Bill and Jann Newton a 40 year commitment to God!

This is a congratulations to a couple that I have personally seen 36 of the 40 years of their marriage!  As a kid I witnessed the beginning of this long term commitment that they made to each other and more importantly God. Ive heard it said, “marriage is falling in love over and over to the same person” and I have seen this with them.   I can say today that they have the best marriage of any couple I have been  blessed  to be around.    Today I just want to say Thank You. Thanks for keeping commitments. Thanks for being an example to so many. Thanks for being consistent. Thanks for living a Christ centered life. Thanks for not letting the good times get to your head. Thanks for not letting the bad times take you down. Thanks for listening to each other. Thanks for holding yourself accountable.  Thanks for fighting for whats right at all cost. Thanks for laughing together. Thanks for loving unconditionally.  Thanks for staying tough in turmoil.  Thanks for leading others. Thanks for always keeping your family in a bible based church. Thanks for smiling at each other. Thanks for holding hands. Thanks for comforting each other. Thanks for always looking for the good.  Thanks for loving each other unconditionally. Thanks for falling down and getting back up.  Thanks for following the scriptures.  Thanks for being the example, a son needed of a parent.  On January 10th 2016 I know the heavens will be rejoicing for a couple committed to HIM.

Love you

your son

“You cannot change Truth, but Truth can change you” MFC

“Methods are many,principles are few.methods always change,principles never do” is a quote I will never forget hearing at a conference I attended at 19 years old.  There is only one Truth for salvation and that is Jesus Christ and that Truth can be learned about by the infallible word of God , the Bible.  All good principles in day-to-day living also have their roots in the bible as well.  Fortunately for the last 4 years I was given the chance to learn about many principles that have changed my LIFE and  I thought today I would give a few ideas on resources for books etc that can help with great principles on topics such as character, purpose, attitude, programming, gameplanning,keeping score, family, friendship, financial management, leadership, conflict resolution, systems thinking,anxiety, depression, forgiveness, handling adversity, and legacy. These are some of my favorites for sure. Orrin Woodwards book “Resolved” has been the most influential on principles for me and Tim Marks book “Voyage of a Viking” is a biography I will never forget.    If anyone has any other great resources for great principles feel free to comment. god bless

 

             

I also “of course” recommend the 90 Day Mental Fitness Challenge for a chance to have someone to be accountable to for growth!   www.90daymentalfitchallenge.com/

A Dad Keeping Score

Family vacation is so much fun with 4 little boys , and a little crazy too until you get them around a pool with water guns. The boys then will play cops and robbers for hours leaving there parents, Tara and I to read.  I decided to reread the Resolved book specifically on the “keeping score” chapter of the book, knowing I need to work on continually keeping my results in front of me.  Today my focus being because were spending time with the kids, on keeping score as a husband and a father.

Orrin Woodward wrote, “fans religiously keep track of the scoreboard at sporting events, but few maintain the high standards when the spotlight is placed upon their professional field of play” .  He continues next chapter, ” but imagine what would happen, if all sports fans, fans who expect the coaches to lead their teams, chose to lead their families with a similar level of expectation for excellence”.
So here is the question for all of us… If we were watching ourselves coach/lead our families what would we be yelling at ourselves  to fix? Since we are all self delusional I have asked the 2 best dads I know, Bill Newton, and  Tim Marks, where am I messing up as well?  Finally I asked my wife and kids. I’ll give  you a quick idea of how that went as he was driving the boat!
   

Daddy: Cader  do you think daddy is a good daddy

Cader: yes

Daddy: why are you sure

Cader: because your my friend and you make money so chase, cage, colby, mommy and me can eat and go places
Daddy: anything else
Cader: you taught me about Jesus  and I know you love mommy
Daddy: what do I do wrong that I can work on
Cader: nothing
Daddy: tell me the truth
Cader: ok, then will u leave me alone ?
Daddy: yes
Cader:  ok ok . well I wish you let me have pop everyday and you didn’t kiss mommy all the time, and I don’t like spankings when I hit my brothers
Daddy: thanks for the feedback ,but that will not change, love you

I love the quote by Orrin “you either hate changing bad enough to lose or hate losing bad enough to change.”. As a parent or a spouse let’s look at the scoreboard and change where we need to. I know it’s a daily process for me and I pray you will keep score  with your performance as a parent/spouse as well.  god bless

cody

Resolved to Change

A couple of days back I had another birthday and was able to celebrate it with my family and have been reading Resolved by Orrin Woodward, which has me wondering if I am really living a Resolved LIFE. Orrin writes about the resolutions of 3 great Americans Jonathon Edwards, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. ” A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line”.C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity  I guess the best part of the reading has been comparing my own squiggly line to these mens straight lines and desiring to be better.  32 is by no means old but I have now lost those years to do great.. and pray that the next 32 is a more RESOLVED LIFE.  Just when we think no one is watching how we live, out of the corner of our eye we see our  kids/spouse/family/friends/business partner/neighbors and more importantly our father in heaven watching to see how we choose to live. Today in the age     of “what you do in private is your business”, I am 100 pct convicted it might be just you and God that know, but it has ripples everywhere.    What a better gift to celebrate Jesus’s Birthday than to give your friends/family/self  a book about living by principles. God bless cody

Jonathon Edwards was, as Randall Stewart wrote, “Not only the greatest of all American theologians and philosophers but the greatest of our pre-19th century writers as well,” making his gracious humble spirit even more impressive.  He didn’t fight for his rights; instead he merely accepted the ruling as God’s Will, taking a position as missionary to the frontier Indians. Edwards consistently displayed a grace-filled spirit of forgiveness to his many detractors, some who, years later apologized for their involvement in the misinformation spread. Can one imagine the infamy of being associated with the congregation that dismissed one of the best theologians and philosophers in American history? But Edwards, in his final years, never missed a beat, writing several classics of Christian literature, leaving an enduring testament to the power of character-based resolutions to transform a person from the inside out. Edwards faithfully lived his principles externally because that is who he had become internally. Specifically, he didn’t just give lip service to his resolutions, he truly lived them.

The Father “FAMILY”

For sure God has put me on the planet to help boys become men and it seems the most important boys to help become men are my own first and then I can help others. One thing that I have tried to learn more about  in the last 7 yrs is being a Dad! “my oldest is 7!!” WOW IM Getting Old”. The Bible, my Church,  Life  materials, my dad, uncles and Tim Marks have all helped and all I can say is I have made many mistakes and made many memories… For sure one thing I know is that “it does matter”, and studys are backing up that fact. Listening to Josh McDowell I was totally convicted that I needed to become a better father and continue on the journey. Are you reading and listening to materials and individuals to help you become a better parent?? Here is a few of his statistics of fathering…

a.John Hopkins research of over 30 yrs shows the connection between the relationship between the  son and the father has to do with the amount of Hypertension- Tumors-Suicide-Coronary Heart Disease found in Patients!!

b. 300% to 500% higher percentage of suicide if your  son doesn’t have a relationship with his Dad

c..Study of all 15 school shooters shows

1. all middle class and white
2. all the father was absent, distant or not involved

Questions your son should answer YES too

1. Son, Do you know I Love you??  “Love Cultivates the ground for excepting Gods Truth”  and “rules without relationship cause rebellion”
2. Son, Do you know I love your Mother??
3. Son, Do  you want to have a relationship with your kids and wife like I do?
4. Son, Do you know how much I love JESUS