My story

Director of apostolic team (ACTS Teams)

ACTS Teams
Priests Seminary Vienna
Bolzmanngasse 9
A-1090 Vienna
Austria/Europe
Telefon: +43 650- 2855610
Fax: +43 1 2855610
E-Mail: acts@telering.at

Member of comunity Return to the Lord

Fatherhood - a proud moment

One of the proudest times in my life was the time when I became a father. I can remember driving to the hospital where my wife was to give birth to our first daughter. Was I nervous? Yes I was. Would I be a good father? Would I be able to give my daughter the love, the discipline and the direction that she needs? Would I be able to train her up and lead her in the ways of the Lord? I was really nervous but when my daughter was born, I was the proudest father there was. I didn‘t hide the fact that I had become a father. I was not embarrassed nor did I think I was trying to boast in any way. Yes I was proud to be a father and it was something that I believe God has created me to be. I embraced my fatherhood and I set out to be the best father I could be. Leadership is very much like Fatherhood.

Fatherhood Provides

Firstly a Father is responsible for a home. The home is an important place where they can feel the warmth of a family. A place where they can receive the love and care that a child needs. This is what we did. We began to create an environment where our children would feel the warmth and protection of a home.

Fatherhood is Responsibility

Very soon we found out that we were not alone. We were not only there for each other but we were there to take care of a beautiful girl. We were responsible.. Was this a reason to feel overburdened? Oh no this was a joy. A wonderful joy to be a father and I wouldn‘t have wanted anything else. Never did I think „Oh this is too much responsibility !“and never did I say „This is too much work I don‘t want to be a father anymore.“ No way, I wanted to be more of a father than ever before. Not only to my own children but I am also prepared to be a Father to others.

Fatherhood Trains

After a while we found out that we needed to help our daughter to learn some things. Any father can perhaps remember how they taught their child how to eat. Once the food got into the mouth it wasn‘t a problem but getting it into the mouth was. Usually the whole process was a great big mess. However after a while she got it and she began to feed herself. What a joy that was for us as parents. How about in your community have the members in your
community learn‘t to feed themselves? Have they learned to walk in God‘s ways or do they still need to be helped or held? A father is responsible that his child is trained wether by him or when he can‘t do it, by some one else.

Fatherhood is disciplining

As our children get old enough to understand and to listen and repond they need to learn to obey. Teaching them to listen to what you say and to obey is a very important process within their development. Sometimes the results of a child not learning obedience is catastrophic. Therefore it is important that they are corrected and disciplined so that they can learn what is right and what is wrong and can learn to make decisions for themselves. We know that both encouragement and discipline are equally important to our children. No matter how difficult and time consuming it is to do, we know that we must do it because of the consequences. Are the people in your community being discipled and disciplined to walk in His ways?

Fatherhood is being an example

For many people and especially when your child becomes more mature it‘s not only what they hear from you but more importantly your example that they follow! They watch you and they read you. So your behaviour is very important and what you communicate is not your words but rather how you live your everyday life. Since your children live with you your integrity is really tested. It‘s not a burden for me to be a father but it‘s a wonderful opportunity to transfer what I have learnt to those that are around me. Being a father, a leader is also a wonderful privilege and a joy. Yes there are some hardships but it is
great to be a Father and a co-worker of the Lord of Lords.