Aug 6, 2020
dadAWESOME
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David Goundry
In this episode, David Goundry, originally from NE England, now lives in South Florida with his wife, Louisa (originally from Brazil) and his two teenage kids. Passionate about global missions through OneHope, David discusses raising third-culture kids, traveling as a family, raising teenagers, and helping his kids become friends with anyone. He strives to live life and parent with intentionality, and believes in surrounding himself with mentors. David serves as the Vice President of Eurasia at OneHope.
Conversation Notes:
- 3:43 - David introducing himself
- 5:31 - OneHope - God’s word. Every Child.
- 8:00 - Bible App for kids
- 8:54 - Raising third-culture kids and traveling globally as a family.
- 11:02 - Teaching kids to not fear differences.
- 12:53 - “The other thing that doesn’t cost much, other than your time, is the intentionality of myself and my wife to make sure that we are including the children even at a young age in global conversations. So we are trying to demystify people that are of a different religion. We are trying to demystify those who are of a different tradition. So as much as we can we are trying to, even at a young age, try to explain to them, this is what they do, this is what they believe, and this is why it’s wrong and here is what the scriptures say. So the more that they became aware of what people were thinking, doing and believing, as long as we brought in the scriptures alongside that , it allowed them in their young minds to balance .I don’t need to agree, but I don’t have to fear. I don’t have to run away from them. I can still be friends with them.”
- 15:43 - Dad hacks David has picked up from dads in other cultures: From the Middle East - Scripture engagement. “If our children were encouraged to study the word like a muslim child was encouraged to study the Quran, I think we would have a different church. When you look at how much a young muslim can recite and understand and you put that alongside some of the milk-based products and intentionality that we have int he Christian church, it’s night and day. The Quran engagement is much greater than scripture engagement in time and hours spent.”
- 17:03 - “Our children are not going to naturally want to read and pick up these things and do this on their own. They need our guidance, they need our input, they need our encouragement” … Studies show there is a massive dropoff in scripture engagement between the ages of 7-11.
- 18:19 - Dad hacks David has picked up from dads in other cultures - What cultures tell children they are capable of or not capable of. US vs. England.
- 21:00 - On blending culture US and England with the best of both worlds. “I want to be able to figure out how can I have duty and obligation ingrained in their DNA, which is some of the pros of the English culture, eradicate the negatives of the english culture...and then couple it with the blessing of the American culture which is more pioneering that says you can do this don’t doubt yourself, if there’s a ceiling go smash it, work your way through it, but then at the same time, don’t get so pioneering and so taken away that you leave a carnage in your wake because you’re so focused on moving forward.”
- 22:10 - Reflecting on a positive relationship with his dad.
- 27:34 - David gives advice to teenage dads who have sons who are ‘losing their minds’ and what to do to insert themselves and help them. “‘[his dad told him,] From this moment forward, I am your only friend. From this moment forward, we are doing everything together’….he grounded me from life...and from that moment forward, everything changed.”
- 30:48 - “He could have pushed you towards isolation, like grounding you to isolation, but instead he amped up, he leaned in...filling that void with dad love instead.” - Jeff
- 32:10 - Parenting when kids are older looks different than parenting when kids are younger. “I have to learn in each season of my children’s life how to be a parent to them in that season.”
- 35:52 - “I’m going to have to learn how to let go and to advise and be a dad from a distance as they carry on in their own life.”
- 38:10 - Discussion of mentors. Ezra 8 - Sheribiah. A man of great understanding.
- 40:00 - Putting yourself in a position to be around mentors or potential mentors. “I would look for someone with a different slant because they can give you something that you’ve never thought about, but say if I’m picking 5 people, only one of them would be cut from a different spiritual cloth, so to speak, in the giftings that God has given them.”
- 43:20 - One parting word: Intentionality. “Because without that, nothing happens, it really doesn’t, because that then flows into your time with the Lord. You’re intentional with your time with the Lord, you’re intentional with your time at church, you’re intentional with your family. If you’re not intentional about it, then the next thing you know you’re just binge-watching Netflix [which you can still do with intentionality], but you work hard, play hard, and rest hard. Be intentional with all three.”
- Rob Hoskins - Intentionality Post
- 46:21 - David’s prayer.
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