I often think back to when Jadyn (my eldest) was born and we were on our way home from the hospital.  I was wide eyed and as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.  I think I drove slower than a funeral procession all the way home. I wasn't sure I had any clue as to what it meant to be a parent.  I was certain that this beautiful little girl deserved a great parent, but I didn't know if I could live up to that. 

Why, was I so cautious I asked myself?   I wasn't so worried about her getting fed or changed or even her basic needs met.;  I had taken care of numerous babies as an uncle.  Yeah, I know they were not my children, but I had managed pretty well and was  comfortable with those sorts of things. No, I wasn't overwhemed by what it would be like teaching her to walk, or watching her fall of a bike. I must say I didn't look forward to those moments, but I knew she would be ok.   What was my problem then? What I now realized was that I had been entrusted by God with a precious soul.  He had said to me, "You are to teach her how to know Me, love Me, and serve Me with her life."  This was the biggest challenge that I had to come to grips with.  You see, I believe that if we are to parent with purpose we must do it with the very focus and foundation of faith in Christ Jesus.  My concern was simple. Could I be a dad that would love her with a Godly love, live before her a Godly life, and inspire her to want to follow that pattern? 

The choice to follow Jesus is our children's own choice to make, but it is our priviledge to journey with them.  It is our joy to introduce them to God and show them what it means to be a Christ-Follower.  Even now, with five kids, this is still my greatest desire and my greatest challenge as a parent.  This truly is my purpose as a dad.  This should be our  foundational need as a parent, to teach and inspire them to know God.  So i hope that we can journey together on this pathway of parenting and help each other parent with purpose.  

Pastor Brent