X-Symantec-TimeoutProtection: 0 X-Symantec-TimeoutProtection: 1 Return-Path: X-Original-To: info@ausheart.com.au Delivered-To: info@ausheart.com.au Received: from localhost (marlin.fishinternet.com.au [127.0.0.1]) by marlin.fishinternet.com.au (Postfix) with ESMTP id DC7323FA1A for ; Sun, 22 Oct 2006 08:47:59 +1000 (EST) Received: from marlin.fishinternet.com.au ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (marlin.fishinternet.com.au [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id 06743-01 for ; Sun, 22 Oct 2006 08:47:41 +1000 (EST) Received-SPF: none (marlin.fishinternet.com.au: 203.16.214.181 is neither permitted nor denied by domain of fathersonline.org) client-ip=203.16.214.181; envelope-from=info@fathersonline.org; helo=smtp1.adl2.internode.on.net; Received: from smtp1.adl2.internode.on.net (smtp1.adl2.internode.on.net [203.16.214.181]) by marlin.fishinternet.com.au (Postfix) with ESMTP id 989093FA0E for ; Sun, 22 Oct 2006 08:47:40 +1000 (EST) Received: from polyglot.com.au (eth2643.nsw.adsl.internode.on.net [150.101.193.82]) by smtp1.adl2.internode.on.net (8.13.6/8.13.5) with ESMTP id k9LMlAGb031345 for ; Sun, 22 Oct 2006 08:17:38 +0930 (CST) (envelope-from info@fathersonline.org) Received: from server ([192.168.100.14]) by polyglot.com.au with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.1830); Sun, 22 Oct 2006 08:48:05 +1000 Thread-Topic: The Masculine Song Reply-To: Message-ID: <1000a01c6f562$f8747660$0101a8c0@polyglot.local> thread-index: Acb1YvhvkUNevMS2Tt2ofpPec6blqg== From: To: Subject: The Masculine Song Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 08:48:05 +1000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_1000B_01C6F5B6.CA208660" X-Mailer: Microsoft CDO for Exchange 2000 Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message Importance: normal Priority: normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.3790.2757 X-OriginalArrivalTime: 21 Oct 2006 22:48:05.0078 (UTC) FILETIME=[F876E760:01C6F562] X-TM-AS-Product-Ver: SMEX-7.2.0.1122-3.6.1039-14764.000 X-TM-AS-Result: No--6.411500-5.000000-1 X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at fishinternet.com.au X-NAS-BWL: Found match for 'info@fathersonline.org' on the allowed list (2035 addresses, 0 domains) X-NAS-Classification: 0 X-NAS-MessageID: 3481 X-NAS-Validation: {FF825B7A-B161-40BD-90F8-3582DAE91A1E} This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_1000B_01C6F5B6.CA208660 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =20 =20 Unable to read this email? Please click here =20 =20 Issue 218 - 23 rd September, 2006 Go to our website Here =20 =20 * Hello Warwick * Grandads * Laughter * Single Dads=20 * All you need is Love * Thought of the Week * Special Feature * News & Info * Dad's Prayer * Help Us Hello Warwick =20 =20 Last weekend it was my privilege to go away with two of my four sons for a Dads & Kids Camp Out with the fathers from our Good to Great Fatherhood Mentoring Course. The camp site was on the Wollondilly River, via a winding dirt road to the Wombeyan Caves, two hours drive from Wollongong. I have been away with my oldest son on a similar camp in the mid-nineties and two years ago I camped out with my 11 year old daughter for Good to Great but I had never been away with these other two sons. I was looking forward to it for this reason alone. An added bonus was hanging out with all the other dads and their children in the beautiful Australian bush. =20 Wollondilly River has carved a deep valley out of the Southern Tablelands on its way into the Warragamba Dam. The river snakes along through the wilderness, surrounded by the she-oaks, with short bursts or rapids and long stretches of tranquil still water. On a still day you can see the reflection of steep mountainous country that rises almost vertically until it seems to disappear into the sky. No flushing toilets, no showers, no mobile phone coverage, no amenities, just miles and miles of uninhabited bush. Just being in such a wilderness invigorates your manhood as John Eldridge author of 'Wild at Heart' says. This was one of the reasons we chose such a wilderness area for our Dads & Kids Camp Out. =20 Our young children spend a lot of time alone with Mum, but very little time alone with Dad. We burnt our marshmallows in the campfire, played with sparklers, stared into the Milky Way, fought off the ants who were trying to steal our food and snored peacefully in our flimsy tents. After breakfast the next morning we got together in teams and raced monster trucks on a makeshift bush track, solved a jigsaw relay puzzle involving young and old and built a catapult out of timber, bolts and elastic rope. Next we used those catapults in a competition, firing eggs at those who were brave enough to catch them. Of course many were missed, resulting in a dousing of egg yolk, all part of the fun and something mothers would never have approved of. To cap it all off we built cardboard boats (dinghy sized), covered them with plastic, carried them down to the river and then the children raced them on the river. There was that competitive male streak coming out again! Of course, the usual water fights ensued along with cut feet and bruises. Could these have been the necessary scars of initiation and the permanent memory of time spent with Dad in the company of other men and their children in the wilderness? =20 =20 What do our children receive when they hang out with their father in the company of other men? I'll let Gordon Dalbey, author of 'Sons of the Father' =A9 Kingsway Communication answer that question. =20 =20 The most intriguing answer came to me after a long session of prayer and healing with a thirty-year-old man whose father had severely rejected him. "Sure, Dad hurt me terribly at times," he said. "But I remember once, when my brother and I were about six and four, sitting on the bed with Dad, one of us under each of his arms as he told us a bedtime story. =20 "I don't remember what the story was, but I'll never forget feeling there was something different about him that I'd never felt from Mum - something hard to describe, but definitely masculine, like a kind of brown ooze coming out of him and going into us little boys." =20 Fascinating! I thought - then wondered: Where have I experienced the 'brown ooze' myself? =20 Praying later, I thought of years ago, when I was a small boy and my father was a Navy officer stationed aboard a ship. When the fleet went to sea, I missed Dad as deeply as I rejoiced on seeing him in his khaki uniform open the door, squat down with arms open, and call to me, "I'm home! How's my boy?" Heart racing, I sprinted to him and threw my arms tightly around his neck as he lifted me high off the ground in his secure embrace. =20 In the embrace . . . I was one with my father - certified as a man-to-be, anointed with the brown ooze. =20 As Robert Bly (Iron John =A9 1990) declares, =20 When a father and son do spend long hours together, . . .we could say that a substance almost like food passes from the older body to the younger . . . The son's body - not his mind receives and the father gives this food at a level far below consciousness. The son does not receive a hands-on healing, but a body-on healing. His cells receive some knowledge of what an adult masculine body is. The younger body learns at what frequency the masculine body vibrates. It begins to grasp the song that adult male cells sing. =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 Lovework =20 Spend time alone with your children so they can experience the 'brown ooze' for themselves. As Robert Bly says, there is a song that adult male cells sing and our children must hear and feel it to grow up whole. =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 Yours for the Masculine Song Warwick Marsh =20 PS Brian Molitor has connected really well with Aussie men and a full report can be found in the Special Feature section. =20 On a sad note Tony Miller's daughter (dids) is very ill and on life support in Nepean Hospital. Tony has requested that we pray for Shannon and we encourage our readers to reach out to Tony and his daughter in both a practical and spiritual way. Prayer is the power of heaven and Tony's daughter needs our prayers. Contact Tony at dids@nor.com.au or post a message at http://www.dadsindistress.asn.au/diaryguestbook.html Let him know that you are praying for his daughter and assure him of your love. __________________________________________________________ =20 Warwick Marsh has been married to Alison for 30 years. He is=20 the father of five children, four boys and one girl, ranging in age from 25 years to 13 years. Warwick is a musician, songwriter, producer and public speaker who likes to think he can still laugh at himself.=20 back to top=20 =20 Grandads =20 A Dedication=20 by Brian D Molitor,=20 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' =A9 2004 Emerald Books =20 This book is dedicated to the greatest man I have ever known, my grandfather, Henry A Molitor. =20 =20 Grandpa, you always had time to teach the important things in life. At your side I learned how to catch a fish, how to hunt, and how to build the most marvellous creations out of wood. =20 The hours we spent together in northern Michigan are etched deeply in my mind. I still marvel at how you always knew just where to go to find a bluegill, bass, partridge, or white-tailed deer. =20 You took time with your grandchildren and made each of us feel as if we were the only kid in the world. When I made mistakes, you helped me fix them. You never yelled; instead you just had me try again. It was so clear that you lived for your children and grandchildren, not for yourself. =20 The scars on your body told of your sacrifice for your country in 'the war to end all wars'. Other people sometimes stared, but to me you were the most handsome man on earth. I took note that despite your pain, you never complained and you never gave up. =20 Grandpa, when your time on earth was through and God took you home, my heart shattered into a million pieces. It took years for that same God to put the pieces back together. =20 I still miss you more than you could ever know. back to top=20 =20 Laughter =20 =20 After being married 25 years, I took a look at my wife one day and said, "Honey, 25 years ago, we had a cheap apartment, a cheap car, slept on a small sofa bed and watched a 10 inch black and white TV , but at least I got to sleep with a hot 25 year old every night.