A good father takes time to play. 00:00:01.36\00:00:05.47 He has strong integrity. 00:00:05.50\00:00:08.57 He is someone that is truly dedicated. 00:00:08.60\00:00:12.27 He is not afraid to show his love. 00:00:12.31\00:00:15.88 He is a caring provider. 00:00:15.91\00:00:19.01 And he is a kind spiritual leader. 00:00:19.05\00:00:23.69 These are just a few ways to describe A Father's Heart. 00:00:23.72\00:00:28.32 Hi, and welcome to A Father's Heart. 00:00:32.66\00:00:34.00 I am your host Xavier, 00:00:34.03\00:00:35.60 and today we're gonna be discussing 00:00:35.63\00:00:37.33 how do your sons treat their wives 00:00:37.37\00:00:39.87 if you yourself never had a father in your life. 00:00:39.90\00:00:43.34 And at the same time, 00:00:43.37\00:00:44.71 how did the wives treat their husbands 00:00:44.74\00:00:46.94 if your daughters never had a father to show them. 00:00:46.98\00:00:50.58 And with me to discuss that 00:00:50.61\00:00:52.01 is going to be my friend Gordon 00:00:52.05\00:00:54.05 and my lovely wife Brittany Hill-Morales. 00:00:54.08\00:00:57.05 How are you today? I'm doing well, doing good. 00:00:57.09\00:00:59.22 Awesome. 00:00:59.25\00:01:00.59 So you know, one of the things that I always think about is 00:01:00.62\00:01:05.49 if your son and you, 00:01:05.53\00:01:08.73 you know, have this great relationship 00:01:08.76\00:01:10.33 but you in yourself never had a father 00:01:10.37\00:01:12.63 to have that relationship with, 00:01:12.67\00:01:14.24 how do you teach your son how to treat his wife, 00:01:14.27\00:01:16.91 and at the same time, if you, you know, as my wife, 00:01:16.94\00:01:19.54 if you never had a father in your life to show you 00:01:19.57\00:01:23.35 how to treat your husband, how does that work? 00:01:23.38\00:01:26.15 I think the first thing, 00:01:26.18\00:01:27.52 I mean, for me is to have that counseling, 00:01:27.55\00:01:32.45 a premarital counseling and hopefully 00:01:32.49\00:01:34.59 you have a good pastor 00:01:34.62\00:01:36.49 or a counselor that teaches you these things 00:01:36.52\00:01:38.79 that takes you through the process 00:01:38.83\00:01:40.53 so that when you were solid, 00:01:40.56\00:01:42.66 then you can pass on what you know 00:01:42.70\00:01:45.23 because you really can't share what you don't know. 00:01:45.27\00:01:47.84 But it starts 00:01:47.87\00:01:49.20 with that premarital counseling, 00:01:49.24\00:01:51.17 and I think that's a very important part of, 00:01:51.21\00:01:54.18 you know, just being able to get the tools 00:01:54.21\00:01:56.24 that you need. 00:01:56.28\00:01:57.61 There're so many tools out there, 00:01:57.65\00:01:58.98 there's so much stuff out there 00:01:59.01\00:02:00.38 that you yourself can go seek in as to how do I, 00:02:00.42\00:02:04.82 you know, how do I teach my child, 00:02:04.85\00:02:07.46 how do I teach myself how to be a better husband, 00:02:07.49\00:02:10.53 how so that I can help my son 00:02:10.56\00:02:13.06 and my daughter find the right spouse. 00:02:13.09\00:02:15.66 I'll tell you for us, 00:02:15.70\00:02:17.33 well, I go via biblical on this one, 00:02:17.37\00:02:20.14 and this way is that for my son for him to find a good wife, 00:02:20.17\00:02:24.47 it's got to come to your mother and father. 00:02:24.51\00:02:26.98 We're looking for that. 00:02:27.01\00:02:28.34 We are actively looking for a spouse 00:02:28.38\00:02:33.58 or for spouses for my children. 00:02:33.62\00:02:35.38 And they know this from small. 00:02:35.42\00:02:37.85 And we make no excuses 00:02:37.89\00:02:39.22 that you are not brining anyone here 00:02:39.25\00:02:40.79 unless they're part of the family, 00:02:40.82\00:02:43.66 they mesh with the family. 00:02:43.69\00:02:45.16 So we're involved, my son said to me, "Well, Dad? 00:02:45.19\00:02:48.43 Can I at least choose?" I said, "Yeah, you can choose. 00:02:48.46\00:02:53.44 Bring that individual, 00:02:53.47\00:02:55.44 and then they will get the stamp of approval. 00:02:55.47\00:02:57.91 If they don't get the stamp of approval, 00:02:57.94\00:02:59.31 it's not gonna work." 00:02:59.34\00:03:00.71 So that's just some of the things 00:03:00.74\00:03:02.31 that we do so that 00:03:02.34\00:03:04.31 we can help them navigate life and future. 00:03:04.35\00:03:08.32 If you bring somebody in the family and they're not, 00:03:08.35\00:03:11.62 you know, they don't mesh nicely 00:03:11.65\00:03:13.42 with the family, 00:03:13.46\00:03:14.79 it could create a lot of problem, 00:03:14.82\00:03:16.16 lot of tension. 00:03:16.19\00:03:17.53 So that's one of the things that we want to do, 00:03:17.56\00:03:19.23 we're trying to do with our children. 00:03:19.26\00:03:21.40 I don't know if you have something to add. 00:03:21.43\00:03:23.57 I do in regards to how do you teach, 00:03:23.60\00:03:27.44 the fathers teaching their daughters 00:03:27.47\00:03:30.14 what they should expect. 