Dr. Jerry Taylor is one of my all-time favorite speakers.  I have invited him to speak every year since I have been in Granbury.  And he spoke for us at an old fashioned tent meeting when I was serving in Woodward, OK.  He is a fine man.

Last Sunday he hit a home-run. His sermon was convicting, inspiring, and moving. I laughed, cried, and had my toes stepped on during the course of one lesson! It was just good.

During the course of his sermon he impressed on us the importance of passing values on to the next generation. He was not shy.  We are going to have to be purposed and thoughtful in such a commitment.  We are going to have to personally engage our children in meaningful dialogue.

He also stressed the importance of affirming our children.  Beating our children down is not going to help them grow.  Berating them has negative consequences.  Being sarcastic or caustic is not going to propel the process of passing values on to the next generation.

He told us he tells his daughter all of the time that she is attractive.  If she gets her hair fixed in a different way, he makes a point to notice. He is purposed in complimenting her and building her esteem.

And then he said: “When some jive-talkin fool comes along and starts telling her how attractive she is, she will respond by saying: “You are not telling me anything I have not already heard!  My daddy has been telling me that all of my life!”  Of course we all laughed. But he is right…our girls need to hear that from their daddy’s.  And our boys need to hear that they are smart, clever, and masculine. Let’s pass on values. But let’s do it in a context of consistent affirmation.

Thank you, Jerry.  I am a better man because of you.