=20 Now, we have a nice house, nice cars, big king size bed and plasma screen TV, but now I'm sleeping with a 50 year old woman. It seems to me that you are not holding up your side of things." My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot 25 year old , and she would make sure that I would once again be living in a cheap apartment, driving a cheap car, sleeping on a sofa bed and she would buy me a 10 inch black & white TV. Aren't older women great? They really know how to solve their mid-life crisis ... back to top=20 =20 Single Dads=20 =20 Sarah's Story =20 A three year old girl ends up in hospital:internal bleeding/broken ribs/2 broken arms/lacerations on face, arms and legs/indication the child has been starved/hair been pulled out by the roots/ and well need I say more! =20 Dad has been trying to track this little girl down for 19 months after mum shot through with the kids. 3 kids, 3 different fathers. =20 Case has been proved against mum, mum the abuser in this case is currently incarcerated over the case, and it's stated in court proceedings that she is never to have contact with the children again. =20 Children are put in care and for the first time dad is notified of what has happened to his little girl. And the fact that in order for him to obtain custody he has to take it to court . . . Even though . . . HE is the NATURAL FATHER. =20 Dad obtains a lawyer in Nowra where he lives, arranges legal aid and a payment of $50 a week to the lawyer. Case now in Newcastle courts. His Nowra lawyer says he owes him $3000, reneges on the deal and now our dad is stuck in 'no man's land' without representation. Case is due in court in less than a week - where does he go? By the time legal aid is even processed an application it would be too late. DoCs don't want to know and refuse to offer him legal representation. =20 "I am the natural father of the child, I am not the abuser, I just want to provide a safe place." =20 I grilled him on his past and told him straight "Don't bullsh*t me, tell me straight, is there anything in your backyard that would make them query your fatherhood ability?"=20 =20 "No there isn't. I have had a couple of convictions for minor marijuana use some time ago. I am now clean. I have been supplying urine samples to DoCs for the past eight weeks. Yes, I made those mistakes in the past but I have learnt by them and turned my life around." =20 As if enough hasn't happened already to this little Sarah, she was emitted to emergency a couple of days ago with a possible life threatening ailment that may be associated with the beating she received from mum earlier on. School is still out on that. =20 Dad rings me in tears saying, "This is the second time I have nearly lost my little girl for good." =20 DoCs, who have assessed dad, say everything is OK but are forcing him into court. Why? Because the carers have applied for custody after 5 weeks with the child! Come on, you have got to be kidding. He is the NATURAL FATHER. He has offered to facilitate contact between the siblings that are not his. HE just wants his daughter back in a safe place. He is in another relationship with a couple of kids and can provide that safe place. But HOLD ON, he is just the NATURAL FATHER. Who by the way, has been coming to our meetings for some time, and who has been spending the past 19 months trying to find her after mum shot through with her. =20 He just lost his job in Nowra because of the travel he has to incur going back and forth to Newcastle jumping through hoops for DoCs who just don't seem to care. His lousy lawyer has left him high and dry because its just too much trouble now with the case being in Newcastle and who wants payment up front of $3000. =20 "I feel like I am being treated as the person who put my daughter in this situation. I am not her abuser. I didn't put her in hospital. I just want to get her out of there when she is well enough and provide her with a safe and loving home," this dad cries out. =20 Yeah, but mate, you're just the natural father and in this country it seems you don't have any rights . . . =20 Footnote: We have arranged for dad to speak to a State MP today and are trying to track a lawyer with some heart in the Newcastle area (don't laugh). I am also approaching the Media for some coverage of this tragic story. We are not going to let go of this until some justice prevails for Sarah and her dad. (Name changed as court proceedings are in process) =20 Tony Miller dids dids@nor.com.au=20 www.dadsindistress.asn.au =20 =20 back to top=20 =20 All you need is Love A Love as Good as Gold By Gerald Ensley Tallahassee Democrat September 29, 2006 =20 =20 BLOUNTSTOWN - Friends are bringing food for more than 200 people. Neighbors are coming early to erect the outdoor tents. Old high-school classmates have sent gifts, including a plaque featuring the couple's wedding picture. =20 Folks in this small town by the Apalachicola River are delighted by the opportunity to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of their community's most inspiring couple: R.L. and Hilda Alford. =20 For almost 50 years, Hilda has been blind, paralyzed and unable to talk because of injuries suffered in an automobile accident shortly after they were married. And for almost 50 years, R.L. has dedicated his life to taking care of her. =20 He gave up his career to stay home with her. He bathed her, fed her and gave her medicine. He learned how to clear tracheotomy tubes and insert catheters. He pushed her in a wheelchair when it was convenient and carried her in his arms when it wasn't. =20 It's the kind of love story that produced two children, moved a U.S. president and sparked the community's building of a house for the couple nearly 20 years ago. =20 It's no wonder the guest list started big and keeps growing. =20 "Every time I see someone in town, they say, 'What can I do to help?' Everyone knows her and everyone loves him," said the Alfords' daughter, Juanice Johnson, who organized the celebration. "They are both amazing, but he is special for what he's done." =20 R.L., 70, is an affable man who's looking forward to Saturday's gathering. But he remains largely unmoved by the praise people have long heaped upon him for his devotion to Hilda, 68. =20 "What I figured was she would have done the same thing for me," he said. "She wouldn't have been able to pick me up, because I've put on a little weight. But she would have seen that I was taken care of. It's been rough in some ways. But it's been rewarding." What if . . . =20 Hilda Clemmons and Robert Lee Alford - known as R.L. since childhood - met as teenagers in Blountstown's First Church of the Nazarene. R.L. was in 11th grade and played baseball and football. Hilda was a pretty, dark-haired ninth-grader who sat in the pew ahead. =20 "One Sunday she turned around to look at me just as I was blinking," R.L. said. "She thought I was winking at her." =20 Romance ensued. They went together for three years before getting married Sept. 14, 1956, after R.L. had joined the Navy. They went off to start their life together at an Oakland, Calif., naval base. =20 Ten months later, on July 21, 1957, they were driving to church when their car was broadsided on the driver's side by an ambulance that ran a stop sign while racing to the scene of an oven explosion. =20 R.L. was "bummed up pretty bad." But in a day before seat belts, Hilda was thrown from the vehicle and suffered a massive head injury. She was left a quadriplegic, legally blind and unable to speak - although she could understand what was said to her. =20 R.L. occasionally thinks about their 10 months of marriage before the accident. In California, they went on picnics and were active in their church, where they taught Sunday school together. He played on a softball team that won a city league championship. =20 He occasionally thinks about the unfortunate coincidences that put them in that intersection in 1957. Hilda had talked him into taking a different way to church; the ambulance blew through the stop sign after missing its turn the block before. =20 "That's the way fate is," R.L. said. "It enters my mind once in a while, but I haven't delved into it. It changed our lives for sure." . . . . .=20 =20 . . . . . Six years ago Hilda almost died from an airway blockage that necessitated a tracheotomy; she's now fed through a tube. She also had a kidney removed. Last year R.L. had to have both knees replaced, which has made it tougher to carry Hilda. The biggest loss has been communication. Hilda rarely makes a sound. =20 "I keep thinking, in this computer age, someone will invent a mind-reading machine, but they haven't done it yet," R.L. said with a laugh. =20 A nurse visits Hilda twice a week, and local volunteers often relieve R.L. so he can go to church - or indulge his favorite pastime, following the Blountstown High football team. Jonathan and Juanice are both teachers in Calhoun County and live in flanking houses. Both children, plus Juanice's husband, Jeff, and their two children, Casey and Bailey Ann, visit daily to help with Hilda. =20 But it is mostly R.L., who feeds Hilda through a tube, suctions out her phlegm, empties her urine and cleans up her bowel movements - all the while chatting with her about the day's events. =20 "R.L. is a rare, rare bird: When he was asked to repeat the vow of 'for better or worse,' he heard it real loud," Kearce said. "Medically, it's a miracle Hilda is still alive. But she's not alive because of all those doctors. She's alive because R.L. gave his life to her." =20 COPYRIGHT TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT 2006 back to top=20 =20 Thought of the Week =20 =20 =20 One father is worth more than a hundred schoolmasters. =20 George Herbert =20 back to top=20 =20 Special Feature 'Turning Hearts' Tour Report =20 by Warwick Marsh =20 We had a great time last Wednesday at Brian Molitor's first seminar in Australia. Around forty people packed out the school library at Cedars Christian College in Wollongong between 7 pm and 9 pm for a 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' seminar.