School is out for summer, creating a prime opportunity for parents to eke out some quality time with their kids. Other than a family vacation, parenting experts agree that spending One-on-One time with your children can be beneficial. This month Good News Wants to Know... What's the most memorable time you've spent Oneon-One with your child - or you with your parent - not on a family trip? Theresa and I have raised three that are now married and have their own children. I've had special one-on-one moments with each one over the years. However, my son, Matt and I, when he was small, would walk up to the convenience store close to our house, and on our way back we would always sit at our "secret" place and eat our ice-cream before walking home. We told each other that no one would ever know where this "secret" place of ours was. We had the most amazing talks at that personal spot that just he and I knew about. Now Matt has three of his own and to this day we still talk about our "secret" little place that was just for him and his papa. That was ever so, so special. Parents, remember, as it relates to our kids, one day the little things of life will become the big things of life. Psalm 90:12 "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Fidel Gomez, Assistant Pastor, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale On this one I went to my kids and asked them. Our son: "Those hockey tournaments and early practices and games really stand out to me. Especially the games we lost. You taught me how to get back up and keep going and that win or lose you were proud of me." Our daughter: "I really appreciate you taking me on dates growing up. As a teenager, the hands down most pivotal moment was when you showed up in the matching lime green tie to my senior prom dress & danced with me when I had no date." William “Bill” C. Davell, Director, Tripp Scott, Attorneys at Law Rivers is now 8. We love playing basketball together. I expect him to finally beat me one day in the Year 2037. Bob Denison, President, Denison Yachting Building legos and also cooking. Both provided time for great conversation and creativity. Char Talmadge, Executive Director, Rescue Upstream One of the most memorable days that I spent with my mother was a few years ago on her birthday. She joined me for the groundbreaking of the Four Season on Fort Lauderdale Beach. We followed that with a wonderful lunch at S3 at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach, catching up on how she took my brother and me to swim practice at the Swimming Hall of Fame at that same beach many years before. The culmination of the day was asking her if she would like to join me at a political event to meet Senator Ted Cruz, which was set up by a friend of mine Dr. Jeffrey Feingold who just recently passed away. Chip LaMarca, State Representative, Florida House District 100 I have been able to take each of my boys on several one-on-one trips. I did the Passport to Purity with each of them and those were great times of studying God’s word and building lastingmemories with a purpose. I also have taken them individually on trips to spend time together, to have intentional conversations and just hang out together exploring, visiting a city and bonding. I love that I have these memories that today we can talk about and laugh together. Chris Lane, President, First Priority of South Florida The parenting experts are certainly right, but some of the most memorable moments with my children have come not in the context of an event or a fun escape but during the critical turning points in their lives. Those hours when my unique wiring as a father came directly into play. Those minutes when another's words or mingling of tears would not have sufficed. Those seconds of shared quiet. Praise God for those once-in-a-lifetime moments together. Chris Simpson, President, CBMC International My one-on-one times with my kids usually happen as often as once a week for breakfast lunch or dinner when we get to share a meal and conversation on any topic they want at a restaurant of their choice. Also, I try to do one-on-one trips with each of my children. The boys have outpaced the girls with lots of fishing and hunting trips since my daughters are not as keen on those types of activities. Having that type of time is easily as important as any golf game, business lunch or even Bible study or church activity. H. Collins Forman, Jr., PA My most memorable time with my mom was when I left the mission field to take care of her through twenty years of physical challenges: two broken hips, two broken shoulders, quintuple bypass heart surgery, a stroke, Parkinson's disease, dementia and macular degeneration. We grew closer than we'd ever been as our Lord challenged me to love my "porcupine mom" into His Kingdom. He did a mighty work in her heart. At 92, she finally forgave everyone in her life and went "Home" gloriously. I had the privilege of being at her side as she breathed her last earth-air and first heaven-air. I saw a vision of her running to Jesus and presenting him the flower bouquet I had placed in her hands. "Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His saints." (Ps. 116:15) Deborah Cusick, FAU Campus Volunteer, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship As my pioneer parents were in the sunset of their lives after serving 38 years as Medical Missionaries in the bush ofAfrica, I would spend afternoons with themasking what it was like to have 4 kids off the grid, hundreds of miles from a city surrounded by dangers. The theme of their answers was always: “The safest and most exciting place to be, is in the will of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Those were special conversations. Don Campion, President, Banyan Air Chip LaMarca Chris Lane Chris C. Simpson William “Bill” C. Davel Bob Denison Char Talmadge Wants to Know… - Fidel Gomez -
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