. And I think that idea of rest, let your anxiety come down, let the cortisol come down, let the fight or flightcome down a little bit. I think this is a brilliant gospel moment to be able to show people, you know what, you can actually be safe in the love of God, you can actually feel safe in His care and in His protection. If we can get people, back to your thing, if we can get the wonder back. If you can get the cynical adult pragmatism to just put the gun down for a minute and just go, you know what, you can actually take refuge in the presence of God. You will find it to be that lovely fort experience of, I feel good." 38:54 - "You sit with another human being and look eye to eye and listen to one another, it literally heals the human brain. It is a healing experience to your physiology to listen with compassion and to be listened to with compassion. That's just basic human connection."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word “Dad” to (651) 370-8618 Experience Jesus. Really. by John Eldredge Audible: Experience Jesus. Really.  Wild at Heart Events 30 Days to Resilient in the One Minute Pause App Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Your daughter's transformation into a young woman is designed by God. But as a dad, stepping back to protect her can be tough when all you want is to reconnect like you did when she was younger. In this episode, Jay Heck, Rob Porter, and Jeff Zaugg unpack the powerful "Chrysalis Analogy" and reveal how God uses this transition to draw you closer to Him while strengthening your relationship with your kids.   Key Takeaway   Being a supportive protector instead of forcing connection as your daughter ages will build intimacy and make both of your lives easier.  Your daughter's view of men will be shaped by how safe and loved she feels with you as her father. Just like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, your daughter's spiritual, physical, and hormonal transformation requires you to stand back and trust God's design. Your thoughts and words hold immense power. Choose to speak vision and blessings over your daughter's life.   Jay Heck & Rob Porter   Jay Heck is the founder and director of Being Songs, a ministry helping men discover that authentic, fearless, God-designed manhood begins by being a son. He and his wife, Heather, have two young adult children.  Rob Porter lives in New Zealand with his wife and two kids. He leads Let's Keep Rising, a ministry that crafts adventures, events, and resources that meet men where they are and help them experience restoration in the most critical relationships they have, beginning with God   Key Quotes   21:15 - "I recall you mentioning, Jay, I get to become more of a son through my daughter. So the thing that sticks out to me is, what are the messages my daughter is receiving from me? Jay, I think you laid out this idea of air, food and water. Attention being the air, affection being the food, and affirmation being the water. And what I'm really feeling, where I'm maturing, is my awareness in a given situation. So, that when I'm feeling stressed or frustrated or whatever my emotions are stirring, that I'm able to separate that from coming out to my child. That I'm able to be aware of what's the message that they're receiving from me." 24:51 - "One of the things that I was guilty of, and this was my heart's response or reaction to fear, that I don't know what I'm doing. So, when I can't make sense of it, I like to put a label on it. My daughter is difficult, or she's hard-headed. I mean, people joke about this stuff all the time, but when you really begin to think about it, you are speaking and you are affirming a reality. You're speaking something into existence. Like if I, in my anger, I can say, my daughter's being so difficult today. And the next day I say the same thing. And then after three days, I'm like, my daughter is difficult. Like it grows, the story begins to be more comprehensive. I don't know what to do with my daughter. Wow, is that really the story or is it you just don't know what to do in this instant with her? You don't know how to love her. And so we can just say these curses all the time."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word “Dad” to (651) 370-8618 Let's Keep Rising Being Sons Events Raising Boys and Girls 31: A Dad's Guide to "The Stages of The Feminine Journey" w/Stasi Eldredge | Being Sons Podcast Sissy Goff Books Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Jeff Zaugg and Rob Porter sit down with Jay Heck for a powerful, three-way conversation on fatherhood. In Part 1, they dive into the tension between being a provider and still embracing curiosity, adventure, and childlike wonder. They also unpack the unique triune relationship between a father, God, and his child.   Key Takeaway   Are you approaching life like an orphan or like a son whose father is going to come through for him even if he makes a mistake?  Slowing down can help you navigate the tension between being a provider and embracing curiosity, wonder, and creativity.  God uses your trials to bring wholeness, restoration, and healing.  You don't have to exhaust yourself to allow God to do a work in you. Instead of carrying the burden of fatherhood alone, realize that you are ultimately raising God's child, and He will be there to help you.   Jay Heck & Rob Porter   Jay Heck is the founder and director of Being Songs, a ministry helping men discover that authentic, fearless, God-designed manhood begins by being a son. He and his wife, Heather, have two young adult children.  Rob Porter lives in New Zealand with his wife and two kids. He leads Let's Keep Rising, a ministry that crafts adventures, events, and resources that meet men where they are and help them experience restoration in the most critical relationships they have, beginning with God   Key Quotes   14:49- "I want to learn from it. I want to patch things up where there's been a rupture and let's keep going. And that has produced so much fruit. Growing up as a kid, I came out of childhood with a fear of a lack of connection, a lack of attachment with my children. So I think out of the pain and out of the crucible of our past, we have the opportunity to have a glorious future if we dig into God and say, help redeem what my experience was." 47:35 - "What if, in fact, we begin operating under the paradigm that God is the Father, which means that all provision actually comes from Him. All protection actually comes from Him. The plan for my child's life that I feel like is so on me to help them navigate, what if God, like it says in Scripture, already has all the days numbered for them before one of them came to be? What if He already knows their nature, their goodness? What if He already knows what He's been training them for, what they're learning in the present moment, and He already knows, I've got all this stuff that I need to them and father them through for them to become what I created. What that means is that I can get in the way. If I take that posture that I'm the dad, I can so much be the wall and the obstacle between God and my child. If I can, if we can begin looking at it where God is the Father will, and then we've got this interchangeable relationship, I can be His child and God's going to use my son or my daughter to help me lean on Him."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word “Dad” to (651) 370-8618 Let's Keep Rising Being Sons Events Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

In the second part of this conversation, Mike wraps up his top five fatherhood plays. You'll learn how to discover what lights your kids up and why your biggest impact can come from investing in others. Mike will inspire and equip you with actionable wisdom to raise resilient, purpose-driven kids.    Key Takeaway   Your best fruit will grow on someone else's tree.  When the world's going crazy, your kids need to know what lights them up inside.  Your victories, as well as failures, are all part of God's bigger plan. Be your child's biggest cheerleader, and they'll want to stick around.  The Top Five Plays to Run as a Dad: show affection; live the Gospel; practice a God-led work ethic; mentor and multiple; and speak vision and purpose into your children.   Mike Wehde   Mike Wehde is the Founding Pastor of Lifecoast Church in Palm Coast, Florida. He and his wife, Holly, have five kids and several grandkids. Mike has owned multiple businesses and works as a leadership coach for business and church leaders. They believe the kingdom of God will be advanced through family and community impact.   Key Quotes   11:10 - "Thanks for winking at me, God, because it is time spent. It's intentionality. It's time away from kids or whatever you can afford. I just think there is times you're mentoring and modeling that for your kids, so that they'll do that when they get older, not just with their kids, but who am I walking with?" 22:22 - "We want to fight for the opportunities and don't miss those opportunities. If they need to grow, they need to grow. If they need to be loved on, they need to be loved on. If you need to protect them, you protect them. If you need to pull back and let a fail, let them fail. But they'll always know you're there and you're for them. And that's really huge to know the things I need to fight for. You knew dad was always going to be your provider. That's kind of a given. We should be doing that. But I also need to fight for every little moment I see could be an opportunity where I can show you my love, I'm for you, or now's the grow time and it's safe. We're not going anywhere."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word “Dad” to (651) 370-8618 Lifecoast Church Christian Family Entrepreneurs Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Have you decided what your family name stands for? In this episode, Mike Wehde dives into how to raise creative problem solvers, embrace failure, and build a strong family identity. Plus, you'll discover five powerful plays every dad should run to stay connected with their kids for life.   Key Takeaway   If you want things to change, you have to change.  When the enemy whispers that you're a failure, embrace the truth of God's love and grace.  With God's help, decide what your family name stands for in the community.  Failure paves the way to success.  When your kids are grown, what will compel them to want to be around you? Start implementing those things early.   Mike Wehde   Mike Wehde is the Founding Pastor of Lifecoast Church in Palm Coast, Florida. He and his wife, Holly, have five kids and several grandkids. Mike has owned multiple businesses and works as a leadership coach for business and church leaders. They believe the kingdom of God will be advanced through family and community impact.   Key Quotes   9:48 - "We really do want to live with in terms of, we have a calling that's towards God's kingdom. And it doesn't just include my life. It doesn't stop there. So all my decisions have to have those thought processes, how is this going to affect my kids, my grandkids and who they're becoming. Most of us know that past grand, grand, maybe grand, great grand people aren't going to talk about you much more. They were just the picture on the wall and everything else. But who we are can go from generation to generation, and you have to nail that down, at least before they leave the house. But even after, if you're friends with them, you can still shape it like we are, we're still shaping that. And so for us, living as a calling towards building God's kingdom, not our kingdom." 28:02 - "You've just got to early on embrace that God's got the big picture. God really has these children and children are so resilient, forgetful anyway.  I was talking to Dakota about this the other day, I just was really harsh with him and just an hour later, he's running up to me, hugging the stuffing out of me like, I'm the best dad ever. Like, how is this? I mean, God's grace, man, you embrace it. And that's the truth. Embrace that truth. Because as long as you're trying, as long as you're learning, I won't do that again and write it down or don't do that again. God's like, I got love and grace all over this baby, because they're in a good home. They're in a nice home of faithful parents, praying parents and also humble parents, [saying] I messed up."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word “Dad” to (651) 370-8618 Lifecoast Church Christian Family Entrepreneurs Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