=20 =20 Brian Molitor is a great communicator with a big heart. He is also a big guy, 6 ft 4", with a background, in his younger years, as a semi-professional footballer and a very keen basketballer as well. In his early days he was a lumberjack and as the years rolled on he moved into corporate training as a management consultant. Brian is listed in the Who's Who of Business Leadership for his team building and corporate coaching. =20 Brian shared foundation principles on lifelong mentoring and the power of a plan with us. He pointed out that if you have no plan, you have no power. Brian's message is all about intentional parenting and planning for success as fathers. He also pointed out the incredible power that a father has in his ability to bless his children and to encourage them through hugs and the appropriate use of touch. =20 Brian told us how one man who attended his seminar was powerfully affected in a positive way through his message. While Brian spoke about dads using their hands to bless their children or curse them, this man was heavily convicted of his harsh behaviour towards his daughters. He used to slap them on the face with his hands when they did the wrong thing. He realised the error of his ways, firstly apologising to his wife in tears for his bad behaviour. He then apologised to his 16 year old and then his 14 year old daughters. They were all crying by this stage and God was healing hearts in a big way.=20 =20 This family had been highly dysfunctional; fighting, swearing and throwing things at each other. They required regular counselling together just to get them through each week as a family. Because of the father's apology to his wife and daughters, the family was totally restored and did not have to attend any further counselling together. =20 Brian's message on rites of passage was equally impacting as he shared on the profound transformations that occur through simple celebrations of manhood or womanhood for both boys and guys. Those who attended Brian's seminar last Wednesday enjoyed it so much that most of them bought his books and training CDs, putting a major dent in his supply of 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' books that he brought from the USA. Currently Brian Molitor is in Western Australia and will be speaking on the Sunshine Coast next Wednesday 25th October, Hobart on Thursday 26th October and then in Melbourne on Saturday and Sunday 28th & 29th October. =20 We encourage you to phone the local organisers to book into a seminar near you. Brian Molitor is someone you can't afford to miss if you are keen on becoming a great father. =20 For further enquiries please see News & Info for tour details and phone numbers. back to top=20 =20 News & Info =20 =20 =20 =20 Dear Friends =20 We write to tell you about the Turning Hearts 2006 Speaking Tour with Brian Molitor. =20 =20 Brian is the author of the groundbreaking book, 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' (c) 2004, Emerald Books, USA. This book is available from Koorong Books www.koorong.com.au and has had a wonderful impact around the world. Brian is also the founder of Malachi Global Foundation www.malachiglobal.org based in USA. He is also a management consultant and an executive coach who has taught leadership and management principles all over the world. Brian has been married to Kathy for 23 years and has four children. =20 Brian Molitor will be conducting 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' Seminars', which focus on lifelong mentoring, transitions to manhood, father's blessing, words of affirmation and rites of passage. =20 He will be conducting these seminars in Wollongong, Perth, Kalgoorlie, Sunshine Coast QLD, Hobart, Melbourne and Berwick from 18th October to 29th October. =20 The evening seminars will run for 2 hours at a cost of $25. Full day seminars will be $30. =20 We encourage you to attend one of these 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' seminars which are geared for fathers and young men. =20 Brian Molitor is a world class speaker with a message of renewal for men and families for the 21st century. We encourage you to take advantage of his presence in Australia and book in early at a location near you to avoid disappointment. =20 Yours for Australian families Warwick Marsh Fatherhood Foundation PO Box 440 Wollongong NSW 2520 02 4272 6677 info@fathersonline.org=20 www.fathersonline.org =20 =20 Boy's Passage Man's Journey Seminars will be held in the following locations:=20 =20 Wednesday 18th October, 7 - 9 pm Wollongong Cedars Christian College Library Building Waples Rd Unanderra NSW 2526 Bookings are essential Ph: 02 4272 6677 AH: 0418 225 212 =20 Saturday 21st October, 9 am - 3 pm Thornlie Church of Christ 319 Spencer Rd Thornleigh WA Bookings are essential 08 9459 8522 AH: 0413 081 228 =20 Monday 23rd October, 7-9 pm Kalgoorlie Church of Christ=20 169 Egan St Kalgoorlie WA Bookings are essential 08 9021 2296 AH: 0427 356 619 =20 Wednesday 25th October, 7-9 pm Goodlife Community Church 100 Buderim Pines Dr Buderim QLD Bookings are essential 07 5478 1766 AH: 0412 121 745 or 0410 585 277 Sponsored by:=20 Goodlife Community Church Heart to Heart Ministries=20 The Passage Program =20 Thursday 26th October, 7 - 9 pm Grace Christian Church 45 Melville St Hobart TAS Bookings are essential 03 6231 2648 AH: 0418 123 338 =20 Saturday 28th October, 9.30 am - 3.30 pm Lighthouse Christian College (Library Building) 927 Springvale Rd Springvale VIC Bookings are essential 03 8796 7373 AH: 0402 067 030 =20 Sunday 29th October, 6 - 8 pm The Winepress Church 40 Intrepid St Berwick VIC 03 9796 1006 ____________________________________________________ =20 Breathing Under Water Understanding 12 Step Spirituality Monday 13th November 2006 7.30pm to 9:30pm You are invited to register for an evening with FR. RICHARD ROHR (O.F.M.) BARDON CONFERENCE CENTRE 390 Simpsons Rd. Bardon, Q. For further information contact: MTM Australia (07) 3876 8710 =20 Richard Rohr has been exploring issues of male spirituality since 1987. From this work Richard observed that men in our western culture were lacking in their experience and understanding of the transcendent power of God. He has established Rites of Passage programs in New Mexico to help guide men through a formal initiation process that they may have missed during their critical developmental period as young men. The Men As Learners and Elders (M.A.L.E.s) program was established in 2002 to carry out the vision of creating a school for male spiritual development by expanding the scope of Men's Rites of Passage programs throughout the world. One of the goals of M.A.L.E.s is to form an extended network of men and leaders who have an ecumenical vision of the Gospel. These men will then serve as Elders in providing leadership and guidance in spiritual development for other men in future generations. =20 * * * * * * * * * * * * * *=20 Real Men - Great Dads with Warwick Marsh from the Fatherhood Foundation Men's Retreat 27-28 October at Edmund Rice Retreat and Conference Centre Winbourne, 1315 Mulgoa Rd, Mulgoa For more information phone 4732 3139 =20 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * =20 FRESH START - Hear Sam Low speak at the October Meeting. Are you a PARENT or a CHILD of a broken marriage? Come along and listen to Sam Low, a gifted speaker and Youth Pastor at St Paul's, Castle Hill. He experienced his parent's marriage breakdown in his early high school years and will share his insights. 28th October, 2006 7.30pm start St Paul's Anglican Church, 421 Old Northern Road, Castle Hill =20 A panel of young people will also answer your questions. Suitable for separated / divorced parents, and pre teen to young adult children of divorced parents. Contact: Michael or Julie on (02) 96296680 or 0404048613 =20 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * =20 Highly Recommended!! =20 Weekend to Remember 27-29 October 2006 Rydges Oasis Resort Wollongong=20 Register at www.ozfamily.org.au =20 =20 Day to Treasure 21 October 06 - Ph: 02 4271 8124 4 November 05 - Ph: 02 4256 2103 Visit www.ozfamily.org.au to find more venues and dates for a Day to Treasure =20 ************************* =20 US Marriage Leaders Visit Australia Marriage Leaders and Ministers are invited to attend Morning Tea and an opportunity to hear from two exciting couples visiting Sydney from North America: =20 Leo and Molly Godzich founded the National Association of Marriage Enhancement (NAME) and are actively involve in teaching couples how to have a better marriage. They will share their insights on how the understanding of a foundation of covenant can make a huge difference in the lives of our churches. Leo and Molly teach a weekly marriage class to hundreds of couples with outstanding results. Together they have created and conduct 'Together Forever' marriage events.