My dad...

Before you read my post, you should know that I have been reminded, on several different occasions by several different people, that my dad is not perfect. I was reminded this because I tend to think that, really, he is. I mean, I know that he isn't but I usually think that if ever anyone was close to being perfect, it would be him. However, I still don't think its bad for a daughter to have a high view of her father.
One of my favorite things about my dad is that he is always fair. My sisters and brother and I have always been able to go to him and give him "the story" and know that we will be treated fairly. If we were in the wrong, well, sucks to be us. But if someone else told the story wrong, or the story was misunderstood, he was always ready to hear a clarification and change judgment. It is an incredible blessing, to have a father who always has time to listen, a father who we never need to be afraid to go to.
Another thing I love about my dad is how much he loves his family. He absolutely adores my mom. He loves her so much and shows it in hundreds of ways. Us kids never had to wonder how he felt about her, because it was obvious. One of the worst things one of us kids could ever do was disrespect our mom. A father who loves his wife in this way is one of the greatest blessings a child can have growing up. He also loves his kids. None of us has ever had to wonder how our dad felt about us. We've never felt like we weren't a priority for him. We've never been afraid of him.
My dad loves his Lord, most of all. He is a man who acts out this love in everything he does. When I was really little, my dad was in college, then seminary. When I was ten, he became the pastor at Temple and has been ministering there ever since. I've always loved that he is a pastor. He is a walking concordance and reference book. His job was a great opportunity for us to learn to have a high view of the importance of ministering. Our church body is very dear and important to my dad and he taught his kids to feel the same way.
My dad has always provided for his family. I know when I was really little we had very little money. Fortunately, kids rarely know these things. I never had any idea until years later when he told us. Don't get me wrong, we don't have loads of money now, but its more than then. We have never gone wanting, have never been hungry. We are amply provided for in every imaginable way.
My dad is a humble man. He is always ready to seek forgiveness. This is such a crucial attribute for a father to have. A father who is willing to seek his children's forgiveness is an amazing father. We have benefited from this immensely.
I could go on forever, but this is getting kind of long. I hope that I have been able to convey to you how much I love my dad. He's an awesome person. He loves the Lord and loves his family. I couldn't ask for a better dad.

In Honor of Ryan: my husband

My husband is a carpenter and we get up early…. painfully early. Right now we get up at 4:45 am. Lately, we haven’t been getting to bed on time because we have been helping various friends with their home improvement projects. So last night when we got home at 9:35 pm, we were SO tired and really looking forward to going straight to bed. However, God had other plans for my husband. And it is in this divine appointment that my husband’s character shows. (To God be the glory!)

As we were driving into our driveway, we noticed a man sitting on a small patch of weeds that is just between our fence and our driveway. He had some bags around him and was doing nothing special. As we drove in, he simply leaned back but didn’t move. He seemed to be drunk. Well, we don’t live in the best neighborhood so this raised suspicions in our minds. We discussed in the car what "we" should do. (And by “we” I mean Ryan) Should we tell him to go away? Should we talk with him? Should we just call the police and let them deal with him? First we decided to let the dog out into the yard and see if that would scare him away. Malachi (my dog) didn’t even notice the guy. So Ryan heads out. He asks the man (whom I called a bum), “Sir, are you waiting for someone?”. The man goes on to reply that he is indeed waiting for the woman who lives across the street (who is the mother of his two sons) to return with his boys, so that he can take them somewhere… but they had a fight earlier and the cops were called, so he can’t wait on the front steps of her house. Thus he is using our yard as his resting place.

Why do I mention all of this? I am writing a Father’s day article to bless and honor my husband… what does a bum have to do with that? Well, here’s why: my husband stood outside and listened graciously to this guy tell him all his problems (and there was a lot of them) late at night when he was very tired and sleep deprived, after working a very physically demanding job all day. He didn’t cut him off or send him on his way. He looked with eyes of faith and saw that God had given him this time to share the gospel and the love of Jesus with a bum, whom He had brought right to our fence. And so Ryan was faithful to the task that God had given him. He is truly a friend to sinners just like Jesus is.