You have 936 weeks before your child turns 18, and each one counts! In this episode, Rick Wertz shares simple yet powerful ways to lead with vision, engage emotionally with your kids, and spark a fatherhood movement in your church.    Key Takeaway   Fill a jar with 936 marbles and take one out each week to have a visual reminder of how time is passing with you kids from birth to 18 years old.  To PASS the baton as a dad, focus on purpose-filled fathering, activities, studies, and staying connected. Your church should have an electric buzz around fathering.  Fatherhood is not just about financial provision; it's about being a visionary for where your child is headed. If a fatherhood resource doesn't exist, maybe God is calling you to create it.   Rick Wertz   Rick Wertz is the founder and president of Faithful Fathering. He is a popular speaker for church groups and various organizations as he advocates for fathers and families. Rick has been married to Linda for 43 years, and they have two grown children.    Key Quotes   5:49 - "I was very selfish, but I knew if I was stumbling, there were other Dads out there stumbling, too. So, I did receive a very clear call for the ministry, which is that He, the Lord, said,  the light in my church is dim. We, the church, mirrors society in many cases and arguably in most cases mirrors society more than influences society. So, my call was to get into the church and illumine the fathering movement in the church. Then the church could illumine the community to the significance and the importance of fathers." 24:26 - "We have to get to know our kids and we have to expose them to a lot of things. I'm not one that says you can just take one activity and just do that for this year. I want them to do as much as I can take on. It's going to be crazy in the house and we're going to be going in different directions, Mom and Dad sometimes. But as far as I'm concerned, that's part of our job. One of the biggest things we do after, is exemplifying in marriage, we're exemplifying our relationship with Christ every day because that's the closest thing to our relationship with Christ. And so that's what the kids need to see. That's the primary education we give our kids day in, day out. But after that, we have to help them understand how they've been uniquely gifted."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word “Dad” to (651) 370-8618 Faithful Fathering FREE New Year Faithful Father Resolve Guide Dads Becoming Heroes Study Faithful Fathering Books, Studies, and Videos for Dads   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Are you carrying around unresolved father wounds? In this episode, David Dusek unpacks how a father's words ripple through generations and what you can do to promote healing. David will challenge you to refocus on your family, reconnect with your kids, and recognize that as long as you're breathing, it's not too late to finish well.   Key Takeaway   The enemy isolates you on purpose through fear of embarrassment.  You need a strong brotherhood to help you see through the fog and chaos of life. If your kid doesn't engage in conversation, they might not feel comfortable enough to bring you their problems because they know you'd be disappointed.  The issue with the father wound is it can manifest itself so far down the line in ways that seem functional but aren't.  It doesn't matter how you start; it only matters how you finish. And as long as you're breathing, it's not too late to make things right.   David Dusek   David Dusek's mission is to encourage and equip men to live their lives for Christ. He is an author, speaker, and the founder of Rough Cut Men Ministries. David resides in Florida with his wife and has five adult children and two grandchildren.   Key Quotes   4:47 - "Isolation is the linchpin to everything. The enemy of our souls gets us by ourselves. He does it on purpose. He knows if I can get this guy by himself, I can rack him, his marriage, the kids, and the legacy that comes after him. All you got to do is go after one guy and make him feel so defeated when he looks in the mirror, first thing in the morning, and he faces his own worst enemy, that he stays isolated because of embarrassment. This is another reason why we don't connect with men. There's something in our lives we're completely embarrassed by. We're disappointed in ourselves, and we know that everybody around us, if they could see in through the wall we have up, they would be disappointed too. And so in order to not disappoint, we just don't go all in. Because that takes transparency. That takes putting it out there and trusting that someone will walk us through it or help us get through it and not burn us in the process." 25:32 - "We have to do that reset every day because we have bad days at work. We have bad phone calls. We get bad phone calls literally on the way home. When we pull in the garage, we've got to breathe long enough to say they don't deserve this. They deserve my best. Because if we die, they will not be talking about us at the office, but they will be talking about us around the table at Thanksgiving and the legacy that we leave behind doesn't matter at work, it matters at home. So we need to breathe. Just stop. Breathe. And like you said, I am about ready to walk into the most important meeting of the day. I don't care if you met the president, you were, the one you're going into after work, that's the one that matters the most."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word “Dad” to (651) 370-8618 Rough Cut Men Ministries  Rough Cut Men: A Man's Battle Guide to Building Real Relationships with Each Other, and with Jesus by David Dusek “Who Has Your Six” Video Series   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

What does it mean to be a R.E.A.L. man? In this episode, Dave Wilson breaks down the four pillars of manhood that will challenge and change you. Plus, you'll hear practical tips on prayer, fasting, and leaving a good legacy. Tune in and get inspired to be the husband, father, and protector you were created to be.   Key Takeaways   Courage is contagious, but so is passivity.  Real men reject passivity, engage with God, accept responsibility, and lead courageously. True life is only found vertically. Do what is right, even if no one is cheering for you.  The next time you feel afraid, step up, lead boldly, and trust God with the outcome.   Dave Wilson   Dave Wilson and his wife, Ann, are hosts of FamilyLife Today® and authors of two books. They have been married for more than 38 years and have spent the last 33 years teaching and mentoring couples and parents across the country. Dave and Ann have three grown sons, as well as three daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren.   Key Quotes   10:36 - "One of the big things I've tried to pass on is don't be passive, be a man who sees a need and acts, be a man who sees his wife needing him to be sensitive in that moment, be sensitive and gentle. Or maybe she needs him to be firm in that moment, be firm. I think passivity in us men is rampant and that's contagious." 12:49 - "Scripture says the sins of the father visit down the third and fourth generation. That's a promise. It's going to happen unless you intentionally stop it. And a lot of people don't know, in that same verse in Exodus 20, God says yes, but the Father who is righteous, I will bless his legacy to a thousand generations. So, there's this promise on both sides. You better be very careful how you live because it's going into your legacy, good or bad. To watch that is pretty powerful."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word “Dad” to (651) 370-8618 FamilyLife® Vertical Marriage: The One Secret That Will Change Your Marriage by Dave & Ann Wilson No Perfect Parents: Ditch Expectations, Embrace Reality, and Discover the One Secret That Will Change Your Parenting by Dave & Ann Wilson  Raising a Modern-Day Knight: A Father's Role in Guiding His Son to Authentic Manhood by Robert Lewis How to Speak Life to Your Husband: When All You Want to Do Is Yell at Him by Ann Wilson Dan Orlovsky takes a moment to pray for Damar Hamlin | ESPN   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Ron Hauenstein, leader of the Spokane Fatherhood Initiative, shares how fatherhood training can strengthen families, churches, and communities. With heartfelt stories and eye-opening facts, he'll inspire you to take simple, practical steps to combat fatherlessness and create a lasting impact in your community.   Key Takeaways   Changed dads change everything.  If you feel led to start a fatherhood organization, ask people whether they think programs to support fathers are important, and you'll get an overwhelming response.  Around 75% of people consider fatherlessness to be a serious issue.  As a dad, you occupy a space in your kids' hearts that no one else can fill.   Ron Hauenstein   Ron Hauenstein is the president and founder of the Spokane Fatherhood Initiative. SpoFI offers comprehensive fatherhood training and parenting classes, equipping fathers with vital skills for every stage of parenting. Ron and his wife Becky have two grown children.    Key Quotes   19:18 - "We believe that changed dads change everything. Our founding principle is that fatherlessness is a root cause of nearly all of society's problems. The positive way of stating that is dedicated, committed fathers change society, improves society, changed dads change everything." 33:23 - "Fatherhood is a role you cannot escape. You can flee from your kids all you want, but you are still dad. You occupy a space in their hearts that no one else can take. No one else can have. I'm a father. I will stay a father. We have a fatherhood pledge in our classes, that's one of the lines we have the men stand up and say out loud, I'm a dad, I'll stay dad and I will be a dad to my children."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word “Dad” to (651) 370-8618 Spokane Fatherhood Initiative The Externally Focused Church by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

In the second half of this conversation, Justin Whitmel Earley shares the rest of his core daily habits, including prayer, time with friends, and date nights with his wife. Plus, he introduces the Hang Ten Movement. As technology continues to impact spiritual discipleship, these 10 simple practices can help you raise your kids to use technology for good.    Key Takeaways   Good luck doing anything important in life alone. Your habits will not change God's love for you, but God's love for you should change your habits.  The most important factor in your discipleship to Jesus right now is likely how you use technology. There are 10 simple technology practices you should implement in your home.   Justin Whitmel Earley   Justin Whitmel Earley is a lawyer, author, and speaker from Richmond, Virginia. His books include The Common Rule, Habits of the Household, Made for People, and more. Justin is married to Lauren and has four sons: Whit, Asher, Coulter, and Shep.   Key Quotes   13:37 - "Everything in the world is better with friends. We tend to not be able to accomplish anything we set out to accomplish without friends. And that's psychology and habit wisdom. Anything from AA to just New Year's resolution wisdom would suggest you need other people in your life. Whether you're running a marathon or just doing push ups in the backyard, we tend to not push ourselves until somebody is watching and then we entirely change when somebody is watching. There's actually fascinating studies on this, too, about how much eating habits or how you talk or how you perform just changes when you're aware that somebody is watching. And that's all suggests that we don't really have the integrity we think we have with ourselves... That is the gospel lived out relationally and I don't think we can understand the Gospel of Jesus for us until we practice it like that. I mean, we can receive it, again, we could be saved by it, but our call to live in Christian life, to imitate the gospel in all aspects of life is also a call to friendship and to imitate it in friendship." 19:21 - "I want every dad who's listening to consider this, the most important factor in your discipleship to Jesus right now is how you use technology. Almost certainly that will be true for your children. That is a hypothesis. I could say for certainty that the most important factor in your children's mental health will be how they use technology, how you raise them to do it. There is no more like single thing that is impacting our spirituality, our physicality, our emotional and mental health more than technology right now."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word “Dad” to (651) 370-8618 The Hang 10 Movement The Common Rule by Justin Whitmel Earley Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley Made for People by Justin Whitmel Earley Subscribe to Justin's Newsletter 253 | Reframing Your Parenting with New Habits (Justin Earley) 339 | DA+3 Group Guide: Justin Whitmel Earley   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Justin Whitmel Earley is back with creative fatherhood tips, powerful daily rituals, and his top five habits for dads. From writing yearly letters to your kids to starting every day with Scripture, this episode is packed with wisdom to help you lead your family with love and intentionality.    Key Takeaways   You are a citizen of Heaven.  Write a yearly letter to your child on their birthday that you can give to them when they're older.  Your primary responsibility is to lead your family with confidence in God's love and sovereignty over your lives. Read Scripture before you look at your phone each morning. Taking care of your body is a spiritual task.   Justin Whitmel Earley   Justin Whitmel Earley is a lawyer, author, and speaker from Richmond, Virginia. His books include The Common Rule, Habits of the Household, Made for People, and more. Justin is married to Lauren and has four sons: Whit, Asher, Coulter, and Shep.   Key Quotes   4:33 - "The most significant thing about my time in China was making me realize that I was more of a citizen of heaven than of America because it was the first time that I lived in exile anywhere. Being a minority, so to speak, it really shaped the way that I interact with America, I think in a great way. It made me understand that I'm a citizen of the Kingdom first. I think often about trying to give my kids that experience at some point. I don't know that's something that you can teach alone. I think you can talk to your kids a lot about your country, patriotism, how to do it well, how it can go too far, why you need it in the first place. But I always want to give them that experience. That is something I will long to teach my children and long for them to experience." 21:26 - "One of the most important flips in my life has been what I call scripture before phone as a daily ritual. There's an incredibly formative flip to say, I'm not going to start in the inbox or in social media or in the news, which are all sort of answering some kind of question of what's going on today. What do I need to do today? Which is a very unhealthy way to start your day. Because we have a God shaped hole in our heart. And we're constantly wondering over and over, particularly at the beginning of the day,  who am I today and who do I need to become today in order to be loved or lovable? If we start with those things in our face, a lot of times we think that's what we need to do. We need to accomplish this or that at work to feel good about our day. So starting in Scripture, it's been an incredibly formative habit to say that I am loved, thus I can go out and return love to the world."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word “Dad” to (651) 370-8618 The Common Rule by Justin Whitmel Earley Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley Made for People by Justin Whitmel Earley Subscribe to Justin's Newsletter 253 | Reframing Your Parenting with New Habits (Justin Earley) 339 | DA+3 Group Guide: Justin Whitmel Earley   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