=20 =20 Bob and Audrey Meisner will share from their dynamic testimony of marriage healing after seeking God and facing up to the impact of adultery. They have recently written two books and are co-hosts of the television program 'It's A New Day' seen daily across Canada and the UK. Individually and as a couple, they have been working on Christian television since 1984. Having pioneered in broadcasting and church planting, Bob and Audrey are now popular marriage conference speakers. =20 =20 THE DETAILS: FRIDAY 3rd November 2006 * 10.00 am Morning Tea - Conclude by 12.30 pm=20 * C2 Connection Centre=20 * Corner of Silverwater Road and Egerton Street SILVERWATER 2128=20 * No charge/No offering=20 * Car Parking available - onsite & on the street=20 =20 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: =20 and to RSVP (By Wed 1st Nov) please contact: Neil and Jane Rookes - National Marriage Coalition=20 28/18 Day Street North SILVERWATER NSW 2128 P: 02 96486464 M: 0434984295 =20 E: info@marriage.org.au=20 Two similar events will be held in Brisbane and Toowoomba, Tuesday 7th November. Please contact above for further information. =20 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Parenting Australia Kidzexpo 3-5 November 2006=20 Budawang Pavilion Canberra Exhibition Centre Admission $10 adults, children free www.parentingaustralia.com.au =20 =20 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *=20 =20 SUICIDE PREVENTION AUSTRALIA'S NATIONAL CONFERENCE CONNECTING PATHWAYS - BIG COUNTRY, BIG PICTURE 2nd-4th November 2007 Stamford Grand Hotel Glenelg, South Australia www.suicidepreventionaust.org =20 =20 The SPA National Conference has become a bi-annual event, with the last Conference being held in 2004. The 2006 Conference will bring both national and international experts as well as those bereaved by suicide and those who have experienced suicidal ideation, together to work collaboratively to share experience, research and practice to further advance collaboration.=20 =20 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *=20 Toward Kingdom Ministries Conference=20 www.bcs.org.au =20 8.30 am - 4.35 pm=20 4th November 2006. Only $20 include lunch, morning & afternoon teas. Speakers: Dr Allan Meyer, Ps Andrew Rushton, Ps Scott Hawkins Millennium Room Telstra Stadium Sydney Olympic Park Homebush Bay For further information register online at www.bcs.org.au =20 =20 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *=20 =20 Media Release =20 Boy's Passage Man's Journey Author visits Australia 18 - 29 October 2006 =20 Brian Molitor, author of the groundbreaking book, 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey', is in Australia from 18 October to 29 October 2006. He will be holding 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' Seminars in NSW, WA, QLD, TAS and VIC.=20 =20 The Boy's Passage Man's Journey Seminars will cover topics such as manhood, lifelong mentoring, intentional parenting, the power in a father's words and rites of passage. Brian Molitor is CEO of Molitor International, a leadership training and management consultancy in the USA. Brian is named among the 'Who's Who Worldwide' for outstanding business leadership. =20 His most recent book, 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey', is about how to design and implement a strategic plan for young men-in-the-making using the powerful principles of lifelong mentoring, words of encouragement, a father's blessing and rites of passage. Brian is also the founder of the Malachi Global Foundation. He has been married for 23 years and has four children. He is an internationally sought after executive coach, mentor and speaker. =20 The only place Brian Molitor is speaking in NSW is in the Illawarra on Wednesday 18th October at a 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' Seminar. =20 Boy's Passage Man's Journey Seminars =20 18th October - Wollongong, NSW Ph: 02 4272 6677 21st October - Perth, WA Ph: 08 9459 8522 23rd October - Kalgoorlie, WA Ph: 0427 356 619 25th October - Sunshine Coast, QLD Ph: 07 5478 1766 26th October - Hobart, TAS Ph: 0418 123 338 28th October - Melbourne, VIC Ph: 03 8796 7373 29th October - Berwick, VIC Ph: 03 9796 1006 =20 For more information: Warwick Marsh 0418 225 212 Fatherhood Foundation=20 PO Box 440 Wollongong NSW 2520 02 4272 6677 =20 info@fathersonline.org www.fatherhood.org.au =20 =20 =20 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * =20 Letters =20 Dear Fatherhood Foundation =20 I'm at my wits end and don't know what to think of it all. We have a beautiful 7=BD month old daughter who is such a delight. When I was talking with my husband just now about his feelings towards her he said that he doesn't feel bonded. That although he loves her he finds spending time with her a drag, that he never wanted children in the first place, he works all day and when he comes home I try and encourage him to spend time with her but he would rather be doing other things (like playing pc games or pottering in the shed). Don't get me wrong by all means, he is a wonderful husband and friend - a very gentle soul but likes to spend time doing 'his' thing. He also said that because I once said 'that if he didn't want children then I would find someone who would'. He felt that the only reason he agreed to having a child was through the fear of losing me. We are both a fantastic unit and love each other endearingly - I'm not so sure though whether he feels that our daughter is intruding on our relationship or whether he purely doesn't want a part of her.... I feel like having our daughter has 'put him out' and it hurts soo much. I don't know what to think of it - is this normal for guys (new dads) or is it just him??? I'm so confused!!! Please help!!! =20 Regards Please forward any responses to=20 info@fathersonline.org=20 =20 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Dear Fatherhood Foundation I had this in my emails today. =20 No doubt you are aware of this, but in the event that you haven't seen it I've sent it on to you. David is a single dad with 3 kids. His wife left him about 5+ years ago, took the kids and married a young 18 year old she got off the internet. David is fortunate in that he gets his kids for 2 days on the weekend, but he still pays thru the nose to his wife. In one way this has created a class of working poor.....the divorced single dads. Cheers............Murray and Astrid =20 In reference to Single Dads article by James Adams (1st October 06) =20 The offset to this is that if the woman who marries the dad who pays child support collects child support from the father of her child (and we all know that only about half of fathers that are required to pay child support actually pay more than $5 per week) =20 To top it all off, the woman receiving child support can also, in many cases, receive rent assistance and family tax benefit A and B, which can amount to $400 per fortnight on top of her child support, $9000 income that she can earn and have before the amount of child support that the dad is paying can be reduced and any income that her new spouse is earning that is exempt from any scrutiny when it comes to affecting how much child maintenance the real dad must pay.=20 =20 If the real dad busts his guts, and gets an extra casual job, and wears himself out to try and get ahead, then his child maintenance payments increase in the following financial year, being related to the previous financial year's income. =20 If he gets tired of this arrangement, (kind of wrecks having available time for a social life and not being too tired to spend quality time with his kids, never mind that when you work a second job your living expenses increase as you are not home long enough to do your own maintenance work, cooking and cleaning and look for bargains) and chooses to let go the extra job, he must then continue to pay child support on the increased level of income until another financial year passes and it can be proven that his precious financial year's income is 3% greater than his current income. =20 The real dad may even be required to continue to pay child support on the greater level of income as he has proven he has a greater capacity to earn. =20 The child support laws state that the real dad must pay child support on his proven capacity to earn and not on his current earnings, and on the appearance of the value of his current life style, irrelevant of what the end of year income tax return states is taxable income. =20 David back to top=20 =20 Dad's Prayer Dear God =20 Let Your 'brown ooze' heal my heart.=20 Let me hear the cells of Your Divine Being=20 singing Their song. Touch me with Your vibrations and change me from the inside out with Your love. =20 back to top=20 =20 Help Us Click here for more information about us =20 Help Us! The Fatherhood Foundation is a Harm Prevention Charity.=20 Fatherlessness and inadequate fathering has been proven to be a source of harm.=20 The Fatherhood Foundation helps children by promoting excellence in fathering. Excellent fathers are in word and deed: responsible, involved, protective, loving and committed to the well-being of their children and their children's mother. If you would like to give financially to the Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund and receive tax deductibility: Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund=20 (Name, address and amount details must be emailed for a receipt for tax deductibility) Westpac Branch Wollongong BSB: 032 695 A/C: 25-5558=20 Or mail cheque and address details to: PO Box 440 WOLLONGONG NSW 2520 AUSTRALIA The Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund is a public fund listed on the Register of Harm Prevention Charities under Subdivision 30_EA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. You have received the fathersonline.org newsletter because you have subscribed, or you have been subscribed by a friend. If you do not wish to receive future emails, please click the UNSUBSCRIBE button below or send an email to info@fathersonline.org with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject heading. back to top=20 Click Here to Unsubscribe =20 ------=_NextPart_000_1000B_01C6F5B6.CA208660 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Fatherhood Foundation
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Issue 218 - 23 rd September, 2006 Go to our website Here


