Proverbs 3: 5 – 6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths”.
Today we celebrate our earthly fathers. We are so excited to have three guest bloggers (Mike Singletary, Dre Haynes, and Jawad Williams) who have been kind enough to share their personal history, experiences as fathers, and lessons they have learned. While we celebrate our earthly fathers, who are irreplaceable, let us not forget to celebrate Abba. Our ultimate Father who sits at the throne.
Psalms 68:5
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.”THANK YOU FATHER.
We hope you ENJOY!
XOXO
Melaine
Mike Singletary
Hi! My name is Mike Singletary husband of Alec Singletary. I was born in El Paso, TX and am currently playing in Thailand. We were just blessed with our first child Paxton Jack Singletary in December. He’s such a sweet/amazing boy and I’m honored and blessed that God gave me the opportunity to be his Father.
Q&A:
Have you always wanted to be a father? Why or why not? What changed? I think I’ve always wanted to be a Father because growing up my Father was never around. I was from a single parent household where my Mom did everything to hold down the fort. Growing up without a Father, God instilled in me that I never wanted to be that kind of Father. We ultimately have the Father of Fathers, but I’ve always wanted to be the Father I never had.
How would you describe your relationship with your father? How does this relationship impact your role as a father? The relationship with my Father is nonexistent. I think it had somewhat of a positive impact on my role as a Father because I never want to be absent in my child’s life. I can’t imagine not being able to see my child grow and change. In this life that we lead as overseas basketball players, sometimes we have to be away from our children and spouse for reasons beyond our control. But that in itself is enough for me. I always want to be a present voice and presence for my children.
How does your relationship with Abba (God our Father) influence your role as a father? I think our relationship with God influences everything we do as fathers. Just to know that we have the ultimate model for how a Father’s is supposed to love, nurture, and care for his children is an influence in itself. To know that He put himself on the line for us to be able to be sinless Father’s and to know that I could never repay him drives me to become the best Father I can be to my child.
What is the most challenging part of fatherhood? The most challenging part of Fatherhood that I’ve encountered right now is the fact that at times there is nothing I can do for him at the moment. He is so dependent on his mother with feeding and all that she does for him. I’ve had to really take a step back and find out the things that I can do to help my wife that will, in turn, make her life easier. As he grows up I know that this will change, but at the moment it is very tough for me to not be able to do as much as I would like.
What is the most important thing you have learned as a father? I’ve learned that just being present is a major thing. Speaking to your child and letting them hear you and see you is one of the most important things.
“I never realized how important it is to just be in the moment with your child”.
There’s nothing better than seeing my son’s face light up when I pick him up and speak to him. That’s what fatherhood to me is all about.
What advice do you have for current or future fathers? My advice to current or future Father’s is just to be present for your children. As a black male, I had the stereotype of not having a Father around and growing up in a single-parent household. I want and desire to break the mold of that. I will always be present in my child’s life and I think if you’re constantly involved and around, it will have a major impact on your child’s life. That is what we are supposed to do as parents. We are supposed to have a major impact on how our children grow up and lead them in the way that they should go.
Be there, be present!
Dre Haynes
My name is Dre Haynes, husband to Tierra Haynes and I was born in Detroit, Michigan. I am retired and currently coaching college basketball at the University of Michigan. We have three boys – Deandre is 10. Devon is 5 and Dallas will be 4 in a couple of weeks. All of their personalities are so different!
Q&A:
Have you always wanted to be a father? Why or why not? What changed? Actually, no. My two brothers had kids when I was younger and watching them take care of their kids, I honestly thought it wasn’t something I wanted to do myself. I was happy being an uncle. Once we found out Tierra was pregnant all of that went out the window and I couldn’t wait to be a dad to my son.
How would you describe your relationship with your father? How does this relationship impact your role as a father? My dad and I get along great. He’s a huge influence in my life. He’s always been my biggest/toughest critic. He always pushed me to be better. I feel like that’s how I am with Dre right now. I’m always pushing him to be better at school, to be a better brother, to be a better athlete, and to be a better person.
How does your relationship with Abba (God our Father) influence your role as a father? Wow. This one actually makes me feel bad right now. I do have a relationship with God, but I will say I haven’t been as dedicated in my walk recently as I was a few years ago. So right now, I guess the biggest thing I want my kids to know is that:
No matter how far your stray away from God, he’s always ready and willing to receive you with open arms.
What is the most challenging part of fatherhood? Making sure I’m raising my kids right and that they’re on the right path. I think as a parent you always wonder if you’re doing it right.
What is the most important thing you have learned as a father? That’s it’s ok if all of my kids are different (personalities). To love them all the same. And to make sure you’re always present in their lives.
What advice do you have for current or future fathers?
Just be there.
It’s so important to spend quality time with your kids. That’s all they really want. The best part for me is every day when I come home and my kids come running to the door to greet me there. They’re so excited to tell me about their day and for me to play with them. Nothing else matters at that moment. It’s all about them once I come in the door.
Jawad Williams
My name is Jawad Williams, husband to Angel Williams, and I am from Cleveland, OH. I currently play for Alvark Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. We have two children – my daughter Nailah is 7 years old and the sweetest little girl in the world. My son Nash is 3 years old and is a super cool tough kid.
Have you always wanted to be a father? Why or why not? What changed? Growing up I did not want to be a father. After seeing how others interacted with their children and caring for my nieces and nephews, I knew then that I did want to be a Father.
How would you describe your relationship with your father? How does this relationship impact your role as a father? My Father is my biggest role model. He taught me unconditional love and showed me the type of man I needed to be for my family.
What is the most challenging part of fatherhood? Just making sure my children are always in a great space physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. It’s a challenge that I enjoy.
What is the most important thing you have learned as a father? I’ve learned patience and how to balance all aspects of life equally.
Always remember your kids will hear your words, but they will follow your actions more.
Tierra Haynes says
This was so beautifully done! Cheers to these amazing fathers setting such wonderful examples to their children by making god the priority and the standard for leading their families.