BUILDING HISTORY WITH YOUR KIDS

Every summer, one of the things I look forward to is our annual Me and My Dad Camp.

While it’s only an overnight trip, it can be one of the best moments a father can have with his son/daughter and vice versa.

While it takes a lot of effort to set up the tent, cook your own food, travel to the camping place, what that does is that you build history together as father and son.

Looks more like a science experiment than dinner…

There are things that you cannot accomplish if you are at home, especially with the distractions of iPads and TV.

Building history together includes stories at night before going to bed, cooking your meal even if they’re burnt, sweating and jumping in the pool to cool off, getting a splinter and helping your son take it out… These and many more that will add to having history together.

I remember Steve Murrell (founding pastor of Victory) telling us a story of a very successful pastor who has a congregation of thousands. This particular pastor’s son approached his dad during one of the church activities designed for families and disclosed that he couldn’t remember a time that he had fun with his dad.

Now that’s a bomb no father would ever want to hear from his son.

Dads, build history with your children. Find the opportunity to build memories. Remember, it’s something that can never be taken from them. Cars will rust. Medals can get lost. Money can get stolen. But memories? That stays for a very very very long time.

No amount of success in the workplace can compensate for failure at home.

Reminder from my wife on day 2.

THE WORST IS NOT HAVING ANY

I’m no professional video editor, but I love putting videos together for my family whenever we go out for an overnighter or vacation.

I envision Jenn and I watching all these videos on our rocking chairs decades from now and remembering all the fun memories we were able to build with our kids.

Memories are powerful.  You can either have good ones or not so good ones growing up.  The worst?  Not having any to remember.

“Memory is a child walking along a seashore.  You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things.”  ~Pierce Harris, Atlanta Journal