Hello Warwick

 

Last weekend it was my privilege to go away with two of my four sons for a Dads & Kids Camp Out with the fathers from our Good to Great Fatherhood Mentoring Course. The camp site was on the Wollondilly River, via a winding dirt road to the Wombeyan Caves, two hours drive from Wollongong.  I have been away with my oldest son on a similar camp in the mid-nineties and two years ago I camped out with my 11 year old daughter for Good to Great but I had never been away with these other two sons.  I was looking forward to it for this reason alone.  An added bonus was hanging out with all the other dads a! nd their children in the beautiful Australian bush.

 

Wollondilly River has carved a deep valley out of the Southern Tablelands on its way into the Warragamba Dam.  The river snakes along through the wilderness, surrounded by the she-oaks, with short bursts or rapids and long stretches of tranquil still water.  On a still day you can see the reflection of steep mountainous country that rises almost vertically until it seems to disappear into the sky. No flushing toilets, no showers, no mobile phone coverage, no amenities, just miles and miles of uninhabited bush. Just being in such a wilderness invigorates your manhood as John Eldridge author of 'Wild at Heart' says.  This was one of the reasons we chose such a wilderness area for our Dads & Kids Camp Out.

 

Our young children spend a lot of time alone with Mum, but very little time alone with Dad. We burnt our marshmallows in the campfire, played with sparklers, stared into the Milky Way, fought off the ants who were trying to steal our food and snored peacefully in our flimsy tents. After breakfast the next morning we got together in teams and raced monster trucks on a makeshift bush track, solved a jigsaw relay puzzle involving young and old and built a catapult out of timber, bolts and elastic rope. Next we used those catapults in a competition, firing eggs at those who were brave enough to catch them.  Of course many were missed, resulting in a dousing of egg yolk, all part of the fun and something mothers would never have approved of.  To cap it all off we built cardboard boats (dinghy size! d), covered them with plastic, carried them down to the river and then the children raced them on the river. There was that competitive male streak coming out again! Of course, the usual water fights ensued along with cut feet and bruises. Could these have been the necessary scars of initiation and the permanent memory of time spent with Dad in the company of other men and their children in the wilderness? 

 

What do our children receive when they hang out with their father in the company of other men? I'll let Gordon Dalbey, author of 'Sons of the Father' © Kingsway Communication answer that question.

 

The most intriguing answer came to me after a long session of prayer and healing with a thirty-year-old man whose father had severely rejected him. "Sure, Dad hurt me terribly at times," he said. "But I remember once, when my brother and I were about six and four, sitting on the bed with Dad, one of us under each of his arms as he told us a bedtime story.

 

"I don't remember what the story was, but I'll never forget feeling there was something different about him that I'd never felt from Mum - something hard to describe, but definitely masculine, like a  kind of brown ooze coming out of him and going into us little boys."

 

Fascinating! I thought - then wondered: Where have I experienced the 'brown ooze' myself?

 

Praying later, I thought of years ago, when I was a small boy and my father was a Navy officer stationed aboard a ship. When the fleet went to sea, I missed Dad as deeply as I rejoiced on seeing him in his khaki uniform open the door, squat down with arms open, and call to me, "I'm home! How's my boy?" Heart racing, I sprinted to him and threw my arms tightly around his neck as he lifted me high off the ground in his secure embrace.

 

In the embrace . . . I was one with my father - certified as a man-to-be, anointed with the brown ooze.

 

As Robert Bly (Iron John © 1990) declares,

 

When a father and son do spend long hours together, . . .we could say that a substance almost like food passes from the older body to the younger . . . The son's body - not his mind receives and the father gives this food at a level far below consciousness. The son does not receive a hands-on healing, but a body-on healing. His cells receive some knowledge of what an adult masculine body is. The younger body learns at what frequency the masculine body vibrates. It begins to grasp the song that adult male cells sing.

 

 

 

 

 

Lovework

 

Spend time alone with your children so they can experience the 'brown ooze' for themselves. As Robert Bly says, there is a song that adult male cells sing and our children must hear and feel it to grow up whole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yours for the Masculine Song

Warwick Marsh

 

PS Brian Molitor has connected really well with Aussie men and a full report can be found in the Special Feature section.

 

On a sad note Tony Miller's daughter (dids) is very ill and on life support in Nepean Hospital. Tony has requested that we pray for Shannon and we encourage our readers to reach out to Tony and his daughter in both a practical and spiritual way.  Prayer is the power of heaven and Tony's daughter needs our prayers.  Contact Tony at dids@nor.com.au  or post a message at  http://www.dadsindistress.asn.au/! diaryguestbook.html   Let him know that you are praying for his daughter and assure him of your love.

__________________________________________________________

 

Warwick Marsh  has been married to Alison for 30 years. He is
the father of five children, four boys and one girl, ranging in age from 25 years to 13 years.  Warwick is a musician, songwriter, producer and public speaker who likes to think he can still laugh at himself.

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Grandads

 

A Dedication

by Brian D Molitor,

'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' © 2004 Emerald Books

 

This book is dedicated to the greatest man I have ever known, my grandfather, Henry A Molitor.

 

Grandpa, you always had time to teach the important things in life. At your side I learned how to catch a fish, how to hunt, and how to build the most marvellous creations out of wood.

 

The hours we spent together in northern Michigan are etched deeply in my mind. I still marvel at how you always knew just where to go to find a bluegill, bass, partridge, or white-tailed deer.

 

You took time with your grandchildren and made each of us feel as if we were the only kid in the world. When I made mistakes, you helped me fix them. You never yelled; instead you just had me try again. It was so clear that you lived for your children and grandchildren, not for yourself.

 

The scars on your body told of your sacrifice for your country in 'the war to end all wars'. Other people sometimes stared, but to me you were the most handsome man on earth. I took note that despite your pain, you never complained and you never gave up.

 

Grandpa, when your time on earth was through and God took you home, my heart shattered into a million pieces. It took years for that same God to put the pieces back together.

 

I still miss you more than you could ever know.

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Laughter

After being married 25 years, I took a look at my wife one day and said,
"Honey, 25 years ago, we had a cheap apartment, a cheap car, slept on a small sofa bed and watched a 10 inch black and white TV , but at least I got to sleep with a hot 25 year old every night.

