Father's Day

            Isn't it funny that we allow one day in our 365 days of our year to honor dads and moms? One day! When every day of those 365 days that mom or dad get to choose whether to be a good, life changing mom or dad? The choice is made every day...not once a year. I also find it intriguing that nearly all of us relate to our Heavenly Father in some way based on our relationship with our earthly father...think about that for a second...that is seriously intriguing! So I thought I would write about the men in my life that have helped form that view!
           First of all: my dad.

 Now I have said this before, and I will continue to say it forever...my dad is my hero. He truly is. When I was a little girl, I wanted to marry someone just like him. I knew that if ever I needed something or someone, He would be there.

I had no question about that. It was just who he was to me. As I grew up I saw him hold children that were not born to him and pray over them. I saw him accept into our home every child no matter their color, their disability, or their past. I saw him look past the hurts of the child, the abuse, and see into what that child could be! I saw him pour into my brothers and sisters and myself with faithfulness and diligence. I saw him make his marriage a priority and always felt the commitment that he had to my mom even when I knew they were upset with each other. I have seen him cry over a child that has lost their way...and maybe a hallmark movie or two:)...I have had the privilege of serving with him on mission trips where we were both out of our comfort zones.
            Some of my favorite memories are that of my dad, my brother and I all sitting around the living room or driving in the car having debates on what we believe! He encouraged us to ask the questions and seek out the answers from God's Word, to learn to trust what God says as truth. We would all have lively debates on whether dinosaurs really walked with man, or why satan went before God to ask if he could test Job, or what it meant to think on things above...he is one of the main reasons my brother and I are to this day "seekers". We love seeking out things and studying the "why" of life...he taught us to be that way.

            I have also seen my dad in pain and never say a word. You see, he had a serious leg injury that for the majority of my life resulted in him having to have surgeries and recovery. He never complained to us kids, but always pointed us to seek out God's purpose through it,,something I have used over and over in my life. My dad has taught me how to stop and take in a rainbow, or how to feed an ostrich, or how to ride a horse, or how to love and accept the unloveable, and especially how to continually seek out our Father's heart, how to be humble...I had such a great example because my dad reflects my Heavenly Father so beautifully! I have been so blessed to have grown up with that my whole life...
                  Second: my brother.

  Now my brother and I are two years apart and I have always been close to him...except for those years when I wasn't:)...my brother has always challenged me to push myself and give more when I didn't think I could.

I have learned how to climb a tree faster than anyone from him, how to walk a six foot ostrich fence WITHOUT falling in, how to stay on a bucking barrel, and how to water ski with one foot and one hand, basically...I learned how to be brave. You see, as a child and teen, I was EXTREMELY shy...like don't look at me or I will cry kind of shy...and so I would want to hang out with my big brother because then I didn't feel so weird and he would let me.

He and I would drive home from youth group and discuss what we learned. We would talk about how God could use that lesson in our life. Many times, at camp or on a mission trip, we would pray together and sometimes cry together because sometimes life was hard. Brandon just always had my back. Even though there were times when we would fight and argue like crazy growing up, we would ALWAYS defend each other when anyone outside said something about our family...I have often felt like my brother is one of the bravest people I know, because he sees a dream and is not afraid to go after it and I hope I can be that brave too!

My brother is a fireman, and a daddy, and a husband...but mostly, I would say that my brother is man of character....just like my dad.
             Third: my husband.

 Where does one begin with this? I always knew that I wanted a large family, that I wanted to foster and adopt...but JT...he just knew he like kids. He had NO IDEA when he first met me, what our life would be like. How crazy fast and just crazy in general it would be! How much it would ask of him and take out of him. But I have seen JT hold a tiny baby girl who did not have a home, and his eyes would fill with tears, I have called him up out of the  blue to ask him if we could take another child, and his answer would be yes time after time before he ever heard all the details. I have seen him use all of his vacation days to stay home and hold a very sick, very sad little foster baby who had been abused by women so she would only let a man hold her, I have seen him holding our daughters and reading to them, I have seen him get out of bed in the middle of the night to go and help my sister who was in a bad spot, I have seen the hurt in his eyes when he lets us down, or heard his apologies when he is asking for forgiveness...I have seen him be real. JT doesn't pretend to be a perfect dad or a perfect husband...he knows his downfalls...and he talks about them with his girls. He wants them to know the power of God's grace in his life...and in our marriage. I have seen JT learn about what it means to be a dad and how to relate to God in a real way...and I have seen the passion and fire that God has put in him to help even more people who are walking a difficult road. I have seen JT continually change and grow as God does a great work in his life...even when that work is not fun. I am grateful to be married to man who is not perfect, who can admit when he is wrong, who can ask forgiveness from those he hurt, and who challenges himself to keep pressing on. I am even more grateful to be married to a man who is brave. JT is not afraid to love those that the world has decided is "unloveable", he is not afraid to accept those that the world says are just " to far gone", and he is crazy enough to listen to all my "lets just adopt every hurting child in the whole world!" passionate talks day after day.:) 
            The crazy thing about all these men in my life, is that they don't even know what kind of influence they have in this world! None of them think that they are world changers...but each of them are. Each of these men have and are changing the world...they are shining a bright light in a dark world...and each in their very different way. Each of these men have shown me a piece of the heart of Jesus that I would never have known otherwise...I know that many women do not have this kind of example in their life and have a much harder time relating to God in a relational way because of the relationship they have with their earthly father...I know that God has given me a tremendous and beautiful blessing with the men in my life and I do not ever want to take them for granted! I hope that I let them know every day...not just on Father's Day...that I love them and am proud of them and am grateful for them in my life...because I am! Happy Father's Day!!!!!