1. Making Your Home A Place Called Blessing John Trent, Ph.D.

2. Good Morning! Let’s take “one minute” to meet a few celebrities right around you!

3. { What you just did illustrates in part a “choice” that Almighty God sets before each Father… and each person… here today… “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the Blessing and the curse. So choose life….” Deut. 30:19

4. Let’s define the words that make up this “choice” … Life = Movement towards someone or something…

5. Let’s define the words that make up this “choice” Death = To step away…

6. Let’s define the words that make up this “choice” … To Bless = to “add”… like adding coins to a scale…

7. Let’s define the words that make up this “choice”… To curse = to dam up the stream – to subtract life- giving water…

8. The incredible benefit – or lasting hurt – from the “choice” we make…

9. { 5 Ways to Choose to Bless Today…

10. { 1) Appropriate meaningful touch

11. { 2) Spoken words

12. { 3) Attach high Value

13. { If your child is a Lion…

14. { 3) Attach high Value If your child is an Otter…

15. { 3) Attach high Value If your child is a Retriever…

16. { 3) Attach high Value If your child is a Beaver…

17. { 3) Attach high Value Even if you’ve got the whole zoo!

18. { 4) Special Future

19. { 5) Genuine Commitment NEED A PICTURE OF TED AND LYNN HERE!!! This is the unconditional “choice” to be committed to an imperfect person -- like two people you may know have done with me (and my family) for over 30 years…

20. { Today the message of the Blessing is a new book and One Million people choosing to Bless ONE child… But it all began at Dallas Seminary – and right here at Christ Chapel…

21. { The message of the Blessing may have started here… but it continues with a “choice” we now set before each father…