Family – Page 3 – The Doug Ellingsworth Blog

So, Want To Know How We Got Here?

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on August 26, 2015

I’m not asking how we got to that nice little village in the picture. It is obvious we got there by bicycle.

What I’m inquiring about is how we got to where men wear skirts, children choose their own gender, everybody uses the same bathroom, and we’re supposed to think that’s all cool.

We aren’t there, you say? You don’t see this where you live? A writer from London mentioned that while attending a fashion show in New York a few weeks ago. This is how she ends the article: “Laugh at the idea of (men wearing) a thigh-high split dress at your peril. You could be wearing it soon – if not this winter, perhaps the next.” It’s here. And it will only get worse.

So, how did we get here?

Family/Living

You Really Ought To Go To Church

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on August 19, 2015

When I was a kid, it never entered my mind to ask on a church night whether or not we’d be going. I was half-grown before I knew that staying home was an option. We sure couldn’t at my place. In fact, there were times I was permitted to miss school, but still had to go to church.

I recall a few times when my carpenter dad worked late. Mom would have us all ready and fed, and we had strict orders to make sure the bathroom (we only had one) was free the instant dad’s boots hit the front steps. He’d bathe and put on his suit and eat a Spam sandwich as he drove us to church. It didn’t matter if it was revival, work night, or regular Bible study. If there was church, we were there.

Family

The Blessing In The Spanking

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on August 5, 2015

I know. Spanking is frowned on by many nowadays. But if today’s politically correct crowd sets your agenda, you are half a step from going crazy. Their values are not formed by a set of unchanging and proven principles, but are a collection of bizarre notions that defy logic. If a bakery does not want to cater a same-sex marriage, our government and mainstream media will shut them down, but if a business wants to sell pieces of aborted babies, our government will be their financial partner and the media will convince us they are providing essential medical services. Our Supreme Court says our Constitution demands that we all buy health insurance, and that same document, they say, won’t let its citizens define what a marriage is. So pardon me for not being impressed with this politically correct logic. It may be delivered in elegant prose by distinguished orators, but irrational nonsense is still irrational nonsense.

Having survived being spanked by my parents, grandparents, and a school teacher or two, I stand as a strong proponent of spanking.

Family/Leadership/Ministry

From A Dad To His Pastor

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on July 17, 2015

I hope, Pastor, that you will not feel that I am being disrespectful by sending you this note. The truth is, if I didn’t have confidence and trust in your life and ministry, I wouldn’t bother to say anything. But because I do trust you, and because the Bible makes it plain that I need a pastor, I feel compelled to write.

My family is my dearest possession. Regardless of what I might accomplish with my life, if I fail to help them develop a strong bond with the God who made them, I’d consider myself a failure. Placing them in your spiritual care is not something that I’ve done without great thought and much prayer.

While I have confidence in your ministry, I’ve also had confidence in other ministers that I now see embracing behaviors that they once said were wrong. I’m not talking about a little adjustment here and there, but radical lifestyle changes.

Family/Ministry

When Dreams Die. Or Do They?

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on July 9, 2015

In the Summer of 1999, a young man, just finished with high school and looking forward to his college career, attended a youth service with some of his friends. In the middle of his sermon, the preacher suddenly stopped and said,”There is a young man here, already planning to go to college, that God is calling you to give up your plans and dreams and go to Bible college and serve Him.”

The boy did have plans and dreams. He loved working with computers, and after finishing college, that would be his life’s work.

But he felt the tug and call that evening. After a lengthy time of prayer around the altar, he went home and told his mother and pastor that God wanted him to go to Bible college.

College started in just two weeks. But in those two weeks, the young man was able to get admitted to Bible school, find the money to move a few hundred miles, and get all settled in. Although he was giving up his lifelong dream of pursuing a computer science degree, he was happy with his decision and was excited about his future.

Family/Leadership/Ministry

Dogs That Won’t Bark

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on June 19, 2015

A verse I read in Mark’s gospel reminded me of something my friend Marty Johnson told me long ago. “Silence is not always golden,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s yellow.”

What spurred that memory was Mark’s description of the moment when a young man ran up to Jesus and asked what he needed to do to gain eternal life. Mark didn’t just repeat their conversation, but he gave a full account of how they acted and what they felt.

The young man came running and knelt before Jesus as He was walking down the road. Jesus didn’t just answer the fellow, but watched him intently.

Mark wanted us to know that.

Family

Honor Mom – Win A Book!

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on May 7, 2015

In honor of Mothers’ Day, we are giving away ten copies of the book Call Me Blessed!

Here’s how it works.

You write a short note about your mom – some special memory or tough decision or kind act, etc. – that describes why she is so special.

Email that note to [email protected]. We will select ten entries to receive a free copy of the book.

We will share some of the stories in future posts.

Join in today! Tell us why your mom was the greatest mom ever.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Family/Ministry

Generational Tension: When The Old Men Are Silenced

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on May 5, 2015

Solomon had worked and wearied the northern tribes of Israel for most of his forty-year reign, working to develop and improve the southern half of the nation. Their frustration boiled over about the time that Solomon died. When his son assumed the throne, a delegation of northern leaders came to plead their case before him.

The old advisors, men who had served Solomon for years, suggested that the new king listen to the complaints of his subjects and make some concessions to secure their continued loyalty. Rehoboam’s peers, their pride and arrogance not yet tempered by the hard knocks of life, pushed him to be even more aggressive toward the citizens of the north.

Family

I Made Sure My Children Failed

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on April 10, 2015

I wrote this short article a few years ago for a series I was doing at church. It has been reprinted in a few places since, but I thought it was worth sharing again. Using the behavior of the wandering Israelites as a guide, here is how you can make sure your children fail.

1. I Did Not Have Faith. When God desired to lead us into the Promise Land, I sided with the majority who felt that we had neither the resources nor the ability to accomplish such a huge mission. After all, there is safety in numbers and the majority should rule. That’s the only fair way.

2. When Things Didn’t Please Me, I Longed For The Past. I valued the confinement of the familiar past more than I anticipated the joys of a free future.

Family/Living

It’s All About the Culture!

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on April 6, 2015

It’s the culture. It’s not because they are poor or rich or smart or illiterate. It’s not because of the color of their skin. Most of our interpersonal relationship issues are because our cultures are different.

Culture: the customs, social behaviors (including diet and dress), and values of a particular group of people or nation.

Category: Family