Articles by Randy Wilson

As the parents of seven children ages 4 to 22, Lisa and I are constantly crying out to God for wisdom to steward our time and our lives well. Keeping track of schedules, to-do lists and keeping a pulse on living well in relationships makes us desperate for God as we lead, guide and direct these children. Having a preschooler and a daughter who is now married, we are more aware than ever how quickly the years blow by. Changes whirl in and out of our home like a fast-moving Colorado storm. Wow! Where do the years go?

Our words literally create worlds for those we love. They create atmospheres, environments and a universe of value or destruction for others to live in. We live in a culture in which words are used flippantly. Language has become a tool of sarcasm and mockery, regularly used to tear down the home. The beautiful relationships of marriage and family too often lay in the rubble of cynicism for the sake of humor.

Future generations have a claim on us, our time, our choices, our thoughts, our words, our actions and our plans. We choose every day between life and death, blessings and curses in our homes. Think about the home in which you grew up. Think back to words spoken repeatedly. Were they words of life or death? Words penetrate our souls and stake a claim that we at some point must accept or deny. Sometimes before we can choose words of life for our home, we must revoke words of death that we have heard our whole lives and that we may now be speaking to our children.

After Lisa and I married we had four children in a little over four years. We literally cried out to God to teach us and guide us in how to love these children in a way that would honor Him. Now we realize the greatest gift God gave us was to reveal our utter desperation for Him!

One Scriptural principle that has captured our hearts was the power of a father’s blessing. As we studied the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, we saw the enormous impact of fathers blessing their children. The word "bless" means to bow and to lay hands on, to bestow favor. So we decided to create a blessing ceremony with our four preschoolers.