Here are some of the Father’s Day gifts James received yesterday. Boxes made with love. A touching book all about dad. These gifts were made by the best kids in the world for the best dad in the world (yes, I’m biased!).
James is a great father for many reasons, but I’m going to blog about just one reason today. James believes the saying:
You are the same today as you’ll be in five years, except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read.
As a result, he encourages our kids to meet new people and to read lots of books.
In the car as a family, we listen to leadership expert John Maxwell. Ethan our 3rd grader just finished a biography of Winston Churchill. He has read about Eric Liddell, Corrie Ten Boom, Gladys Aylward, and other missionaries. This summer, James is paying Ethan $1 for every biography he reads.
I told Ethan he was going to get rich this summer.
Great motivational speaker Charlie “Tremendous” Jones remembers the thrill he had in reading new ideas in books. He bought books for his friends and associates because they were changing his life. Then he realized he had overlooked his own kids. His oldest son was 14 at the time. He knew he couldn’t force him to read, sohe engineered an incentive program. Here’s what he told his son Jere:
Jere, in two years you’re going to want me to help you buy a car, and I want to help you. But I’m not going to give you the money. Here’s my proposal: I’m going to pay you $10 for every book you read. I’ll pick the book, you give me a written report, and I’ll put $10 in a car fund.
Before long, he’d read 22 books. When he went off the college, he sent me a postcard every day telling me about the books he was reading and about the new ideas they gave him.
Dad,
Just started reading 100 Great Lives. Thanks for what you said in the front – the part that every great man never sought to be great; he just followed the vision he had and did what had to be done!
Love,
Jere
-Excerpt from Kids Are Tremendous by Charlie “Tremendous” Jones
Wouldn’t it be amazing to discuss great books and great ideas with your kids? I know James will have a great incentive program for Ethan’s first car! I honor my husband today because he is a great father who instills values in his children.
As a dad, James makes sure that the kids are growing and challenging themselves to think big and dream big.
And for that, I am truly grateful!
