A Dad's Guide to Raising a Son of Character (Ebook Shorts)
By Rick Johnson
4/5
()
About this ebook
Rick Johnson
Rick Johnson is the bestselling author of several books, including That's My Son, That's My Teenage Son, That's My Girl, and Better Dads, Stronger Sons. He is the founder of Better Dads and is a sought-after speaker at parenting and marriage conferences. Rick and his wife, Suzanne, live in Oregon. Learn more at www.betterdads.net.
Read more from Rick Johnson
Spirituality in Counseling and Psychotherapy: An Integrative Approach that Empowers Clients Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHealthy Parenting: Become the Parent You Wish You'd Had Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings10 Things Great Dads Do: Strategies for Raising Great Kids Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Becoming Your Spouse's Better Half: Why Differences Make a Marriage Great Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How to Talk So Your Husband Will Listen: And Listen So Your Husband Will Talk Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Making Your Differences Work for Your Marriage (Ebook Shorts) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Imago Dei: A Priestly Calling for Humankind Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThat's My Son: How Moms Can Influence Boys to Become Men of Character Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5That's My Teenage Son: How Moms Can Influence Their Boys to Become Good Men Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Mom's Guide to Understanding Her Son (Ebook Shorts) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Understand the Man You Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRomancing Your Better Half: Keeping Intimacy Alive in Your Marriage Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Better Dads, Stronger Sons: How Fathers Can Guide Boys to Become Men of Character Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhen Grandparents Become Parents: How to Succeed at Raising Your Children's Children Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBecoming the Dad Your Daughter Needs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Man in the Making: Strategies to Help Your Son Succeed in Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to A Dad's Guide to Raising a Son of Character (Ebook Shorts)
Related ebooks
A Man in the Making: Strategies to Help Your Son Succeed in Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Better Dads, Stronger Sons: How Fathers Can Guide Boys to Become Men of Character Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChoosing a Life That Matters: 7 Decisions You'll Never Regret Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Imperfect Dads, One Perfect Father: Encouraging Men Through the Journey of Fatherhood Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChampionship Fathering Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFive Secrets Great Dads Know Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Becoming the Dad Your Daughter Needs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFatherhood By George: Hard-Won Advice on Being a Dad Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Good Dad: Becoming the Father You Were Meant to Be Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBad Dads of the Bible: 8 Mistakes Every Good Dad Can Avoid Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What a Son Needs from His Dad: How a Man Prepares His Sons for Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Marriage Done Right: One Man, One Woman Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5101 Things Great Dads Do: Small Acts That Make a Big Difference Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMoments Together for a Peaceful Home Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Be a Better Dad Today!: 10 Tools Every Father Needs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRomancing Your Better Half: Keeping Intimacy Alive in Your Marriage Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/552 Things Kids Need from a Dad: What Fathers Can Do to Make a Lifelong Difference Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5That's My Son: How Moms Can Influence Boys to Become Men of Character Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Science of Living: Parenting With Responsibility and Purpose Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhy Men and Women Act the Way They Do: The Reasons Might Surprise You Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDaughters and their Dads: Tips for fathers, adult daughters, husbands and father-figures Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Raising Men, Not Boys: Shepherding Your Sons to be Men of God Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Father's Mission: Strong Fatherhood in Our Modern Times Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Christian Husband Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/510 Conversations Kids Need to Have with Their Dad Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHero: Being the Strong Father Your Children Need Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Heart of a Father: How You Can Become a Dad of Destiny Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/552 Tips for Fathers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings5 Things Every Parent Needs to Know about Their Kids and Sex Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsParenting: Raising Godly Seed Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Christianity For You
Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex: Creating a Marriage That's Both Holy and Hot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Your Brain's Not Broken: Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Holy Bible (World English Bible, Easy Navigation) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table: It's Time to Win the Battle of Your Mind... Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Lead When You're Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Warrior of the Light: A Manual Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Workbook: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Less Fret, More Faith: An 11-Week Action Plan to Overcome Anxiety Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries with Kids: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Children Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for A Dad's Guide to Raising a Son of Character (Ebook Shorts)
6 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
A Dad's Guide to Raising a Son of Character (Ebook Shorts) - Rick Johnson
accomplishments.
