10 THINGS I REFUSE TO HAVE SCREW WITH MY FATHERHOOD
FATHERHOOD REFUSAL #1 - I REFUSE TO GAIN WEIGHT BECAUSE “THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL FATHERS”…
I think i’ve had it with people whom I’ve heard say that fatherhood means getting fat. I will get heavier, but I refuse to let myself go to fatty foods that will serve to destroy my health. Annie and Aubrey need me - and I need them - so I refuse to eat uncontrollably post baby birth just because that’s the way it is.
FATHERHOOD REFUSAL #2 - I REFUSE TO GET BUSY WITH LIFE SO MUCH SO THAT I LOSE MY LIFE WITH MY FAMILY…
Family is a huge passion of mine (didn’t get the hint? get to know me more). I refuse to be a father that provides for the family solely on a monetary basis. I refuse to not provide my family with the physical, emotional, and spiritual intimacy that every family needs (yep, every family needs it).
FATHERHOOD REFUSAL #3 - I REFUSE TO BE PRIDEFUL
H as your father ever apologized to you when he has made a mistake? Do you really think that’s a sign of weakness?!? Really? Well I refuse to become a parent who lets his pride get in the way of developing character. This also applies to being prideful to everyone around me (I refuse it!)
FATHERHOOD REFUSAL #4 - I REFUSE TO LET MY WIFE STARVE FOR MY ATTENTION AND AFFECTION
I will most definitely hit a mid-life crisis someday. I will be a total bonehead at times and act selfishly. But I refuse to watch my wife starve for the attention and affection that she needs. She married a man, not an absent “girly man” along with that…
FATHERHOOD REFUSAL #5 - I REFUSE TO NOT PURSUE MY FAMILY WITH ALL MY INNER BEING
Some women might be turned off to the idea that the man is the head of the household. Could it be because some men today lack the initiative to show women how valuable they are (ever more increasing with age I may add) by pursuing them selflessly for the rest of my life! I made a commitment to Annie as well as my family and I intend on keeping my commitment to them until my body is dead… seriously.
FATHERHOOD REFUSAL #5 + 6 - I REFUSE TO GIVE COMMANDS TO MY CHILDREN THAT I DO NOT HOLD AS VALUABLE AND I REFUSE TO GIVE COMMANDS THAT I DO NOT LIVE BY.
Take out the trash while I sit here and sip my tea…? Heck no! I want my children to see that I am just as actively involved and experienced in doing the things that I ask them to do. I plan on telling my children to live a Christian life - and I plan on reinforcing this belief by… *ding ding ding!* yep, living it out for them to watch and learn.
FATHERHOOD REFUSAL #7 - I REFUSE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT HOUSEHOLD CHORES AND REPAIRS
If I am living in this home, when things need to get done, they need to get done, even if that mean I need to get up at midnight to go to home depot to buy a plunger to unclog the turd my kids leave in the toilet.
FATHERHOOD REFUSAL #8 - I REFUSE TO LET GADGETS AND GIZMOS DEFINE MY IDENTITY AS A GROWING MAN…
Forget the latest James Bond titanium alloy diamond studded watch blah blah blah. I don’t need a flashy car or a stunning tux to define who I am as a father. I want to be a father defined by the legacy of faith and character I exemplify in my private and public life. Gadgets and gizmos are cool - but they’re not me.
FATHERHOOD REFUSAL #9 - I REFUSE TO HIDE MY ISSUES AND GET HELP WHEN I NEED IT
Weakness is not allowing other people whom I trust and whom I believe are safe to help and guide me through tough situations in my life that I cannot control or even handle on my own. It’s going to take selflessness, but I promise to get help and be vulnerable to my accountability when push comes to shove.
FATHERHOOD REFUSAL #10 - I REFUSE TO STAY DOWN WHEN I MESS UP
Hey… I’m never going to be perfect - I might just hit some screw up spells and mess things up. I might mess up and forget some of these refusals… but I refuse to let my mistakes and mess ups deter me from the truth that I need these boundaries and I value these boundaries… they’re timeless… they’re significant for my spiritual growth.
