There’s an old Latin phrase that carries the kind of weight you don’t shake off easily: Fac, si facis. Translated, it means, “Do it, if you're going to do it.” It’s a phrase rooted in ancient satire, likely coined by the Roman poet Horace to mock politicians who made big promises but never followed through. … Continue reading Fac, Si Facis — If You’re Going to Do It, Do It
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Quod Obstat Viae Fit Via–What Stands in the Way Becomes the Way
(Note: This is a lesson I first gave to my twins on their 15th birthday and just recently altered for my son Ean's 15th birthday. ) “Our actions may be impeded…but there can be no impeding our intentions or dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt. The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes … Continue reading Quod Obstat Viae Fit Via–What Stands in the Way Becomes the Way
Quidvis Recte Factum Quamvis Humile Praeclarum
Whatever Is Rightly Done, However Humble, Is Noble (Note: This is a lesson I first gave to my son Jaden on his 17th birthday and I am about to give to my twins on their 17th birthday. It has been slightly altered for this blog. ) Luxury and excellence are often associated with things like … Continue reading Quidvis Recte Factum Quamvis Humile Praeclarum
Dodging the Dad Bias: Leading with an Open Mind (and Avoiding Donkey Moments)
When you say the word “bias” out loud, it might bring to mind a certain term that used to refer primarily to donkeys. While the words aren’t actually related, failing to pay attention to our own biases can certainly lead us to act like a donkey: stubborn, stiff-necked, and unreasoning. As fathers, we all have … Continue reading Dodging the Dad Bias: Leading with an Open Mind (and Avoiding Donkey Moments)
A Different Kind of Father
When we think of fathers, images of family dinners, bedtime stories, and life lessons may come to mind. But fatherhood isn’t always limited to those who share our DNA or raise us in the traditional sense. There’s another kind of fatherhood that can be just as profound—spiritual fatherhood. One of the most remarkable examples of … Continue reading A Different Kind of Father
Spiritual Bushido: Self-Control
In Bushido, self-control is sometimes included as an eighth virtue and sometimes the lists end with 7 and it is considered as an unwritten eighth virtue. These lists are somewhat artificial as they varied from region to region and from century to century. Whether listed or not though, the concept of self-control is central to … Continue reading Spiritual Bushido: Self-Control
My Drug Problem
Growing up I had a drug problem. I was drug out of bed to go to school every weekday. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to church every Sunday morning. I was drug back on Sunday nights. I was even drug to Wednesday night Bible classes. I was drug … Continue reading My Drug Problem
Memento Mori
(Note: This is a lesson I first gave to my son, Jaden, on his 16th birthday. I have since given it to my sons, Isaiah and Isaac, on their 16th birthday as well.) Edwaert Collier Vanitas "Still Life with Books and Manuscripts and a Skull" 1663 The phrase memento mori is a Latin expression that … Continue reading Memento Mori
Spiritual Bushido: Duty/Loyalty
In Bushido: The Soul of Japan (1900), Inazo Nitobe explains that the life of the Samurai revolves around duty, often understood as an unwavering loyalty to one’s master: "The life of the Samurai is based on duty, which includes unquestioning loyalty to one’s master. If necessary, the Samurai was expected to give his life without … Continue reading Spiritual Bushido: Duty/Loyalty
A Tiger Comes To Tea
(Note: This was a lesson I gave to my son, Joseph, on the occasion of his 10th birthday) Sometimes, tigers come to tea. The Tiger Who Came to Tea was written and illustrated by Judith Kerr. In this book, a mother and her daughter are sitting down to tea when there is a knock on … Continue reading A Tiger Comes To Tea
Knights of The Father 