Father's Day Thoughts {Personal}

Some day when I'm awfully low

When the world is cold

I will feel a glow

just thinking of you.

Frank Sinatra | Just the way you look tonight

I'm always hesitant to write big raving things for Father's and Mother's day.

I never want to seem forced or just say what I think I'm supposed to.

That being said, I was overwhelmed today with gratefulness for my dad and wanted to share.

I've always had a very unique and close relationship with my dad. I don't know where to start. He's a faithful man who has poured himself into church and ministry since I was born. Even more than that and never slightly dampered by it, he completely poured himself into each persons soul and life in our family. He's passionate about joy and grace and quick to show it to each one of us. He and mom like to kindly remind me that I was the most feisty of us kids which sometimes needed a little extra discipline and training. :) Even with that, he always showed gracious love and understanding. A real, tangible representation of God's Fatherly love to all of us. God used my dad and mom's laughter, love of good things, grace and genuine humility in interacting with me, to draw me to himself. And that is the greatest gift I could ever be given.

As I grew older he continued to invest in the life of any person who needed friendship and ministry. He also continued to devotedly be a constant presence in our family and took time to enjoy, teach and raise his sons and daughters. Once we became teenagers he didn't leave us girls to mom and the boys to him. It was then that he drew even closer in. If there's any time a girl needs leadership and friendship from her father and a caring man in her life, it's when she's a teenager and unfortunately when it is most often neglected. It was during those years that my dad really became a best friend. We'd go on drives, get a coffee and talk for hours at a time. He cared that I learned to laugh at myself and about every silly teenage girl thing. And let me tell you, teenage girl things are serious things. :) More than that he cared about my soul, hope for life and understanding of goodness and grace. I could go on.

Now, I'm married. I got a new best friend. You'd think that's the natural time to pull back, but he didn't. He with full respect and love for Bill and I, engages our little growing family on a daily basis. We still go for coffee drives all the time. Bill comes a lot too. We talk about everything, and he cares about what I think and I seriously care about the things he says. He has helped me to be a better wife and soon, mom and he helps me do everything I do, better.

(he also made me cry and make ridiculous faces like this at our wedding)

Everything I've said here is just one category of his life and that's the gracious way he loves me. It means so much to me. I'm so excited for him to be the best grandpa ever to little baby Baxter and I look forward to so many more years with him as such a dear friend and father.

I love you so much, dad.