00:03:30.17\00:03:32.04 I think the first thing that needs to happen is 00:03:32.07\00:03:35.84 you have to ask God. 00:03:35.88\00:03:37.45 If you are a spiritual father, spiritual leader, 00:03:37.48\00:03:40.95 even as a mother, you have to go to God 00:03:40.98\00:03:43.28 and talk to Him personally, 00:03:43.32\00:03:44.65 and when I say ask God, I am saying, 00:03:44.69\00:03:47.42 search in the scriptures 'cause that is good, 00:03:47.46\00:03:49.69 but we have a thing where we don't talk to God. 00:03:49.72\00:03:53.63 We do every other thing 00:03:53.66\00:03:55.00 but we don't actually sit down and say, 00:03:55.03\00:03:57.07 "Lord, this is what's going on in my heart. 00:03:57.10\00:03:59.03 This is the issue." 00:03:59.07\00:04:00.40 And actually pray and listen back to hear 00:04:00.44\00:04:03.20 what God has to say to have 00:04:03.24\00:04:04.87 that personal relationship with Him. 00:04:04.91\00:04:06.78 So that's the first thing to ask God. 00:04:06.81\00:04:08.91 And in that, when you're asking God 00:04:08.94\00:04:11.95 with the presence of your daughter there, 00:04:11.98\00:04:14.22 you're teaching her three things. 00:04:14.25\00:04:16.38 First thing is, you're teaching her 00:04:16.42\00:04:18.95 how to pray for her spouse. 00:04:18.99\00:04:21.69 And that's something 00:04:21.72\00:04:23.06 that doesn't just naturally come, 00:04:23.09\00:04:24.59 they have to experience and learn that, 00:04:24.63\00:04:26.56 how do you pray for your spouse. 00:04:26.59\00:04:27.93 The next thing, you're teaching them 00:04:27.96\00:04:29.46 how to pray with a man, with a person. 00:04:29.50\00:04:33.34 There are so much dirty things going on in this world 00:04:33.37\00:04:38.24 that people are abusing the power 00:04:38.27\00:04:40.94 and the beauty of prayer. 00:04:40.98\00:04:42.58 That as a father 00:04:42.61\00:04:43.95 when you are talking to your child and both 00:04:43.98\00:04:46.48 of you are going to God about this relationship 00:04:46.51\00:04:48.62 that hasn't happened yet, or even though it has happened, 00:04:48.65\00:04:51.49 you are teaching her, okay, this is what prayer, 00:04:51.52\00:04:54.39 one of the principles to look like. 00:04:54.42\00:04:56.32 And the third thing, you're also teaching her 00:04:56.36\00:04:58.99 what does it mean to have someone else 00:04:59.03\00:05:00.36 to pray over me. 00:05:00.40\00:05:01.83 Because again, in case of spiritual abuse, 00:05:01.86\00:05:05.90 there're some men 00:05:05.93\00:05:07.27 that when they're praying over their wife, they say, 00:05:07.30\00:05:08.80 "Lord, help her to learn how to submit to me." 00:05:08.84\00:05:12.84 "The Lord, help her learn how to cook better." 00:05:12.87\00:05:14.64 Well, you know, those are things 00:05:14.68\00:05:16.01 that could work. 00:05:16.04\00:05:17.38 But she, from that experience, 00:05:17.41\00:05:19.51 she may not have had a father to teach you that 00:05:19.55\00:05:22.15 but as the father, you can be able to say, 00:05:22.18\00:05:24.05 "Okay, this is the three things 00:05:24.09\00:05:25.42 that I'm trying to show you by us praying." 00:05:25.45\00:05:27.99 Using prayer, asking God 00:05:28.02\00:05:29.42 as that separate thing to be like, this is important. 00:05:29.46\00:05:31.79 Teach her that God is important. 00:05:31.83\00:05:33.40 For God to be the center of their relationship, 00:05:33.43\00:05:36.06 you have to show 00:05:36.10\00:05:37.43 that from the beginning as having God as the center 00:05:37.47\00:05:39.03 of your relationship as a father and a daughter, 00:05:39.07\00:05:40.74 father and a son too. 00:05:40.77\00:05:42.80 I think that is important. 00:05:42.84\00:05:44.17 I agree with Brittany 00:05:44.21\00:05:45.54 that prayer is an important key. 00:05:45.57\00:05:48.31 If you are not modeling, 00:05:48.34\00:05:49.68 we talked about this previously, 00:05:49.71\00:05:51.05 if you as a father not modeling that, 00:05:51.08\00:05:52.85 that child wouldn't know how to model a prayer, 00:05:52.88\00:05:55.98 and yes, being able to pray for a spouse for your child, 00:05:56.02\00:06:02.46 and have your child, 00:06:02.49\00:06:03.86 your son or your daughter see and hear you pray it 00:06:03.89\00:06:07.40 because it's one thing to be on your knees just praying, 00:06:07.43\00:06:10.50 but they need to hear the prayers, 00:06:10.53\00:06:12.07 they need to hear the prayers and devotion, 00:06:12.10\00:06:14.00 they need to hear it throughout, 00:06:14.04\00:06:15.70 you know, their life growing up and they know, 00:06:15.74\00:06:17.81 "My dad and my mom, 00:06:17.84\00:06:19.17 they're praying for me to have this spouse. 00:06:19.21\00:06:22.94 So in other words, they're praying for my success 00:06:22.98\00:06:25.71 in life for my future spouse." 00:06:25.75\00:06:28.48 You know, I appreciate that in something you said earlier. 00:06:28.52\00:06:31.42 I appreciate your involvement with your son 00:06:31.45\00:06:33.15 because you know, I went through different relationships 00:06:33.19\00:06:36.32 that I could have avoided, 00:06:36.36\00:06:39.03 you know, because your parents 00:06:39.06\00:06:40.60 don't want to be overbearing because you are an adult. 00:06:40.63\00:06:42.63 But at the same time, 00:06:42.66\00:06:44.00 they don't know how to approach. 00:06:44.03\00:06:45.37 And I think it's key to have that balance with your child 00:06:45.40\00:06:48.07 to know that, 00:06:48.10\00:06:49.44 "Hey, I'm not gonna control you. 00:06:49.47\00:06:51.14 But I am going to be involved. 