Customer Reviews

The Difference a Father Makes: Calling Out the Magnificent Destiny in Your Children

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This compact book gave me surprisingly practical and inspiring answers to questions I've struggled with as a father to three teenage kids - "How do I develop a deep and affirming relationship with my children, help them grow them into what they're capable of, and let them know when they've crossed the `goal-line' into adulthood?"

The author - who is an active pastor, ex-professional football player, and father of five - uses moving examples from his own family life, anecdotes from his pastoral counseling work, and surprisingly relevant and poignant stories from the Bible to paint a roadmap for fathers like me who do indeed want to make a difference in the lives of their kids.

Ed McGlasson was a guest on our radio show this morning in Detroit, and generated one of the largest listener responses we have ever received from an author. Ed actually took the time to call my co-host's husband directly, encouraging him to read the book. He did, and found himself completely re-energized by the experience. This is a book for every man, father or father-to-be.

Fatherhood is like a bull elephant in a china shop. It's affect will be brutally felt. As a father and a pastor I've thought, fought, and taught through quite a bit about the subject of fatherhood, and I am elated to have found this resource.

I read this book in one sitting - skipping the gym and forgetting the Red Sox on TV (that last one is notable for me). This shows that McGlasson is engaging. He effectively hammers home the truth that fatherhood is deeply foundational to the identity of a child. This leads you to McGlasson's big idea: The Fatherhood of God enables, inspires, and guides the difference a father makes.

This little book offers four treasures. First, you'll be reminded again of the incredible importance of fatherhood. Second, your attention will be drawn to the Gospel of Jesus as means to having the God of the Universe as your Father. Third, you'll see beautiful things in the relationship of the Father God with the Son of God. Fourth - and this is the unique contribution of this book - McGlasson will offer powerful, practical ways to make that difference in your child's life.

The book is brief. There's more to say about fatherhood. And my eyebrows raised a few times at some of his Scriptural interpretations. But as I finished, I was ready to buy a bunch of copies and hand them to the men in my church. Again, I found this book unique in the way it opens one heart to fatherhood, opens a father's heart to his children, and opens one mind on practical ways to "make that difference" to your child.

Read "The Difference A Father Makes." You'll be affected. And it will make a difference.

I really enjoyed this book. I highly recommend this book for any proud father. I was overwhelmed by the heart felt warmth on dealing with children and especially the understanding that it is never too late to make a diffence. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have.

As a young man who is going to be a dad for the first time in April, I am so glad I came across this book!
Every man who wants to make a difference in the life of a young person needs to pick this book up.
A generation is crying out for father's who live this way!

This was a very good book! Someday, I'd like to read a book of testimonies from women about how their father made a difference in their lives. And testimonies from women whose lives would have been different if their father had been present in their lives. We learn a lot from each other's experiences. Perhaps that could be the authors's next project.

This is an encouraging book for the father who is striving to be the spiritual leader of his family. As the author shares touching personal stories from his life, he motivates fathers to go beyond the cultural expectations to bless their children and equip them for adulthood. Though I did not connect with the deep emotional wound of not knowing my father's love (and felt that the question "What does my dad really think about me?" does not necessarily define my true identity), I was challenged to be a help my children develop their self-confidence and understand my unconditional love and acceptance. I appreciate the experienced and biblical insights, though I did wonder about the book cover picture - it displays a father who looks an actor in a passion play!

When a woman makes peace with her father she makes peace with a fundamental part of herself. When you see a confident woman whose ability to hold her own esteem without overdependance on external validation ... that is most likely a father's daughter. These are women whose fathers were there, who protected them, and who were instrumental in being an involved parent. Such women have a healthy template for emotionally healthy relationship with a man and are often secure in their identity. If dad encouraged her to excel, she does. A friend of mine had a father who was a corporate lawyer of much success who pushed her in athletics to the point she was on the 1980 Canadian Olympic Speed Skating Team that went to Lake Placid BEFORE she was a legal adult. My father was frustrated that I hadn;t mastered the alphabet by age 5 that he drilled the ABCs into me one night after dinner until I walked away from the table reading a book cover to cover without stammering. Ever since then I became a bookworm and his demand that average was unacceptable still haunts me - especially when I have my share of failures like we all do. Just like Athena and her father Zues (see Awakening Athena) this is the father's legacy whole and distinct from a mother.

On the flip side women who have not made peace with a less than favorable relationship to their father owe it to themselves to heal this loss. Every female should have two involved biological parents or adoptive parents. Sadly, this is not the case. So ... the best thing is to co-opt the experience through the proper counselling and finding role models that heal. That said, it is best for women still hurting from father loss to NOT use a boyfriend or spouse to work out their father issues. Healing at the source is the best and sometimes just making peace with it once and for all independant of whether dad ever comes around is a gift you give yourself.