Too often, I use social media to show you the picturesque version of my family, smiling for a selfie followed by the hashtag #DadLife. What you don’t see is the unrelenting effort that it took to capture that picture, and that’s not fair to you. You only get to see the facade. Truthfully, I spent all of my time trying to capture the moment that I missed the moment altogether. Social media has done a great job of connecting us. But it has also given […]
Read: A Letter to Matthew: Part 1 Our struggle to conceive was certainly a reminder that you were a gift from Him. Even before you were born, He knew this would be your name. Matthew means gift of God. “Meme” chose it for her son for a reason, her reason. Your mom and I chose it for our own. Some will call it southern and others may call it traditional. For us, there was no other name: Matthew Derrick Ham, Jr. […]
It’s 4am and I’m awake. My mind is moving, attempting to ponder everything that this week has brought before me. Although the diagnosis was favorable and I have amazing confidence in my doctor, there’s still something that stirs my soul. I think it has to do with the reckoning of my own mortality. Our mortality. People hate the word cancer. Most avoid saying it. And it is awful. But I won’t give it the pleasure of my fear. For fear […]
“Chase me, Daddy!” Greyson calls out in his sweet, two-year old voice. “Chase me!” His brothers follow in unison. “Chase us, Daddy!” I’ll pretend like I don’t hear them as their anticipation begins to rise. Then, in a sudden movement, I’ll jump up and watch them scatter in three different directions, laughing as they run. We usually end up wrestling in a pile on the floor. They could do this for hours. I wish I could say the same. I […]
One of my personal challenges this year is to ask others how I can help them. I’m not assuming my helpfulness, I’m forcing myself to be intentional. The other day, I posed the question to a friend who is expecting his second child. Without hesitation he said, “Pray for wisdom as a father.” The request rested heavy on my soul. Fatherly wisdom is a prayer I say often because I feel like I struggle with it. As I considered his […]
I have a financial advisor that oversees my retirement accounts. Occasionally, I’ll watch the chart tick up and down with the ebb and flow of the market, wondering if my investment will pay off. On a personal level, I invest in myself. I read books, take courses, eat well, and join the gym. On a spiritual level, I invest in a relationship with God. I read His Word, I journal, and I pray. But, I’m reminded this morning of one investment whose dividends […]
When my wife and I prayed for a family, we didn’t understand why God made us wait nearly three years for our prayers to be answered. All of the heartache and pain didn’t seem necessary. Why would a good, loving God drag us through a desert-like season that almost cost us our marriage? The wisdom of hindsight has revealed that God was simply preparing us for three boys. While infertility and marital struggles were challenging, nothing has been more challenging than parenting these […]
We get busy in life. Matt reminds us of why we dedicate ourselves to something other than ourselves.
- Robert Wagnon, CEO, Republic State Mortgage
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