What is it like to raise a Catholic family in the 21st century? Hundreds of Catholic mommy bloggers will happily answer the question for you but they only tell one side of the story. What about a dad’s perspective on family life? How does he see it? There are many just men like St. Joseph, who are doing their best to raise their children to become saints. The Joys and Challenges of Family Life gives a voice to these men.
Eight fathers share some insight into what life 
is like raising a family. They express their joys, sorrows, successes, and failures in a way that is inspiring and refreshing. The topics run the gamut of family life—from NFP to technology, from infertility to work-life balance, and many things in between.
Although each man’s story is different, there is one common theme that is woven throughout the book: these men love being dads. In a society where the idea of marriage and family life has crumbled, these men give us hope that there still are men who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their family.
Depending upon your stage in life, different parts of the book will speak to you. For me, I greatly enjoyed the chapter discussing life as a new father, for it brought to words some of my thoughts and struggles as a young dad. Becoming a father has been a tough adjustment. I have had to die to self in ways I never would have imagined and the opportunities to do this keep coming up each and every day. It is comforting to know that I am not the only one going through these difficulties.
In the struggle of early fatherhood the author reminds us that we must show the joy of Catholic marriage and take time to continue and develop as a man. If we are always miserable, will our children want to pursue marriage one day? By taking time apart from the children to pray, enjoy a hobby, and date our wives, we become renewed in our vocation and come back to serve our children better.
Another part of the book that I really enjoyed was on work-life balance. One father admitted that he had become a workaholic and was becoming distant to his family. God sent him a remedy to this problem through the birth of a special needs child.
All of a sudden his priorities switched since his family needed him more than ever. He took a less demanding job so he could spend more time at home. He realized that “Money is like air, you need a certain amount to live, but it’s not the reason for living.”
His story served as a good reminder for us dads that we must work diligently at our jobs for our families, but that there are more important things in life than money.
This is just a small sampling of the wisdom and inspiration available in the book. Mix in a few great moments of success and flops on the road of fatherhood and you have a book that will make you laugh and think at the same time.
So if you are wondering what it is like being a dad, looking for a tips on how to be a better dad, or just want to understand a bit more about how dads think, get a copy of The Joys and Challenges of Family Life. Its message will inspire you.
