Father's Day
As a parent, I often wonder if I did enough, made the best choices, and provided the right kind of model for my children. I often deal with parents who are much like turtles. Turtles aren't parents! They lay eggs and leave them. Recently I met a mom with eight kids, all with different last names, all from different fathers. Each of those fathers was very much like a turtle, caring little for the eggs once delivered! The absence of a father in the home is obviously detrimental to the child. My dad wasn't the best model for a father, but he loved me. Knowing that he loved me kept me on an even keel sometimes when I needed it the most.
As a parent, I often wonder if I did enough, made the best choices, and provided the right kind of model for my children. I often deal with parents who are much like turtles. Turtles aren't parents! They lay eggs and leave them. Recently I met a mom with eight kids, all with different last names, all from different fathers. Each of those fathers was very much like a turtle, caring little for the eggs once delivered! The absence of a father in the home is obviously detrimental to the child. My dad wasn't the best model for a father, but he loved me. Knowing that he loved me kept me on an even keel sometimes when I needed it the most.
Then I see a picture of my son, Jeremy, just before deployment, saying good bye to my grandchildren. Yes, my eyes are filled with tears! I watch him with his children and see that he is a loving, gentle and caring father. Watching him with Savanna, our precious daughter-in-law, I see that he is a loving, gentle and caring husband. Where did he learn those things? Some, naturally, he learned from me. Yet I am not so arrogant that I think I was a model father. I'm a sinner, saved by grace! No, he learned most of this from his walk with God! Cathy and I love the song "Because He Lives." Our hearts are filled with confidence that the God who holds the future holds our children in His capable hands!
Jeff is also a great dad! Once again, watching him with Brody and Troy I see that he is a loving, gentle, and caring father. To Tawny, our other precious daughter-in-law, he's a loving, gentle, and caring husband. Like his brother, Jeff has a close walk with God, and it is from that he is empowered to be the kind of dad he needs to be. His six foot six inch frame stretched out on the Lazy Boy with tiny little Troy tucked under his arm is one of my favorite pictures. With this thought, because my grandkids have great parents, I rest assured that they will be taught about the love of Jesus, and that His great love will be modeled in the home. Like my sons, daughter, and daughters-in-law, my hope is that they will not seek a safe life, but one of obedience to God's call, a life of faith and godliness.
What about all those kids who will not have that advantage? Can I do anything for them? Yes, I can! This Yellow-Bellied turtle is a creature that God cares about, feeds, and watches over. Pastor Chris pointed out this morning from Psalm 146:9 that God supports the fatherless and the widow! James reminds me that pure and undefiled practice in the sight of our God and Father is to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep myself unstained by the world. What can I do? Pray. Live in such a way that men see my good works and glorify my Father in heaven. Be salt. Show love at every opportunity.
When these two kids walked down the isle after saying their vows 40 years ago they had no idea what the future held. I'm sure Cathy never thought she would pose for the picture on the right with our daughter thirty years after she was born! Yet here we are! It had nothing to do with us! Our God is VERY MUCH ALIVE and working in our lives daily. His blessings are ours to enjoy, not because we deserve them, or could earn them, but because He loves us! Have you heard about the love of Jesus? Did you know He loves you with a love that is so deep and abiding you could never fathom its wonder? I hope anyone reading this understands that I give all the credit for 40 years of a wonderful marriage, three great kids, and two wonderful daughters-in-law to the God of the Bible. Was it all wine and roses? Hardly! Did He ever let us down? Not once! Did He ever not keep His promise? Not once!
I may be in my twilight years, but what a beautiful twilight! This is a photograph from the Brooks Range in Alaska. If one looks close enough one can see the frigid cold snow on the mountain, and know that dangerous creatures prowl at night in this area, predators that kill! Life is not safe for me, not ever, but it is exciting! I have a feeling that when death comes it will be one more adventure for me, a transition from this moral coil to my immortal eternal and perfect state. Why an adventure? Because Jesus will be with me, each step of the way. He is my everything! I am a child of the perfect Father! That's a thought for Father's Day! Happy Father's day, Father in Heaven! Happy Father's day Jeremy and Jeff.
Jeff is also a great dad! Once again, watching him with Brody and Troy I see that he is a loving, gentle, and caring father. To Tawny, our other precious daughter-in-law, he's a loving, gentle, and caring husband. Like his brother, Jeff has a close walk with God, and it is from that he is empowered to be the kind of dad he needs to be. His six foot six inch frame stretched out on the Lazy Boy with tiny little Troy tucked under his arm is one of my favorite pictures. With this thought, because my grandkids have great parents, I rest assured that they will be taught about the love of Jesus, and that His great love will be modeled in the home. Like my sons, daughter, and daughters-in-law, my hope is that they will not seek a safe life, but one of obedience to God's call, a life of faith and godliness.What about all those kids who will not have that advantage? Can I do anything for them? Yes, I can! This Yellow-Bellied turtle is a creature that God cares about, feeds, and watches over. Pastor Chris pointed out this morning from Psalm 146:9 that God supports the fatherless and the widow! James reminds me that pure and undefiled practice in the sight of our God and Father is to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep myself unstained by the world. What can I do? Pray. Live in such a way that men see my good works and glorify my Father in heaven. Be salt. Show love at every opportunity.
When these two kids walked down the isle after saying their vows 40 years ago they had no idea what the future held. I'm sure Cathy never thought she would pose for the picture on the right with our daughter thirty years after she was born! Yet here we are! It had nothing to do with us! Our God is VERY MUCH ALIVE and working in our lives daily. His blessings are ours to enjoy, not because we deserve them, or could earn them, but because He loves us! Have you heard about the love of Jesus? Did you know He loves you with a love that is so deep and abiding you could never fathom its wonder? I hope anyone reading this understands that I give all the credit for 40 years of a wonderful marriage, three great kids, and two wonderful daughters-in-law to the God of the Bible. Was it all wine and roses? Hardly! Did He ever let us down? Not once! Did He ever not keep His promise? Not once! 
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