It's time to wake up to the wonder all around you! Tune in as Mark Batterson shares simple ideas to shock your system and spark your curiosity. From prayer walks to outdoor adventures, you'll discover new ways to connect with God. Plus, Mark recounts his favorite wisdom from four thought leaders to help you go all-in as a dad.    Key Takeaways   Childlike wonder and pure delight are sacred, holy things.  Change of Pace + Change of Place = Change of Perspective  Nature acts as an antidote to narcissism.  There are no ordinary days.  You have never not experienced a miracle!   Mark Batterson   Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC. He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Regent University and is the New York Times bestselling author of 24 books. Mark is married to Lora, and they have three children.   Key Quotes   19:02 - "[Abraham] is in his tent. God says, Go outside, look up and count the stars. One second he's inside the tent, next second, he's outside. What's the big deal? Well, as long as he's inside the tent, he's staring at an eight foot ceiling. The second he steps outside, the sky's the limit. God is always trying to take us on field trips and take us outside. If you lose touch with nature, you lose touch with nature's God. So, I do think that all truth is God's truth, that God has revealed Himself through his creation, Romans 1:20... One of my formulas is change of pace + change a place = change of perspective. Great leaders are good at mixing up their routine and finding ways to think new thoughts. And sometimes that requires a different place or a different pace." 32:04 - "When we hear the word miracle, we tend to think of anomaly, epiphany, exception to the rule, things that defy laws of nature or defy a doctor's diagnosis. And I've experienced those kinds of miracles. But I think this book is about waking up to the everyday miracle. Right now, 37 sextillion chemical reactions happening in the human body. And I didn't flip a switch this morning. I'm guessing you didn't either. We didn't have to do a blame thing. In Him, we live and move and have our being... So people who say I've never experienced a miracle, with all due respect, you have never not, in fact, you are one."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   A Million Little Miracles by Mark Batterson Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson Chase the Lion by Mark Batterson The Lion Chaser's Manifesto Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children by Mark Batterson   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

God didn't call you to play it safe; He called you to take risks. In today's episode, Chuck Ramsey will challenge you to shift your mindset and parent with a long-term vision. He'll inspire you to take bold steps and speak God's truth over your kids to help them reach their destiny.    Key Takeaways   Just like the architects and artisans who design cathedrals they will never see, your work as a parent will impact countless generations.  Fatherhood is at the core of the universe. Living on the edge is your kingdom calling.  Your words are like a hammer. Will they destroy your kids' hearts or be so constructive that it releases them into their God-ordained destiny?   Chuck Ramsey   Chuck Ramsey has been the lead pastor of Restoration Church since 2017. He and his wife, Candace, have seven children and five grandchildren. In his free time, Chuck loves long-distance running, snow skiing, and competitive basketball.    Key Quotes   22:06 - "A father's mouth is the pharmacy for his family. A father's words can heal his wife, can build her up, can release things in his sons and daughters. Jesus taught out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. When a man says what God says over his children, that's a supernatural dimension that families, kids can enter into." 49:58 - "Jeremiah 9, God says, My word is like a hammer. Then He says, And I've broken your heart with my word. What God's saying I needed to tear down your heart so I can rebuild it. I've talked to men, make sure you understand, your words are like a hammer too. You can destroy, be destructive and crush your kids hearts or you can use those hammers, that word, and it can be so constructive. You can say things over your children that will release them into their destiny. I believe God's a powerful almighty God and He can deliver kids from all kinds of dysfunction. But if a dad will get on the same page with God, a dad can almost single handedly determine whether their child reaches their destiny or not. Now, can God repair a broken adult? Yes. But man, a healthy child that becomes a functional, healthy adult, the sky's the limit. And dads are the key there.    Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Make a Tax-Deductible Gift Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org    Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

As the year wraps up, we've pulled together the Top 10 DadAwesome Discoveries to help you grow as an intentional, empowered father. This rapid-fire list includes books, boot camps, breath prayers, and more! Tune in, take notes, and get inspired to level up your fatherhood journey.    Key Takeaways   Practice simple breath prayers to refocus on God's presence, and train your children to do the same.  Invest time in a fatherhood booklet or online course to gain practical skills and powerful insights.  Get out of your comfort zone with a fitness group, father-daughter trip, or transformational weekend adventure.  Use thought-provoking books to spark meaningful conversations with your kids about perseverance, compassion, and faith.   Jeff Zaugg   Jeff Zaugg is the founder of DadAwesome and Fathers for the Fatherless, two ministries that resource and rally dads through engaging podcasts and 100-mile bike rides. Jeff and his wife, Michelle, have been married for eighteen years and are parents to four daughters.   Key Quotes   1:52 - "Just last week I took about 30 minutes and flipped through the photos in my phone and just went through, prayerfully saying, God, would You remind me of things that I'm grateful for from this last year? I have a Google doc over a hundred specific things that I wrote down that I'm thankful from this past year. If you brought in the time horizon of any circumstance, gratitude will bubble up. I'm positive that if we as dads look back at the whole year and say, where did God show up? Where was there breakthrough? Where were there learnings? Where were there moments of saying, oh my goodness, I'm thankful that I get to be a dad. Broaden the time horizon and you will stir up gratitude and then you can bring that gratitude to your kids. Let's stir up gratitude as we end the year 2024."   Links from Today's Conversation   Breath Prayers Reel | Justin Whitmel Earley 40 Breath Prayers to Help You Connect with God Anytime, Anywhere You Have What It Takes: What Every Father Needs to Know Paperback by John Eldredge First Bloom Father Daughter Adventure Raising Resilient Daughters Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org   PURSUIT Fitness Way of the Warrior Kid by Jocko Willink  Wild at Heart Events Near You BraveCo Fathers Edition Testimony Book Little Pilgrim's Progress Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Send me the DadAwesome December 2024 Vision Mailing Make a Tax-Deductible Gift   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Ben Bevis joins today's episode with practical tips for helping your kids embrace their God-given identity, gifts, and vision. He'll inspire you to make more memories with your own dad and identify committed mentors for your children. Don't miss Ben's insights on healing generational wounds, modeling adventure, and strengthening your relationship with your kids.   Key Takeaways   Take advantage of opportunities to adventure with your own father while you can.  Intentional fatherhood begins with mending wounds and healing resentment. Help your kids discover their God-given identity, gifts, and vision. You can't launch your kids alone; surround them with committed mentors to speak into their life.  Keep adventuring, both on your own and as a family.   Ben Bevis   Ben Bevis is passionate about helping the Next Generation to live out their faith in Jesus.  He is the founder and Executive Director of Encircled. He is leading a movement to get Mentor Circles (Dads included) around young people across the globe. He loves being active in the outdoors and lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota, with his “fabulous” wife and three “amazing” teenage children.   Key Quotes   22:55 - "When we're grounded in our identity in Christ, we can live more freely as fathers and as husbands and as brothers and sisters. And then as we think about our kids being bombarded by so many different voices at school, in the community, on their devices. We used to always tell our kids before they'd go on the bus, remember, you're a child of the risen King." 29:00 - "The more we can help young people to really think of a vision and goals and then apply that to make an impact in God's kingdom, it's this beautiful process in discovery because you never know what God might be up to in our kids lives. That has been meaningful for me, God, what have You put me on this earth to do? That's what I'm doing with Encircled is the pointed vision for what God put on my heart. I want to model that to my kids and be curious with them about what what God might be up to in their future."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Send me the DadAwesome December 2024 Vision Mailing Make a Tax-Deductible Gift FREE Encircled Parenting Resources Become an Encircled Guide [for your child or one that you know] Access Encircled Resources Access the Encircled Personal Journey App  Partner with Encircled   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Roy Harley loves surfing and Christian ministry, but he's learned the importance of putting his family first, even when it seems unreasonable. In this conversation, Roy shares practical ways he's created meaningful connections with his kids. He also opens up about navigating the uncharted teen years with his kids and looking to God as the ultimate example of fatherhood.   Key Takeaways   Your family comes before your ministry.  The pathways you lay in your child's first 11 years are the most crucial. Train up your child in the way God has designed for them to go, and then allow that to flourish.  Your Christian faith must be your center of gravity, not a distant satellite.  Bring your full heart to every season of parenting, leaning on God and your community when you don't know the roadmap.   Roy Harley   Roy Harley is the International Director of Christian Surfers. He was the pioneering national director of CS South Africa and has been in full-time ministry for over 30 years. Roy is married to Sharon with daughter Cailyn and son Nathan.   Key Quotes   20:58 - " I love that phrase, the way you put the phrase, because I won't back down. There might be times when you need to soften. Once recently, I had to say to my daughter, She's 21 now, baby, I'm sorry because I stepped in and was your dad. I went all dad on the situation. I didn't acknowledge that you're an adult and I should have come to you because it was your choice, when I'd just went in guns blazing because I thought someone was going to hurt you, so I just didn't back down. Recognizing that probably the wisdom would have been to not back down, but in not backing down, in this situation, would have been something different. In this situation, would have been I have got your back, I'm behind you. But you're the adult, you need to take the step." 42:31 - "We all have to evaluate ourselves. The most practical thing on a daily basis I'd say is Jesus is too big to be a satellite in our world. He is way too big. We can't have Christianity as this thing that we have in the top right or left hand corner or orbiting whatever else we're doing. The simple fact of the way that God, our Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit works is He realigns everything around His gravity."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Get 20% off the entire DadAwesome Store with code THANKSGIVING2024 10 Questions with Roy Harley — Christian Surfers  Fathered by God: Learning What Your Dad Could Never Teach You by John Eldredge The World Needs A Father by Cassie Carstens Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff  The Surfers Bible  Christian Surfers YouVersion Bible Plans   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

