Fathers Day 2009

This Fathers Day I am especially thankful for:

1. My father. I do not take for granted the wonderful life-boost I received just because I was born of such a loving, responsible, respected and respectable, fun-loving, family-committed, Christian man.

2. My children's father. A mother loves her children and tries to bring them up to be resourceful, responsible, content and contributing members of society, but it is not easily a one-person job. The success of the effort is doubled and certainly made more enjoyable by the support of a firmly-committed partner. I have had such a partner.

3. My grandchildren's fathers. I am blessed with an outstanding son who learned his fathering skills at the feet of the masters, his father and grandfather. I am blessed with a son-in-law whose family-centered lifestyle was taught by loving Christian parents. These two outstanding young Christian fathers are passing along strong Christian values and raising 6 of our future world leaders.

4. The fathers of my nieces and nephews. Thank you Gil, Terry, Ron, Gregg, Chuck, and David! What a roll-call of virtues that list presents! These six men are at least half responsible for the outstanding generation of twenty-somethings (and some amazing thirty- and forty-somethings) in our family!

5. The fathers of my grandnieces and grandnephews. Gil Jr, Jack, Steven, and Josh - thanks to you another generation continues to develop. As your job continues, I hope, and pray, that you will find inspiration and guidance from the fathers who have gone before you - many of the greatest of whom are mentioned above! Those wonderful children you have sired deserve the very best efforts you can make to pass along life values that will help them be secure and successful.

6..... Lots of other fathers who have been the kind of men who can be admired and emulated. I think of .....several coaches who have showed children in our family the importance of practice and teamwork....several pastors and church youth directors who have helped guide young people to develop into moral citizens with unshakable principles....neighbors whose example have inspired children to be their best....cousins, fathers-of-friends, uncles.......

Our family has been blessed with more than its share of good, strong, Christian examples of masculinity!!

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