00:06:51.17\00:06:53.11 Not because you don't know 00:06:53.14\00:06:54.58 but because I've been here longer. 00:06:54.61\00:06:56.78 So I have an understanding, and I want the best for you." 00:06:56.81\00:06:59.78 And I think as the father, you know, when my parents got, 00:06:59.81\00:07:02.85 you know, when I got the stamp of approval with my wife now, 00:07:02.88\00:07:06.99 it meant the world to me because you know, 00:07:07.02\00:07:10.59 they've been married for 40 years. 00:07:10.63\00:07:12.79 And to get the stamp of approval, 00:07:12.83\00:07:15.00 which I never had before, it just meant the world 00:07:15.03\00:07:17.40 because I know it's coming from people 00:07:17.43\00:07:19.10 that have been there to understand that 00:07:19.13\00:07:21.50 and knowing which one's the best. 00:07:21.54\00:07:23.37 You know, but let's throw on the flipside, as ministers, 00:07:23.41\00:07:29.18 what or as counselors, however you want to call it, 00:07:29.21\00:07:32.75 how do you deal with a child, 00:07:32.78\00:07:34.68 somebody adult that's coming to you, 00:07:34.72\00:07:38.22 I don't know your backgrounds as far as if you know, 00:07:38.25\00:07:41.26 your dad's involvement in your life, 00:07:41.29\00:07:43.46 how do you deal with, let's say my wife, 00:07:43.49\00:07:45.16 how do you deal with a woman that's coming to you 00:07:45.19\00:07:48.36 who hasn't had a father in her life 00:07:48.40\00:07:50.67 and she wants to know 00:07:50.70\00:07:52.03 how do I even know if I have the right guy, 00:07:52.07\00:07:53.70 how do I treat my husband. 00:07:53.74\00:07:56.00 I don't know, my father was never there. 00:07:56.04\00:07:58.01 I don't know what to do, and I'm praying, 00:07:58.04\00:08:00.51 I'm doing what I can, but I just don't know. 00:08:00.54\00:08:05.11 Go ahead. Go ahead. Okay, I'll go head first. 00:08:05.15\00:08:08.12 Well, the first step is the fact 00:08:08.15\00:08:09.88 that she came and she said something, 00:08:09.92\00:08:11.85 and being able to admit 00:08:11.89\00:08:13.36 that you don't know is an important first step. 00:08:13.39\00:08:17.19 That's one thing, as you said as counselors, 00:08:17.23\00:08:20.20 is that challenging area when we have clients 00:08:20.23\00:08:23.26 and patients is them not being able to admit 00:08:23.30\00:08:25.50 that there's a problem and you are seeing the problem. 00:08:25.53\00:08:28.54 So that's a beautiful, 00:08:28.57\00:08:30.34 green flat great, green light great. 00:08:30.37\00:08:34.18 But how should she approach it is again, 00:08:34.21\00:08:37.95 you know, asking God, speaking to God, 00:08:37.98\00:08:39.31 and having that relationship 00:08:39.35\00:08:40.68 if she's a person of the Christian faith. 00:08:40.72\00:08:44.75 Seeking the scriptures, 00:08:44.79\00:08:46.72 the different sort of advice I would probably give 00:08:46.76\00:08:50.03 is based on the different levels 00:08:50.06\00:08:51.46 of research, 00:08:51.49\00:08:52.83 I will probably reference a few different resources 00:08:52.86\00:08:55.33 because marriage professionals, 00:08:55.36\00:08:58.20 marriage or family fare professionals, 00:08:58.23\00:09:00.24 they have done so much research that's gone for over 100 years, 00:09:00.27\00:09:04.01 over 100 years, 00:09:04.04\00:09:05.41 on the different keys to a relationship 00:09:05.44\00:09:08.18 and helping it to be successful. 00:09:08.21\00:09:10.75 So like, don't be afraid to go into this to listen. 00:09:10.78\00:09:14.38 The new things that I am learning everyday 00:09:14.42\00:09:17.65 that's helping our relationship, 00:09:17.69\00:09:19.95 there are new things 00:09:19.99\00:09:21.32 that are just developing and one thing 00:09:21.36\00:09:25.16 I would most likely tell her is this. 00:09:25.19\00:09:28.50 You have to accept the reality of sin. 00:09:28.53\00:09:32.17 You cannot ignore that sin is a factor 00:09:32.20\00:09:35.14 in each and every one of our lives 00:09:35.17\00:09:37.37 including herself and including in her spouse 00:09:37.41\00:09:41.38 or her significant other person that she is working with. 00:09:41.41\00:09:44.35 We hear all these list of great qualities in a person. 00:09:44.38\00:09:47.85 They should be this, they should be that, 00:09:47.88\00:09:49.32 they should be this, they should be that. 00:09:49.35\00:09:51.12 But that may not be 00:09:51.15\00:09:53.86 where your significant other is. 00:09:53.89\00:09:56.19 And you have to accept the reality 00:09:56.22\00:09:58.43 that sin has marred our nature and the ability 00:09:58.46\00:10:01.90 that we should have and yes, you should want certain things, 00:10:01.93\00:10:05.83 but you have to accept that he's not going to be there 00:10:05.87\00:10:07.84 or it might take a few years, and also you have to accept 00:10:07.87\00:10:10.14 that you have to work together in that journey. 00:10:10.17\00:10:14.64 As a pastor and a family life educator, 00:10:14.68\00:10:16.98 one of the things that I do is to help people to go 00:10:17.01\00:10:20.62 the scriptures for references, 00:10:20.65\00:10:22.38 and not only that, look at Titus, 00:10:22.42\00:10:25.29 what is the role of the older woman 00:10:25.32\00:10:28.46 in the church. 00:10:28.49\00:10:29.82 The older woman is to teach the younger woman. 