DADDY

"Daddy"

Just the sound of it evokes feelings of warmth, love and security.

A familiar saying truthfully declares that anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Daddy.

In scripture, the term "Abba" is our modern day equivalent to "Daddy". It is a more intimate word than "Father". It is the term Jesus used for God, the Father. It is the term He invites us to use as well for He longs for us to have that intimacy with Him.

There are three very important men in my life who are all daddies.

The first is my husband, my life partner of 36 years. I cannot imagine my life without this man. My heart is at home with him. He has stood by me, been faithful to me and loved me unconditionally all these years. I have been blessed beyond measure to be married to him.

Not only has he been a wonderful, faithful husband, but he has also been a terrific daddy. When I play the videotape in my mind of him as a dad, I see one constant that stands above all else. He was always present in their life. From the moment they were born, he was there. I can still see the huge smile that lit up his face as each of his children were born, how he tenderly held them in his arms, how proud he was of them. I recall how he got down on all fours to play with them when he would come home for lunch in those early days of our marriage. He played with his children at every stage of their life. He coached them in sports, he cheered for them on and off the field. He never missed a game or a cheer competition in all the years that they were in school. Yes, he was and still is, always there for his children. They know their Daddy loves them, is for them and will be there ….no matter what. How that blesses my heart!!

The second man in my in my life is my son, my firstborn. My heart is filled to overflowing with love for him. I love his smile and even more the sound of his laughter. I loved the strawberry blonde hair that once graced his head and that now looks so beautiful on his baby daughter. He is a new daddy. His first child, a little girl, was born 7 months ago. I would not take a million dollars for seeing the look on his face when she was born. It was priceless. My favorite photo of him shortly after her birth is one with a single tear rolling down his cheek. Asked if she had him wrapped around his little finger, he replied, "Three times". Not long ago, he was looking at her when she suddenly awoke. As soon as she saw his face, she smiled. Her smile said, "It’s my daddy!"

And last but not least, the third man in my life is my son-in-love. Our family feels truly blessed to have this young man in our lives. We are so thankful to God for giving our daughter such a fine man. He was an answer to our prayers for her. He is kind, compassionate, fun-loving and has a smile that lights up his whole face. He is a wonderful father to his little three year old daughter. His job allows him to be home with her several days a week. That has been a blessing to both of them. He is a constant presence in her life, not an occasional blip on the radar as some daddies are. He loves her with everything that is in him and she knows it. And, he loves her mommy just as much, which is also a blessing to them both and to us!

Sadly, not every man is a good daddy. But I am blessed to have three of the best daddies in the world in my life. And today, I pray God’s sweetest blessings upon each of them! Happy Father’s Day, Larry, Curt and Josh….I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A "DAD"

There is a little saying that is often printed on greeting cards, plaques, figurines, etc. It says

ANY MAN CAN BE A FATHER,

BUT IT TAKES SOMEONE SPECIAL
TO BE A DAD

I believe that is true. Many men produce offspring, never to participate in their lives at all. A few hang around at the start, but drift away after a while. Others are present in body, but are absent where it really counts.

So what does it take to make a DAD?

Adrian Rogers once said you spell LOVE: T I M E

I think that is the first ingredient. To be a Dad, you must be willing to spend time with your child, to show them they are important to you. You must be willing to give up some of YOUR time for them. That may mean giving up some hours at work, giving up your favorite TV show, football game or naptime. But they need you to be present in their lives..to laugh with them, roughhouse with them, read them stories, take them for ice cream. They need you to be at their ballgames, piano recitals and cheerleader competitions. They need you to be their number one fan!

A Dad also needs to know how to have fun. Yes, his children need to respect him and obey him, but he does not need to be so stern and so serious that they do not want to be around him. Most men are just little boys anyway, so they need to get on their child's level and have FUN! They need to play games, roughhouse with them, play catch with them, read to them, and go for ice cream. For Dads with boys that is generally not too hard. However, Dads with daughters sometimes find it hard to know how to play with them. Here is a Dad who has it all together in that department:

Another element of being a Dad is to show affection. Dads need to hug their kids, kiss their kids and hold them every chance they get.............even after they are grown! Some guys think they are too macho for this, but get over it! Men need to be affectionate to their kids. He also needs to express it verbally...He needs to tell his child " I LOVE YOU "!

Dads need to be the spiritual leader of the home. They represent the Father to their children. Their children will learn their concept of God from them. Dads need to point their children to God, walk before them in such a way that their footsteps will lead their child TO God. They need to model how to pray, how to worship, and how to follow God. Tall order! No Dad can do that without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ himself. No Dad can do that without walking with the Lord daily. He can't share what he does not possess.

And a Dad needs to demonstrate how to love Mom. As the old saying goes "The greatest thing a Dad can do for his children is to love their mother." He needs to demonstrate to his sons how to love, respect and care for a woman; and he needs to show his daughters how a woman SHOULD be treated so she will seek the kind of man that will treat her just like that.

Sooooooooooooo Dads....how do you think you're doing?