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| Paul -age 4 |
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| Remember the old television program, "My Three Sons"? Well, I only had two ...thank you, Lord for the limit...
No, I am not disappointed; in fact, I am very proud of them! But raising these two boys was a challenge!
Paul was our first-born. We named him after one of my very best friends, Paul Alumbaugh, successful pastor, awesome preacher, incredible friend. But my Paul was nothing like my quiet-natured friend. Paul hit Riverside Hospital in Newport News, VA at 2:03 a.m. Saturday, September 23, 1967. He knew how to get attention, and he did it naturally.
At the age of four, he began singing. Performing was in his blood. By age seven, he was singing in church. He had a sense of humor. He also wanted to be in charge. He would argue with a wall. He was competitive and would never give up once he set his mind to something.
He became 42 years old this year. That basic personality blend has not changed. We learned later that Paul has a DI personality blend —-directive, demanding, dominant, decisive, a doer —-inspiring, inspirational, and an influencer. He doesn’t light up a party —he is a party. Everyone you meet, with the exception of a few “C’s”, likes Paul.
Had I understood his personality blend as his father, I could have avoided a lot of grief. I would have involved him in more decisions, and defined his perimeters.
Today our relationship is strong. He helps me make better decisions and tosses great ideas my way. He is the director of his own ministry (REI), a father of four, married to a fabulous young lady.
Son number two, Stephen, is so different. We named him after another great friend, Stephen Conn. We became good friends at Lee College (now University) and that friendship has remained strong over the past 45 years.
Stephen is an SCD personality —-very supportive, peacemaker, cognitive, task-oriented, and a very capable leader. He leads quietly but firmly. He made good grades in school, graduated salutatorian of his class, went to Lee on a Presidential scholarship (as did his brother, Paul). However, Stephen did not like college —-he left college to go to work for a computer company. He married an awesome young lady, and they also have four children.
Stephen was smart but calculating. He would watch Paul get into trouble, and deliberately and obviously stand back with a look that said “when will he learn?” If I had known his blend, I could have understood many of his frustrations. I was one of them. My high D just did not understand this child who was so slow to move and would not keep up with my mad-driven pace. He took forever eating, and at a restaurant that was frustrating.
Today he is a leader in his church in Richmond, VA, and the Director of the Information Systems for the Richmond Police Department. He has been called to several major seminars to speak, including Homeland Security.
Two personality blends making their way with their families to heaven, in spite of the mis-direction of their high D father! They are much better parents. They have had evaluations of their children and are meeting their emotional needs in the process of growing up in a disciplined Christian home. ...More on those grandkids later.
I urge parents to take the Personality Insights evaluation. You can take it online (go to our online shopping page, and order a Discovery Report code). When you get your results, give me a call —-I would be delighted to discuss the details with you.
Blessings,
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| Stephen -age 2 |
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For more information call
405-684-0327
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