<p style="text-align: left;">PART 1</p>
What an amazing blessing and honor to be called a father!
<p style="text-align: left;">You are now in charge and responsible to mold, teach and uplift a soon to be man into society!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">THE RACE IS ON!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The race for the HEART OF YOUR SON...</p>

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<p style="text-align: left;">The race to teach him how to be a man of integrity, good character, how to love and to
pursue personal excellence throughout life!</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">Every young man has the making of a knight yet our post modern culture and peer pressure of today
has something far different... Ready and willing to reshape their values and character in a heartbeat!</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">Fathers... We gotta take this race serious... We gotta fight back!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">However and its sad to say: Fathers are losing the race and the battle!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">* There are more fathers absent from the home than any other time in history.
* Boys are finding role models on T.V, street corners and playgrounds rather than Daddy at home
* 87% of all incarcerated men either had no father or hate their father
* 90% of all homeless youth and runaways are from fatherless homes
* 71% of all high school drop outs come from fatherless homes
* 65% of men at home spend less than 2 hours of quality time a week with their sons</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Just think about these staggering percentages...
How many of us were actually raised by an active and loving Dad?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If you were raised by 2 full time active and loving parents... Consider yourself blessed!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Back in the 50's and 60's if your mom and dad were divorced it was considered weird
Nowadays if your mom and dad are still together it's considered weird.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">How the times have changed... Where did we lose sight?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I'm a brand spanking new father... My son just turned 2 years old and boy does he have something
new for me everyday... I still have milk on my mouth so to speak and have so much to learn.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">But I do know what I missed growing up and what I wish I had in a father.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>SIDE NOTE:</strong></span>
Mom you did an outstanding job!
I Love you for that...</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">And for all the single moms out there...</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">You are amazing and deserve a Gold medal and more
for all the dedication, love and sacrifice made in raising your son/s!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff0000;">__________</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">AS A FATHER... one of my goals in life is to encourage men (You) to fight the good fight and stick
around through hard times... To push through the issues of life and hold the family together!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">MEN... FATHERS...</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">We need to step up and stop stepping out!
We need to show love and compassion to our sons!
We need to spend quality time with our sons!
We need to lead by example!
Fathers love your wife and show affection in his presence
Give him hugs and kisses on a daily basis
Listen, sacrifice and forgive continually</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Our sons were created to be adventurous, creative, super active, and fearless...</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">But without the proper guidance and supervision the attributes above have the potential to
lead him into destructive behavior and experience avoidable consequences.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If you have a son and are experiencing a hard time showing affection, spending quality time, and or
bonding with him I implore you to seek some assistance to turn the tables.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Take them away from the TV
Interrupt their Playstation or Xbox addiction
Do whatever it takes to show your son hes important to you
( Putting our sons in front of a TV or Game Box is not quality time - Its called lazy fathering )</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Some Suggestions for Father / Son activities:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Join a men's fellowship at your local church.
Get involved in a community sporting activity with your son
Plan a camping or weekend fishing trip w/ your son
Take a walk in the park
Plan a picnic at the beach</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Point is... be creative - There is so much to do!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">It just requires alot of sacrifice and commitment...</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Perhaps the very thing never shown to us  and the very thing we need to work on
to become the fathers we wish we had growing up.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">This blog is Part 1 of "Pursuit of your sons heart"</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">My goal was to show, expose and hopefully stir up emotions and action in a time
where fathers are almost extinct.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">For those fathers that are around... And I mean actively around...
Great job... Your one of the few!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Stay the course and get plugged in so your commitment and courage stays in tact.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">My upcoming blogs will hopefully fill in the gaps and assist those of us
that need help in raising our sons to be KNIGHTS!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Thanks for reading this article and God Bless</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Angel L. Rivera</p>