Image by Camil Tulcan
Driving into work the other day, I heard an inspirational story on NPR about Colbert Williams. When Williams was 16, he was taken in by his former fifth grade math teacher. The story itself is a great example of compassion… a white 69 year old divorcee with no children becoming legal guardian of a 16 year old black former student whose mother was too poor to support him. [Read/listen to the story on NPR here]
What struck me was something that Williams, now grown with a son of his own, said about his father…
“What you see in me is a reflection of what you put in me.”
As I wrote about last week, I understand that my intentionality in fathering my sons has a direct impact in who they are and who they will be. I think what Williams said, however, transcends parenting. It is a truth that affects our relationship with everyone we come into contact with.
Dr. Henry Cloud talked about this in his book Integrity (a must-read book in my opinion)...
“When you move through life, through your company or organization, through your career, and through your relationships, your character is going to be a ‘force.’ The question is, ‘What kind of force is it going to be?’”
Here are some questions to ask yourself to gauge how well you are impacting the lives of those around you…
- As you encounter others, what impression are you leaving on their lives?
- Are they better off for having been around you?
- Are they more trusting?
- Do they feel more fulfilled as a person?
- Do they feel better about themselves?
- Did they learn from you?
- Do they feel lifted up/encouraged?
- ... or the opposite of these things?
Share this post on... 
Recent Conversations...
Jennifer Jones commented on Marketing Fatigue:
You sure drove a long way to go to my local post office in Cabot, AR! I have complained and griped about this one particular lady that works at ours for the past six months. She asks the same questions to EVERY customer. Some people just walk away and as they are heading out the door, she is yelling at them trying to get all of her questions in before they get out the door!! Yes, ask me what is appropriate or listen to me when I tell you, "I just need to buy a roll of stamps. Nothing else." Maybe we'll see this as a SNL skit one day...
Lisa Stewart commented on Intentional Fathering:
That sounds like a great plan. Caleb and Josiah share a lot of common interests. They both like to read - although Caleb doesn't read as much as he used to. They are both playing percussion and they are both interested in web design. I wish they could spend more time hanging out together! Can't wait to see you guys! Love you, Lisa
Tony May commented on Why the iPad is More Revolutionary Than You Think:
Couldn't agree more, Chris. As I sit here typing away on my MacBook, I can only imagine what we'll be doing (as it relates to computing) 5 years from now. Certainly, my expectation is that Apple will be driving the creativity of it.
Read Recently...
This year I've read 3 books. I have 13 left to meet my goal of 16 per year. Last year I read 16 books.
Necessary Endings
By Dr. Henry Cloud
What Are Thin Places?
"Thin Places" are rich in Celtic tradition. They are the places in our lives where the divine and the natural worlds come so close together that we can catch a glimpse of God. For the Celtics these places were very real - places within creation where we could physically go. The Thin Places in our own lives are those moments where the space between us & the Kingdom is thin, when we are introduced to a greater glimpse of Who He is through our experiences and through the stories of others.
Recent Places...
-
Marketing Fatigue
03.08.2010
Image by Macarena Carrasco
I made my annual trek to the local Post Office to mail our taxes recently. You might think ‘annual’ is an exaggeration - let’s just say that the Post Office is up there with the DMV as one of my least favorite places to frequent.
After a long line (which it seems there always is), I … Read On...
-
Intentional Fathering
03.05.2010
Image by Giovanni Orlando
February marked the beginning of a new journey with my eldest son, Josiah. He turned 12 and we set into motion a plan that I had been envisioning for more than a year.
The summer I turned 35 (2008) I made a bucket list of things I wanted to accomplish by the time I turned 40. … Read On...
-
Tear Down the Wall
03.03.2010
Image by star5112
There is a wall that exists today that needs to be torn down.
In large part, the wall reflects my own journey.
I grew up in church being taught that there was a large separation from the church & the world at large. Good Christians incubated themselves from ‘the outside world.’ It was our job to protect … Read On...
Reading Elsewhere...
Latest Life...
JD Reynolds commented on Your Part in Others' Reflections:
funny,
after reading your last post about intentional fathering, i was telling my wife your ideas as we took at walk with our 18 month old son. in response, she told me this same story from npr.
good stuff!