00:10:29.86\00:10:32.89 And so I connect them with a strong couple 00:10:32.93\00:10:36.83 that has been through, 00:10:36.87\00:10:38.53 and I do this on a regular basis. 00:10:38.57\00:10:40.77 So I will connect the younger couples 00:10:40.80\00:10:42.74 with older couples so that they can help them. 00:10:42.77\00:10:44.77 Or a younger person that is looking to get married 00:10:44.81\00:10:48.64 or if their marriage are in trouble, 00:10:48.68\00:10:50.58 connect them with an older couple 00:10:50.61\00:10:52.48 that they can help them, they can talk with them, 00:10:52.51\00:10:54.42 they can mentor them. 00:10:54.45\00:10:55.78 It is one of the pivotal things I believe that we need to do 00:10:55.82\00:11:00.22 and keep doing to help our young ladies and young men, 00:11:00.26\00:11:06.16 help them find the right spouse, 00:11:06.19\00:11:08.66 help them develop strong, 00:11:08.70\00:11:10.83 healthy relationships is by being able to put them 00:11:10.87\00:11:14.54 alongside a couple. 00:11:14.57\00:11:16.74 I believe that the Bible has given us 00:11:16.77\00:11:18.67 some strong counsel on this 00:11:18.71\00:11:21.88 is that the older should teach the younger. 00:11:21.91\00:11:24.88 And I think why we're so messed up 00:11:24.91\00:11:26.88 is because we've missed that. 00:11:26.92\00:11:28.62 You see, I agree with that and that's one of the things 00:11:28.65\00:11:31.29 that I wanted to talk about a little more is we've, 00:11:31.32\00:11:36.09 I have my dad model his life, you know, around my mom. 00:11:36.12\00:11:41.16 I would watch them interact 00:11:41.20\00:11:43.00 and you know, in a society in Puerto Rico, socially, 00:11:43.03\00:11:46.30 you grow up in a patriarchal setting 00:11:46.33\00:11:48.47 where the wife does everything, cooking, cleaning, 00:11:48.50\00:11:52.47 and but my mom and dad were not about that. 00:11:52.51\00:11:55.84 My mom said you need to be able 00:11:55.88\00:11:57.65 because what if your wife gets sick. 00:11:57.68\00:11:59.38 You got to be able to cook. You know, what if she is tired? 00:11:59.41\00:12:02.98 She shouldn't be able to do everything. 00:12:03.02\00:12:04.55 My dad would say, 00:12:04.59\00:12:05.92 "Boy, but get in that kitchen and start cleaning and cooking. 00:12:05.95\00:12:08.92 You know, get my bug 00:12:08.96\00:12:10.29 and I'll show you what a man does." 00:12:10.33\00:12:11.66 And I am like, "Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I'll go. I'll go." 00:12:11.69\00:12:13.56 You know, I had to learn both spectrums of, 00:12:13.60\00:12:16.97 but looking at their relationship 00:12:17.00\00:12:18.33 and how they communicated 00:12:18.37\00:12:19.70 and how they grew together, they went through, 00:12:19.73\00:12:21.74 it was a period in time where they were going 00:12:21.77\00:12:23.10 to get divorced. 00:12:23.14\00:12:24.64 But something that they engrained in me 00:12:24.67\00:12:27.38 that I never understood until now was that what saved 00:12:27.41\00:12:31.01 their marriage aside from prayer 00:12:31.05\00:12:32.95 was the friendship 00:12:32.98\00:12:34.38 that they had at the beginning as friends, 00:12:34.42\00:12:36.55 before they got married, they were a long time friends. 00:12:36.58\00:12:38.99 And I had the benefit of having that modeling in my life 00:12:39.02\00:12:43.09 even though I chose to go on different route. 00:12:43.12\00:12:46.43 I took the scenic route to get to the right place. 00:12:46.46\00:12:49.36 What about you? 00:12:49.40\00:12:50.73 Did you have that modeling from your father in your life? 00:12:50.77\00:12:54.40 I had the modeling from my father in my life. 00:12:54.44\00:12:57.31 So it was easy for me. 00:12:57.34\00:12:59.21 But along the line, I've seen 00:12:59.24\00:13:02.34 the side effects of not having it. 00:13:02.38\00:13:05.08 For example, I just get to share 00:13:05.11\00:13:06.45 two quick stories with you guys. 00:13:06.48\00:13:08.58 My sister, when she got married, 00:13:08.62\00:13:11.15 I could remember as yesterday. 00:13:11.19\00:13:13.42 My dad and my mom saying 00:13:13.46\00:13:14.92 this in the right person for you, 00:13:14.96\00:13:17.69 trying to help her, 00:13:17.73\00:13:19.06 but she decided, "You know what? 00:13:19.09\00:13:21.30 Get him for me because he pleased me well." 00:13:21.33\00:13:24.50 And marriage did not work. Things did not end up well. 00:13:24.53\00:13:30.01 So even though you may model something 00:13:30.04\00:13:33.27 for your child, 00:13:33.31\00:13:34.64 that child sometimes chooses their own route in life 00:13:34.68\00:13:38.55 and it ends up sometimes not the best. 00:13:38.58\00:13:42.42 So in my life, my father and my mother been married 00:13:42.45\00:13:45.85 all their lives until my father passed away, 00:13:45.89\00:13:49.22 there the marriage was a commuter relationship, 00:13:49.26\00:13:51.29 commuter marriage 'cause my father worked away, 00:13:51.33\00:13:53.63 and then, you know, he will come home on weekend 00:13:53.66\00:13:55.63 but when he was home, he was present, he was there, 00:13:55.66\00:13:59.13 he was not a father 00:13:59.17\00:14:00.50 that was not there when he was there. 