The Power of the Blessing
by Craig Hill
“When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me - me also, O my father” (Genesis 27:34).
This cry from the heart of the son, Esau, to his father, Isaac, is the cry of many adult or adolescent children toward their own fathers and mothers. It is evident that God intended for every child to be blessed by his/her father and mother at many times in life. Throughout the entire Bible, we see Hebrew parents laying hands on their children and imparting a blessing with words and actions. In the Biblical account of the blessing Isaac was to impart to his sons, we see the power and importance of this blessing.
"Rite of Passage" Ceremony for Young Men and Women
Family Foundations is striving to help establish a "culture of blessing" in churches and famili
es around the world.
The primary tool used by Family Foundations is our Ancient Paths Experience. These events include times of teaching why and how to bless the next generation. They also include times of prayer and healing to repair the damage that so many people carry from being wounded and shamed as children, even though God intended for blessing to come. We have discovered Christian parents often have difficulty providing blessing to their children because they have never received blessing themselves. But God the Father desires to provide that blessing in a powerful way once they have opened their hearts to receive.
Bless Your Spouse Daily
Face To Face Rather Than Side By Side
We talk in the beginning of Two Fleas and No Dog about four different stages of marriage: two drowning people, two fleas, two independent swimmers and finally two people in a canoe headed for a destination. It is not possible to move to the fourth stage of marriage, paddling the canoe together, without having significant intimacy with each other. Most people stop in the development of their marriage at the independent swimmer stage. This stage is best pictured by two people going through life side by side, but never face to face. Face to face interaction requires trust and intimacy. Many times when I have asked a married couple to face each other and look into each other’s eyes, they cannot sustain direct eye contact for more than a few seconds. Often they begin to laugh, or look down or turn away. Intimacy is potentially intimidating if a couple is not used to the regular experience.
Erev Shabaat Meal and Blessing
"For those who may be interested in beginning a habit in your family of having a Sabbath meal together as a family, and would like to learn a little more about Messianic Hebrew customs in doing so, please write us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and request the e-booklet "Simple Family Shabbat."
Blessing Testimonies
Testimonies and ideas from friends who have had blessing ceremonies for their children entering puberty.
We want to tell you how deeply we appreciate the FFI ministry …there has been a visible transformation in the lives of many families not only through the seminars but also through the Bat Barakah/ Bar Barakah ceremonies now commonly practiced by many families in our church.
A Mother's Testimony About Blessing Her Unborn Baby
I would like to leave a testimony about blessing children in the womb. I recently gave birth 
to our 4th child. Instead of a traditional baby shower, I asked the women at our church to gather for a time of blessing the child and the upcoming birth.
Instead of the typical games, we had an amazing time of prayer. The women prayed over him, laid hands on him, asked the holy spirit to fill him even while in the womb, and gave wonderful words about his life to be and for the birth to come.
The entire day of his birth was filled with peace. He is the most peaceful child, he is so content and well mannered. It is so wonderful. Even the doctor commented on how peaceful my room felt and people are always commenting on how peaceful he is.
