What This All About?
About Me:
Welcome to Leading Family Devotions. I am so very glad you are here. My name is Scott David. I was brought into the fold of Christ in 2003. My wife Karie and I were converted during the same time period. If you would have known me prior to meeting Jesus, you would never have imagined that I would be leading a family of 6 in nightly devotions. As soon as I began thinking independently as a young man, I was an atheist. Around the age of twenty-eight I moved into the category of agnostic. At thirty I met Jesus and have never been the same.
A few years after I became a Christian, I learned that it was my responsibility before God to shepherd my family. Nothing I do can ensure that my children will have a destiny of heaven, yet God uses means of grace. Family devotions, (normatively led by Daddy) are one of those means. Douglas Wilson said it best when he said something along the lines of:
A woman can chose to honor or not honor her husband, but a man can not chose to lead or not lead his family; for God has made him to lead, whether he is good or bad at it. The derelict father is still leading his family from the empty chair at the dinner table, even though he is leading badly.
This is a paraphrase, but it is what I remember reading years ago.
About This Blog:
This blog was first intended to be used by Dads as they lead their family devotional time. These devotions are minimal and intended to be used as springboards to deeper conversations in the home. As time has gone on, I have used this blog to post links to sermons I have preached, stories of heart wrenching suffering we have endured, and random other thoughts. I pray that you are both blessed and challenged as you follow along in leading your family devotions.
Leading Family Devotions 
Hi! I am a pediatric ICU nurse named Stephanie. I found your blog via another blog (Hope and Stay); I am not even sure how. I wanted to thank you for sharing your experiences in Pondering Mercy. I cried with you as I read about Mercy in Part 1 and Part 2. My unit (the PICU) here at a hospital in Oregon has been grieving multiple children in a short time period. Our unit provides excellent care, but as I said at church this morning, not all children get to stay on this earth. I cried in church today, even before hearing the message – appropriately on Grief and Comfort. I asked others to pray for my unit. It hurts so much to lose a child, and I can only imagine your pain then and now. I am grateful that God has been bearing you up, but know that it still hurts and will never leave you fully. Heaven sure will be a relief for us! In the meantime, I was also blessed to hear your accounts of the two compassionate nurses in contrast to the third nurse you had. It hurts deeply to empathize with others, entering into their pain, but I ask God to help me stay open and compassionate despite the effects of shared pain. This chronic grieving is a lot to learn to live with! And so I am grateful to hear how nurses who enter into the horrible pain can make such a difference. God bless you and thank you for your reflections on scripture and your shared experiences of grieving after Mercy’s death. It is so refreshing to have grief and scripture work together ok. Thanks again! – Stephanie L.
Thank you Stephanie for your kind and tender response. I am certain the Lord uses many nurses, including you, as a means of grace and mercy to hurting families like ours. Continue to show the compassion you have to those you serve. They will be eternally grateful for your willingness to suffer alongside them. Blessings to you sister! Scott and Karie.