In the second half of this conversation, Aaron McHugh dives deeper into how to become the dad you want to be with practical, bite-sized steps. Aaron also shares his poem “Tent-Bound,” a beautiful reflection on navigating uncertainty and embracing new horizons.   Key Takeaways   Take the first step toward becoming the type of person you want to be.  Would things have been different if someone had told you what your life would hold?  It's normal to feel that the end is out of sight—and not like it.  Engage in the here and now, even though it's a hard place to be.   Aaron McHugh   Aaron McHugh is a writer, podcaster, adventurer, author, and global leadership coach. He hosts the fast-growing podcast “Work Life Play,” leads Reboot Your Life experiential weekends, and has been married to his wife, Leith, for over 26 years.    Key Quotes   Tent-Bound No one told me it would come to this— Tent-bound with a full life of songs and heartbreak. Just outside the zipper door, thunder's convincing accusation: Am I beyond the reach of love? I've been lost for a while, tiptoeing in someone else's boots. The trail undefined, the end remaining out of sight, knowing only from here to there. Cresting midlife's great divide, an inventory I take. The path that led to here— a dress rehearsal, a preamble— only now am I equipped for the liminal edges of this frontier. Adjusting my bearing, dressed in alpenglow, the new horizon awaits my arrival, calling down sweet reverence to be the lamp unto my feet. When will I know the weight of my glory?   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Aaron McHugh's Website Work Life Play Podcast Tent-Bound: A Poem About Midlife and New Horizons by Aaron McHugh Fire Your Boss: Discover Work You Love Without Quitting Your Job by Aaron McHugh   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Fatherhood isn't about choosing between quantity and quality time with your kids. For Aaron McHugh, it's about being present in your child's life for the long haul. Through personal stories and thoughtful reflection, Aaron shows how rest, curiosity, and allowing God to shape you can create the meaningful life experiences you want as a man and father.   Key Takeaways   Prioritizing curiosity, wonder, and exploration in your daily life can transform your overall experience. Kids care more about a long follow-through than any short-term bursts of heroism.  On a scale of 1-10, most of life's moments fall between a 5 and a 6.2, but you can be intentional to create more 10s.  If your life experience isn't what you want, you have to allow God to renovate you from the inside out.   Aaron McHugh   Aaron McHugh is a writer, podcaster, adventurer, author, and global leadership coach. He hosts the fast-growing podcast “Work Life Play,” leads Reboot Your Life experiential weekends, and has been married to his wife, Leith, for over 26 years.    Key Quotes   20:50 - "Those investments, the kindness or the choices or Friday mornings getting pancakes together, when he was in a carseat, dropping him off in grade school. So that's really encouraging. So I would offer that as encouragement to you Dad's in the middle of it now, in the thick of it now, is it really does matter and it really does somehow, someway does find a home in them. And to me, it's kind of like the Book of Proverbs. It's in, in real time that wisdom and insight and love does indeed matter. " 26:59 - "Becoming a person who values connection over accomplishment. Now, I still wrestle with all these things. They're just kind of hard wired in my, the way I learn to make life work from the beginning. At the same time, I believe all of us are a work in progress and under renovation and there's a lot of hope to have around that. Summer is where I would start, is start less on the externals and start more on the internals."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Aaron McHugh's Website Work Life Play Podcast Tent-Bound: A Poem About Midlife and New Horizons by Aaron McHugh Fire Your Boss: Discover Work You Love Without Quitting Your Job by Aaron McHugh   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

In this episode, award-winning actor and speaker Cameron Arnett shares his story of choosing Jesus over Hollywood and how that decision shaped his future. Tune in to discover key principles for staying strong in your faith, doing “Satan checks” when your marriage is under attack, and trusting God to fulfill His promises.    Key Takeaways   It is through faith and patience that you inherit the promises of God.  Do a “Satan Check” when you feel attacks on your marriage.  Put Christ over everything you think is your sustaining power, including your career. Make the Bible and the Holy Spirit your foundation for being a man, a husband, and a father.  Ground Zero is about knowing who you are based on what the King has said about you.   Cameron Arnett   Cameron Arnett is an award-winning actor, director, producer, and speaker. He's well known for his appearances in Miami Vice, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and films including the Kendrick Brothers' The Forge. Cameron has been married to his wife, BJ, for nearly three decades.    Key Quotes   12:50 - "The thing for dads to understand is that you don't lose your footing. You don't lose your validity, your power, your strength by being playful. As a matter of fact, if you have that as your foundation, the time when you have to be a disciplinarian, the time that you have to lay down the law, whatever it may be, it's wrapped around the Abba side. The jump into your lap side, the knowing that regardless of the correction that needs to be made, it's made behind and surrounded with a love that is caressing." 37:11 - "Christ Over Career is calling the Church back to the Lord, and keeping him at the helm of every decision. That's our mantra, that's our mission, our purpose, our everything, is to reintroduce the Church to the King. And then ground zero begins, unraveling happens. If you remain and allow Him to continue to unravel through life, He begins to put [it back] together. And when He puts together, he does it fast. As long as you don't make new decisions, that puts you ten steps back."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Christ Over Career Cameron Arnett A Good Man: A Child's “I coulda, woulda, shoulda!” Story by Cameron Arnett   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

In the second half of this conversation, Vince Miller shares a vulnerable Prodigal Son story that demonstrates the gracious love of God. He'll also challenge you to pray the hardest prayer you'll ever pray to experience real change. Tune in for timely insights on discipleship, leadership, and embracing your identity as a son of God.   Key Takeaways   The Bible is a story about men.  It's not about being the hero dad; it's about being a child of the Dad who is the hero of the story. If you really want change in your life, you have to pray the hardest prayer of your life: "God, do whatever you want to change me." When you follow the Lord well as a son, you can lead other people into the same following.   Vince Miller   Vince Miller is a passionate speaker, prolific author, and dedicated mentor to men. As the founder of Resolute, he exists to disciple and develop men to lead. Vince has three grown children and one grandchild.    Key Quotes   15:19 - "The reality is that you're going to leave this life with only three titles, disciple, father, husband. That's it. We spend all this time and energy working on all these other titles in our life, and these are the only three you're going to die with. And if we can come to terms with that and become the very best disciple, father and husband we can be, we learn how to do that by being a child of the Father of all mankind. And if we can live in that role and that identity, it makes everything else easier and better, and then we it relieves us of the responsibility to try to be the perfect dad, perfect husband, hero dad, hero, father. It doesn't matter anymore because we follow One who is the hero of the story and we're just a child of Him pointing everyone else to the same Father that we follow. So that's my hope for books like this, especially this one right here that you're talking about today." 18:25 - "Men want you to pray for a change in their life, but they don't often want to be change. In other words, of all these prayer requests I've gotten, I can count on maybe 1 or 2 hands today, how many men have written me saying it is me who needs to be changed, not their circumstances? And that's what I think men fail to understand, is we need identity. We need old identity, a whole fail identity transformation. In other words, when Jesus said, Come follow me, what He was saying is actually come follow Me and leave everything else behind. And we just don't like that. We want our circumstances to change, not us to change. And that's unfortunate because Jesus wants us to change, not our circumstances."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Manhood, Courage & Adventure (episode 031 w/ Vince Miller) Resolute  Essential Elements: Forging Godly Men by Vince Miller The Vince Miller Show   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Six months ago, Vince Miller became a first-time grandfather. He joins today's episode to share personal insights around multigenerational thinking, assuming the role of patriarch, and the power of being physically, mentally, and emotionally available to your kids.    Key Takeaways   You can be given a title—like father or grandfather—without assuming the role.  Proverbs is predominantly about a father passing on wisdom to a son.  A 30-second conversation can change the trajectory of someone's life.  Fathers need to be present, available, and engaged.   Vince Miller   Vince Miller is a passionate speaker, prolific author, and dedicated mentor to men. As the founder of Resolute, he exists to disciple and develop men to lead. Vince has three grown children and one grandchild.    Key Quotes   16:15 - "I went from a dad who really didn't want to spend time with me to a dad who did want to spend time with me. And he happened to be a Christian and who imparted basic, basic things to me that I needed as a young man and basic lessons like how to treat women, how to eat a meal, how to be polite, how to confront difficulty. And the very, very important things like who is Jesus? What has He done for you? How to have a relationship with Him." 29:31 - "I've also learned a valuable lesson, just about presence. Just about being there when they need you, and that means not being somewhere else. It means not being somewhere else. It means you're physically not somewhere else and that your mind is not somewhere else. I think sometimes for dads, that's a hard mechanism to turn off in our minds because there's plenty of dads who are present but not available. But we need to be both present and available at the same time and engaged."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Manhood, Courage & Adventure (episode 031 w/ Vince Miller) Resolute  Essential Elements: Forging Godly Men by Vince Miller The Vince Miller Show   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Being a dad doesn't stop when your kids grow up. As Reverend Elmo Winters shares in this episode, your kids constantly watch what you do, so the example you set will shape their future. Tune in to hear an important conversation about intentionality, racial reconciliation, and kingdom-focused living.    Key Takeaways   Set a good example for your kids by walking out what you talk about.  Everyone needs someone in their life to call out and draw out what they can't see in themselves.  Be open-minded, quick to listen, and slow to speak—regardless of another person's race or culture.  Most fathers around the world want the same thing: to provide, to give advice, to be respected, and to be a good leader.  Never put ministry or the church above your family.   Elmo Winters   Reverend Elmo Winters, MBA, has served in ministry for over 43 years, including his current role as Executive Director of the KINGDOM Group International, Inc. He travels the world, training and speaking to churches, ministries, and men's groups on unity and reconciliation issues. Reverend Winters is married to Therese Winters. They have three sons, two daughters, and nine grandchildren.   Key Quotes   17:44 - "I've learned to be quick, quick, quick to listen and slow to speak. Regardless of who you are encountering, regardless of what culture they're from, I believe we can learn from others. We can learn a lot from other people. I love cultures. I love different people. It's important that when we speak that we need to understand that our words have power. The Word of God says that we have in our tongue the power of life and death. So when we speak before young men, ladies in our families, your daughters, you ought to be speaking life, speaking positively. Let them see that."   Links from Today's Conversation   Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Kingdom Group International, Inc. Growing by Going: A New Approach to Being an Effective Witness by Elmo Winters Building the Bridge Podcast   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

