Dinner

You know you're not single anymore...when dinner time talks are an adventure...One time your wife fixed soup and you asked your daughter to hand you the ladle for the soup, however she mishears you, shrugs her shoulders, and starts to yodel because she thought that's what you asked her to do...Your son, who was in the kitchen getting some bread, hears your daughter yodeling and decides to yodel back at her...Meanwhile your wife just shakes her head and wonders what just happened....Realizing the absurdity of the situation, you reach down into the recesses of your throat and say "Riiiicolaaaa!" In which case you reach over and grab the ladle and get your own soup.

First Job

You know you're not single anymore...when your daughter has just got her first job...You're proud of the initiative she took in pursuing the job...You know how this will teach her levels of responsibility that will follow her all of her life...Yet in the midst of your happiness for her, you have a moment where you catch your breath because you know she's growing up so fast...too fast honestly...and you realize you only have a few more precious years to guide her while she's living under your roof...Meanwhile her younger brother has also got the money bug and wants to know when we will start giving him an allowance for doing the chores he's already doing around the house... Hmmmm...

True

You know you're not single anymore...when you realize that you are picking up sayings from your family...You notice that certain phrases and expressions will land in the arena of family conversation...Right now, the word "true" is used after almost everything that is said..."Son, you need to feed the dog soon"..."true".... "Honey, I think we're out of milk."..."true."... "I believe the house is on fire"..."true"...So you now find that you say "true" back in every conversation....It drives you crazy to say it, but it just comes out all the time...Of course you wonder when you ever get to say "false" to anything.

Spiritual Leadership

You know you're not single anymore...when you have become a spiritual head of the household...You know that your primary ministry is not the church you work at but your family...For years you've given counsel to other families how to put spiritual matters in perspective but now you have a chance to live it out...You love having family devotions and dinner prayers together...You pray with your wife often and have devotions and prayers with your daughter and son individually...You are humbled because your family wants this direction and your leadership, in turn, depends on your own walk with God...You realize that the measure of your worth as a man is not the money you make or the position of your job, but rather how you guide your family to pursue after the heart of God.

Tie

You know you're not single anymore...when you have to show your son how to tie a tie...he watches carefully and then attempts the tie himself...a little short this time...do it again...a little long this time...one more time...that's perfect...You remember when your Dad showed you how to tie a tie and instead of undoing the knot, you kept the tie tied up...but your son undoes his knot and the next function in which he dresses up, he's got the tie tied just like you taught him...You're glad you have the opportunity to show him these little things in life.