A Father’s Walk
A Christian-Based Resource for Single Fathers
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For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. –John 3:16 (NASB)
I chose to open this book with the most well-known scripture for one reason in particular: that as fathers, we must first know how loved we are so that we can then love our children the same. God our Father loved EVERY SINGLE ONE of us so much, that He sent Christ to die in our place once and for all. Our debt was paid in full on Calvary; now it is our turn to accept His love with our hearts wide open. For some of us, that could be very difficult. As single dads yourselves, many of you (myself included) came from a home without a father. It’s hard to grasp the concept of an “Abba” Father—one who loves us unconditionally and will never leave or abandon us. (Deut. 31:8; Josh 1:5) Although some of you may already be there, I’m guessing a good portion of you reading this book are not. Believe me, I completely understand how you could think that an all mighty, all knowing, Creator of the universe could not possibly love you, especially with everything we’ve done wrong, right? What you have to know is that type of thinking is completely opposite to the Gospel, and is not how God sees it.
He loves us: always has, always will. WE are the ones who have to change our thinking (Romans 12:2) and begin to open ourselves up to the reality that our heavenly Father DOES in fact care about every single detail of our and our children’s lives. This may come with time and some serious work on our part, but take it from a guy who has been on both sides of the tracks, and trust me when I say that following Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is by far the greatest thing we could ever do! I pray this book is just one more tool that the Lord puts in your life to help you get to that level of relationship with Him that He so desires. Once we’ve accepted the fact God loves us enough to send Jesus to die in our place, we move onto another level—laying our lives down for our children. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. – 1John 3:16 (NASB)
Being followers of Christ, and as fathers, our children are relying on us nowadays more than ever. Kids are screaming for attention in so many ways, and oft en the cries go unheard. They are acting out through a variety of disastrous methods, sometimes hurting themselves or others. A loving word, hug, or act from dad will mean more to a child than we could ever know. Even at 35 years old, I would absolutely be floored with emotions to hear the words “I love you” or “I’m proud of you” come from my dad. It’s never too late dad—tell your kids what they mean to you. Get involved in their lives. Find out what their interests are and where their dreams can take them. If you do these things and keep Jesus as your ultimate example, love God with everything you’ve got, and listen to what your kids are saying, you will become more of a father than you ever thought you were capable of. I know, because that’s what happened to me.
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About the Book
There are over twenty-five million children growing up in America today without their biological father in the home, and single parents account for approximately 37 percent of all households. Yet, there is still a huge lack of Christian-based ministries for single parents, especially when it comes to the dads.
Based off of his experience as a single dad himself, Matt Haviland shares with us his journey of joy, trials, and grace that has brought him to this point in single father ministry. He tells in dramatic detail the testimony of how Jesus not only rescued and redeemed him from a destructive lifestyle, but how God has given him the ability to lead and guide single dads along the way and become a great dad as well.
A Father’s Walk is not just another self-help book. It is a tool, resource, and inspiration written by someone who is in the trenches every single day—a man who knows the love only a father can have for his child, the daily struggles of being a single dad, and the unimaginable grace that our Savior bestows upon those who call upon Him. This is a must-have for any single dad looking to grow as a father and in their walk with the Lord!
About the Author
Matt Haviland was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he currently resides. He is the founder of A Father’s Walk single dad ministry, and a single father himself. He enjoys outdoors recreation, working out, and helping others seek and live out God’s plan for their lives.