As a licensed professional counselor and dad of three, Chris Bruno is acutely aware of how childhood trauma can impact your fatherhood approach. In this conversation, Chris describes the importance of processing your experiences with others, finding healing from the past, and becoming deeply rooted in brotherhood as you raise your kids.    Key Takeaways   You became the man you are today because of the guidance or lack thereof from the men who came before you.  Exploring your own story means confronting the areas you've walled off within yourself and processing your experiences with others.  We are the best fathers when we have brothers alongside us.  Trauma continues to pass through generations until someone has the courage to feel it.   Chris Bruno   Chris Bruno is an author, licensed professional counselor, founder of ReStory, and CEO of Restoration Project. He is passionate about the intersection of transformation and adventure. Chris and his wife, Beth, have three young adult children.    Key Quotes   "We are the best father when we have our best brothers with us. We need those guys. Those are guys in my life and we need our brothers. And also  we need someone else who's on the outside who's got some training, is a professional in some ways to come along side to create a safe space for a child to unfold." "We are heaps of undigested experience. When you have indigestion, there's something unwell about your body. So if there's undigested experience, there's something unwell about your soul and we need someone to come alongside us and to be with us and partner with us and talk through those things with us to digest the experience so that in that moment, we can make meaning in a way that won't be a traumatic meaning. It won't be one of those collapsed vows or walled off moments in life."   Links from Today's Conversation   Man Maker Project: A Father's Guide to Initiating His Son to Manhood by Chris Bruno Sage: A Man's Guide Into His Second Passage by Chris Bruno Brotherhood Primer: A Man's Guide To Turning Buddies Into Brothers by Chris Bruno Restoration Project ReStory Counseling Chris Bruno's TEDx Talk: ReStory: How to Live Your Truest Story Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

There's only so much growth you can experience in your normal rhythms of life. That's why Jeff Ford has pushed his limits to the extreme by summiting the tallest free-standing mountain in the world—three times! In this episode, he shares the powerful faith and fatherhood lessons that he's learned from doing such physically challenging things with other men.    Key Takeaways   How your children view God is directly dependent upon how they view you. Therefore, reflect His image today. Doing hard things physically is analogous to the Christian faith because you must count it all joy when you face trials of many kinds.  Create drive-by phrases—quick, pithy reminders of your family's values.  Don't wait until a Mount Kilimanjaro experience to find your brotherhood.   Jeff Ford   Jeff Ford serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Man Up and Go, a global non-profit organization that mobilizes men to fight for the fatherless as Jesus commands. He also serves in several advisory and advocacy positions and has summited Mount Kilimanjaro three times. Jeff and his wife, Liza, live in Florida with their two children.    Key Quotes   10:05 - "How your children view God is directly dependent upon how they view you, therefore reflect His image today. I know that my kids are looking at me and their view of God is going to be shaped by the father that they had on earth. Their Heavenly Father, they're going to hear that language in church. How we reflect Jesus, God the Father to our kids is going to have an impact on their view of God, and I believe their sentence of Him." 22:34 - "This is an opportunity for growth and nothing changed except our mind. Nothing change except for our outlook. And you think we are so caught up in this materialistic world and that we judge things based on what we can see, taste, touch, smell. And yet the Bible says that our battles against, not that stuff, it's against invisible powers of which is the mind. The mind is an invisible thing that somehow integrates with the physical thing called a brain, but comes out in this ethereal, invisible, and that is what actually drives your decisions, is your mind."   Links from Today's Conversation   Man Up Man Up Trips Patros Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Mic flip! Listen as Jeff Zaugg sits down with Kent Evans and Lawson Brown on the Father on Purpose Podcast to discuss his own parenting journey. He shares fresh ideas to help you live an awesome dad life, invest time with your kids, and model joy, faith, and wonder.    Key Takeaways   You're not being DadAwesome if you're just pursuing the heart of your wife and kids; being DadAwesome requires brotherhood.  Never wait until you think you've “arrived” before you take the initiative to lead.  Help your kids remember God's provision by prompting them with this phrase: “Look at what God did.” There's no better way to spend your time as a dad than by intentionally connecting with your kids.  If you're a discouraged father, it's time to throw off weight from the past, receive God's love, and walk in your sonship.   Jeff Zaugg   Jeff Zaugg is the founder of DadAwesome and Fathers for the Fatherless, two ministries that resource and rally dads through engaging podcasts and 100-mile bike rides. Jeff and his wife, Michelle, have been married for eighteen years and are parents to four daughters.   Key Quotes   23:25 - "We say at DadAwesome, you are not being DadAwesome, if you're just pursuing the heart of your wife and your kids. If it's just about you in the home front, you actually have missed half the mission because it's all shortsighted. If you don't have brothers, if you don't have a few other guys that are after this mission together, you will not make it the distance. You will not be able to hold that arm, hold that strength. It's the only way to be DadAwesome is to do it in brotherhood." 33:36 - "If we think about the longevity of investment of time, we only have this limited amount of time with our kids before they leave the house. It's tiny, fractional moments versus deep, rich opportunity when they're on the home front. Dads, [spending intentional time with our kids] is just the easiest and best investment with compounding interest than we can ever imagine."   Links from Today's Conversation   Manhood Journey Anger-Free Dad  Father on Purpose Podcast The Forge Movie   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

What does it mean to go beyond shallow community and find real brotherhood? In this episode, Steve Sargent describes how God turned every part of his story—even the messiest parts—into a beautiful symphony. From overcoming addiction to learning to live authentically, Steve shares powerful wisdom for all dads, no matter your past.    Key Takeaways   Avoid getting stuck in a shallow community; don't be afraid to get deep.  Life stories without trauma and chaos are just as significant and victorious as stories with those elements.  If you want an authentic relationship with your kids, you have to pull back the veil and share your story with them.  Foxhole Symphony means that God is making something beautiful out of your mess—mud, bullets, and shrapnel included.   Steve Sargent   As a pure adrenaline junkie, facilitator, speaker, and entrepreneur, Steve Sargent spent most of his life chasing the next high, even in ministry roles. As such, God has shown him how to use this gift and calling to help people and organizations become the best version of themselves. Steve and his wife, Christina, have two children.    Key Quotes   5:14 - "These guys [from the 12 step program] loved on me. They showed me and modeled authentic community. They discipled me. They gave me a job. They said, here's some work. Here are the stipulations, you're going to a 12 step meeting every day. You're coming to a Bible study every night, church twice on Sunday. And that was the beginning. That was the beginning when I got to understand what God intended with community and discipleship. And I've just been on fire for it and hungry for it ever since." 34:46 - "It's God making beautiful music out of our mess. That's the symphony. There's men coming together in the foxhole. There's shrapnel, there's bullets flying, there's mud, it's messy, it's dirty, it's scary. There's all this adrenaline and emotion and we've got each other's backs and God just makes something beautiful out of it. He takes it all and wraps it up and there's just this beautiful symphony that results from the offering, the willingness and the offering to offer that mess to God. He'll use it all, but we've got to offer it to Him. Otherwise it's just our mess that we hold on to in isolation, in darkness, just gripping on to it. But when we offer it to the Lord, He makes beauty from ashes."   Links from Today's Conversation   Foxhole Symphony Podcast Sage: A Man's Guide Into His Second Passage by Chris Bruno Marked Men For Christ Apply to join the Fall 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org to learn more     Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Jim Barnard is known as The Suffering Guy. In this heartfelt episode, Jim shares the pivotal moments of his life story, including countless crises and miracles he's experienced along the way. His story offers hope for others walking through challenging times, and he'll encourage you to look to the source of all comfort as you try to make sense of reality.    Key Takeaways   The gap between reality and what we hope for is full of disappointment, dissatisfaction, and distress.  You're never alone in your suffering; the God of Comfort is always with you.  Your story is your greatest gift because it helps others know that their hard stories can become ones of flourishing, too.  God isn't going to send you in a new direction empty-handed.   Jim Barnard   Jim Barnard is a pastor and the founder of tiller coaching. He offers coaching without barriers to those who are suffering the reality of the expectation gap. Jim has encountered suffering firsthand as he has navigated his wife's rare chronic illness, but he continues to pursue joy and celebration as his story unfolds.    Key Quotes   3:27 - "As we'll get into my story, there's just been a lot of suffering, a lot of what I call expectation gaps. You know, we all have hopes and expectations for career, for marriage, for parenting, for life. And often reality comes in underneath that. And that gap between reality and what we hope for is full of disappointment and dissatisfaction and distress. And I hate that. Like I've experienced copious amounts of, you know, expectation gaps. And every single time I'm stuck in the gap, there's an invitation to take myself too seriously, you know, like, woe is me, this is awful. I hate it. Like I'm I want to cope, you know, whatever. And I just I love Richard Foster's book, The Celebration of Discipline. Like that has been kind of a cornerstone book in my life. Where he says at the end that celebration is the thing that can save us from taking ourselves too seriously. [00:04:32][64.9] 33:41 - "[My story] is the story that God's given me and I've got to use it. I hope people listening to this are reflecting about their own story. I hear so many people say, I don't have that good of a story or I don't like my story. I don't want to share it. I don't think it's optional, honestly. Authenticity is required of the Christian walk, so in using my story I've been able to help people. "   Links from Today's Conversation   Tiller Coaching The suffering guy. by Jim Barnard MADE ALIVE by Jim Barnard The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster Hope Heals Apply to join the Fall 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org to learn more     Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

What does it mean to stay nimble as a father? In today's episode, Corey Peters offers his perspective and will push you to break out of your comfort zone to make a difference for your community. Plus, you'll discover one simple question that can transform your relationship with your kids.    Key Takeaways   Ask your kids, “What kind of dad do you want me to be?” Celebrate a lot; coach a little.  Listen to God's nudge to move beyond your own comfort and bring comfort to others. Basketballs are a love language spoken by all children.  A simple way to get started is to go to a gas station in a rough area and just pray.   Corey Peters   Corey Peters is a coach, teacher, and father of two living in Iowa. He is passionate about helping to build better men who step up for their wives, children, and community in the name of Jesus. Corey and his wife, Michelle, have been married for 25 years.    Key Quotes   34:27 - "You've got to know that you're forgiven and that Jesus is a loving Father, that loves you at your worst and that He's there for your worst and He's picking you up, not kicking you out." 35:48 - So, loving the wife, I would say is the first. Just being real. Telling your kids you don't know. Being truthful with them. Try not to mold them into something they aren't. Trying to push your image to who they are, but trying to pull out what God says they are. Coach them up. Love them up."   Links from Today's Conversation   Apply to join the Fall 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org to learn more   Somebody Died For You DA+3 Group Guides (2024 Summer Series) 333 | Betting on Yourself, Relearning How to Parent, and Doing Hard Things (Bryan Byrd: Part 1) 334 | Heroic Consistency, Getting Hungry for God, and Being a Safe Container for Grief (Bryan Byrd: Part 2)   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

On the outside, it looked like Jeff Zaugg had it all together as a family minister and a dad. But a deeper dive convinced him that he needed to do more—for himself and for other dads who were struggling to make meaningful connections with their kids. As the founder of DadAwesome, Jeff now gets to see God at work among fathers and gets to share his story of encouragement with others. You can learn more about Jeff and his ministry at https://www.dadawesome.org.  Want to live a life filled with more peace and less anger? Check out the Anger Free Dad course! Support the show and upgrade your fatherhood swag. Shop Range Leather and get 15% OFF with code MJ15.  

