EP. 24: BJ Foster

B.J. Foster | All Pro Dad Content Creator

BJ Foster is a married father of two. As Director of Content Creation at Family First he utilizes his experience in the corporate world, politics, nonprofits, and over fifteen years of working with adolescents.

B.J. and I chat about coming to know Jesus through Young Life, how various job experiences led him to All Pro Dad, what All Pro Dad offers to assist dads in their relationship with their children, and how he deals with conflict when his content rubs people the wrong way.

4:11:  B.J. begins sharing how his faith journey with Jesus began

“She [mom] brought me up with this really rich Catholic foundation, which gave me essentially a deep respect for God’s holiness, for His judgement, the fact that He is somebody to be revered, to be feared (in a healthy way).”

He started going to Young Life in high school.

“He [Young Life leader] talked about Jesus in a way that made Him very relatable.”

7:55  So you marry this beautiful foundation of respect for God’s holiness with the personal relationship aspect with Jesus and you have a beautiful marriage.

10:57 B.J. talks about going on Young Life staff after working in a variety of fields

Susan Merrill, one of the founders of Family First

13:01 B.J. begins talking about All Pro Dad: the mission, resources they provide, etc.

Malachi 4:6 “He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

“The lack of the love of a father, the lack of presence of a father leaves a gaping hole.”

85% of incarcerated individuals grow up without a dad.

You can engage as an All Pro Dad is 3 ways:

  1. Sign up for All Pro Dad email, which helps dad’s be intentional with their time with their children
  2. One hour every month, attend an All Pro Chapter (or start a chapter) at your local school
  3. Attend an All Pro Dad Experience at an NFL Stadium/College Stadium

17:47 B.J. talks about the importance of a father being involved in their child’s life

19:45  We begin discussing the articles B.J. has written/continues to write for All Pro Dad.

Here are a few:

Google Ad Words: a tool B.J. uses to identify the most searched words on Google

“Way back when, when people had an issue they would go to their pastor, a good friend, a counselor, or their parents and they would ask for advice. Now the first place they go is Google. So people are crying out on Google. When you go to Google Ad Words and see what people are searching, you are really seeing the cries of the heart.  You are really seeing prayer requests.”

One of the highest searched phrases on Google (over 1000 searches/month) is: I hate being a dad, I hate being a mom.

B.J’s article:  An Open Letter to the Guy Who said, “I Hate Being a Dad.”

26:05 “Think about what you are giving up.  You are giving up the love of a child.  There is no better connection than the love of a child. Your opportunity to teach them and raise them.”

“He [mentor] said, ‘If you can listen to people long enough to hear their pain, then you can speak into it with a gentle word of God that is truth and then you can perhaps bring healing.’ So that is what I’m trying to do, get to the heart issue as quickly as I can in 500 words.”

33:34 B.J. shares a story about a husband/dad who returned to his family after reading articles on All Pro Dad

34:28 B.J. shares how you can become involved in All Pro Dad or iMom

From Me to You Journals for boys and girls, created by Mark and Susan Merrill

Q + U app that has conversation starters for family.

All Pro Dad has a daily huddle up question to ask your children

iMOM has a daily pillow talk question to ask your children

End of episode questions:

  1. What is an area or situation in your life where you have experienced or had to cling to God’s grace (unmerited favor) the most? (42:00)
  2. For your great grandchildren listening to this years from now: is there any wisdom you would want to pass on to them? (42:41)

“Embrace who you are and how God made you…They were created with love and purpose by the Creator of the universe; therefore, they are worthy of love and belonging.”

B.J. shares about Henri Nouwen’s sermon series “The Beloved.”

3 Lies that people believe about their identity:

  1. I am what I do
  2. I am what people say about me
  3. I am what I have

Henri talks about our identity be rooted in the reality that we are loved by our Creator, who desperately desires to be in relationship with us, and has created us with purpose.

Love God and Love others. Then, they will experience John 10:10, life to the full.

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