Better Dads Better Kids

Do kids come with an owner’s manual? This book is about Jim Minton’s journey of figuring out how to raise his kids, and in the process, learning a lot about himself.
When Jim’s children were born, his focus was to raise Division 1 athletes who would make him look good. He started off as that obnoxious dad we have all witnessed at sporting events. He ended up with 13 principles for improving himself, plus three amazing kids who bring him so much joy as they walk in the truth.
Don’t cheat, don’t lie, don’t steal. Don’t whine, don’t complain, don’t make excuses.
Jim has a love for good quotes. He kept a list on the refrigerator as his kids grew up, many of them coming from legendary basketball coach John Wooden. Jim knew his kids were going to find the bad stuff on their phones and in the culture; it was up to him to get the good stuff in front of them. Along the way, Jim discovered that the Bible is that owner’s manual he was looking for.
Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest, until your good becomes better
and your better becomes best.
Jim was an award-winning high school and college athlete. In 2018, he was inducted into the Decatur Illinois Public Schools Hall of Fame, for his accomplishments as a football and baseball player. He was also part of the Decatur Pride Fastpitch Softball team that won two National Championships. But what is NOW most important to him is “just call me Dad.”
Jim is thankful that he took advantage of the teachable moments that came up in his children’s lives and on their sports fields, often learning lessons from his kids at the same time. He is so blessed to have an incredible mom to partner with in his wife, Suzanne, and a great role model of unconditional love in his father, Ken.  It was a God-thing that a buddy asked him to play 100 holes of golf in a one-day fundraising event for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He is blessed to be part of a church that lives out its slogan, “Build the Home, Change the World!”
No written word, no spoken plea, can teach our youth what they should be.
Not all the books upon the shelves, it is what the teachers [parents] are themselves.
Jim and his family are far from perfect. But you can learn a lot from their journey of finding out that Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.

contact me at jimm@investment-planners.com