Introduction
The Redemption of a Man
God does work in mysterious ways.
I was raised in an alcoholic home. I can distinctly remember lying in bed at night as a little boy, my little brothers and sisters huddled around me in fear, my pillow tightly pulled over my ears, desperately crying to God to make the fighting, screaming, and hitting in the next room stop. I prayed fervently, with all my heart and soul. But God didn’t answer those prayers—then.
I grew up to be an abuser of drugs, alcohol, and any other substance that would deaden the pain I felt in my soul but didn’t acknowledge. I slept with a multitude of women, never realizing that what I was really looking for was love, not sex.
I met my wife and married her when I was twenty-five. She unwittingly followed my masculine leadership into depths of degradation and despair. Finally, with the birth of my son when I was thirty, I recognized my foolishness and stopped taking drugs—the first step on the road to recovery. Years of counseling followed as I attempted to lead a normal
life and be a good husband and father despite my lack of a positive role model growing up. By then I had substituted work and achievement (society’s legal narcotics) for the numbing effect of drugs.
At forty, I had what the world said should have made me happy and satisfied. I owned a relatively successful business. I was married to a beautiful wife with two great kids, owned a nice house and new cars, and had money to burn. We weren’t rich, but compared to most people we were living a pretty good life. I was what the world considers a success.
Yet I was miserable. The more I accomplished, the less gratifying my success was. I stubbornly adopted a me against the world
attitude; I was going to win no matter the cost. I believed that I controlled my destiny and that all I needed to do was work harder and smarter to achieve my dreams and goals.
How could I have everything the world offers and still be so dissatisfied?
I finally decided to take inventory of my life and see if I could fix whatever was wrong with me. After all, that’s how I had taken care of every other dilemma I had faced before. Since I had no men in my life whom I respected at the time, I decided to look at the lives of admirable men throughout history to determine what they had that I didn’t.
As I researched the lives of brilliant men such as Leonardo da Vinci, George Washington, John Adams (and nearly all the other founding fathers of our country), Abraham Lincoln, and many others throughout the ages, the one common thread I discovered among them was that they were all Christians. I was shocked. I had grown up in a family that considered religion in general to be a crutch for weak people and Christians in particular to be a bunch of hypocrites.
In reaction to that revelation, I set out to prove to myself that Christianity was a false concept. I believed that the Bible was written by uneducated, superstitious savages and that the basis for believing in a mythical Jesus was one of unenlightened ignorance. I was a scoffer of the highest magnitude. In fact, I despised people who could so easily be led around like docile cows with rings in their noses.
After a year of research and study, I finally had to admit that I could not disprove Christianity. As illogical as I believed the concept to be, something about it spoke to me deep in my gut. In time I became convinced that Jesus Christ not only existed but was actually the Son of God who had come to earth as a man to die for our sins and rise again in order to provide eternal life for all who chose to believe and accept his gift.
So I believed. I took the gift. The decision was not one based on emotion or one that someone talked me into but one based on logic and my own research.
I soon realized that God had blessed me with a number of personal gifts or traits that I had been using only for self-gratification and that I needed to start using to serve him. I spent the next year trying different types of service—everything from ushering at church to picketing abortion clinics—hoping to figure out how God wanted me to serve him.
I was particularly concerned about the culture around me. How could our culture be so far off base from all the truths that I had recently learned to be self-evident? Our country seemed to be decaying at an accelerated pace. But I didn’t know how one man could possibly make a difference in this troubled world. The task seemed overwhelming. At the same time, I was also deeply concerned about the kind of father I was. I kept searching for answers: How can a man become a good father when he has been raised without one or with a very poor