Today, we have the privilege of hearing from the heart of a dad who ministers to the hearts of families in a big way! I ‘met’ his wife, Ruth, through social media and have watched her minister to the hearts of wives, moms and women for a couple of years and love how they both shine for Jesus. You can find Patrick sharing his words of wisdom over at FortheFamily.org an you can find Ruth ministering to women over at TheBetterMom.com.
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Building a “Little Temple”
I was not a fan of church camp.
In hindsight, I should have been – a week away, campfires, a snack shop, swimming, minimal requirements for personal hygiene, girls from other churches, and softball. Looking back, as a 4th or 5th grader, I should have loved church camp!
I’ll never forget the look on the Camp Director’s face the first night we met. I had just finished unpacking for the week. Dinner was done. Campers were scattering to a variety of opening events. Not me. I was in tears.
I boldly approached the Director and asked for permission to call my parents for a ride home! I don’t remember exactly what he said. I do remember that he was unconvinced. So church camp it was – for a whole week.
I had no reason to dislike camp. It wasn’t that I missed my friends, or feared that there was fun happening without me. I missed home. The good news is that I survived!
Today, as a husband, and father to four children, home is still a place I love (and miss when I am away). Certainly I love it for different reasons than I did when I was a kid. As a father, it is now the place that I delight in “building” and “cultivating” for our children.
For a lot of guys, home is the hardest place to be a man. Many will invest countless hours in building a career, chasing adventure, or pursuing a hobby. But build or cultivate a home?
After the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D., many of the Jewish leaders began to refer to the home as a miqdash me’at (a small or little temple). I’ve always loved this picture because it reminds me as parents of not only how safe our home should be, but also, how sacred it should be.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” –Deuteronomy 6:5-7
The home then, is the place where Jesus stands at the center. It is a refuge or shelter from all that is going on “outside.” But it is also a place of worship, where God’s truth is passed on from one generation to the next. We make it home by filling it with our presence. It is a place marked off for meaningful relationships, intentional love, guidance, and joy. As parents, we have the privilege of building that kind of home for our family.
What kind of home are you building? Is it your dream home? Is it your castle? Or is it a “little temple,” a place carved out from the rest of the world?
I can’t help but wonder what our kids will remember about home. While I don’t wish the feeling of homesickness on anyone, by God’s grace, I pray they will remember our home as somewhere special and sacred – a place where mom and dad weren’t always perfect, but Jesus was present and pursued!
The Warrior Weekend: Helping Dads Raise Boys to Be Godly Men
Get away, get outdoors, and get into God’s Word! The Warrior Weekend is a resource to help dads raise boys to be Godly men. Written as a devotional, it is full of biblical wisdom specific to boys, applicable stories of brave men, and adventurous activity ideas or a weekend away. The Warrior Weekend is a great resource for helping dads and sons explore God’s Word and God’s world together.
The Dig for Kids Volumes 1 and 2
The Dig for Kids is a simple and easy way for parents to study through books of the Bible with their children. It is a great resource for parents because it makes teaching children the Bible simple, fun, and interactive!
Patrick Schwenk grew up going to church wearing clip-on ties, uncomfortable shirts, pants that were too short, and shoes that were too tight (at least that is how he remembers feeling). He was born, raised, and then born again within a conservative evangelical home (and church) in the Midwest. Today, he still loves the church and is thankful to both serve and lead others toward Jesus. He is a father, husband, and pastor. Patrick and his wife Ruth (www.thebettermom.com) met while attending the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL. They have been married for fifteen years and currently have four children ages five to twelve. They are the founders of For the Family (www.forthefamily.org) and they love serving in ministry, spending time together as a family, reading, drinking lots of coffee, and resting in God’s grace.
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Registration Information, Location, List of Breakout Sessions, Descriptions of Workshops, Conference Speaking Team, Better Together Conference Flyer, Better Together Bulletin Insert (Full Color), Better Together Bulletin Insert (Black & White), Better Together Conference Cards (Postcard Size
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