Seeking Psychiatric Help for Children

Posted by rfathers on June 30, 2009

Today I had the occasion to look for help for a friend who had a question about his son’s behavior.  I was again lead to a website that has a wealth of information for parents who are looking for answers.  That website is the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, www.aacap.org.

The American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry website has a convenient list of almost 100 questionable behaviors and issues of concern in their Fact for Families section.  They feature explanations about signs to look for, details about normal behavior, suggestions for further reading, some videos, recommended steps to take, and other helpful information for inquiring parents.

I recommend using this resources to help you answer questions about your children and about where and how to find help when the questions arise Facts for Families - Alphabetical Listing.  The website also features a host of other resources, links, papers, books and referrals that are helpful for families and professionals.

President Obama’s Father’s Day Message

Posted by rfathers on June 19, 2009

President Barrack Obama posted a Father’s Day Message on the U.S. Govenment’s National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC) website (Fatherhood.gov).  Here is that message as borrowed from Youtube.com.

Book Review: Man In the Mirror

Posted by rfathers on June 18, 2009

Today I’d like to just give everyone a heads-up on a great book for men The Man in the Mirror: Solving the 24 Problems Men Face, by Patrick Morley.  We are currently using this book in our Joseph The Carpenter Focus Group.

Although this book was written many years ago (1989), it is as relevant today as it was 20 years ago.  From reading this book, the men in our group have had to really take stock of ourselves in terms of our walk with God, our purpose in life, our service to God, and our relationships with our spouses.

Here’s a quote on the book from Amazon.com:

This powerful book invites men to take a probing look at their identities, relationships, finances, time, temperament, and integrity, and then directs them to take the first time step toward lasting change.

The author, Patrick Morley also has a number of other books developed around the Man in the Mirror theme. You can visit his website at ManInTheMirror.org.

I strongly recommend the Man In the Mirror books for those who want to improve and maintain their relationship with God. As of this writing copies are available as low as one cent each - plus shipping.

7 Immediate Benefits for Women Who Read Fatherhood Principles of Joseph the Carpenter

Posted by rfathers on June 16, 2009

Joseph the Carpenter is a Great Role-Model for 21st Century Fatherhood. But, he is also a role model for women as his Godly life can be emulated by anyone who wants to get closer to God. Below are Seven Immediate Benefits for women who read the book, Fatherhood Principles of Joseph the Carpenter.

1. Biblical Historical Purposes: Everyone can learn from the life of Joseph the Carpenter as he was one of the most important people in Jesus’ life and in God’s Plan for Salvation.
2. Apply the Principles: Women can apply the principles illuminated in the book in their personal lives and in their spiritual walk.
3. Lift Your Own Personal and Spiritual Standards: By using the example of Joseph the Carpenter, women will be encouraged to raise their own levels and be better in Christ.
4. Gain Self-Respect in Relationships: Women can learn what Godly men should be like so that they will not settle for less. They will know how they should be treated by men. As the men improve women will also be propelled to improve.
5. Wives Can Encourage Their Husbands: Wives can help their husbands follow Joseph example and become Godly men, husbands and fathers. Wives can encourage their husbands to be effective Godly leaders in the family.
6. Mothers Can Help Prepare Their Sons: By knowing what God expects of Godly men, husbands and fathers - mothers can help prepare their sons to live up to that Godly standard.
7. Study Guide for Women’s Groups: This book is good for discussion groups as it helps everyone dig deeper into the Bible and is an effective Bible Study tool.

Please see our website for addition information on the Fatherhood Principles of Joseph the Carpenter. www.JosephTheCarpenterBook.com

Print this post as a 1-page pdf 7 Immediate Benefits for Women Who Read Fatherhood Principles of Joseph the Carpenter

The Five Languages of Love

Posted by rfathers on May 30, 2009

Every man should know about the Five Languages of Love.

In his book, The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman teaches couples how to speak and how to understand their mate’s love languages.

