Wednesday, June 19, 2013

False Starter

It has become plain as day that I have a history of false starting ministries/ideas. "False Starting" is a term used in many racing sports. In track an athlete will "jump the gun" and start running before the gun goes off. 

Many of you will probably remember when Usain Bolt (fastest human ever) false started on the 100 meter dash during the 2008 Olympic Games (see attached pic). It was devastating. The one false start rule eliminated him from the race he was favored to win. 

It wasn't just devastating for Usain, but for all the people who support him and give a lot of their time and energy to his success. There's a coaching/training/admin staff that are dedicated to him, not to mention his fans, that at the very least would like him to run the race. A false start is the worst case scenario. 
 
My personality inclines me towards starting and developing things. My impatience causes a false start. This area of my life is so humbling, because I struggle with it the most: getting excited, planning, false starting, doing damage assessment, and apologizing. 

I'm so very glad that I have a gracious God and gracious friends. I'm the dude with an idea a minute and can't seem to sit still. Ugh. God loves me. 

Is there an area if life where you keep repeating the same mistake? I feel ya. 

Jay





Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Dates with My Girls

One of the best ideas I ever came across, was to take my girls on dates, individually. We forget that spending time as a family, which is awesome, is not one-on-one attention. 

Here are some examples of how a child can be neglected, even in family-time events:
1. The child is naturally quieter/more reserved.
2. A child's sibling can hog all the attention, because they're naturally more energetic and social.
3. A parent's attention is divided amongst all the others, or they are preoccupied by something else that keeps them from engaging with their child: noises, TV, smart phones, laptops, tablets, etc...
4. Parent is so tired from the work week, or managing the house, that they just checkout and don't want to do anything. 

That's a big enough list, so how do we focus-in on each child? Here are a few ideas that have served me extremely well:
1. Approach your time with your child like a date. All attention is on that child and genuine hearing is in place. 
2. Ask your child to be thinking of something they'd like to do with you. 
3. Let them think on it, as it always leads to a better build-up of excitement for them. 
4. When they tell you what they'd like to, be excited for them and be thinking in the back of your mind about time and cost of date. I gently guide them towards where I'm at with regards to the budget. 

5. I get with Mindy and look at our family calendar. Pick a date and time, then let my girls know, so they can have a plan in their mind. 
6. The dates have included meals, movies, books, parks, sports, etc...

You ready to take your child(ren) on an individual date?

Do what fits for your family, and I challenge you to start doing this; you won't be sorry. This type of undivided attention will create strong and trusting relationships. Let love be the anchor. 

Jay