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Hey Dad,

It's snowing as I type away on the kids' computer up in the attic. That's why I've been "silent" for a couple of weeks; my computer is in a coma and possibly dead. But wait, that's not all: on top of that, our kitchen has been invaded by drain flies (the evil twin of fruit flies), mice have been hiding dog food in our winter boots and shoes, the van we were hoping to sell has been diagnosed with a bad transmission, and to top it off, my toothbrush came up missing again (last time I found it upstairs on Abe's bedroom floor).

But I'm okay, because Christmas is coming!

Christmas is one of God's greatest gifts to fathers. It's the time for dads everywhere to experience the best part of family togetherness. It's so easy too, all we have to do is BE THERE. Christmas takes care of the rest.

But we're so dense, sometimes we miss it. Take dumb old me for example. I can get so caught up with vans, computers, and drain flies that I forget to sit on the couch and play the "What's-your-favorite-ornament" game with my youngest child, or snuggle under a pile of blankets and watch a Christmas video with my wife, or plan a family advent night because I've got more important stuff to do.

If I'm not careful, I'll miss God's wonderful gift of Christmas this year … and if you're not careful, so will you. There are no do-overs for dads.

So here's phase one of the Christmas game plan:

• Today, call the Salvation Army and volunteer to go bell ringing as a family.
• Take three minutes to think about a gift that would make your wife's heart smile.
• Plan a Family Advent Night for this week or weekend (Sorry, Dad, but with my computer down I am unable to make any updates on my website, so no Christmas helps there. See below for an advent link).
• Required viewing for all dads: rent or buy the video "The Christmas Box." Let the message sink in.
• Talk to your wife about a family that you might help this Christmas.
• And of course, order your You 'da Dad daily calendars. Not to scare you, but we only have a couple of boxes left. We might be able to print more … but I ain't promising.

Okay, that ought to get you started on the path to Christmas. Real men do Christmas!

You 'da Dad!

PS: To order your You 'da Dad daily calendars in time for Christmas, go to http://familymanweb.com/dailycalendar.htm.

PPS: For family advent ideas, go to http://www.family.org/fofmag/pf/a0026154.cfm.

© Copyright 2003 Todd Wilson. Used by permission.

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