Those five languages are:

1. words of affirmation: telling her how much you appreciate her and what she does, expressing gratitude for well she does something, compliments on her hair or clothes, and especially telling her how you feel about her;
2. quality time: focusing your time and energy on her and also on her needs, communication (with eye contact), sharing feelings, thoughts and experiences; listening (not solving problems – but listening);
3. receiving gifts: giving gifts as a expression of love and appreciation (within your budget of course), including the gift of self and time;
4. acts of services: chores done out of love not obligation, from the simple and necessary chores to the special chores specifically for your mate, know what our mate likes or you could be speaking the wrong language (i.e. washing the car will not be appreciated if your mate wants the dishes done); and
5. physical touch: more than just sexual intercourse is important to most people, physical closeness is appreciated in various ways, know what you your mate likes and where and what is important to her, know how she does not like to be touched so that you will not be irritating to her.

Do you know your mate’s love languages, how she speaks them or how she likes to receive them?

Do you know your own way of speaking and how you like to receive?

Gary Chapman, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate, (Chicago, IL: Northfield Publishing, 1995).

Gary’s book and his website can be great tools for developing your abilities in this area. (See www.FiveLoveLanguages.com)

Or you can get a copy right here:

21st Century Fatherhood Role-Model

Posted by rfathers on May 15, 2009

Well, the books are finally available and we are giving them away at huge discounts.  This was a one-and-a-half year project to research, write and critique this book with a focus group - then - over the last three months I have worked on nothing but finishing re-writing this book, getting it formatted and printed.  But now, the 178 page paperback book, Fatherhood Principles of Joseph the Carpenter: Examples of Godly Fatherhood is available at: www.JosephTheCarpenterBook.com.

Joseph the Carpenter was a great man of faith and is a perfect role-model for 21^st century fathers, one that is sorely needed at this time when fatherhood has been under attack and divorce amongst Christians is as prevalent as non-Christians.

What Role Did Joseph Have in Jesus’ Life?

As the earthly father to Jesus Christ, Joseph was a Godly man, a man of character, a loving husband, a family man, a teacher, a provider and a protector. In short, Joseph was a purpose-driven servant of God.

What Is the Book All About?

Fatherhood Principles of Joseph the Carpenter is a challenging and exciting new motivational book for Fathers with ground-breaking analysis of the scant scriptures on this Great Man of Faith. It helps men gain a heightened understanding of Joseph’s history and education. It brings to life how he taught and coached the boy Jesus (like Eli did for Samuel). It presents eye-opening accounts of the Jewish background for many Biblical scenes. It provides seven uplifting principles that fathers and husbands can implement right now.

Who Wrote the Book?

The author, Akili Kumasi, attends church in Queens, New York. He is a devoted father of two young men and two daughters, a former college instructor and the author/editor of twelve books including four fatherhood books. Akili is the founder of the Reconciled Fathers Network, a ministry that helps separated-fathers become good and Godly parents (www.rFathers.Net).

Print a free copy of Chapter One

How Can You Get More Information?

Fatherhood Principles of Joseph the Carpenter is available now at www.JosephTheCarpenterBook.com. Wholesale distribution is available at: Get Wholesale Prices.

Take Time To Be A Dad - from the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse

Posted by rfathers on February 19, 2009

On January 5, 2009 we posted an article “Take Time for Your Children” See article.

Today we want to share two 30-second commericals from the U.S. Government’s National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse’s “Take Time to Be a Dad” campaign.

These commericals speak for themselves.

	Cheer Leader A grandmother watches as a father is rehearsing cheerleading routines with his daughter.
	Super Soaker We observe a father and his young son engaged in a serious “super soaker” battle.

For more information on the U.S. Government’s National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse’s, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Office of Family Assistance.

NRFC - Home page

NRFC - Tips for Absence Fathers

NRFC - Tips for Parents

NRFC - Fatherhood Statistics

Book List for the Joseph the Carpenter Focus Groups

Posted by rfathers on February 13, 2009

Below is a draft list for the Joseph the Carpenter Focus Groups. Please make suggestions for other books that can be included.

Initially, a Focus Group would read the first book, Fatherhood Principles of Joseph the Carpenter.

