I am on a ship in the North Sea right now with 2 of my sons, Roman and Micah, and one of my daughters, Arika. We just left Scotland, and we are headed to Kristiansen, Norway.

We sat down to play our favorite card game and to talk about our day. We discussed what we each learned today and what we can apply in our own lives. I want to share with you one thing that really stood out today.

We have gotten to know a few of the waiters who have been beautifully serving our family. I found out they are from Indonesia. My husband, Hans, has quite a fascination with Indonesia because of a certain style of martial arts practiced there. We have learned a little about the Indonesian culture through that.

I learned something very powerful from one of our waiters, Stanley. Back home in Indonesia, he has a 17-year-old, an 11-year-old and a 3-year-old. He told me, quite proudly, that his oldest son is about to go to college.

After many conversations during the trip Hans and I took just a few weeks ago, we got to know all of the waiters and housekeeping staff on a first-name basis. Through that, we got to understand the thinking behind what they do.

See, they come from very poor countries. In their minds, their culture does not have a lot of opportunity. So the chance to get a job on a cruise ship is an awesome opportunity for them. Not only do they get to see parts of the world they’d never be able to see, but they’re able to make an incredible living. They make an outrageous amount of money, compared to the rest of their country. They take that money and send it home to make sure their children have a better life than they grew up with themselves.

For example, Stanley is sending his son to college, which is a really big deal for Indonesians. He will have a better chance of breaking free from the cycle of poverty.

What a powerful concept! Not that I would ever want my children to not have their father around, but the concept is fascinating. Some of these fathers are gone for a year, then home for 3 months before they leave for another year. Some are 9-month terms. And why do they do it? So they can give their families the best possible future.

What are you doing to give your children a better start in life? What kind of investments are you making to make sure your children do not have to suffer through financial problems, health problems or relationship problems. Are you passing down a curse or a blessing to your children? Are you making sacrifices now so you can make sure they have a better start than you did?

So many people in today’s world are not doing that. They are not making that happen for their kids. In fact, we’ve even seen bumper stickers on the back of fancy cars that say something like, "I’m spending my children’s inheritance." It’s disgusting! We have become a very selfish culture that has not put much thought into setting up the next generation to succeed.

I’m not saying you should go get a job on a cruise ship. What I am saying is these fathers have a vision for their children’s future, and that’s what they were willing to do to make it happen.

What are you willing to do? Are you willing to save more money instead of buying stupid things you do not need? Are you willing to sacrifice your coffee budget, your beer budget, your fast food budget, your clothing budget? Are you willing to stop blowing your kids’ future on stuff you don’t need?

After meeting so many of these fathers who are working here on this ship, it has really made me think about this. What are you doing to make a better future for your children and the next generation?

Please share this with your friends and family, and let’s do what we can to equip the next generation for success! Simply post this link on Facebook and Twitter.

I’ll talk to you live on Sunday night for our nationally syndicated radio and TV show! Grab your friends, family and neighbors, and join me at 9 pm ET/8 pm CT!

In great faith,

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