DA389 | When a Cup of Water Becomes a Call to Wonder: Treasuring vs. Enduring Fatherhood (Jeff Zaugg)

🥝 32 years avoiding kiwi fruit. One taste changed everything. What if the same breakthrough is waiting in your fatherhood?

Jeff Zaugg's Father's Day message will shift how you see those "annoying" parenting moments:

✅ Why pace, pain, people & perspective steal your wonder (and how to fight back)

✅ The Hebrew word "tov" that unlocks God's explosive delight in creation

✅ How a simple cup of water can activate you to lead with awe instead of annoyance

This isn't just inspiration—it's activation. You'll walk away with the Fight or Flight Dad Challenge that turns ordinary moments into opportunities to treasure your calling.

https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/389

Summary:

Wonder isn't just a nice feeling—it's a weapon against the thieves trying to steal your joy as a dad. In this powerful Father's Day message, Jeff Zaugg reveals how a simple kiwi fruit taught him the difference between avoidance and amazement, and why the words "stop and consider God's wonders" could transform your entire approach to fatherhood. From bedtime water requests to marriage struggles, discover how ordinary moments become opportunities to fight for your family with eyes of awe.

Key Takeaways:

• Wonder multiplies when we move from avoidance to curiosity—God's goodness is waiting to be discovered and shared
• Four thieves steal our capacity for awe: pace (hurried living), pain (unhealed wounds), people (unforgiveness), and perspective (familiarity)
• The "tov" principle shows us God's explosive delight in creation and invites us to mirror that same wonder toward our children
• A dad who fights for his family anchors on three words: loved (secure identity), learner (humble growth), and leader (purposeful connection)
• Simple triggers like a cup of water can activate us to lead with wonder instead of annoyance

Guest

Jeff Zaugg is the founder of DadAwesome and host of over 390 podcast episodes, helping fathers across the country discover the joy of fatherhood. Through his work with FATHERS FOR THE FATHERLESS, he's mobilized over 1,100 men through endurance challenges that have raised over $1 million for vulnerable children. Jeff believes the single greatest gift dads can give their children is the gift of presence—being fully with them in each moment. He and his wife Michelle have been married for eighteen years and are parents to four daughters, currently based in Northeast Florida, where you'll find him surfing with his girls or building epic backyard rope swings.

Quotes:

• "We honor God in heaven by treasuring the gift of fatherhood, not just enduring it."
• "Wonder isn't the absence of pain, but the ability to see God's beauty and goodness even in our suffering."
• "You gotta be son awesome before you try to show up as dad awesome—get soaking wet with God's love first."
• "Our pace robs us of awe. When there's no space to gaze, celebrate, or pause, we can't encounter God's goodness."
• "I want to get to the rocking chair with love on my heart, not unforgiveness weighing me down."
• "We can choose to treasure fatherhood or endure fatherhood—familiarity keeps us from wonder."
• "A cup of water can activate us to lead with wonder instead of moving toward annoyance."