Ryan is really a blessing to me and has many wonderful qualities that the Holy Spirit has produced in him since salvation, but the one that stands out so often is his real desire and pursuit of building relationships with people who have no concept of Jesus or salvation, for the sake of witnessing to them. He diligently seeks to befriend the carpenters and other tradesmen that he works with for the sake of the gospel. He has had many opportunities to share Christ with the guys from work, as well as to spend time building those relationships with them outside of work, because he really cares for them and it shows. When we are invited to one of their backyard cookouts, Ryan reminds us that we are there to build the relationship for the purpose of sharing Christ with these guys and their wives. We’re not there simply to relax or to “just have fun” (though we do have fun on these "missions"). This heart attitude has not been without its consequences. Ryan has had to give up his free time as well as step out of his comfort zone, but he does it without complaint.

God has really done a work in my husband and I am so blessed by him. He is faithful, loving, generous, morally courageous, and bold. He genuinely cares for peoples' souls. He is a hard worker and loves to serve the people from our local body. He is a good daddy to our boys. He wrestles, plays Legos, talks with them about Jesus and teaches them how to do “man stuff”. He is a wonderful husband to me. He is strong and not steam rolled by my stubborn pride. He doesn’t back down from a challenge (he’s been married to me for almost 14 yrs now and hasn’t broken yet)! He is my lover and my friend. He dreams BIG about where God might lead us and use us. I can see God at work in my husband making him more like Jesus through the Holy Spirit… and it fills me with hope and joy. Thank you God for Ryan and thank you Ryan, for daily trying hard to live out Christ before our eyes, to His glory!

A Father of Faith and Fear

I asked the kids to write something about you and this is what they said:

Noelle: I love you so much. I love you because you love me. I love you because you take care of us. You teach us about Jesus and God the Father. Thank you for showing me how to have a servants heart. Be safe at work. You are the best daddy in the whole world!

Calvin: I love you daddy. Thank you for teaching me to pray.


Jackson: I love you daddy. I hope you can hold someone down and pepper spray someone. I hope that you could have a nice day and night.
I am thankful that you are the best daddy in the entire world. You showed me how to pray and how to have servants heart and how to be a hard worker. I am glad you can take us to church. I am glad that you are our Pastor.

Silas: All he said was," daddy" with great excitement in his voice, then he began to say, "where daddy, where daddy"?

Honey, Thank you for being a father of faith and fear of the Lord.

You may not be the kind of dad that rolls around wrestling the boys or plays games, but you a bedrock of faith and the temperate, gentle, humble dad that they need - the man that I need.

You are the kind of dad that plays nature videos from You Tube to show the children the greatness of God as creator. You are the kind of dad who reads out loud to your children. You are the kind of dad that doesn't mind answering questions like, " what is a harlot"? and " why do girls mostly birth boys"? You don't tell you daughter, "go ask you mother". You do all of this in faith. You have entrusted yourself to our great God and Savior Jesus Christ and fully believe that God is faithful and that His way is best; and you live that out in your role as a father.

You consistently remind me to discipline and train in faith. You encourage me to trust that God's way is best and that we will see Him at work as we discipline in faith. I am thankful that you don't just preach it to me, but live it out.

Thank you for being the kind of man that doesn't have "bad days". We do not have to wonder, is now the best time to approach him? You have so cultivated a heart of thankfulness that you are always pleasant to be around and easy to please.

Thank you for being the kind of man that sees all the spiritual disciplines and acts of service as ways to pursue humility,and thank you for pursuing it. It's hard not to admire a man who believes that I think more highly of him than I ought to think, and is pretty sure that no matter what he thinks of himself it is most likely more than he should. It shows in your devotion to us and others. It shows in your demeanor. It shows in your willingness to examine any criticism anyone brings before you, and in your eagerness to confess sin and seek forgiveness.

Thank you for being the kind of man/dad that I feel comfortable saying, "I still mean every word I wrote last year".

We will follow you and we eagerly support you in your pursuit of becoming a more equipped shepherd because we know it to be an act of faith. We have considered your faith and it is worthy to follow.

We love you babe and pray that the Lord will bless you as you walk in faith and fear.

Psalm 128:1-4 How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,

Who walks in His ways.

When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands,

You will be happy and it will be well with you.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in your house,

Your children like olive plants around you table.

Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.