With a background in the aerospace industry, Santosh Swamidass can list plenty of ways that fatherhood is just like rocket science. In this conversation, Santosh illustrates the importance of launching your kids with the right targets in mind. With tools and systems shared in this episode, you can raise your kids to love Christ, discover their purpose, and impact the world around them.    Key Takeaways   The trajectory you set for your kids before they launch has a lifelong effect and, if you do it well, an eternal impact.  Find force multipliers like tools, guides, and systems to help your kids grow spiritually with less effort and better results.  To avoid forgetting 90% of what you learn each week, you just need a few short bursts of repetition to retain more of what matters.  Each week as a family, memorize one verse, pray for others two times, have three spiritual conversations of substance, and read the Bible four times.  Commit to a steady drip infusion of wisdom through your kid's childhood so it can have a compounding effect.   Santosh Swamidoss   Santosh Swamidass is a pastor, architect of Project Based Discipleship, and Founder of the Launching Ground and Launch Network. He spent 10 years working in the aerospace industry and has over 25 years of ministry experience. Santosh and his wife, Christy, are enjoying the adventure and learnings of discipling their 7 kids.   Key Quotes   13:51 - "Jesus' references this even as the greatest commandment and what we see right after that in Deuteronomy, it's not the priests. It's not the the temple. It's not the tabernacle. It doesn't talk about what we would consider the church and the pastors. It talks about the parents and the home. This is what we're talking about, family discipleship." 32:57 - "We have a short period of time that will have an effect for the lifetime of our children. The reality is, if we do it well, it has an effect on eternity. In all the things that I invest my life in, there are there are very few that are going to last beyond my lifetime. My children, by the grace of God and their legacy is one of those things, and how they pass their faith on is going to be a lot of it derived from how we as fathers actually pour into our kids. And we know the statistics that the number one indicator for a child's faith in their future, it's actually the father's."   Links from Today's Conversation   Apply to join the Fall 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org to learn more   Live near Dallas, Texas? Join us for the upcoming Fathers for the Fatherless Spartan Obstacle Course on August 19-20, 2024.  Launching Ground Family Discipleship Subscription   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Every father needs the right tools to raise his kids well, and Kent Evans likes to use the analogy of a Swiss Army Knife. His main blades include asking thoughtful questions, seeking wisdom from others, and staying rooted in God's Word. Tune in now to discover why anger isn't an effective parenting strategy—and what you should do instead.    Key Takeaways   Be curious and seek wisdom from the men you know.  Your boys need to hear you acknowledge your weaknesses and imperfections.  Don't connect your apology to your child's behavior.  You don't need to have a sex talk with your son; you need to have an 8-10 year conversation. As dads, most of our anger is not righteous anger.   Kent Evans   Kent Evans is the Executive Director and co-founder of Manhood Journey, a ministry that helps dads become disciple-makers. He's a Christian speaker and author of three books. Kent and his wife, April, have been married for 29 years and have five sons.    Key Quotes   24:36 - "Odds are, the vast majority of things that make you angry are unbiblical, unwise, and unproductive. Let's go explore those together and see what God's Word has to say about it. Because for me, I have discovered over time that there there is a way to look at life through a far less angry lens and to be able to call my anger out when it happens in a way that's more healthy, albeit sometimes more painful. And I just hope I can get some dads to join me on that that journey. Because frankly, we hear from dads all the time who say their number one struggle is anger." 32:51 - "Let all, not some, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Anger is not to be managed. It is not to be controlled per se, although we should have control over our mouth and our spirit. Anger is to be put away. As we look at it, it's a very challenging topic because our culture and our modern era and our access to news that doesn't matter. Proverbs 16, whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he who rules his spirit, then he who takes a city. Do you have governance over your spirit? Can you rule your spirit? Can I rule my spirit or does my spirit rule me? And we just find anger lurking in the shadows so often, almost every day."   Links from Today's Conversation   Apply to join the Fall 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org to learn more   Manhood Journey Timothy Keller Books The Anger Free Dad Course Father on Purpose Podcast Kent Evans Books   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Michael Swalley joins this episode to share the unexpected connections between breakdancing and fatherhood. Tune in to hear Michael's thoughts on the battle against busyness, the power of your wife's voice, and the value of being known by others. As you embrace your identity as a son of God, you'll experience the freedom to be the father you are meant to be.    Key Takeaways   Your fatherhood journey might begin with grieving the loss of many things.  There is power in the voice of your wife.  How much of your busyness is motivated by trying to earn an identity God has already given you?  The fundamental truths of God don't put you in a box; instead, they free you up to express yourself more creatively.  Just like breaking, fatherhood is a communal experience, and attempting it in isolation will affect your performance.   Michael Swalley   Michael Swalley is the Executive Director and North American Regional Head of Break Free Ministries, where he works passionately to make disciples in the global Hip-Hop community. Michael and his wife, Ellen, live in Colorado Springs with their three daughters and one son.    Key Quotes   23:10 - "The identity as a son really frees us up as fathers, to make time with our family. That has been a process for me and very much learning that right now." 25:36 - "There are some very basic fundamental truths of being a father that we learn from God who has revealed Himself as such. Those truths don't put us in a box. And then as you live into those, those truths, it frees you up to be the dad that God has created you to be. Each one of us, God has gifted us with unique kids, and He knew those kids that we are going to father and He knew that we were uniquely gifted with our lives to be able to father those kids." Links from Today's Conversation   BreakFree2024.com Apply to join the Fall 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org to learn more   DA+3 Group Guides (2024 Summer Series)   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Alex and Stephen Kendrick of Kendrick Brothers Productions have created some of the most influential Christian feature films, including WAR ROOM, FIREPROOF, and COURAGEOUS. With their new movie about to hit the box office, Alex and Stephen share what God is teaching them about discipleship, sacrifice, and being forged into stronger men and fathers.    Key Takeaways   God does things for us, with us, in us, and through us—in that order.  Don't let pride stand in the way of your growth.  Every step you take in obedience to Jesus qualifies you to help someone else take that step. The fire of a forge strengthens you through heat and pressure.  One man choosing to disciple another creates a multiplication effect that spans generations.   Alex and Stephen Kendrick   Alex and Stephen Kendrick of Kendrick Brothers Productions use their passion for storytelling to spread the Gospel and share stories of hope and redemption throughout the world. With Alex as the director and Stephen as the producer, they have co-written nine screenplays and several books. They each have six children and reside in Albany, Georgia, with their families.    Key Quotes   8:48 - "Part of the chain breaking is you really need Jesus' help to change your own heart and mind. Our dad was in Scripture saying, God, teach me how to be a good dad, I wasn't given that example. I'm kind of driving in the dark here. I don't know what this looks like. As he's reading Scripture and applying that to his life, God, the perfect Father of all, was coming alongside him, helping him to not only love us and provide an example of integrity and truthfulness, but to humble himself and repent and ask for forgiveness when he blew it." 16:04 - "We're making a movie about discipleship, and we're learning about discipleship at the same time. We're studying the Great Commission. We're studying what it looks like to follow Jesus on a daily basis, and then invite other people to come along with us and say, follow me as I follow Christ. The word disciple means follower, and a disciple of Jesus is a fully devoted, all in follower of Jesus walking with Him. As He takes a step, you take a step, following Him closely. Our daily journey of faith with God is an abiding, intimate, fellowship relationship that as we learn to lean in to the Lord every day and say, Lord, lead me. What happens is when a man surrenders fully to the Lordship of Jesus, the Holy Spirit becomes the hand in the glove of our empty lives, and He enables us to do what we cannot do on our own."   Links from Today's Conversation   DA+3 Group Guides (2024 Summer Series) The Forge Movie  Get Tickets for The Forge Kendrick Brothers Productions Alex Kendrick - White Chair Film - I Am Second®   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618  