00:14:00.54\00:14:02.64 So the model I saw how he drew, 00:14:02.67\00:14:04.81 I have never seen my mother and my father argue once, 00:14:04.84\00:14:09.98 never in all the years of my life. 00:14:10.01\00:14:12.88 So and same thing. 00:14:12.91\00:14:15.08 I try not to have arguments with my wife. 00:14:15.12\00:14:17.42 I mean, we don't have any arguments. 00:14:17.45\00:14:19.65 Well, it's just amazing before we had arguments 00:14:19.69\00:14:22.92 because on the flipside my wife did not have that modeling 00:14:22.96\00:14:28.26 as a father and her mother was her friend. 00:14:28.30\00:14:33.10 It was a chaotic. 00:14:33.13\00:14:35.90 You know, it ended up not nice, chaotic results. 00:14:35.94\00:14:39.71 So modeling is important. 00:14:39.74\00:14:43.04 And so right now, 00:14:43.08\00:14:44.41 the balance that we have to have in our home 00:14:44.45\00:14:48.22 because of her spectrum and my spectrum 00:14:48.25\00:14:50.69 is that we merge these two things together 00:14:50.72\00:14:52.55 and they end up beautiful because she knows 00:14:52.59\00:14:54.82 that I don't want to be a friend to my children. 00:14:54.86\00:14:57.26 I'm their mother, 00:14:57.29\00:14:58.63 so I'm gonna carry on that role. 00:14:58.66\00:15:01.00 And what she had to do is that she went 00:15:01.03\00:15:03.13 through counseling for years 00:15:03.16\00:15:06.07 to correct some of our ideologies, 00:15:06.10\00:15:10.21 the brokenness that she experienced. 00:15:10.24\00:15:14.31 And I was there as the husband to stand with her and help her 00:15:14.34\00:15:20.22 through her process. 00:15:20.25\00:15:21.65 I didn't get in the process. I just stand with her. 00:15:21.68\00:15:24.02 So on both sides, I've seen and experienced, 00:15:24.05\00:15:27.79 you know, what it means to have a father in your life 00:15:27.82\00:15:31.39 even though he wasn't seven days a week 00:15:31.43\00:15:35.76 but when he was there, he was in the relationship. 00:15:35.80\00:15:38.77 And so my choice was a little different 00:15:38.80\00:15:42.20 than my wife on the flip side. 00:15:42.24\00:15:44.44 She didn't have the same. 00:15:44.47\00:15:47.91 What about you? 00:15:47.94\00:15:49.41 I'm just thinking about you 00:15:49.44\00:15:50.98 saying the importance of counseling 00:15:51.01\00:15:52.55 and having that moment to correct wrong ideologies, 00:15:52.58\00:15:57.55 and I also hear there was a process in it. 00:15:57.59\00:16:01.16 It's not something that happened overnight 00:16:01.19\00:16:03.39 and that's one thing 00:16:03.43\00:16:05.53 as parents to train your child to realize 00:16:05.56\00:16:09.76 things don't happen overnight. 00:16:09.80\00:16:12.57 It's a process, it's a journey. 00:16:12.60\00:16:14.57 And you have to figure out if you're willing to deal 00:16:14.60\00:16:17.34 with these certain elements in the journey. 00:16:17.37\00:16:20.01 And it's difficult skill to accept for yourself 00:16:20.04\00:16:23.75 and then to teach your child. 00:16:23.78\00:16:25.55 This is the reality of life, honey. 00:16:25.58\00:16:27.52 He may not be perfect. 00:16:27.55\00:16:29.52 He may have his own background, his own understanding, 00:16:29.55\00:16:33.05 his own thing, but you have to work through it. 00:16:33.09\00:16:35.86 And I think one important element 00:16:35.89\00:16:37.96 as parents is you have to accept that. 00:16:37.99\00:16:43.63 So when your child comes and says, 00:16:43.67\00:16:45.73 "Well, so and so has this ideology." 00:16:45.77\00:16:47.64 "Oh, I know you should have never married that." 00:16:47.67\00:16:49.37 You cannot act like that. Right, right, right, right. 00:16:49.40\00:16:51.84 You have to accept that reality 00:16:51.87\00:16:53.34 and be supportive and realize that it's no longer your baby. 00:16:53.38\00:16:59.01 This is a grown married adult now. 00:16:59.05\00:17:02.55 And the information, the wisdom, 00:17:02.58\00:17:04.12 the guidance that you give, 00:17:04.15\00:17:05.49 you have to give from that perspective of, 00:17:05.52\00:17:07.12 "Yes, in my heart, you're still my little baby. 00:17:07.16\00:17:09.26 My little..." 00:17:09.29\00:17:10.63 But that's not what's happening right now. 00:17:10.66\00:17:12.56 They're an adult 00:17:12.59\00:17:13.93 and you have to allow them to figure out 00:17:13.96\00:17:16.73 what is their cup of tea 00:17:16.77\00:17:18.37 because you might look at your friends first 00:17:18.40\00:17:21.47 and you'd be like, "Oh that should be..." 00:17:21.50\00:17:22.84 No, that's not their cup of tea, 00:17:22.87\00:17:24.21 that's not their cup to bear, 00:17:24.24\00:17:25.57 that's not what they should be in their relationship. 00:17:25.61\00:17:26.94 We have to let them figure it out for themselves, 00:17:26.98\00:17:28.98 and be that support as their parent to figure out 00:17:29.01\00:17:32.15 what exactly is it that they need to have 00:17:32.18\00:17:34.65 in their relationship 00:17:34.68\00:17:36.25 and allow them to struggle a little bit. 00:17:36.28\00:17:38.42 As parents, we don't want our kids to struggle. 00:17:38.45\00:17:39.79 We want to get it perfectly. 