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Fathers Day

June 15, 2011 Parenting
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Its that time of year again. Easter, Mothers Day, and now Fathers day are all asking for us to part company and buy flowers. And we do think about flowers for many occasions, but how many of us have given Dad a flower for Fathers Day?

These days flowers are not thought of as something feminine. In our modern world, more men than ever are tuning into their nurturing sides, and starting to appreciate the act of nurturing something that is growing. It has gone beyond just giving something thoughtless as a token of appreciation. It’s turned into something much deeper.

One idea for giving a flower for Fathers day is to find a nice gift basket. A lot of retailers will put a bit of extra effort to include something that your dad really likes, like his favorite wine or cheese, in with their floral arrangements. Wrap a bit of green about almost anything, and you have a tasteful gift.

Something else to be considered when thinking of a flower for Fathers Day is to purchase a live plant. A planter can bring a bit of greenery to an office desk or a favorite dresser, at home or at work. This is a great way to serve as a daily reminder of the living love between you.

Perhaps the man in your life is not one to be fussed over with plants and other gifts. Something for the garden might be more appreciated in this instance. Lots of men like to do things outdoors. Perhaps an azalea or a nice pot of tuberous begonias might be more up his street. He could incorporate them into the design of the yard, and in time your kids could take starts for their dads. What a great way to pass something on!

When thinking about this, you can consider more than a single plant, too. Something living and green could be a bush which flowered, or a vine, perhaps even a flowering tree. Just think of a tree seedling in the yard, given by his very first child on the first Father’s Day you celebrate together. This tree grows with your family, each year strengthening as you strengthen your family ties. This is why those who keep such records call them family trees.

If your pops is indecisive about what he wants, you could think about getting him a tray of plants that he can use in flower beds. This could be more appropriate, for they would last through the growing season, but die with autumn’s frosts. Then he can be given new plants for the next year.

If you are still stuck about what to do, remember that flower shops now sell a lot more items than just floral gifts. Ornaments, books, and other presents can all be obtained. Garden centers also stock a great variety of gardening items as well as plants. Clothing, tools, garden equipment, and things for the landscape like paving stones can all be found there. Most families use their yards to do more than grill a hot dog or play croquet. A thoughtful gift might just get Dad out of the armchair and into the garden, where he can enjoy things for many years.

We can remember those we love in many ways with a Flower for Father’s Day. The arrangement could be expensive or simple, the gift a garden tree or an individual rose. Every gift of love will show Dad how much you appreciate him. That is what Father’s Day is all about .

Church Fathers

June 15, 2011 Parenting
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One of the many things that I observe in the debate between young-earth and old-earth creationists, is the constant appeal to the works of past theologians. People are constantly appealing to this church father, or that medieval theologian, in the hopes that they will justify their belief in an old or young earth.

Old-earth creationists have pointed to Justin Martyr, Origin, Augustine, and others from the first four centuries after Christ, as believing in an old earth. At the same time, young-earth creationists have defended these past Christians as believing in a young-earth. Both cases look strong, leading me to believe that these men were seeking the truth, and may not have reached a conclusion.

Why Does it Matter?

Why do people seek out the beliefs of Christian that have gone before us? A Christian who is struggling with these issues may need the support, so that they can make up their minds one-way or the other. Or, a person may simply be trying to be as thorough as possible before committing to a choice.

People today have been conditioned to fully research their beliefs. This is good. But in many cases, I get the distinct impression that people will not commit to a belief, unless they can find a crutch to lean on…fellow Christians, past and present, who believe the same thing. We must move beyond this “crutch” mentality, and decide issues for ourselves.

Be Decisive!

But there eventually comes a time when the believer must make a choice of their own. How important is this search for support from the Christians that have gone before us? Not important at all. In the end, we must rely upon our own conclusions, based on the evidence that we have. In fact, with advances in science, and new archeological discoveries, we are in a better position to decide this issue than any of the church fathers that have gone before us.

Geology as a science did not really get going until the 1800’s, therefore none of this scientific data was available to these past theologians. What would Justin Martyr have decided, if he had the evidence we have today?

I’m not saying to ignore the church leaders of the past, but I am saying that we have much more evidence than they ever had, and can reach our own conclusions. Don’t be afraid to come to your own conclusions about creation and the Bible.

I have concluded that the earth is 4.5 billion years old. If you believe that the earth was created in six 24-hour days, great! Hold fast to that belief. If you have evidence and believe that the days of creation are each 3.76 seconds each, great!

Conclusion

Each of us has the evidence in the Bible and God’s creation. We don’t need to appeal to the theologians of the past to support our belief…they didn’t have the same evidence that we have, due to scientific and archaeological discoveries…why then are we seeking to trust in their views which were based on limited evidence?

Who Work From Home

June 15, 2011 Parenting
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These days more and more fathers are choosing to work from home in a quest to spend extra quality time with their children. They have chosen to get out of the normal routine of travelling to and from work each day in order for them to be able to take their kids to school as well as pick them up in the afternoon.

I am somebody who has taken up this type of lifestyle. I am a kind of house husband who also is able to earn money each month which helps to pay towards some of those unwanted bills. I love the fact that I am able to take my young son to school, he is currently in his first year which is called reception class and looks so cute as he chats to his mates whilst awaiting his school day to commence. This is a side of my sons life which I would be unable to see if I had what most people call a regular job. In the afternoon I collect my son and help him with his homework when we arrive back home. He will then relax which then allows me to get on with some more of my work.

While he is at school, I run speech therapy courses which are aimed at helping people who stammer to achieve fluency. I myself had a speech impediment up until the age of twenty-two and I really enjoy helping and teaching other people the ways in which they can also eradicate their own stammer.

I also spend time helping people to promote their website/s. I do this in a variety of ways including writing articles like the one you are reading. In this role I am able to work at times that suit me. This includes some evenings when the house is a little quieter but basically is at times when I choose.

Working from home may seem like an easy life but you have to ensure that you put the hours in. I know quite a few people who have a similar role in life to the one I have. What I mean by that is not so much in the type of work that they do but in the fact that they also work from home. One of them is able to work as a type of travel agent and helps people who contact him to book holidays over the internet. Another friend is a website designer who has an office in his house. He tends to prefer to work in the evenings and is able to spend his days doing the things that interest him such as playing golf.

There are many different roles for other people who are looking to work from home, it is just a matter of finding them. Market research is another area that a lady I know does very well out of. The hours are less sociable but it suits her lifestyle down to the ground.

If you are fed up with working in say an office, there may well be options out there which could include working from home, which could suit you and lead you to having a much happier life. Good luck.

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