Now, we have a nice house, nice cars, big king size bed and plasma
screen TV, but now I'm sleeping with a 50 year old woman. It seems to me that you are not holding up your side of things."

My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot 25 year old , and she wo! uld make sure that I would once again be living in a cheap apartment, driving a cheap car, sleeping on a sofa bed and she would buy me a 10 inch black & white TV.

Aren't older women great? They really know how to solve their mid-life crisis ...

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Single Dads

 

Sarah's Story

 

A three year old girl ends up in hospital:internal bleeding/broken ribs/2 broken arms/lacerations on face, arms and legs/indication the child has been starved/hair been pulled out by the roots/ and well need I say more!

 

Dad has been trying to track this little girl down for 19 months after mum shot through with the kids. 3 kids, 3 different fathers.

 

Case has been proved against mum, mum the abuser in this case is currently incarcerated over the case, and it's stated in court proceedings that she is never to have contact with the children again.

 

Children are put in care and for the first time dad is notified of what has happened to his little girl. And the fact that in order for him to obtain custody he has to take it to court . . . Even though . . . HE is the NATURAL FATHER.

 

Dad obtains a lawyer in Nowra where he lives, arranges legal aid and a payment of $50 a week to the lawyer. Case now in Newcastle courts. His Nowra lawyer says he owes him $3000, reneges on the deal and now our dad is stuck in 'no man's land' without representation. Case is due in court in less than a week - where does he go? By the time legal aid is even processed an application it would be too late. DoCs don't want to know and refuse to offer him legal representation.

 

"I am the natural father of the child, I am not the abuser, I just want to provide a safe place."

 

I grilled him on his past and told him straight "Don't bullsh*t me, tell me straight, is there anything in your backyard that would make them query your fatherhood ability?"

 

"No there isn't. I have had a couple of convictions for minor marijuana use some time ago. I am now clean. I have been supplying urine samples to DoCs for the past eight weeks. Yes, I made those mistakes in the past but I have learnt by them and turned my life around."

 

As if enough hasn't happened already to this little Sarah, she was emitted to emergency a couple of days ago with a possible life threatening ailment that may be associated with the beating she received from mum earlier on. School is still out on that.

 

Dad rings me in tears saying, "This is the second time I have nearly lost my little girl for good."

 

DoCs, who  have assessed dad, say everything is OK but are forcing him into court. Why? Because the carers have applied for custody after 5 weeks with the child! Come on, you have got to be kidding. He is the NATURAL FATHER. He has offered to facilitate contact between the siblings that are not his. HE just wants his daughter back in a safe place. He is in another relationship with a couple of kids and can provide that safe place. But HOLD ON, he is just the NATURAL FATHER. Who by the way, has been coming to our meetings for some time, and who has been spending the past 19 months trying to find her after mum shot through with her.

 

He just lost his job in Nowra because of the travel he has to incur going back and forth to Newcastle jumping through hoops for DoCs who just don't seem to care. His lousy lawyer has left him high and dry because its just too much trouble now with the case being in Newcastle and who wants payment up front of $3000.

 

"I feel like I am being treated as the person who put my daughter in this situation. I am not her abuser. I didn't put her in hospital. I just want to get her out of there when she is well enough and provide her with a safe and loving home," this dad cries out.

 

Yeah, but mate, you're just the natural father and in this country it seems you don't have any rights . . .

 

Footnote: We have arranged for dad to speak to a State MP today and are trying to track a lawyer with some heart in the Newcastle area (don't laugh). I am also approaching the Media for some coverage of this tragic story. We are not going to let go of this until some justice prevails for Sarah and her dad.  (Name changed as court proceedings are in process)

 

Tony Miller dids

dids@nor.com.au

www.dadsindistress.asn.au  

 

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All you need is Love

A Love as Good as Gold

By Gerald Ensley

Tallahassee Democrat

September 29, 2006 

 

BLOUNTSTOWN - Friends are bringing food for more than 200 people. Neighbors are coming early to erect the outdoor tents. Old high-school classmates have sent gifts, including a plaque featuring the couple's wedding picture.

 

Folks in this small town by the Apalachicola River are delighted by the opportunity to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of their community's most inspiring couple: R.L. and Hilda Alford.

    

For almost 50 years, Hilda has been blind, paralyzed and unable to talk because of injuries suffered in an automobile accident shortly after they were married. And for almost 50 years, R.L. has dedicated his life to taking care of her.

 

He gave up his career to stay home with her. He bathed her, fed her and gave her medicine. He learned how to clear tracheotomy tubes and insert catheters. He pushed her in a wheelchair when it was convenient and carried her in his arms when it wasn't.

 

It's the kind of love story that produced two children, moved a U.S. president and sparked the community's building of a house for the couple nearly 20 years ago.

 

It's no wonder the guest list started big and keeps growing.

 

"Every time I see someone in town, they say, 'What can I do to help?' Everyone knows her and everyone loves him," said the Alfords' daughter, Juanice Johnson, who organized the celebration. "They are both amazing, but he is special for what he's done."

 

R.L., 70, is an affable man who's looking forward to Saturday's gathering. But he remains largely unmoved by the praise people have long heaped upon him for his devotion to Hilda, 68.

 

"What I figured was she would have done the same thing for me," he said. "She wouldn't have been able to pick me up, because I've put on a little weight. But she would have seen that I was taken care of. It's been rough in some ways. But it's been rewarding." What if . . .

 

Hilda Clemmons and Robert Lee Alford - known as R.L. since childhood - met as teenagers in Blountstown's First Church of the Nazarene. R.L. was in 11th grade and played baseball and football. Hilda was a pretty, dark-haired ninth-grader who sat in the pew ahead.

 

"One Sunday she turned around to look at me just as I was blinking," R.L. said. "She thought I was winking at her."

 

Romance ensued. They went together for three years before getting married Sept. 14, 1956, after R.L. had joined the Navy. They went off to start their life together at an Oakland, Calif., naval base.

 

Ten months later, on July 21, 1957, they were driving to church when their car was broadsided on the driver's side by an ambulance that ran a stop sign while racing to the scene of an oven explosion.

 

R.L. was "bummed up pretty bad." But in a day before seat belts, Hilda was thrown from the vehicle and suffered a massive head injury. She was left a quadriplegic, legally blind and unable to speak - although she could understand what was said to her.

 

R.L. occasionally thinks about their 10 months of marriage before the accident. In California, they went on picnics and were active in their church, where they taught Sunday school together. He played on a softball team that won a city league championship.

 

He occasionally thinks about the unfortunate coincidences that put them in that intersection in 1957. Hilda had talked him into taking a different way to church; the ambulance blew through the stop sign after missing its turn the block before.

 

"That's the way fate is," R.L. said. "It enters my mind once in a while, but I haven't delved into it. It changed our lives for sure." . . . . .

 

. . . . .  Six years ago Hilda almost died from an airway blockage that necessitated a tracheotomy; she's now fed through a tube. She also had a kidney removed. Last year R.L. had to have both knees replaced, which has made it tougher to carry Hilda. The biggest loss has been communication. Hilda rarely makes a sound.

 

"I keep thinking, in this computer age, someone will invent a mind-reading machine, but they haven't done it yet," R.L. said with a laugh.

 

A nurse visits Hilda twice a week, and local volunteers often relieve R.L. so he can go to church - or indulge his favorite pastime, following the Blountstown High football team. Jonathan and Juanice are both teachers in Calhoun County and live in flanking houses. Both children, plus Juanice's husband, Jeff, and their two children, Casey and Bailey Ann, visit daily to help with Hilda.

 

But it is mostly R.L., who feeds Hilda through a tube, suctions out her phlegm, empties her urine and cleans up her bowel movements - all the while chatting with her about the day's events.

 

"R.L. is a rare, rare bird: When he was asked to repeat the vow of 'for better or worse,' he heard it real loud," Kearce said. "Medically, it's a miracle Hilda is still alive. But she's not alive because of all those doctors. She's alive because R.L. gave his life to her."

 

COPYRIGHT TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT 2006

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Thought of the Week

 

One father is worth more than

a hundred schoolmasters.