God has given fathers unique duties that they can't pass off to anyone else—not even the Church. In this DA+3 Group Guide, Seth Dahl encourages fathers to step up to the plate in the spiritual formation of their kids. You'll be challenged to avoid false comforts, pay attention to your thoughts, and discover what brings you joy.    Key Takeaways   Children are Arrows: Parents are responsible for shaping children into arrows that can take out the enemy.  Misinterpretation of Thoughts: Discern where your thoughts are coming from.  Avoid False Comforts: Be intentional about where you seek comfort after a hard day.   Ask God for Help: Teach your kids to ask God for help since He is the only one who can guide and help us best.  Awareness of What Makes Me Come Alive: Your self-awareness, wife-awareness, and kid-awareness can bring life to your family.    DA+3 Group Guide Discussion Questions:   Seth Dahl uses the analogy of a sporting goods store to explain how some parents shift the responsibility of spiritually sharpening their kids to the Church. Have you fallen into the same trap?  Why is it important to view our children as arrows in relation to the Armor of God? What stands out to you in 1 Corinthians 2:16? How do you distinguish between thoughts from God, yourself, and the enemy? After a tough day, what false comforts do you turn to (e.g., sugar, TV, alcohol)? What changes when you turn to the true Comforter instead of false comforts? Have you ever tried to save or rescue your kids, putting yourself in the "God" spot? How do you teach your kids to ask God for help when they face challenges? What are three things that make you feel more alive? Have you discovered what brings joy to your wife and kids?   Seth Dahl   With over 15 years of experience working with children and being a children's pastor, Seth Dahl has cultivated a passion for helping parents create a thriving family culture at home. Seth, Lauren, and their three children homestead with a large garden and a handful of animals on a small farm in Texas.   Key Quotes   3:25 - "If we don't learn to work with our children when it comes to the things of the kingdom, we actually limit our ability to fight, our ability to win, our ability to take dominion, and our ability to extend the kingdom to the earth. [When we do this we] hide our children in the quiver. If we just protect our kids from the big bad world and we don't get them out, we don't let them loose, obviously carefully, obviously focused and aimed and wisely. If we don't get them out they're going to struggle because arrows are not meant to sit in the quiver, arrows are meant to fly and strike the enemy. If we don't get our kids out and let them do that, we're actually preventing them from operating in the God given identity that they've been called to. We're just protecting, protecting, protecting instead of preparing and releasing and aiming." 7:12 - "Sometimes we have to be introspective and prayerful around where is this thought coming from? Sometimes that thought is a lie from the enemy. Sometimes that thought is just your own thought. Guys, I just want to encourage you to really think into and pray into, what is my thought life? Are my thoughts from heaven or my thoughts destructive thoughts from the accuser? Our thought life matters."   Links from Today's Conversation   137 | Spirit-Filled Parenting, Hearing God's Voice, & Shaping our Kids as Arrows (Seth Dahl) SUMMER SALE in the DadAwesome Store: Get 20% off when you use the code “tanktop”   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Unlock five steps to become a moment-maker dad. In this DA+3 Group Guide, Patei Iyegha will encourage you to slow down, create “sticky moments,” and reflect on your family's values. Tune in to this bite-sized episode and walk away with practical ideas to become more intentional and present as a dad.    Key Takeaways   Power of Words: Actions speak louder than words. Pay attention to the words you are speaking over your kids.  Slow Down: Slow is pro, so lean into simplicity and creativity.  Technology: Take back 13,000 hours with your kids just by spending two fewer hours a day on your phone.  Sticky Moments: Invest in connection now so you'll have influence in the future.  Family Values Audit: Your time and money will always reveal your priorities.    DA+3 Group Guide Discussion Questions:   Are there any words or phrases your parents said that have stuck with you since childhood?  When did you last ask your wife or kids to audit your words?  What holds you back from slowing down and embracing simplicity and creativity?  Why do you think slowing down is important as a dad?  How has your phone/technology use changed over the years?  What would you do with an extra 13,000 hours with your kids if you put down the phone for 2 hours a day?  When thinking about your own childhood, what “sticky moments” stand out to you (ex. fried egg Fridays, family Bible story time, Christmas light adventures, etc.)?  Do you have any existing “sticky moments” that your family regularly looks forward to?  If you were to pull up your calendar right now, what percentage of time is spent with your family?  What are three ways you can invest time and money to create closeness with your kids?    Patei Iyegha   Patei Iyegha is a trauma surgeon who lives in the Twin Cities with his wife Andrea and 8 kids, ranging from 18 to 2. When he's not working or spending time with family, he's probably training for or competing in an obstacle course race or other endurance event. If it's hard, he's interested!   Key Quotes   6:31 - "The idea of a glowing device that's in our pocket, that's with us, it's in our cars, it's at the kitchen table, the glowing device. It was only campfire and the sun. You can't even look at the sun. It's too powerful. So it was like looking at a campfire as your one option for something that glows. It's mesmerizing. It draws our attention. Well, the phone is doing that, and it's harming our families. It's harming my family the amount of time I spend on my phone." 7:48 - "If your kids want to be with you and want to spend more time with you and begging for you, that's just going to give you more influence over their lives. So, when it comes to those harder conversations, when they're pre-teens or teenagers, you've got a lot of investment in there because you've been spending the time, speaking into their lives. They've enjoyed being around you, they trust you, they love you. It just leads to more influence when they get when they get older."   Links from Today's Conversation   49 | Adding Action to Being a Moment Maker Dad (Patei Iyegha) The Power Of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath SUMMER SALE in the DadAwesome Store: Get 20% off when you use the code “tanktop”   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618  

The way you parent today impacts multiple generations. In this week's DA+3 Group Guide, you'll hear Jeremy Pryor's vision for multi-generational families with a clear identity. Get instant ideas to foster family relationships, train your children for their future roles, and integrate your work into your fatherhood role.    Key Takeaways   Multi-Generational Family: Raise your children to be excellent parents to your grandchildren. Parent with that third generation in mind.  The Need for a Fatherhood Archetype: Scripture provides a blueprint for the ideal father, and it's not always what today's culture praises.  Training: Approach fatherhood like a coach, training your children for their future roles rather than just focusing on short-term behavior correction.  Integrate Work and Family Identity: View your work as an extension of your role within your family, not as a separate identity.  Family Friendships: Socialize your children within family and community settings, not just with peers.    DA+3 Group Guide Discussion Questions   When you think about your kids becoming parents, what parenting characteristics do you want them to have?  What specific actions do you need to take to raise your kids to be great parents to your grandkids?  How do you think society views the role of a father in today's culture?  What characteristics of Abraham do you think are most important to emulate as a dad?  What shifts do you need to make to train your children for their future roles rather than focusing on short-term behavior corrections?  How can you ensure that your family's values are a central part of your family identity?  Have you ever fallen into the trap of viewing your work as a separate identity instead of an extension of your role within your family?  Why do you think integrating your work and family identity is important?  How can we encourage our children to build strong relationships with their siblings and family members? What are some practical ways to socialize your kids within your family and community—instead of just with peers and friends their own age?   Jeremy Pryor   Jeremy Pryor is a business owner, creative entrepreneur, author, podcaster, and builder of multiple movements with family at the core. Jeremy and his wife have five children and reside in a multigenerational home near Cincinnati, Ohio.    Key Quotes   8:12 - "I've been tracking a trend over the last ten years, and the trend has been to represent the new ideal father as the traditional mother. The traditional mother was very present, very empathetic, right there meeting the needs of kids. This idea of that traditional mother, I began to see that when there have been positive descriptions or symbolic, positive descriptions of the father, he would be that mother." 11:45 - "Let's think about the level that we're valuing, inter-friendships between siblings and just the strength of that. I just want to challenge and encourage you guys to really pray on, how can we foster deeper friendships between our kids? Regardless of the age gap there can be deeper friendships."   Links from Today's Conversation   286 | Parenting for the Third Generation, Building Family Assets, and Championing the Beauty of Fatherhood (Jeremy Pryor: Part 1) 287 | Creating Intentional Spaces, Carrying the Spirit of Elijah, and Fighting Against the Destruction of Fathers (Jeremy Pryor: Part 2) Register for the FATHERS FOR THE FATHERLESS Events in Dallas, Texas  SUMMER SALE in the DadAwesome Store: Get 20% off when you use the code “tanktop”   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618  

Looking for fresh ideas on building better habits, routines, and rhythms with your kids? Tune in to this week's DA+3 Group Guide featuring Justin Whitmel Earley. From morning huddles to bedtime rituals, you'll explore ways to transform everyday moments into meaningful connections with your family.    Key Takeaways   New Day, New Start: Every day is a new chance to parent differently and experience more of God's grace.  Pause Prayers: Before disciplining or interacting with your kids, take a moment to pray and ask for guidance to approach the situation with love and understanding. Morning Huddles: Start your day with a family huddle where you teach your kids a simple prayer or affirmation.  Bedtime Rituals: Create a routine that transforms ordinary moments into opportunities for connection. Don't be discouraged if it takes several tries to work!  Reconciliation Rituals: Don't just immediately move on after conflict or discipline. Whether it's a hug, a joke, or a shared Tic Tac, show your kids and spouse you're still on their side.   DA+3 Group Guide Discussion Questions:   Do you ever feel weighed down by past parenting mistakes—whether from a day, week, or year ago?  What are some practical ways you show yourself grace and embrace the “New Day, New Start” mindset as a dad?  What changes for you when you say a quick prayer before disciplining your kids? How do you find the right balance between discipline and showing grace? What does your current morning routine look like with your family?  How can you make your family's routine more intentional and spiritually focused? Do you have a bedtime ritual that helps you connect spiritually with your children? What is your biggest challenge when trying to establish a new family habit or routine?  How do you model reconciliation for your kids?  Is there a small, fun gesture you use to reconnect with your kids after conflict, such as sharing a Tic Tac, telling a joke, or giving a hug?   Justin Whitmel Earley   Justin Whitmel Earley is a lawyer, author, and speaker from Richmond, Virginia. His most recent book, Habits of the Household, was published in 2021. Justin is married to Lauren and has four sons: Whit, Asher, Coulter, and Shep.   Key Quotes   2:07 - "Every day is a new chance to experience grace from your heavenly Father and step in with your whole heart to being a dad. New day, new start. Do not beat yourself up about yesterday, last week, last month, last year, the last decade of your dad life. Don't play the comparison game and do not disqualify yourself. God has not disqualified you. So let's walk with a lot of grace." 6:03 - "There's a comical and halting nature to starting any important habit with your family, which is very important to realize. Nothing in the household is normal until it is, you have to practice.    Links from Today's Conversation   253 | Reframing Your Parenting with New Habits (Justin Earley) Habits of the Household SUMMER SALE in the DadAwesome Store: Get 20% off when you use the code “tanktop”   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618  

Gather your DA+3 Group and lean into the wisdom of Dr. Jackson Drumgoole. In this 10-minute episode, you'll encounter brilliant strategies to be an intentional and influential dad. Check out the discussion questions below to prompt meaningful conversations about problem-solving, resilience, hospitality, and more.   Key Takeaways   Be the Loudest Voice in Your Kids' Ears: They can't hear you if you're not fully present.  Encourage Persistence and Resilience: Emphasize the value of sticking with commitments and completing tasks.  Teach Problem-Solving Skills: Encourage exploration and let your kids see you overcome obstacles.  Create a Safe and Welcoming Home Environment: Let your home be a place where your kids can invite other children over to experience fun and safety.  Positive Declarations: Pray bold declarations with your kids and their friends.   Dr. Jackson Drumgoole   Dr. Jackson Drumgoole is an inspirational speaker, author, and veteran with a heart for fathers and families. He and his wife, ShDonna, have five children.    Key Quotes   1:54 - "Be the loudest voice in your kids ears. When they think about, where's wisdom come from? When they think about, where does cheerleading come from? When they think about, where does encouragement come from? Where does helpfulness come from? Where does blessings come from? The loudest voice. The loudest voice should be my voice, as dad." 5:21 - "Create a safe and welcoming home environment. A home environment where  your kids want to bring their friends over. A home environment does not mean huge money and you're always serving all this crazy food and drinks, it doesn't have to be that. But you do have a heart for hospitality. You're encouraging and fostering, our house is a house of fun. Our house is a safe place. We celebrate and encourage our kids to bring their friends over to our place."   Links from Today's Conversation   298 | Dialing In, Leading with Love, and Being the Loudest Voice in Your Child's Ears (Dr. Jackson Drumgoole) SUMMER SALE in the DadAwesome Store: Get 20% off when you use the code “tanktop”   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618  

