All it takes is a toddler asking the “Why” question enough and you realize you don’t know as much as you thought. Isaac is 3 and wants to know all kinds of stuff. He is approaching the world with a wonder that I definitely need to learn from. As he asks his questions I am reminded that I need to approach the day with more humility. Things aren’t as cut and dry as I sometimes like to pretend that they are.

I love Isaac and Jonathan so much. I am not the kind of dude that goes nuts every time I see a baby but there is something about your own kids that just melts your heart. I want the best for them more than I can even say. I don’t ever want them to get hurt and I will fight to set them up for success in life with every fiber of my being. That being said, I don’t always know how to do that. I see where they are right now and I have some ideas as to where I want their character to be in the future but they are foggy at best. I pretty much have to take it a day at a time and seek God’s wisdom regarding the future.

If you haven’t read John Eldredge’s book Wild at Heart, you may not understand this point. In this book Eldredge attempts to drill down into the essential heart of manhood. He masterfully articulates that there is something in boys and men that needs to know that we have what it takes. There is something wild in our hearts that wants adventure and wants to be a warrior. Isaac and Jonathan love to wrestle me and seem to light up when I throw them around. They like to try things that are beyond their physical capacity to the detriment of my wife’s sanity and to the potential detriment of their own physical well-being (-; Part of my job is to lead them safely into that adventure that will continue throughout their lives.

Figuring out how to discipline your kids is not simple business. You have to consider the personality of your kids. You must take into account how you want to communicate the lesson that they need to get. You don’t want to be overly angry but you don’t want them to think you’re a pushover. You want them to know you love them but you want them to know that you’re not happy with their behavior. Sometimes you may need to spank them but you have to question what the proper discipline is given the nature of what they did. What is the purpose behind the discipline in that situation and does the punishment fit the crime? These can be very difficult questions and it is important for mom and dad to be on the same page. We are still trying to navigate these waters and it is very challenging. I guess I thought that the universe magically endowed parents with omniscience when they became parents but if that happens, I definitely missed it!

Isaac just turned 3 and I was tempted to make him be 2 for a second year. He’s growing up too fast!! You have to enjoy each day and each moment of the day. Jonathan is walking and I feel like he was just born yesterday! Do creative things with your kids. Pray for them. Have fun with them. Manage the tension between work and family time carefully. Be the parent today that you dreamed of being because you won’t get today back. We already know this stuff but it’s so true. We spend so much of our lives wishing it was tomorrow or next week or next year but this is a tragic mistake. Learn how to embrace today as the gift that it is.

I’m sure there will be a ton more lessons to come but I wanted to share a few that I’ve been learning.