00:17:39.82\00:17:41.16 We want to have a great spouse, 00:17:41.19\00:17:42.52 going to marry that person to the day you die. 00:17:42.56\00:17:45.73 But they may have someone who are always on the path 00:17:45.76\00:17:47.46 and you have to learn how to encourage 00:17:47.50\00:17:48.83 and support and to lift up. 00:17:48.86\00:17:50.73 I don't plan to be in my children 00:17:50.77\00:17:52.27 and I agree with you. 00:17:52.30\00:17:53.64 I don't plan to be in my children's life, 00:17:53.67\00:17:56.60 you know, navigate in every step of the way. 00:17:56.64\00:17:59.34 They're going to have to learn. 00:17:59.37\00:18:00.71 They're gonna have to get some... 00:18:00.74\00:18:02.08 But I do say this 00:18:02.11\00:18:03.45 and I'm very straight with this point. 00:18:03.48\00:18:06.65 If we don't agree with it, I'm not in it. 00:18:06.68\00:18:12.55 If we agree with the marriage 00:18:12.59\00:18:13.92 and we agree with who we are signing off, 00:18:13.96\00:18:15.86 we get our blessings, when you need us we're there, 00:18:15.89\00:18:18.99 but we're not there to navigate your life all the way. 00:18:19.03\00:18:21.60 And I'm just very, very plain with that. 00:18:21.63\00:18:24.17 I believe that parents, we're gonna always be parents. 00:18:24.20\00:18:27.17 We'll never stop being a parent to our children. 00:18:27.20\00:18:29.60 But we need to give them the space 00:18:29.64\00:18:31.54 in their marriage to grow 00:18:31.57\00:18:32.91 and you know, to experience the bumps. 00:18:32.94\00:18:35.31 But you cannot allow them, you can't, I mean, 00:18:35.34\00:18:38.88 have them go through that if you yourself on that hole. 00:18:38.91\00:18:43.52 And a lot of problems we have is that 00:18:43.55\00:18:45.15 we are broken and as parents, 00:18:45.19\00:18:47.39 we're not coming with the grips, 00:18:47.42\00:18:49.12 we're not willing to come to grips 00:18:49.16\00:18:50.49 with our brokenness. 00:18:50.53\00:18:52.23 And so we have a broken parent 00:18:52.26\00:18:55.23 trying to parent broken children. 00:18:55.26\00:18:58.40 So the whole system is broken. So only God can help us. 00:18:58.43\00:19:02.20 And so we've got to come back 00:19:02.24\00:19:03.81 to what we are just talking prayer 00:19:03.84\00:19:05.47 and put them in the hands of God 00:19:05.51\00:19:07.58 and putting ourselves in hands of God, 00:19:07.61\00:19:09.21 and being open and plain and honest with ourselves. 00:19:09.24\00:19:12.71 And I think that's critical, 00:19:12.75\00:19:14.08 you know, when I see so many different spectrums, 00:19:14.12\00:19:16.75 you know, you have mentored young men 00:19:16.79\00:19:20.16 that don't have a father, 00:19:20.19\00:19:22.26 and they don't know what to do next. 00:19:22.29\00:19:23.86 I've also talked to women 00:19:23.89\00:19:25.66 whose fathers weren't in their lives 00:19:25.69\00:19:28.06 and they just, you know, you can see 00:19:28.10\00:19:29.63 that they want to do better, but they just don't know how. 00:19:29.66\00:19:33.23 And I think it's important for all of us 00:19:33.27\00:19:34.94 that have any type of experience 00:19:34.97\00:19:39.17 whatever the case may be, 00:19:39.21\00:19:40.84 to have that understanding that, 00:19:40.88\00:19:42.21 you know, it's critical, and I know for my girls, 00:19:42.24\00:19:45.08 for our daughters, 00:19:45.11\00:19:48.55 you know, I'm very much against the notion 00:19:48.58\00:19:52.22 that they're going to get married 00:19:52.25\00:19:53.59 when they, I'm not gonna lie. 00:19:53.62\00:19:55.36 I know what you mean. 00:19:55.39\00:19:56.73 I say to them, 00:19:56.76\00:19:58.09 you know, you're going to get married 00:19:58.13\00:19:59.46 to the prince of peace one day. 00:19:59.49\00:20:00.83 Or you got to do is wait till he comes back. 00:20:00.86\00:20:02.30 That's the bedtime story. I'm with you there. 00:20:02.33\00:20:05.33 You know, I'm like, 00:20:05.37\00:20:06.70 that's just the notion of my daughters growing up, 00:20:06.74\00:20:09.27 the notion of them falling in love 00:20:09.30\00:20:11.91 and having a boyfriend and getting married. 00:20:11.94\00:20:14.38 That just, it bothers me. It bothers me. 00:20:14.41\00:20:17.95 But it's reality. 00:20:17.98\00:20:19.38 And one of the things that I've done 00:20:19.41\00:20:20.75 is just to really be involved 00:20:20.78\00:20:22.28 and become a better father, become a better man, 00:20:22.32\00:20:26.32 so they know that how a man is supposed to treat them, 00:20:26.35\00:20:30.69 and I think that's so critical, 00:20:30.73\00:20:32.06 you know, there are so many dads out there 00:20:32.09\00:20:33.43 that are not involved, and even then, when... 00:20:33.46\00:20:38.13 I have relatives 00:20:38.17\00:20:39.50 whose dad is not in their lives. 00:20:39.53\00:20:40.87 You know, they're women. 00:20:40.90\00:20:42.24 They're grown women. 00:20:42.27\00:20:43.61 And there may be times 00:20:43.64\00:20:44.97 that even though they're adults, 00:20:45.01\00:20:46.34 they want to call, "Dad. 00:20:46.37\00:20:47.71 Dad. 00:20:47.74\00:20:49.08 Hey, I have a question for you." 00:20:49.11\00:20:50.45 You know, just ideas, 00:20:50.48\00:20:51.81 just, you know, bouncing back ideas 00:20:51.85\00:20:53.31 from your father. 