In this DA+3 Group Guide, you'll find key points and discussion questions to spark meaningful conversations with other dads. Explore insights on unplugging from technology, checking in with Jesus, expressing emotions physically, sharing Jesus stories, and more.   Key Takeaways   Check-in with Jesus: Pray about decisions, journal the voice of God, and pay attention to frustration flare-ups.  Get Outside: Take a break from technology and spend time in nature.  Read Ephesians 3:14-19: Pray that God would bring a word or phrase to you as you read these verses. Get a Baseball Bat and a Plastic Trash Can: Physically get out the heavy stuff.  Share Jesus Stories: Tell others when God has shown up for you.   John Eldredge   John Eldredge is an author, counselor, teacher, and the president of Wild at Heart. He and his wife, Stasi, have three sons and are proud grandparents. John loves all things beauty, nature, adventure, and more.    Key Quotes   5:45 - "Another resource, is a book, A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser. I've spoken about this book before around grief, but he has a metaphor of when there's something that flares up, a frustration flare up, or a heaviness, where is this coming from? He would say press into it further versus run away from it. So, instead of chasing the sunset, the sun is setting to the west. Instead of trying to stay in the sun, press into the darkness, is what his metaphor is. Press into the darkness, the areas of hurt, of heaviness, of frustration. Let's actually explore those a little bit with Jesus." 9:45 - "Palm trees roots intertangle with other palm trees roots to keep them from blowing over in a storm. They'll bend all the way over to the ground in a storm, but they won't actually snap off or die because their roots are entangled with each other. Maybe that's a promise for you guys, is as we grow brotherhood and grow friendships with other men, as we become DadAwesome by creating a community of men who are together, being that dad for their families but for each other, encouraging each other, praying for each other, holding each other accountable, that we could be rooted and established in God's love, rooted in community and in God's love."   Links from Today's Conversation   299 | Escaping Sedation, Meeting Jesus in Your Pain, and Sharing Fresh Jesus Stories (John Eldredge)  Aro Box A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss by Jerry L. Sittser 304 | Pursuing Visions, Journaling Daily, and Hearing God's Prophetic Voice (Ken Helser) 30 Days to Resilient in the One Minute Pause App   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618  

Intention is meaningless without action. This year, be the man who steps up to create a DA+3 group. It's as simple as getting three dads to join you. Extend invitations, build friendships, and keep going when it's tough. Your family's future depends on it.    Key Takeaways   Isolation is deadly.  Show me your group, and I'll show you your family's future.  17 Ideas of Groups to Start.  6 Benefits of Being the Dad Who Goes First.  4 Steps to Take Initiative.   Jeff Zaugg   Jeff Zaugg is a loving husband, intentional dad, and passionate advocate for the fatherless. With experience in nonprofit leadership and pastoring, Jeff founded DadAwesome in 2018 and Fathers for the Fatherless shortly thereafter. Jeff and his wife, Michelle, have been married for 17 years and are parents to four daughters, ages 3 through 10.    Key Quotes   13:08 - "Why should we step into being the activator, being the spark, being the guy who rallies and gathers other dads? Isolation is deadly. We know this, it's so true. When we're alone, we're vulnerable. Second, dads without friendships will at some point cause deep pain to their kids. The pain of isolation and a dad being a dad that doesn't have friends looking out for them, encouraging them, challenging them to grow. You will pass on pain to your kids." 16:51 - "You're going to move into a simple goal, I call it DadAwesome +3, DA+3. This is how easy it is, your goal is just to get three dads, three dads to join you. It might take inviting nine to get three to show up. Guys, it takes invite, invite, invite. DA+3 is a simple goal, but it takes inviting. It takes initiative. If you want to gather guys together, you've got to be the one who goes first. You've got to send the message, you got to decide, and then you've got to go after the simple goal of DA+3. Be a dad who gathers three other dads."   Links from Today's Conversation   Apply to join the Summer 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org to learn more   free video series >> FOUR-PART FRAMEWORK FOR FATHERHOOD Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618  

Dads were never meant to take on fatherhood alone. In fact, Bryan Byrd argues that isolation is against God's will for your life. Instead, you'll need to connect with others and get hungry for the Holy Spirit. In this episode, Bryan offers encouragement to help you get started.    Key Takeaways   Connection is God's will. Loneliness is a dangerous toxin.  Healing happens when you have a safe place to take your grief.  Get hungry for the Holy Spirit.   Bryan Byrd   Bryan Byrd is a husband and father to two sons from Boise, Idaho. He is passionate about equipping men to do hard things. He co-founded Wild Courage and continues to serve on the Board of Trustees.    Key Quotes   8:55 - "I can get promoted. I can advance, and I can do it in a way that's humble. I got guys who are going to call me off the shelf, if I'm out of line. If I'm out of God's will, they're going to say, Bryan, are you doing this too much? What's going on? Are you treating your wife right? Are things good at home? There's instant accountability with all the things that are right. If you're not in a fire, a group, I would just ask, how long can you go before burnout? Before failure? I read this other day, loneliness is way more a toxin than fat, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, opioids. Loneliness is more dangerous than opioids. I'd ask the listeners, it's probably way more important than you think. If you're saying, oh, I'll do that sometime. Today matters." 25:48 - "When I can look at you and receive you and your pain and hear you, I say you're worthy. When I, as a sharer of my pain, feel that I'm worthy, I have hope. I'm not alone. I'm with people that care. I'm seen. And I can find hope. Jesus, would you come into this pain? Would you take a risk on me? Because these guys just did. There must be hope for me. You go from sharing grief and despair and not having hope and not being seen and being isolated to seen and loved. That can be as simple as a group. It can be simple as silence. It can be as simple as a head nod. It's probably not talking very much. It might be a little validation. It's probably not giving a sermon. It's probably not five points of advice, how to fix your problem. Don't fix. It's probably not being the the alpha in the room telling people how you solve the world's problems. Letting it sit, now a container is you get 3 or 4 guys that can do that well and practice."   Links from Today's Conversation   Apply to join the Summer 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org to learn more   Save the Date for the DadAwesome Day Zoom Call: Monday, June 17 at 7pm CT Iron Bison Training  Iron Bison Training Podcast WILDSONS Podcast | Receiving the Father's Love and Masculine Initiation with Bryan Byrd Foxhole Symphony - Wild Courage: Vulnerability and Victory in the Quest for Authentic Manhood Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618  

Everyone has a story to tell, and every story matters. In the first half of our conversation, Bryan Byrd describes the role of a troubadour. He emphasizes the value of prioritizing heart-to-heart connections, loving yourself the way God loves you, and being flexible about your approach to fatherhood.    Key Takeaways   We're all troubadours with a story to tell that matters.  Heart-to-heart connections with your kids are the true sign of parenting success.  Love yourself enough to do what you say, bet on yourself, and hold yourself accountable.  Get instant feedback from your kids by asking, “How are you experiencing me?” Don't be afraid to relearn some things.   Bryan Byrd   Bryan Byrd is a husband and father to two sons from Boise, Idaho. He is passionate about equipping men to do hard things. He co-founded Wild Courage and continues to serve on the Board of Trustees.    Key Quotes   11:55 - "I'm still going to choose heart to heart connection, regardless of my reputation. Regardless of my accomplishment or the image that people think I should have, I'm still getting their back, getting in the ditch if I need to get in the ditch, getting on a platform if I need to get on a platform. Wherever it takes, I'm going to show up and be present and be the father where I need to be. Sometimes I'm going to make mistakes along the way, and I'm going to ask for forgiveness and break some glass. That's success. Course correcting along the way right now." 27:00 - "We have sinned and we've been forgiven. He bets on us and He resides in us. There's a two edged coin there that we're the ransom one, so let's get with it. When you bet on yourself, you bet that you're valuable enough that you're going to come through with your word. You're going to do what you say. Bet on yourself, believe that you can do what you want to do, what you're set out for, what you're called from the Lord. Even though all of these people out in the world are going to say there's not enough time. You're too tall, you're too short, you're too fat, you're too skinny, they're going to come up with all kinds of excuses because they want to justify themselves. Bet on yourself is a line with God. Let's pause for a minute. Let that settle on our hearts. What God really says about you."   Links from Today's Conversation   Apply to join the Summer 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org to learn more   Save the Date for the DadAwesome Day Zoom Call: Monday, June 17 at 7pm CT Iron Bison Training  Iron Bison Training Podcast WILDSONS Podcast | Receiving the Father's Love and Masculine Initiation with Bryan Byrd Foxhole Symphony - Wild Courage: Vulnerability and Victory in the Quest for Authentic Manhood   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618  

Jon Tyson is back for the third time! In this episode, he uncovers the seven lies that hold men back from becoming fully alive. You'll discover the strategies Satan uses to keep you distracted and passive, and you'll be inspired to embrace your current season and ask curious questions for the sake of others.    Key Takeaways   Satan wants us dumb, entertained, oversatiated, and unmotivated. You must fight against despair, loneliness, shame, lust, ambition, futility, and apathy. If you ask curious questions about the needs around you, you never know what you'll get swept into.  What things do you need to harvest and enjoy right now before they rot and are gone?   Jon Tyson   Originally from Adelaide, Australia, Jon Tyson is a pastor and author based in New York City. He is the author of "Fighting Shadows" and the bestselling books "The Intentional Father" and "Beautiful Resistance." Jon has been married to Christy for twenty-five years and has two adult children.   Key Quotes   10:40 - "I always tell people, my vision is intentionality, it's not perfection. No one is perfect. In fact, the perfect fathers are often the ones that damaged their kids through such high expectations. It's just do your best, live in love, be honest with your struggles and get help. Rely on the community of men to help raise your kids. Ancient societies were not primarily just father-son societies. They were the community of men playing a vital role. It was the tribe that helped formed men, not just this psychotic pressure on an individual father." 19:23 - "I know everybody tells you this, be careful when you kill time, it has no resurrection. You can waste time. You can kill time. Waste time. Use time. Invest time. Redeem time. Or leverage time. And a lot of God, that's Ephesians 5, make the most of the time. That's not the word kross is the word kairos, which means you were in a season right now, that must be leveraged that you will never get again. It's not the same in every season. So I'm not advocating a kind of guilt where every, like, if every spare moment should be in prayer. That's, that's death. That's the law. I'm advocating, I'm advocating an awareness of your season. The things that need to be harvested now or they rot. Or seed now, or you missed the window to sow. Or enjoyed now or it's gone. How do you really figure what that is in that season and leverage it? Make the most because the days are evil. So yeah, it's about really trying to leverage the season more than anything else. First you got to know what it is, but when you know what it is going to be aware and go after it."   Links from Today's Conversation   Apply to join the Summer 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org to learn more   147 | Jon Tyson on Intentional Fatherhood & Creating the Primal Path 187 | Jon Tyson on Skillful Manhood, Capturing First Moments & The Intentional Father Fighting Shadows: Overcoming 7 Lies That Keep Men From Becoming Fully Alive by Jon Tyson and Jefferson Bethke The Intentional Father: A Practical Guide to Raise Sons of Courage and Character by Jon Tyson Primal Path: A Discipleship Program for Fathers & Sons Awaken Network Podcast Sign up for Jon's Newsletter   Connect with dadAWESOME   Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618