Last week was Orange Week where many #kidmin & #stumin leaders immersed themselves in a conversation surrounding the 5 components of the Orange Philosophy by the reThink Group.  One of those components is Reactivate Family. You can read a series of posts here.

The concept of Reactivate Family is also the primary theme of the D6 Movement.  If you’ve never heard of D6, you should check it out immediately.  It’s a ministry catered to reconnecting parents with kids.  As I was writing my post on Reactivate Family, I shot Matt Markins an email asking him for his thoughts.

Matt Markins is one of the co-founders of the D6 Movement and is hard at work preparing for the D6 Conference this fall.  Though he has little spare time, he graciously took a few minutes to share his thoughts with us.  Enjoy the following perspective and share some comment love at the end.

Here’s Matt…

I think one of the ‘unspoken’ themes in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is the equity and the power of the relationship factor. How are we supposed to “talk to your kids when we sit at home, walk along the road, when we get up, and when we lie down” if we have no relationship with them and if they have no respect for us as they grow older? The relationship is the channel or the pipeline (as Dr. Richard Ross says) through which the gospel of Jesus Christ passes from one generation to the next.

Things like the “family game night” or “date nights” (we do Daddy Dates in our home) keep the laughter rolling and the conversations forging ahead which keeps the relationship pipeline open. If parents want to have a godly influence over the lives of their kids (and we hope that they will want this!) the relationship is sooooo important. Unfortunately many dads value/demand peace and respect to the point where they end up squelching the relationship just to receive a false sense of peace and respect in the home. I think a great resource to help with this is Dr. Richard Ross 30 Days.  Another thing that can help dads (even earlier in life than 30 days) is Fred Stoeker’s “Doing Book” which you can get from his book “Preparing Your Son for Every Man’s Battle”. I think these two methods are very helpful in keeping the relationship channel’s open.

The bottom line challenge as I see it though is “how” to motivate the family/parents to actually change their behaviors to “do” this very, very important stuff.  I think a large part of answering the “how” is found in Reggie’s #1. Integrated Strategy and # 2 Refine the Message .  When everyone in the leadership is on the same page it magnifies our potential for breakthrough success of motivating or reactivating the family.  I am thankful for churches who see the vision from scripture and who are actually taking the time to “reThink” their spiritual formation model, and am prayerful that so many more will do the same to strengthen the family, the church, and ultimately the kingdom.

Thank you, Matt, for your thoughts and your work with D6.  Your efforts to inspire and equip families goes further than you will see in this lifetime.  Yet it is celebrated in Heaven.  May God continue to bless this ministry.

For more information about D6, check out these links:

Ministry leaders can connect with D6 Conference Group at cmconnect here.

My husband is the strongest, most steadfast man to walk the face of the planet.  I know this because he married me.  :)

And he wrote a special post for you guys to enjoy…

For Love of the Game

On the opening weekend of the college football season I had the privilege and pleasure of taking my 10 year old son, Keegan, to the Oklahoma State vs. Georgia game.  It was one of the greatest college football experiences I have ever had.  The atmosphere was electric as tens of thousands of people converged on Stillwater.  Keegan was getting in to it.  The pregame show was a blur of energy and sound.  The crescendo was when four jets from Vance Air force base flew over the newly renovated stadium.  This is where I get excited as the game starts and Keegan ( I did not realize this until later) started to lose interest.  During the first quarter I became more and more frustrated with him.  He was doing everything but watch the game.  I even went so far as to suggest I might bring someone else next time if he goofed off the whole time.

It finally dawned on me that the reason he was so disinterested in the game was he didn’t understand it.  I never took the time to explain what was happening on the field.  So, for the rest of the game I taught him how football was played.  At first, he humored me.  However, as the game continued you could see the interest in him come to the surface.  He began to ask questions about the game and even began to understand some of what was happening on the field.  So I continued to teach him the game, to disciple him in the ways of college football.  By the end of the game all he had were two questions,

“Can we go to the Hideaway and when is the next game?”

So on October 31st we will head back to Stillwater a to stare down mad cow disease in the form of Bevo and the Texas Long Horns.  At that game I will continue to disciple him to love football.

Everyday between now and October 31st and for years to come I will disciple him, I will teach him not football but the ways of the Lord.

Proverbs 22:6 says,

“Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”(NASB)

I invested a Saturday afternoon in teaching him to love football, I will spend a lifetime training him to live for God, a little bit everyday.  I will let him see my passion for Christ and therefore help his passion grow.  At times he may get distracted, he might even goof off, but I will not waiver.  I will wait for him to show interest and then I will pour into him until he is overflowing.

Everyday is game-day, just make sure your paying attention.  You never know when God is going to call an audible and open the door to your child’s heart.

Enjoy a post from my friend, Tristie Fisher.  Tristie and I were roommates in college.  Back then she was a zany woman with more energy than 10 of us combined.  Today… not much has changed.  She’s a spiritual stud with wisdom to share.  Enjoy… then share some comment love below.

Exfoliate Your Life

Maybe it’s turning 40, I really don’t know.  In my twenties, I noticed clothing and hair styles.  Now, in my early forties I notice skin.  How clear is her complexion?  How many wrinkles does she have?  Does she look older than me? or worse does she look younger than me?

Years ago, I gave it up in one word… GENETICS.  It’s not Beauty Products!  It’s just plain old genetics… you play the cards you are dealt… what your mama looks like, you will look like.

Now, I still take care of my skin… I appropriately cleanse and moisturize.  But, the one thing I did this year was that word none of us knew before 1999… I exfoliate.

To EXFOLIATE is “to wash your face in such a manner as to remove old dead skin cells”…so that fresh renewed skin can show through and say,

“World, look at my young skin… I am as young as I feel!”

…Mmmm, well, maybe that’s not what we meant.

What do I mean by all this?  I’ll tell you that I do  notice when I exfoliate. My skin seems clearer and cleaner and generally feels better. As I “exfoliated” tonight, I thought….

What does this look like in my life? How do you “exfoliate your life”?

It seems clear…..

1. Wash your face…..Cleanse yourself of any (and all) hidden sin and plain old “you know what you are doing is wrong” stuff. Forgive where you need to forgive, confess when you need to confess….this applies to people and God. ONLY heavenly soap can do the trick. (I John 1:9)
2. Exfoliate….this is the next step of the process. Some exfoliating products can actually hurt your face the first time you use them….why? Because there are little granules in the product DESIGNED to do just that…hurt you to heal you. Those rough little granules are going to smooth the dead skin away. How can that apply to our lives?  What things is God using in my life to “exfoliate” my life? These things hurt, they sting..but my faith is a whole lot smoother when He’s done. (Isa. 43:19)
3. Moisturize…. My skin needs moisture. My favorite products are those that “keep on moisturizing even while you sleep”.  Isn’t that amazing? My soul needs moisture. No dry, crispy faith for me! But, it needs water…living water. Water that keeps on flowing and bubbling up over in my soul. I not only need (but must have to survive) that constant reapplication of His Word. For me, every morning and every evening. This product actually delivers!

As you prepare for bed this evening, perhaps even this seemingly benign routine may bring blessing. As the soap cleanses, as deadness is washed away, and refreshment comes….maybe the Lord will use this ritual in a way to make it worshipful. That is my prayer for me and for you!

Tristie resides in College Station, Tx, with her husband (Brian), son (Ben) and daughter (Joy).  Brian serves as the Sr. Pastor of Grace Bible Church.