 

George Herbert

 

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Special Feature

'Turning Hearts' Tour Report

by Warwick Marsh

 

We had a great time last Wednesday at Brian Molitor's first seminar in Australia. Around forty people packed out the school library at Cedars Christian College in Wollongong between 7 pm and 9 pm for a 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' seminar.

 

Brian Molitor is a great communicator with a big heart. He is also a big guy, 6 ft 4", with a background, in his younger years, as a semi-professional footballer and a very keen basketballer as well. In his early days he was a lumberjack and as the years rolled on he moved into corporate training as a management consultant. Brian is listed in the Who's Who of Business Leadership for his team building and corporate coaching.

 

Brian shared foundation principles on lifelong mentoring and the power of a plan with us. He pointed out that if you have no plan, you have no power.  Brian's message is all about intentional parenting and planning for success as fathers.  He also pointed out the incredible power that a father has in his ability to bless his children and to encourage them through hugs and the appropriate use of touch.

 

Brian told us how one man who attended his seminar was powerfully affected in a positive way through his message. While Brian spoke about dads using their hands to bless their children or curse them, this man was heavily convicted of his harsh behaviour towards his daughters.  He used to slap them on the face with his hands when they did the wrong thing.  He realised the error of his ways, firstly apologising to his wife in tears for his bad behaviour. He then apologised to his 16 year old and then his 14 year old daughters.  They were all crying by this stage and God was healing hearts in a big way.

 

This family had been highly dysfunctional; fighting, swearing and throwing things at each other.  They required regular counselling together just to get them through each week as a family.  Because of the father's apology to his wife and daughters, the family was totally restored and did not have to attend any further counselling together.

 

Brian's message on rites of passage was equally impacting as he shared on the profound transformations that occur through simple celebrations of manhood or womanhood for both boys and guys.  Those who attended Brian's seminar last Wednesday enjoyed it so much that most of them bought his books and training CDs, putting a major dent in his supply of 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' books that he brought from the USA.  Currently Brian Molitor is in Western Australia and will be speaking on the Sunshine Coast next Wednesday 25th October, Hobart on Thursday 26th October and then in Melbourne on Saturday and Sunday 28th & 29th October.

 

We encourage you to phone the local organisers to book into a seminar near you.  Brian Molitor is someone you can't afford to miss if you are keen on becoming a great father.

 

For further enquiries please see News & Info for tour details and phone numbers.

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News & Info

 

Dear Friends

 

We write to tell you about the Turning Hearts 2006 Speaking Tour with Brian Molitor. 

 

Brian is the author of the groundbreaking book, 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' (c) 2004, Emerald Books, USA. This book is available from Koorong Books www.koorong.com.au  and has had a wonderful impact around the world.  Brian is also the founder of Malachi Global Foundation www.malachiglobal.org  based in USA.  He is also a management consultant and an executive coach who has taught leadership and management principles all over the wor! ld.  Brian has been married to Kathy for 23 years and has four children.

 

Brian Molitor will be conducting 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' Seminars', which focus on lifelong mentoring, transitions to manhood, father's blessing, words of affirmation and rites of passage.

 

He will be conducting these seminars in Wollongong, Perth, Kalgoorlie, Sunshine Coast QLD, Hobart, Melbourne and Berwick from 18th October to 29th October.

 

The evening seminars will run for 2 hours at a cost of $25.

Full day seminars will be $30.

 

We encourage you to attend one of these 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' seminars which are geared for fathers and young men.

 

Brian Molitor is a world class speaker with a message of renewal for men and families for the 21st century.  We encourage you to take advantage of his presence in Australia and book in early at a location near you to avoid disappointment.

 

Yours for Australian families

Warwick Marsh

Fatherhood Foundation

PO Box 440

Wollongong  NSW 2520

02 4272 6677

info@fathersonline.org

www.fathersonline.org

 

Boy's Passage Man's Journey Seminars will be held in the following locations:

 

Wednesday 18th October, 7 - 9 pm

Wollongong

Cedars Christian College

Library Building

Waples Rd

Unanderra NSW 2526

Bookings are essential

Ph: 02 4272 6677

AH: 0418 225 212

 

Saturday 21st October, 9 am - 3 pm

Thornlie Church of Christ

319 Spencer Rd

Thornleigh WA

Bookings are essential

08 9459 8522

AH: 0413 081 228

 

Monday 23rd October, 7-9 pm

Kalgoorlie Church of Christ

169 Egan St

Kalgoorlie WA

Bookings are essential

08 9021 2296

AH: 0427 356 619

 

Wednesday 25th October, 7-9 pm

Goodlife Community Church

100 Buderim Pines Dr

Buderim QLD

Bookings are essential

07 5478 1766

AH: 0412 121 745

or 0410 585 277

Sponsored by:

Goodlife Community Church

Heart to Heart Ministries

The Passage Program

 

Thursday 26th October, 7 - 9 pm

Grace Christian Church

45 Melville St

Hobart TAS

Bookings are essential

03 6231 2648

AH: 0418 123 338

 

Saturday 28th October, 9.30 am - 3.30 pm

Lighthouse Christian College

(Library Building)

927 Springvale Rd

Springvale VIC

Bookings are essential

03 8796 7373

AH: 0402 067 030

 

Sunday 29th October, 6 - 8 pm

The Winepress Church

40 Intrepid St

Berwick VIC

03 9796 1006

____________________________________________________

 

Breathing Under Water

Understanding 12 Step Spirituality

Monday 13th November 2006

7.30pm to 9:30pm

You are invited to register for an evening with

FR. RICHARD ROHR (O.F.M.)

BARDON CONFERENCE CENTRE

390 Simpsons Rd. Bardon, Q.

For further information contact:

MTM Australia (07)  3876 8710

 

Richard Rohr has been exploring issues of male spirituality since 1987. From this work Richard observed that men in our western culture were lacking in their experience and understanding of the transcendent power of God. He has established Rites of Passage programs in New Mexico to help guide men through a formal initiation process that they may have missed during their critical developmental period as young men. The Men As Learners and Elders (M.A.L.E.s) program was established in 2002 to carry out the vision of creating a school for male spiritual development by expanding the scope of Men's Rites of Passage programs throughout the world. One of the goals of M.A.L.E.s is to form an extended networ! k of men and leaders who have an ecumenical vision of the Gospel. These men will then serve as Elders in providing leadership and guidance in spiritual development for other men in future generations.

 

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Real Men - Great Dads

with Warwick Marsh from the Fatherhood Foundation

Men's Retreat 27-28 October

at Edmund Rice Retreat and Conference Centre

Winbourne, 1315 Mulgoa Rd, Mulgoa

For more information phone 4732 3139

 

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FRESH START - Hear Sam Low speak at the October Meeting.

Are you a PARENT or a CHILD of a broken marriage?

Come along and listen to Sam Low, a gifted speaker and Youth Pastor at St Paul's, Castle Hill.  He experienced his parent's marriage breakdown in his early high school years and will share his insights.

28th October, 2006

7.30pm start

St Paul's Anglican Church,

421 Old Northern Road,

Castle Hill

 

A panel of young people will also answer your questions. Suitable for separated / divorced parents, and pre teen to young adult children of divorced parents.

Contact: Michael or Julie on (02) 96296680 or 0404048613

 

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Highly Recommended!!

 

Weekend to Remember

27-29 October 2006

Rydges Oasis Resort

Wollongong

Register at www.ozfamily.org.au

 

Day to Treasure

21 October 06 - Ph: 02 4271 8124

4 November 05 - Ph: 02 4256 2103

Visit www.ozfamily.org.au  to find more venues and dates for a Day to Treasure

 

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US Marriage Leaders Visit Australia

Marriage Leaders and Ministers are invited to attend Morning Tea and an opportunity to hear from two exciting couples visiting Sydney from North America:

 

Leo and Molly Godzich founded the National Association of Marriage Enhancement (NAME) and are actively involve in teaching couples how to have a better marriage.  They will share their insights on how the understanding of a foundation of covenant can make a huge difference in the lives of our churches. Leo and Molly teach a weekly marriage class to hundreds of couples with outstanding results. Together they have created and conduct 'Together Forever' marriage events.

