I was recently asked why abandoning children is often done by men. As a man fully committed to the well-being of my family, I don't believe there's one single answer to why this happens. Still, I know for a fact that fear, if left unchecked, will send a man down a road of no return. Abandoning Children | Why Men Do It In this article: Abandonment Is a Reaction to Fear … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Make Sure You Don’t Disappoint Your Woman!
The other day my wife said something simple but profound to me. Pretty much out of the blue she said, "thank you for not disappointing me." Part of me didn't really know how to respond, so I said just said "you're welcome!” But then, of course, I had to ask "Ummm, where did that come from?" She explained that a guy, whom her friend was dating, canceled on her, yet again, and … [Read more...]
How God’s Sense of Humor Healed My Blended Family; Plus, 5 Tips for YOU
Many people ask, "how did you make your blended family work?" With so many couples turning to divorce in our society, I can see how this perplexes folks. My prayer is that these five tips will help you in this journey called LIFE. 1. Pray!!!! I am so serious about this. Bringing children and a spouse together is a totally different dynamic, which can make or break a new … [Read more...]
5 Lessons in Fatherhood from President Obama
[tps_header] Even though, President Obama didn’t grow up with his father…he turned out to be a good father. And I think he is a great example of fathers that break the cycle of abandoning their children. The thing is, it’s easy to forget that President Obama experienced the pain of not knowing his dad when we see him being the leader of the free world. In his book, Dreams … [Read more...]
5 Ways Being a Father Has Blessed Me Even Though I Didn’t Have One
Becoming a father was one of the most important moments of my life. I didn’t have an active father in my own life, so I didn’t have a full scope of the impact fatherhood would have on my life. But now I can see how fatherhood has blessed my life immeasurably. I can honestly say that when a baby is born, a father is born, and there’s nothing like the unconditional love that a … [Read more...]
An Open Letter to Men Who Struggle with this ONE Thing
Dear You, I can’t lie. Sometimes, I struggle. It’s like your heart being caught in the middle of a game of tug of war with family on one end and passion and purpose on the other end. It’s like being on a seesaw where 'provider' is on one side and 'family man' on the other. It’s like the moment I just had while I watched my daughter playing in her bouncy chair so … [Read more...]
7 Life Changing Questions Every Father Must Ask His Son
By: Carlos Johnson For the past two decades as a father, therapist, and educator I have had the pleasure and opportunity to work with thousands of great families in communities, churches and schools. And, from my experience of helping boys in every type of family, all over this country, here's what I know to be true: Boys with awesome purpose and potential from GREAT … [Read more...]
Tears, Puke, and Poop – My Love Hate Relationship with Being a Dad
"Kinsley, I love you dearly from about 8am-11pm. But after that, you are not my favorite person." Yup that's the conversation I had with my 2 month old as we sat on the couch watching TV together. I can't lie. Over the last few days, I've been highly frustrated with this little girl of mine. But it's such a growing process for me. I'm so used to being able to control … [Read more...]
6 Serious (Yet Humorous) Concerns of a First Time Dad
"This baby is kicking your butt!" I swear I tell my wife this about once a week now. And if you don't know, we have our first baby on the way! As her "tummy" grows (I guess I sound more sensitive if I say that instead of stomach or belly) it's starting to hit me that THIS IS NOT A TEST! It seems like just yesterday we were two kids in college crushing on each other and now … [Read more...]
Fatherhood Should Change You
The fatherhood instinct is real. To look upon your offspring and see yourself in their face, in their expressions, in their actions, and ultimately in their interpretation of the world is a daunting thing to come face to face with - every single day. And that's why true fatherhood is done with every interaction a father is lucky enough to have with their children. If you … [Read more...]
The Two Lies Fathers Must Stop Telling Themselves
I was utterly blown away at the responses from the 300+ middle school and high school students. I volunteer as a group-leader at a suburban church youth ministry. The speaker asked, “How many you have ever thought about ending it all and committing suicide?” About 100 students’ hands went up. “How many of you cut yourselves?” A third of the hands went up again. The males and … [Read more...]
VIDEO: Best Father/Daughter Video of 2014 – Kicking it With My Daddy!
You know at BMWK we're all about highlighting the positive and challenging the negative and often false perceptions of our people. Well we're very excited to share this video with you. Check out Ricky Weems and his superstar daughter rock "Kicking it with my daddy!" After you check it out leave a comment below letting us know what you think. [youtube id="4Bv3YPSalxM"] … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Become a Great Leader, Husband, and Father
During a conversation this week, I was discussing why we have the challenges we have in our community with fatherhood. I talked about how sites such as BMWK lead the charge in making differences in lives and communities. I want to share some thoughts on why we have so many single parent homes and what we can do individually to change this experience in our communities. 1. Be … [Read more...]
The 5 C’s that Great Father’s Teach Their Sons
"We never kicked it at all, never pitched or kicked at a ball, you never taught me how to fight, ride a bike, none of that....!" This a lyric I heard from a Jay-Z song as Beanie Seagle rapped about being a "fatherless son." While fathers usually do teach these things, there are some other lessons that great fathers out there teach. And hence, the reason we need their presence! … [Read more...]
5 Things Every Father Should Share with His Sons
As we approach Father’s Day, we are often thinking about the gifts we can give our Fathers. I’m led to reflect on the gifts my father, grandfather and other father figures in my life gave to me. It’s important as a man for me to realize where my foundation comes from. In my case, it comes from those life lessons from my Dad and Grandfather. Respect My grandfather was a … [Read more...]