00:20:53.35\00:20:54.78 And I'm just, it frustrates me to the oddest extent 00:20:54.82\00:20:59.25 when I see women, grown women who tell me, 00:20:59.29\00:21:02.82 "My father is not..." 00:21:02.86\00:21:04.19 What is wrong with you man? 00:21:04.23\00:21:07.06 Like you're big enough to procreate. 00:21:07.10\00:21:10.30 Be big enough to be in your daughter's life. 00:21:10.33\00:21:13.30 She's innocent. But she didn't do anything. 00:21:13.34\00:21:14.87 She didn't ask to be here. God blessed her to be here. 00:21:14.90\00:21:18.51 It is your job to step up. 00:21:18.54\00:21:20.68 I don't care what the excuse is. 00:21:20.71\00:21:22.44 Do you know what you're doing? None of us do. 00:21:22.48\00:21:24.78 But it's not a matter of knowing 00:21:24.81\00:21:26.15 what we were doing. 00:21:26.18\00:21:27.52 It is a matter of knowing who to go to, 00:21:27.55\00:21:28.88 who knows what he's doing, and that's Jesus Christ. 00:21:28.92\00:21:31.72 And I think that's important, 00:21:31.75\00:21:33.09 you know, and just really equipping our members 00:21:33.12\00:21:36.52 because we're going 00:21:36.56\00:21:37.89 to have church members like that. 00:21:37.93\00:21:39.26 And have you had any experience with church members like that? 00:21:39.29\00:21:41.80 You know, I've had many experiences like that. 00:21:41.83\00:21:45.13 I can recall one. 00:21:45.17\00:21:47.54 And I would tell the father, "Listen. 00:21:47.57\00:21:49.70 This is your baby girl. 00:21:49.74\00:21:52.31 And you need to date your baby girl 00:21:52.34\00:21:54.38 so that she can see how a man need to treat her. 00:21:54.41\00:21:57.71 Bring her a rose one day." 00:21:57.75\00:21:59.75 And so I'm trying to correct 00:21:59.78\00:22:02.65 some things in his life to help him 00:22:02.68\00:22:05.15 be a better parent to his child. 00:22:05.19\00:22:07.09 The brokenness, the pain in the daughter's eyes. 00:22:07.12\00:22:10.86 I remember she was just crying. 00:22:10.89\00:22:13.76 Why because that bond wasn't there. 00:22:13.80\00:22:18.20 My daughter Jasmine, 00:22:18.23\00:22:20.37 she is the light of my life, you know? 00:22:20.40\00:22:23.84 And I'm watching her 17, 00:22:23.87\00:22:26.54 going on 18, and I'm saying, "You know what? 00:22:26.57\00:22:30.95 This is not a good times. 00:22:30.98\00:22:34.28 Because I know that you're going to have 00:22:34.32\00:22:36.72 to leave home one day." 00:22:36.75\00:22:38.45 But I'm going to make sure that when you leave home, 00:22:38.49\00:22:41.92 you have all the tools 00:22:41.96\00:22:43.79 that when we'll help you choose, 00:22:43.83\00:22:46.26 that will be the right person 00:22:46.29\00:22:47.73 because her dad bring her a rose, 00:22:47.76\00:22:50.43 her dad snap chats with her. 00:22:50.47\00:22:52.40 We would snap chat and I don't know 00:22:52.43\00:22:53.87 what I'm doing but I'm doing it. 00:22:53.90\00:22:56.17 You know, we're doing, 00:22:56.20\00:22:57.54 I'll call this because this is what 00:22:57.57\00:22:58.91 they are doing. 00:22:58.94\00:23:00.28 So that is there with you. 00:23:00.31\00:23:02.88 So she knows that that I am there. 00:23:02.91\00:23:04.41 And I think that is so important for us 00:23:04.45\00:23:06.38 to let our, you know, let our daughters that, 00:23:06.41\00:23:09.52 "Listen, when I find a man, 00:23:09.55\00:23:12.25 that man's got to be better than my father. 00:23:12.29\00:23:15.16 Treat me better than my father." 00:23:15.19\00:23:17.03 I agree. 00:23:17.06\00:23:18.39 "Even look better than my father." 00:23:18.43\00:23:21.76 What about you? 00:23:21.80\00:23:23.40 I think that's a very, very valid point of modeling 00:23:23.43\00:23:27.30 and showing exactly what they should look like. 00:23:27.34\00:23:31.27 And but in different specs, as you said, 00:23:31.31\00:23:33.34 there are some fathers 00:23:33.38\00:23:34.74 who just never had the experience. 00:23:34.78\00:23:38.75 So they don't know how to teach their son 00:23:38.78\00:23:40.35 or how to teach their daughter, what it is to expect, 00:23:40.38\00:23:43.25 that's how we're talked about earlier. 00:23:43.28\00:23:44.62 You know, asking God, searching the scriptures, 00:23:44.65\00:23:46.92 searching, reading up 00:23:46.96\00:23:49.89 on different resources, podcasts, sermons, 00:23:49.92\00:23:53.83 all these different things 00:23:53.86\00:23:55.33 just to learn more on what it is to expect. 00:23:55.36\00:24:01.60 It's challenging 00:24:01.64\00:24:02.97 because every bond relationship 00:24:03.00\00:24:04.34 is so different. 00:24:04.37\00:24:06.21 And you don't want your child to have any heartache. 00:24:06.24\00:24:10.65 You don't want your child have any pain. 00:24:10.68\00:24:12.21 But they have to have heartache, 00:24:12.25\00:24:13.58 and they have to have pain. 00:24:13.62\00:24:15.02 And it's a very difficult balance 00:24:15.05\00:24:17.02 to try to figure out 00:24:17.05\00:24:18.39 how do I accept this as the reality. 00:24:18.42\00:24:21.59 And when it comes to young girls, 00:24:21.62\00:24:25.49 what to expect from their father. 00:24:25.53\00:24:27.16 There's some controversy against dating. 00:24:27.20\00:24:29.53 They think that some women have said 00:24:29.56\00:24:31.13 they don't want their fathers. 00:24:31.17\00:24:33.07 They want their children's fathers 00:24:33.10\00:24:34.54 to date their daughters. 