Happy 6th Birthday DJ and What I Have Learned

Just a quick blog to make everyone that reads this aware that my son, DJ was born at 11:58 AM on this very day, 6 years ago. It has flown by so fast, but there are a few things that I am very proud of that have happened in that 6 years. They are things that have made me a better parent, helped him become a more positive little man or both. I would like to share them with the hope that what I share could possibly help someone else.

For starters, his mother and I get along. Not only do her and I get along, but I get along with her husband and she gets along with my wife. It actually goes beyond that. For example, on Friday my wife and I took DJ and his baby sister to Silver Dollar City. We were joined by his mother, her husband and his two children. We had a blast and got to share that fun together. How great that my son gets to see all of us get along well.

When he was born I was an alcoholic. In fact, my alcoholism got worse the year he was born when my father committed suicide. Since he was born I have stopped drinking, smoking cigarettes, cussing, going to bars and getting into fights. I can actually set a good example for my son. I could have never done that before. In fact, when he was born I was a pretty good example of how not to act.

I married a wonderful lady who also does not drink, smoke or cuss and never has. She also sets a good example for DJ. We dated for a year before we got married, and the first time we had sex was on our wedding night. That is something that we can use to encourage him to wait until marriage. I treat my wife like a lady, and because of that my son has picked up a cute habit. He will open the door for her to get into our car, and holds the door for others when we are at stores and restaurants.

I do not listen to music that contains bad language or immoral things in it, because all I listen to is worship music. My son's mother is the same way. My son sings songs that praise God and talk about living moral and upstanding lives. He does not hear at home the garbage that promotes drinking, drug use, violence and immorality. That also gives him a better chance to grow up to be a good man.

The most important change that I made was turning my life over to Christ after living as an Agnostic since I was in the 5th grade. It happened before my son turned 2, so he will have no memory of the wreck I once was. Since the day I turned my life over to God I have not drank, smoked, done drugs, got into a fight (outside of a ring) or been promiscuous. I had what could be called a Pauline Conversion, and my life has changed forever.

I have learned several things along the way, as you can see. God is great, and truly believing in him and allowing him to influence your life will make you a better person. What I am saying is always put God first in all that you do. It will trickle down. You WILL become a better husband/wife, mother/father, son/daughter, friend, employee, neighbor and person! Treat everyone the way you would want them to treat your children, and never do anything that you would not want your child to either see or do themselves. That is all it takes, and by all I mean everything.

In closing, I have added another addition to my family, a daughter named Addison Grace. My son dotes on her. He is awesome with her. He is a good student and a good athlete, a good brother and a good son. I am so proud of him. I hope that between his mother, his step-dad, his step-mom and me he is given the foundation he needs to become a great man. He is already a great kid.