About two years ago, I asked a new friend of mine to join me for lunch. I had just celebrated my daughter’s first birthday. Gene Ellerbee had just celebrated his 70th birthday. I was upfront about why I wanted to get together: Gene was the father of five daughters. In his more than 45 years of marriage and raising children, Gene had a lot of lessons to share. I knew that Gene’s insights could spare me missteps in fatherhood, marriage and my career. Over plates of succulent barbecue, Gene began to share how to be a good father to daughters. We discussed balancing time with multiple children and modeling a healthy marriage. He shared how loving your wife well is a key component to loving your daughters well. We talked about dating your daughters through their teens and leading them into a relationship with Christ. He reflected on mistakes he…