What Makes a Good Father?

 

As we celebrate Father's Day, I am so thankful for the father God has given me. Here is what I've learned from my father. 1) Money doesn't make a father a good father. I did not grow up in a wealthy family, but I did grow up in a loving family. I think that not having a lot of money was actually a blessing. My father demonstrated how a good work ethic looked, but also showed how when the work day ended, family time began. There was not constant work phone calls and distracted conversations. When he got home, he would hit the floor to play with my brother and I. I treasured that attention and felt fully loved because of it. 2) Being around doesn't mean being present. When my father played with us. He made Hot Wheels and Barbies seem like the most fascinating play. I know he would have rather relaxed after a hard work day, but we never felt that when he played with us. We felt like we were all that mattered to him. 3) God matters to my father. My dad is human and has had his struggles throughout the years, but has always demonstrated repentance and how to humble yourself before God. 4) Education doesn't make a good father. Support and unconditional love does. I can honestly say that I grew up feeling completely supported and loved no matter how many times I messed up. This gave me the freedom and confidence to try hard things. My parents were simple factory workers, but their support was better than any college degree. Overall, I have to say that my life is what it is because of the love and kindness of two of the best people I've ever met. I want to say Happy Father's Day to an amazing father! I love you bunches!

Have a great week high-heeled warriors!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

After Brain Surgery

Image
  On the 26th of June, my daughter celebrated 7 years past brain surgery when she had her left hippocampus and amygdala removed. Due to chronic and frequent seizures, we faced a decision no parents want to make. Do we let her continue on maximum medication that didn't work and see her eventually lose more and more brain function or have the surgery and lose part of her brain but possibly become seizure-free? We fully believed in God's ability to heal, but we also recognized that He showed His faithfulness in the storm, not just stopping the storm. So we prayed. For weeks, I prayed for wisdom and God's direction. When we met with her neurologist, my daughter stepped up and said she had peace about the surgery, so we proceeded. The neurosurgeon, who happened to move to our state from Boston just 2 years before, was highly skilled and had mastered the exact procedure that would be needed to help heal my daughter. He performed the surgery with no complications. Now, seven year...
Read more

Leaving a Lasting Impact

Image
  This was a hard weekend. A dear lady who has attended our church for the seventeen years we have pastored died. We held her funeral on Saturday. When we moved to our church, our children were all very little. Both sets of grandparents lived hours away, and I felt very much on my own. This woman recognized the struggles and stepped in as designated grandma. She picked my girls up from school, baked cookies with them, and took them along on many of her family birthday parties. She became what they desperately needed. So much so, they made sure she was on the family row at high school graduation. She didn't do this with just my children. She saw every child that walked through the church door as a child worthy of love and her devotion. When faced with difficulty, she always had kind words to say, no matter how she was treated. This woman was a mentor and someone who's qualities I hope to reflect in my own life. I have no doubt where she is spending her eternity, and I can guar...
Read more

Journey to the Renaissance Fair

Image
  It was that time of year again. My husband and I take an annual pilgrimage to the Renaissance Fair in Kansas City. It is always a blast to dress up in costumes and walk back in time to dirt roads, jousting, turkey legs, and aristocracy. Kyle and I gathered our costumes and prepared to escape for the weekend. This time we added my youngest son along for the ride. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, other than the extremely long line to get into you ladies privy (bathroom). As the crowds crawled past the thousands, I trekked from one side of the dusty park to the other, desperately looking for ladies' accommodations. After an hour and a half and at least two miles of walking covered, I found success. When we left the grounds, I was relieved to enter bathroom accommodations that didn't involve a marathon and a Black Friday kind of line, that is until we visited a bathroom on the way home. Once we were within a couple of hours from home, we realized the sodas had taken effect. We pu...
Read more