Dad ~

The following is from a post from Abby's blog about our Dad. Since I'm not really a writer (and she is!), I'll let her do the writing. I agree so much with what she wrote in this little "article". Enjoy!

June is such a pretty month here in the South. The sky is clear and blue, the sun shines a little brighter than in previous months, summer is almost upon us.

Besides all of that, June is a special month for me because we celebrate two important days in our family. My Dad’s birthday (June 18th) and Father’s Day.

Caleb and Dad

Dad has always been such a stable, consistent voice of truth in my life. I am grateful for his servants heart, his caring attitude towards people he doesn’t even know and his respect and love for my Mother. As a minister of the Gospel of Christ, his role in the church is more visible. His job is stressful, enjoyable, and requires a lot of time and attention.

Every Saturday night he begins the lengthy process that he has spent a majority of his week preparing for. Writing his sermon by hand (20 plus pages). He has done this for as long as I can remember. It may be “old school” but it is clearly unique in this age of fast technology. He writes so hard we joke that it’s braille. :)

He has taught me much about what life is all about and the importance of making a difference in this wretched world. A difference that is the only thing that will eternally matter…. Jesus Christ.
Through the 18 years that he has been preaching at this church, he has grown. Our church may be small in numbers from week to week, but his impact on the community has been large. Besides, numbers don’t really tell a story. Saved souls do.

His commitment to his marriage to Mom has been refreshing in this age of instant gratification. They have been married for almost 29 years. Sure they’ve had their ups and downs, all marriages do. But because of their commitment to God and each other, their love is stronger every day. It is a blessing to be apart of that legacy. Something to live up to, I guess you could say.

Because of their team work, they now have six children. Joel is an adult at almost twenty-three. He is like Dad in so many ways, both in looks and character. He is the leader of we kids, and since he works full time I find it hard to fill his shoes. I am next in line at nineteen Its a hard age because sometimes I feel caught between childhood and adulthood. God is good. Caleb is after me – growing into manhood with such gusto. Being the tallest of all of us, some people mistakenly think he’s the oldest. At almost seventeen he has matured in so many ways over the last four years. Phoebe is playful as ever. She also inherited Dad’s looks and character. She’ll be fourteen in August and its hard to imagine sometimes. Johanna is eleven, bookish and thoughtful. I guess she got that from Mom (the bookish-ness). Her creative mind runs circles around us a lot of times. What a blessing it was on that cold February to welcome her into our circle. Jaden, six, closes out the family. His energy level far surpasses the rest of us. His insightful questions stumps us frequently and cause us to think harder about life in general and whatever his questions was in particular. A boy of boundless curiosity, we are hard put to keep him in check at times.

Dad will always be my hero. The one who loved me as an infant and cuddled me in his strong arms. The one who threw me high into the air and caught me securely as I laughed. The one who applied corporal punishment in a loving but firm way, to let his rebellious daughter know he loved her but there are limits. The one who continues to be a clear voice of reason and guidance in my life as I grow into the woman God wants me to be. He will always be the best dad in the world!

He truly lives up to his name, David (Hebrew – Beloved). He is beloved.

I love you Dad! Happy June.