Thanks for not EVER reading my blog and thus putting no pressure on me to actually get this post done on Father's Day. I love you for that.
I'll share some other reasons why I love my dad. He read the Bible to us every night when we were growing up, and he continues to do this with his second generation of kids. He chose a career that allowed him to do this (give or take a few nights during tax season!). The Bible stories were followed by really long prayers during which we usually fell asleep...and sometimes he did, too. He laughs out loud at everything, including our cat and Saturday morning cartoons. He also loves telling really corny jokes and then laughing at himself until someone else starts laughing at him, too. Dad hardly ever spanked me, and, when he did, it didn't really hurt...I could always tell he didn't mean it. He played the board game Aggravation with me a lot when I was little. He always had (and still has) time to coach everyone's basketball and baseball teams. He is a really great proof-reader. He took Jared and I on mission trips to Kingston, Jamaica and allowed us to know the blessing of helping "the least of these" (okay, Mom did that, too). He's taking us to Hawaii next month. :-) He loves my mom and, like her, he taught us to share things besides just toys. They taught us to share our time and our love and--at times--our bedrooms. Dad has been "Dad" to many children who were in need of a dad, even if it was just for a little while; and how blessed those children have been.
I'll share some other reasons why I love my dad. He read the Bible to us every night when we were growing up, and he continues to do this with his second generation of kids. He chose a career that allowed him to do this (give or take a few nights during tax season!). The Bible stories were followed by really long prayers during which we usually fell asleep...and sometimes he did, too. He laughs out loud at everything, including our cat and Saturday morning cartoons. He also loves telling really corny jokes and then laughing at himself until someone else starts laughing at him, too. Dad hardly ever spanked me, and, when he did, it didn't really hurt...I could always tell he didn't mean it. He played the board game Aggravation with me a lot when I was little. He always had (and still has) time to coach everyone's basketball and baseball teams. He is a really great proof-reader. He took Jared and I on mission trips to Kingston, Jamaica and allowed us to know the blessing of helping "the least of these" (okay, Mom did that, too). He's taking us to Hawaii next month. :-) He loves my mom and, like her, he taught us to share things besides just toys. They taught us to share our time and our love and--at times--our bedrooms. Dad has been "Dad" to many children who were in need of a dad, even if it was just for a little while; and how blessed those children have been.
I love quotes, and it just so happens that one of my favorite quotes was said by father in reference to his experience as a foster and adoptive dad. I think I may have shared it on here before, but I feel the need to post it again because it tells so much about how Dad lives his life.
"Being a foster or adoptive dad means giving of yourself in ways that we men are sometimes reluctant to do. It means forfeiting some of the fun times you might otherwise share with your wife and friends. It means committing your time and emotional energy to a child whose race, background, and emotional makeup may be dramatically different from your own. It means sacrificing a part of yourself for the benefit of a little one who so desperately needs a dad to show them that they are worth such a sacrifice. But, it is in that sacrifice that we find ourselves face to face with the One who made the ultimate sacrifice...for He said 'whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.' I wake up every morning to see the Christ when he climbs into my lap...and my life is blessed."
I've dug up some pictures of the fathers in my life...my dad, granddads, or those to whom I've given enough gray hairs that they might as well have been my dads! Happy belated Father's Day to each of the wonderful fathers in my life!
Also, everyone please be sure to see the picture of Dad and Jared where Dad had on really short shorts. Thanks.
PS...photobucket is being weird, and I'm missing a few pics. So don't be surprised if a few more show up tomorrow.
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