Second, one book (choosen by the group) from each of the remaining categories (2 through 9) would be read - in order.

Third, after completion of the one book from each category, the group would start again with another book from each of the categories. This would continue for three rounds, until all the books have been read and discussed in the focus group.

Fourth, we will be adding more material as we continue to develop the Joseph the Carpenter Focus Groups.

See how the groups are organized and how to start a Focus Group in your area Joseph the Carpenter Focus Groups.

Please make your suggestions for the book list and give us any comments or questions below.

Thank you.

Akili Kumasi

Joseph the Carpenter Focus Group Book List

1. Joseph the Carpenter
   1. Fatherhood Principles of Joseph the Carpenter, Akili Kumasi
2. Be A Godly Man
   1. Maximized Manhood, Edwin Louis Cole
   2. Disciplines of a Godly Man, R. Kent Hughes
   3. The Man in the Mirror: Solving the 24 Problems Men Face, Patrick Morley
3. Be A Man of Character
   1. No More Excuses: Be the Man God Made You to Be, Tony Evans
   2. Every Man’s Battle, Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker
   3. The Character of a Man: Reflecting the Image of Jesus, Bruce Marchiano
4. Be a Loving Husband
   1. An Outrageous Commitment, Ron Elmore
   2. Communication, Sex and Money, Edwin Louis Cole
   3. Five Languages of Love, Gary Chapman
5. Be a Family Man
   1. Straight Talk to Men: Timeless Principles for Leading Your Family, James Dobson
   2. Developing a Servant’s Heart, Charles F. Stanley
   3. Accountable to God: Biblical Stewardship, Mike Whitmore
6. Be a Teacher
   1. The Strong-Willed Child, James Dobson
   2. Your Boy: Raising a Godly Son in an Ungodly World, Vicki Courtney
   3. Fathers & Daughters: Raising Polished Cornerstones, David Barrett & Elysse Barrett
7. Be a Provider
   1. Knowing the Economy of God, Thomas Meaglia
   2. Personal Finances, Larry Burkett
   3. Money Life Basics-Marriage & Children, Crown Financial Ministries
8. Be a Protector
   1. Blessing of A Father, Randy Brown
   2. The Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian
   3. Parenting Teens in a Confusing Culture, Mark Gregston
9. The Purpose Driven Father
   1. The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren
   2. Understanding the Purpose and Power of Men, Myles Munroe
   3. Husbands & Fathers: Rediscover the Creator’s Purpose for Men, Derek Prince

Print a copy of the book list: Joseph the Carpenter Focus Group book List.

See how the groups are organized and how to start a Focus Group in your area. Joseph the Carpenter Focus Groups.

Please make your suggestions for the book list and give us any comments or questions below.

Akili Kumasi
rFathers.Net

Births to Teenagers

Posted by rfathers on February 11, 2009

One of the more significant causes of fathers being separated from their children is the incidence of Teenage Pregnancy and Birth to Teenagers.

In my book On the Outside Looking In we noted that BIRTHS TO UN-WED MOTHERS MEANS BIRTHS TO UN-WED FATHERS. The main problem here is that the mothers generally (in overwhelming numbers) get stuck with taking care of the babies while the fathers are not held accountable - as much. This creates a disadvantage for everyone, including the father because if he does not take responsibility then he does not learn to be responsible and will probably repeat the performance.

In the report cited below, it was concluded that BIRTHS TO TEENAGE MOTHERS DOES NOT MEAN BIRTHS TO TEENAGE FATHERS. More births are occurring to teenage mothers from boys and men who are older than the mothers than to teenage mothers who are impregnated by teenage boys! What does that tell you?

