My Daddy

To somehow sum up in a post on a blog how much I love my Dad is exhausting to think about. But, since it's his birthday, I'm going to make an attempt.

My father has shown me what God's unconditional love is like, every single day of my life. It wasn't hard at all to accept Jesus as my savior, because of his modeling Christ-likeness. Because of his consistency, I haven't struggled like many friends who don't grasp God's merciful side well.

He is affectionate and warm, and people who meet him for the first time later comment on how he makes them feel loved after just a single conversation.

He's the middle of 5 kids - the youngest son, and has 2 younger sisters, who think he hung the moon.

He is a gifted writer, and loves to give me stories from his childhood. It's so great reading about his life and the events that shaped him to be who he is today. He gets how important it is to preserve that history of our family, and I love it.

He is physically strong, and works hard to be in really good shape for a 55 year old, riding his bike several mornings a week, for dozens of miles at a time.

He fell in love with my Mom at first sight, and was so smitten, he hitchhiked on weekends from Auburn to Pensacola to see her whenever he could. This enabled him to win her heart, but also caused his grades to suffer terribly. He says she was totally worth it, though.

Because of previous point, he quit school, got a job, they were married, and parents to me, all within a year and a half of meeting. He was a dad at 20, mom was 19. Whew.

He accepted Christ as a new husband and father, and has been striving ever since to model godliness for his family and all those who meet him. He lives the life. Really.

He went back to college and got his bachelor's 8 years ago, while working full-time, being a husband, dad, and foster parent to our precious Isaac. I was, and am, so proud of him for that.

When the company he'd given 30 years of loyalty to decided to "let" him retire early, he didn't panic, or whine, or despair. It was hard and scary, and hurtful, I know. But, he assumed and responded as though God had a greater plan, which He did. Now he's the CEO of a non-profit, impacting folks' lives daily, and able to really make a difference he can see.

He is a great teacher, and has taught classes in church basically his whole adult life. People love to sit in on his lessons, because they are so relevant, and his passion for the Word, and for people, shines through so clearly.

He has an amazing grasp of history and how it relates to current events. I have sent emails like, "What's the big deal with Gaza?!" and gotten back an explanation that fills me in from Biblical times to today's news, and makes perfect sense. I love it, since apparently I learned nothing in school about world history.

He loves my sweet Mama faithfully and completely, and treats her as though she is the most amazing, beautiful woman in the world, and happily tells everyone how gorgeous and wonderful she is. It embarrasses her, and is very precious to me, because he's totally sincere, and correct.

He appreciates great music, and introduced me to so much of what I listen to and value to this day. He also loves The Office, and first exposed me to that silliness, for which I am eternally grateful.

He loves Auburn and so I always have, even as a little girl, surrounded by Alabama fans at school. I never liked feeling like the oddball, but loved being for my Dad's team, so it was worth the harassment.

He loved my sweet son before we ever knew he'd be a perfect fit for our family forever, and they share a bond that brings me to tears. He lights up when he sees our kids, and is the best grandfather ever.

He's so much fun! He pulls pranks, shares jokes, remembers funny details, comes up with funny nicknames, and is a blast to be around.

He and I have always been very close, sharing the same humor, love for nature, words, music, chocolate and coffee. We are also a lot alike in personality, according to my organized Mom, who has patiently put up with our laid-back and haphazard ways for many years.

Garrison Keillor, Pink Panther, Lawrence of Arabia, Car Talk, Fiddler on the Roof, Seabiscuit, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Les Mis, Rich Mullins, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Johnny Cash - what a diverse bunch of great stories and culture he's exposed me to!

He entrusted James with me, and has encouraged him as a husband and father, which means so much to both of us.

He generously gives the greatest gift of his time - to serve, love on, listen to, and just have fun with our family. He is a man of godly character, and compassionate, but uncompromising, integrity.


Dad, I'm so grateful for your life, and the honor it is to be your daughter. I praise God for how He uses you to touch so many people with His love, and that I've been blessed by your life for almost 35 years. I love you so much! Your froglet, Jennifer