Thoughts for Daddy!

We started a little project for Daddy on the first day of June! It was supposed to be a collection of 19 daily thoughts from Wyatt leading up to Father's Day about why he loves his daddy. Here's the results:

Day 1: "I love daddy because he works. Someday I'll be big and go to work... I love work!"

Day 2: "I love Daddy playing shoot guns with me (this was the same day he almost gave an old lady a heart attack at Joe's office when he pulled out his pop gun and shot it off in the elevator. Fortunately, the lady found him to be hysterical after she realized it was just a play gun! : /

Day 3: "I love Daddy because he wrestles me!"

Day 4: "I love Daddy because he wrestles me!"

Day 5: "I love Daddy because he wrestles me!"

Day 6: You get the point! We stopped here. Wyatt has a very strong affection for wrestling Daddy right now. It's definitely his love language! Jojo, Our boys love you so much that their little bodies shake, they squeal with delight and almost burst at the seams each evening when they watch you pull in the driveway from the dining room window! Their excitement never grows dull or fades, but is new each time they see you. They want to be JUST like you...is that a sobering thought, or what?!

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So here are a few thoughts of mine about Joe...

An area of strength: MEEKNESS. A couple years back, the youth pastor at Bethel described Joe in a sermon illustration as being a meek man. Hmmmmm..... Really? A former police officer and Secret Service Agent. This didn't seem to be a virtue I had ever attributed to Joe's character. Nor was it one that I thought was so desirable for a 'manly man'! I was a little perplexed by this new thought and obviously very ignorant to the meaning of the word. Since then, the more I've read the Sermon on the Mount and studied the meaning of meekness, the more I realize that it is indeed a very fitting description of my husband... Meek: Strength under control; not overly impressed by a sense of self-importance; one who avoids conduct of promoting self.

Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

I'm so thankful the Lord has worked this quality into his character and that he has chosen to not make much of himself, is not a defender of his rights, or looking for personal gain! He is a humble man with a holy confidence in the Lord. He is usually very even-tempered and self-controlled, and able to gain the respect of others without demanding it! We are blessed. This is a quality that makes him and excellent father and husband. An area for growth... GRACE! I have to admit that Joe is right most of the time. Ouch! Did I really just write that for the world to read?! Although painful at times to admit, it's true. He's right most of the time! However, I think his words would be better received by our boys, myself, and others if they were a bit more grace-filled!

Colossians 4:6

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt...

So I write these little notes as a legacy to our boys of God's work in our lives. Yes, even Mommy's and Daddy's need teaching, rebuking, correcting and training, until the Lord completes the work he has began in us on the day of Christ Jesus. So may these words be an encouragement to your souls. I envision you boys and your families reading through these printed blog books when we gather together for Christmas... I hope there is lots of laughter reading back through your silly quirks and sayings! And I also hope there is evidence of God's grace and transforming power at work in our family through the years! I hope you look at your daddy as a man who is meek AND full of grace and be encouraged that His work in us continues... We love you! P.S. I must note that I've asked Daddy to write a couple of blog posts this year so you don't always hear from only Mommy's perspective!