 

Bob and Audrey Meisner will share from their dynamic testimony of marriage healing after seeking God and facing up to the impact of adultery.  They have recently written two books and are co-hosts of the television program 'It's A New Day' seen daily across Canada and the UK.  Individually and as a couple, they have been working on Christian television since 1984. Having pioneered in broadcasting and church planting, Bob and Audrey are now popular marriage conference speakers. 

 

THE DETAILS:

FRIDAY 3rd November 2006

* 10.00 am Morning Tea - Conclude by 12.30 pm

* C2 Connection Centre

* Corner of Silverwater Road and Egerton Street SILVERWATER 2128

* No charge/No offering

* Car Parking available - onsite & on the street

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:     

and to RSVP (By Wed 1st Nov) please contact:

Neil and Jane Rookes -  National Marriage Coalition

28/18 Day Street North  SILVERWATER NSW 2128

P: 02 96486464   M: 0434984295   

E: info@marriage.org.au

Two similar events will be held in Brisbane and Toowoomba, Tuesday 7th November.

Please contact above for further information.

 

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Parenting Australia Kidzexpo

3-5 November 2006

Budawang Pavilion

Canberra Exhibition Centre

Admission $10 adults, children free

www.parentingaustralia.com.au

 

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SUICIDE PREVENTION AUSTRALIA'S NATIONAL CONFERENCE

CONNECTING PATHWAYS - BIG COUNTRY, BIG PICTURE

2nd-4th November 2007

Stamford Grand Hotel

Glenelg, South Australia

www.suicidepreventionaust.org  

 

The SPA National Conference has become a bi-annual event, with the last Conference being held in 2004. The 2006 Conference will bring both national and international experts as well as those bereaved by suicide and those who have experienced suicidal ideation, together to work collaboratively to share experience, research and practice to further advance collaboration.

 

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Toward Kingdom Ministries Conference

www.bcs.org.au  

8.30 am - 4.35 pm

4th November 2006. Only $20 include lunch, morning & afternoon teas.

Speakers: Dr Allan Meyer, Ps Andrew Rushton, Ps Scott Hawkins

Millennium Room

Telstra Stadium

Sydney Olympic Park

Homebush Bay

For further information register online at

www.bcs.org.au

 

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Media Release

 

Boy's Passage Man's Journey

Author visits Australia 18 - 29 October 2006

 

Brian Molitor, author of the groundbreaking book, 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey', is in Australia from 18 October to 29 October 2006.  He will be holding 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' Seminars in NSW, WA, QLD, TAS and VIC.

 

The Boy's Passage Man's Journey Seminars will cover topics such as manhood, lifelong mentoring, intentional parenting, the power in a father's words and rites of passage. Brian Molitor is CEO of Molitor International, a leadership training and management consultancy in the USA. Brian is named among the 'Who's Who Worldwide' for outstanding business leadership.

 

His most recent book, 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey', is about how to design and implement a strategic plan for young men-in-the-making using the powerful principles of lifelong mentoring, words of encouragement, a father's blessing and rites of passage.  Brian is also the founder of the Malachi Global Foundation. He has been married for 23 years and has four children.  He is an internationally sought after executive coach, mentor and speaker.

 

The only place Brian Molitor is speaking in NSW is in the Illawarra on Wednesday 18th October at a 'Boy's Passage Man's Journey' Seminar.

 

Boy's Passage Man's Journey Seminars

 

18th October - Wollongong, NSW             Ph: 02 4272 6677

 21st October - Perth, WA                      Ph: 08 9459 8522

 23rd October - Kalgoorlie, WA                 Ph: 0427 356 619

 25th October - Sunshine Coast, QLD        Ph: 07 5478 1766

 26th October - Hobart, TAS                   Ph: 0418 123 338

 28th October - Melbourne, VIC                Ph: 03 8796 7373

 29th October - Berwick, VIC                   Ph: 03 9796 1006

 

For more information:

Warwick Marsh                   0418 225 212

Fatherhood Foundation

PO Box 440

Wollongong  NSW  2520       02 4272 6677  

info@fathersonline.org          www.fatherhood.org.au  

 

 

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Letters

 

Dear Fatherhood Foundation

 

I'm at my wits end and don't know what to think of it all. We have a beautiful 7½ month old daughter who is such a delight. When I was talking with my husband just now about his feelings towards her he said that he doesn't feel bonded. That although he loves her he finds spending time with her a drag, that he never wanted children in the first place, he works all day and when he comes home I try and encourage him to spend time with her but he would rather be doing other things (like playing pc games or pottering in the shed). Don't get me wrong by all means, he is a wonderful husband and friend - a very gentle soul but likes to spend time doing 'his' thing. He also said that because I once said 'that if he didn't want children then I would find someone who would'. He felt that the only reason he agreed to having a child was through the fear of losing me. We are both a fanta! stic unit and love each other endearingly - I'm not so sure though whether he feels that our daughter is intruding on our relationship or whether he purely doesn't want a part of her.... I feel like having our daughter has 'put him out' and it hurts soo much. I don't know what to think of it - is this normal for guys (new dads) or is it just him??? I'm so confused!!! Please help!!!

 

Regards

Please forward any responses to

info@fathersonline.org

 

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Dear Fatherhood Foundation

I had this in my emails today.

 

No doubt you are aware of this, but in the event that you haven't seen it I've sent it on to you.

David is a single dad with 3 kids. His wife left him about 5+ years ago, took the kids and married a young 18 year old she got off the internet. David is fortunate in that he gets his kids for 2 days on the weekend, but he still pays thru the nose to his wife.

In one way this has created a class of working poor.....the divorced single dads.

Cheers............Murray and Astrid

 

In reference to Single Dads article by James Adams (1st October 06)

 

The offset to this is that if the woman who marries the dad who pays child support collects child support from the father of her child (and we all know that only about half of fathers that are required to pay child support actually pay more than $5 per week)

 

To top it all off, the woman receiving child support can also, in many cases, receive rent assistance and family tax benefit A and B, which can amount to $400 per fortnight on top of her child support, $9000 income that she can earn and have before the amount of child support that the dad is paying can be reduced and any income that her new spouse is earning that is exempt from any scrutiny when it comes to affecting how much child maintenance the real dad must pay.

 

If the real dad busts his guts, and gets an extra casual job, and wears himself out to try and get ahead, then his child maintenance payments increase in the following financial year, being related to the previous financial year's income.

 

If he gets tired of this arrangement, (kind of wrecks having available time for a social life and not being too tired to spend quality time with his kids, never mind that when you work a second job your living expenses increase as you are not home long enough to do your own maintenance work, cooking and cleaning and look for bargains) and chooses to let go the extra job, he must then continue to pay child support on the increased level of income until another financial year passes and it can be proven that his precious financial year's income is 3% greater than his current income.

 

The real dad may even be required to continue to pay child support on the greater level of income as he has proven he has a greater capacity to earn.

 

The child support laws state that the real dad must pay child support on his proven capacity to earn and not on his current earnings, and on the appearance of the value of his current life style, irrelevant of what the end of year income tax return states is taxable income.

 

David

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Dad's Prayer

 

 

Dear God

 

Let Your 'brown ooze' heal my heart.

Let me hear the cells of Your Divine Being

singing Their song.

Touch me with Your vibrations

and change me from the inside out

with Your love.

 

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Help Us

Click here for more information about us

Help Us!

The Fatherhood Foundation is a Harm Prevention Charity.
Fatherlessness and inadequate fathering has been proven to be a source of harm.

The Fatherhood Foundation helps children by promoting excellence  in fathering. Excellent fathers are in word and deed: responsible, involved, protective, loving and committed to the well-being of their children and their children's mother.

If you would like to give financially to the Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund and receive tax deductibility:

Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund
(Name, address and amount details must be emailed for a receipt for tax deductibility)
Westpac Branch Wollongong
BSB: 032 695
A/C: 25-5558

Or mail cheque and address details to:
PO Box 440
WOLLONGONG  NSW  2520
AUSTRALIA

The Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund  is a public fund listed on the Register of Harm Prevention Charities under Subdivision 30_EA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

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