00:24:34.57\00:24:35.97 They don't want that type of relationship. 00:24:36.00\00:24:37.54 And there's that a lot of controversy 00:24:37.57\00:24:39.11 and that's one of things 00:24:39.14\00:24:40.48 of how should you date your daughter. 00:24:40.51\00:24:44.21 What does that look like? 00:24:44.25\00:24:46.41 For me, look, what it is is that we go out together. 00:24:46.45\00:24:51.69 We have what she wants. 00:24:51.72\00:24:53.22 She likes to go to Fire and Ice, 00:24:53.25\00:24:55.52 we go to Fire and Ice together. 00:24:55.56\00:24:57.59 And we talk. 00:24:57.63\00:24:58.96 We talk about life, we talk about different issues. 00:24:58.99\00:25:01.20 And we come back home, we have to go up, 00:25:01.23\00:25:03.03 and do the same with my son. 00:25:03.06\00:25:05.20 This is spending time, 00:25:05.23\00:25:06.57 spending the quality time together. 00:25:06.60\00:25:08.54 Night from since they were babies, 00:25:08.57\00:25:10.11 I would be, you know, we would exchange, 00:25:10.14\00:25:12.24 her mom and I. 00:25:12.27\00:25:13.61 We would go in the room, we would talk to the one 00:25:13.64\00:25:15.58 and then I leave while my wife is talking to the son, 00:25:15.61\00:25:18.08 and then we'll flip. 00:25:18.11\00:25:19.45 So it's different ways to do it. 00:25:19.48\00:25:22.02 When I bring a rose to my daughter, 00:25:22.05\00:25:23.45 you know, just for you, to assure, to give, 00:25:23.49\00:25:27.46 let her know that her dad values. 00:25:27.49\00:25:30.33 I've got, you know, I love her, I care for her, 00:25:30.36\00:25:33.29 and I do the same for my son. 00:25:33.33\00:25:34.90 So that's what it looks like to me. 00:25:34.93\00:25:36.77 I've read 00:25:36.80\00:25:38.13 all of the different thoughts on it 00:25:38.17\00:25:41.04 but I still think it is important for the child 00:25:41.07\00:25:44.57 to know that her father or his father values. 00:25:44.61\00:25:49.21 And it's important, it's for and to. 00:25:49.24\00:25:50.71 You know, we're gearing up but it's interesting. 00:25:50.75\00:25:56.22 My five year old daughter, she was leaving the school, 00:25:56.25\00:26:00.22 little daycare, and this little boy comes 00:26:00.26\00:26:02.72 to the fence and says, "Andrea, Andrea. 00:26:02.76\00:26:05.19 Where are you going? Can I have a kiss?" 00:26:05.23\00:26:07.50 I turned around, I said, "Boy. Let me tell you something. 00:26:07.53\00:26:10.90 You go and kiss your mom and dad that's what I said, 00:26:10.93\00:26:14.30 Lord, keep me, Lord, keep me right now. 00:26:14.34\00:26:18.61 Lord, keep me right now, boy. But it's fun interacting 00:26:18.64\00:26:20.18 and having seen your children grow. 00:26:20.21\00:26:22.18 And I think that's key for any relationship. 00:26:22.21\00:26:26.08 Is there anything else you want to add 00:26:26.11\00:26:27.45 in the last little bit we have? 00:26:27.48\00:26:28.98 I just want to add briefly is that 00:26:29.02\00:26:32.05 I think it's very important for fathers 00:26:32.09\00:26:33.89 to step up and take a more, 00:26:33.92\00:26:36.32 even though your life has been broken, you can learn, 00:26:36.36\00:26:40.90 there's resources, learn. 00:26:40.93\00:26:43.26 Learn as much as you can 00:26:43.30\00:26:44.97 to fill those gaps that you can pass on something 00:26:45.00\00:26:48.77 valuable to your children. 00:26:48.80\00:26:50.34 Model, model prayer, model how to treat your wives, 00:26:50.37\00:26:55.18 make sure that they're seeing the hug and kiss 00:26:55.21\00:26:57.68 and loving their mothers. 00:26:57.71\00:26:59.75 It's a great thing. 00:26:59.78\00:27:01.12 My daughter will come 00:27:01.15\00:27:02.48 and she'll sit in the middle of us 00:27:02.52\00:27:04.15 so that she, and it's fun. 00:27:04.19\00:27:05.65 So you got to model these things to them. 00:27:05.69\00:27:08.56 And for the... 00:27:08.59\00:27:09.92 I appreciate everything you've done 00:27:09.96\00:27:11.29 and now unfortunately, we're out of time. 00:27:11.33\00:27:13.93 So got to let the brother know out there, 00:27:13.96\00:27:16.20 you guys, you know. 00:27:16.23\00:27:19.20 Just remember, being a father is never easy 00:27:19.23\00:27:21.54 whether you've had the model parents 00:27:21.57\00:27:23.51 or you've had no father in your life. 00:27:23.54\00:27:26.34 But it's still no excuse for you not to step up. 00:27:26.37\00:27:29.78 Nowadays they're so many resources 00:27:29.81\00:27:31.48 out there available to you 00:27:31.51\00:27:33.25 to educate you and guess what? 00:27:33.28\00:27:35.45 Even though I'm married to my lovely wife 00:27:35.48\00:27:37.89 and we have two wonderful kids, 00:27:37.92\00:27:39.52 I still don't know what I'm doing. 00:27:39.55\00:27:41.66 And that's just the fact of it. 00:27:41.69\00:27:43.46 It is about growing together with your children 00:27:43.49\00:27:46.39 and having fun 00:27:46.43\00:27:47.86 because these are memories you will never get back. 00:27:47.90\00:27:51.07 So please be part of your kids' lives. 00:27:51.10\00:27:53.54 Stop making excuses. 00:27:53.57\00:27:55.27 And for you fathers 00:27:55.30\00:27:56.64 who have grown women as daughters, 00:27:56.67\00:27:58.44 step up, stop it. 00:27:58.47\00:28:00.54 Thank you for watching. 00:28:00.58\00:28:02.04