The Report: “Births: Final Data for 2006″

On January 7, 2009 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) released it latest report on birth in the U.S. for the year 2006. This report held some interesting statistics on teen birth rates (ages 15 to 19). Below are some highlights from the report:

Statistics

• 4,265,555 births in the United States in 2006.
• 435,436 births to teenagers, 15-19 years old (10.2% of total births).
• That is a 3% increase in the birthrate for teenagers.
• This increase in 2006 ended a 14-year period of continuous decline in the teen birth rate.
• Teenage birth rates increased in 26 states.
• Mississippi leads the nation with the highest teen birth rate, 6.8% (68 out of 1,000), New Mexico is second with 6.4% and Texas is third with 6.3%.
• New Hampshire had the lowest rate of 1.9% (19 per 1,000).
• Guttmacher Institute Researcher David Landry noted that “Its more costly for youth in the Northeast to have a teen baby than for youth in the South, in terms of opportunities they’ll miss.” Kids in mostly white New Engalnd likely would delay child birth (news.yahoo.com, 1/7/09).

Other Issues

• Health: Teen births have a elevated risk of poor birth outcomes including: low birth weight, pre-term births, infant mortality.
• Social: limited educational and financial resources available to teenage mothers.
• Social: Public cost (to the government) of teenage child bearing is about $9.1 billion yearly.
• One of the Causes: Growing media portrayals of celebrity pregnancy do not help (news.yahoo.com, 1/7/09).
• Problematic Stats on Fathers: Age of the father is not reported on birth certificates for 14% of all births, 25% of births to women younger than 25 and 36% of all unmarried births.

For More Information

• The 102 page report is entitled: “Births: Final Data for 2006″ and is published by the National Center for Health Statistics which is part of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the Department of Health and Human Services. The report is available in printable pdf format: Get Report.
• Wikipedia has an interesting (although dated) article on international teenage pregnancy Wikipedia - Teen Pregnancy

We will provide more information from this report in future posts. Please let us know what you think about the information in the report in a comment below.

Post your comments below, including additional sources of information on teenage pregnancy, methods for prevention, personal experience, resources etc.

The Man of Her Dreams, The Woman of His

Posted by rfathers on January 31, 2009

Somehow this website appeared on my computer Joel and Kathy - GodSavedMyMarriage.com. No kidding, I walked away from doing some work on my computer to do the dishes.

After finishing the dishes and talking with my wife, I came back to my computer to find Joel and Kathy’s website on the screen (honestly). (It must have come up when i was rumbling around my desk looking for something. in any event, it was God’s doing.)

Anyway, I looked through their website to see what they are about and wow, what a discovery! A great looking family with a tremendous set of testimonies from readers of their books.

In their own words, this is what Joel and Kathy are about:

“If your marriage has been ravaged by adultery, porn, other marital problems, divorce, emotional abuse, mental abuse or verbal abuse, then allow Joel and Kathy Davisson to help you!

Joel was a Pastor in 1991 when he got into an affair. He then continued to abuse Kathy with spiritual abuse, mental abuse, verbal abuse and emotional abuse. Joel’s infidelity and continuing abuse almost caused a divorce.

In 1994, Joel and Kathy attended a week of training at Life Skills International with Dr. Paul Hegstrom. There they learned that Joel was an abusive husband. Their marriage restoration began immediately.

In 2004, after ten years of living an extraordinarily happy marriage, God led the Davisson’s to write The Man of Her Dreams/The Woman of His!

Now, through this marriage ministry, Joel and Kathy help couples with every type of marriage problems, such as: recovery from porn addiction, adultery, abuse and help for a myriad of other marital problems.

The Man of Her Dreams/The Woman of His Ministry includes marriage training opportunities?and?marriage support.

This marital support includes marriage seminars, their signature Weekend Marriage Intensive, phone marriage counseling and personal marriage mentoring. The Weekend Marriage Intensive is a combination of marriage retreat, divorce prevention and a Marriage Workshop.

The Weekend Marriage Intensive Marriage Retreats conducted by Joel and Kathy have brought about remarriage after divorce, rekindling of romantic love, adultery recovery and recovery from every other kind of unfaithfulness in marriage.

Marriage coaching and couples coaching is available for FREE on Joel and Kathy’s online marriage forum at www.joelandkathy.com/boards/

(Copied from their website: GodSaveMyMarriage.com)

Check out their website then come back and get their books here: