Jon & Kate Aren’t Doing Great

Jon & Kate Aren’t Doing Great

Yesterday it was “Octomom the Musical” and today the made for TV Multi-family meltdown circus and sideshow revue continues. Kate is out of town on a book tour and Jon is allegedly out on the town partying down (at least he is leaving the coeds alone this time they say).

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/jon-and-kate-plus-8-dad-caught-with-other-woman/21893

I go out of my way not to watch most of the blather put out about Mega-families. However, over the years producers and shows have contacted me via my writings on the internet and Twins magazine. Let’s just say me and mine are a wee bit too normal, lacking in certain dysfunctions and a desire to exploit and be exploited on the tube.

My heart bleeds for some of these families and their kids. I have heard and seen Jon Gosslin belittled and beaten by his wife Kate. I take fathering seriously and Jon has been setup to fail and now he is. To bring it up riles their fans and brings charges of jealousy. They need help just as Nadja Suleman does and from someone other than Dr. Phil or a resort looking to be highlighted on an episode.

When the Gosslins ghostwritten Christian book “Multiple Blessings” came out I began to speak out. Zondervan, their publisher really wrote and planted this one on the bestsellers list by making it up. Where are they as their marriage implodes. Counting the cash, I presume.

I understand the pressures financially, relationally and emotionally that lots of kids and a whole lot at once can bring. Adding a film crew and the vanity trap of fame are only bringing added and new pressures. Jon and Kate need help.

Pray for these people as I am. Family, faith, marriage and children, are being bruised and abused here. Prayer is the answer along with turning of the made for TV multi-family circus one TV set at a time.
Blessings,

Mega Mama Drama: Octomom the Musical

As a son of a single mother. A dad of higher order multiples (At Home Dad even). An advocate of fathers being, hands on, present and important. As well as a one-dad one-mom kind of guy, the Octomom debacle flies in the face of all I hold as good, right and sound for the raising of children, health of our culture and precedent for others.

If you do not believe me, go here: http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/commentary/wb/197974
In addition, here:
http://forum.twinsmagazine.com/showthread.php?t=153659

Now I have compassion for Nadja. She is in a pickle. Sadly, she wanted to be there and is bent on taking full selfish and exploitative advantage of her kids and position as the main Drama Mama of the Moment.

I do have some insight into what she is facing and I am fearful for her kids. Still as it is all out of my control, Nadja’s control and just generally out of control. Let the circus continue.

Octomom the musical is a parody.
http://octomomthemusical.com/News_and_Events.html
I will have to miss the opening but I trust it will be a hoot and a hollar. Sad really but that is showbiz and The octomama eats this up with a spoon. The same spoon I am gagging on.

Agrrgahh…..

That’s better.
Blessings,

You Should Be Committed!!!

In such a self-serving hedonistic time as ours how do folks make, manage and maintain a health marriage? Interestingly, this is one area where following Christ’s example might find us a bit stumped. Jesus never married. I do not care what Tom Hanks says. The apostle Paul was married back in his hometown of Tarsus. However, he could not even get his ministry going until both Tarsus and the wife were behind him. His advice basically on marriage was “if you don’t have to, don’t”.

Now we could lay out a good Christian comedy routine about here but marriage is not a joke, nor is divorce a laughing matter. Paul valued marriage but was committed to the ministry. It had to be his priority. He had learned that priorities mattered and will take us places. Indeed this is my first point. Marriage must be a priority that we are committed to in order to make it a trip worth taking.

I can hear you saying,”Well DUH Mike”! Just stick with me. Commitments are really about goals. This is where any couple can completely blow it. Trips can be nice but if we disagree on the destination, we have troubles. Too many couples, including the Christian ones, take off on their little train trip of life long love with rosy feeling, warm hearts and good intentions. Some soon find themselves disappointed and going back to the conductor because they did not have tickets to the same locale.


Goals, mutual goals must be in place if we are committed to reaching them. Having no mutual goals means, you have no real commitment. Mutual goals must also be more than wanting to have children and raising them from the same page but this is a good start. Sadly, you would be surprised how many folks even overlook this before signing the papers.

Here is my advice. Sit down together and talk about each others wants, needs, hopes and dreams. List them out, then begin to plan the short, middle, and long term plans to get to those relational destinations. In the effort, you will create mutual goals and mutual understanding. Even if the wants, hopes and dreams do not all come true. You will be fulfilling more than a few serious needs for a good and Godly marriage. Even if you do not like making lists JUST SIT DOWN AND TALK!

Take this advice and apply just half of what Jesus walked and talked about concerning, forgiveness, meekness, kindness and self-sacrifice. That is the example that will smooth out all of life’s travels. Then use those tickets for two on a trip well worth taking with a destination that is mutual and truly heavenly for those committed to getting there together.

Blessings,

Marriage for Christians: Look out behind you!

Marriage is easier to get into than getting a drivers license. That is; marriage the institution and legal contract. This is what makes marriage vulnerable to all the efforts to redefine and broaden its definition. If all marriage means is a government recognized contract with certain government granted tax and legal consideration well, marriage does not mean much at all. Indeed the government gets to make, broaden or change the definition based on legislation, lobbying or judicial whim.

The God centered relationship between man and woman first mentioned in Genesis is a whole other thing. We, us “Christians” have let marriage become undermined in the public’s eye. We have not prioritized, nurtured or stewarded it as individuals or as a group. Indeed, we may see the day soon when we loose the institution or at least its definition, all together.

Sounds dire and dreaded you say? Here is the silver lining. From the eternal perspective how society defines something does not matter a hill of beans. We are called to personal accountability and stewardship of what is placed in our hands. The more we are drawn into some type of societal showdown and media war the less impact we have where it really counts.

To date, brethren we do not have the goods to win the argument. Christians are just as prone to divorce as anyone else is. Some sects and cults have better records than we do.

We will not be held accountable for the bad laws passed and sad societal trends of a corrupted culture. We will be rewarded for our faithfulness, our stewardship and our responsibility over what we were given and called to protect, love and nurture. In this, we are the salt and light that preserves and guides lost souls looking for answers.

If our fist is in the air railing at our precieved adversaries all the lost see is our fist in the air. In this, our eyes are misdirected as well. These are not our adversaries. As we rage on at the straw man with an agenda, our true adversary is sneaking in behind us. Stealing our passions, strength and purpose from our very own pockets.

So how do we fix this? Stay tuned I have a few ideas.
Blessings