A recent news item that gained national attention caught my eye. It told of a second-grade boy who was tasked with responding to the following: “Tell me about an invention that you don’t like. Why?” Now, I’m not sure what kinds of answers this teacher typically received. Perhaps little boys don’t like vacuum cleaners or lawn mowers or shots from the doctor or even guns or bombs. But the little boy in question provided what I believe to be a wake-up call for parents:

James 3:2: “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.”

I am a dad to three amazing yet different kids. Alexis is my oldest. She is a combo of my personality and my wife’s. Gabriel is my middle child and only son. He has my wife’s compassion and love for people. Then finally there is Alanna. She is me in a woman’s body. 

If you could improve one area in your fatherhood journey…what would it be?

For a lot of dads, they want to be more patient. When experienced dads are asked about becoming a father, a common theme that comes up is the importance of patience.

There is nothing like a crying baby in the middle of the night to test a young couple’s patience. Or being interrupted continuously while trying to accomplish a simple task around the house.

“1 Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. 2 And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. 3 But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun. 4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. 5 The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. 6 Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.” — Ecclesiastes 4: 1-6

Discontentment is a difficult and burdensome feeling to hang over us all of our lives. Men are so accustomed to this feeling that sometimes it can be hard to notice we’re even doing it, but the effects of it are so much clearer than the act. We compete with every person that lives and breathes and it’s connected to our ego. It creeps into every situation.

We started our business in 2007, and we will turn ten years in 2017. What a great and uncommon accomplishment from a business standpoint. While we work with a broad range of industries, our focus has always been on ministry. In an age where 543,000 businesses get started each month and double that fail each month, you can imagine how hard it is to stay in business. During the recession, I just kept my head down, nose to the grindstone and any other saying that worked. But God was faithful by leading clients to us and kept me focused on serving them for His Glory.

What an incredible yet challenging year 2016 has been for our nation and our world. As the New Year’s Resolutions often wear off in late January to early February, I thought it would be a great time to share our mission at Uncommen because we want to help you achieve your goals as a man, husband, father, employee, employer, and friend. We are in this thing together! 

In “Start with Why” well-known author and speaker Simon Sinek challenges us all before you start anything… Start with Why. “Do you know your Why? The purpose, cause, or belief that inspires you to do what you do?”