On Being A Dad

As this Father's day comes to a close, I've just had a moment to sit down and reflect on the day.  It was more than just the usual Sunday.  I found a sweet note from my middle child tucked into my laptop this morning (because she knows this is the first place I go in the morning).  My children all showered me with cards; my oldest and I sang a duet in the early service (Bless The Broken Road) and then my sweet wife made the most delicious roast for our lunch.

I guess the level of being a father has been under great examination this week.  With the death of Tim Russert, the NBC newsman who so eloquently penned his feelings about his father in his book, BIG RUSS AND ME, back in 2004, the world has been asking, "What makes a good father?"

Here is Tim's audio version of his book and his touching tribute to his son, Luke, he leaves behind.

My own Dad has been gone for almost 15 years now. There are days that I wish he was still so close by so that I could ask a question or two. Granted, the relationship that I have with my kids is so very different from the one that my parents had with me. In their day and age, relationships with your kids were so different than kids today. I guess I'm trying to live more intentionally with my kids--so that they'll know beyond a shadow of a doubt that their Dad loved them.

My son and I have recently begun the journey of masculine understanding together. We're going through the book "Preparing Your Son for Everyman's Battle". We're about 3 lessons into it and I can't tell you how much I enjoy that one on one time with him and telling him the things that I wish my Dad had told me. I keep thinking "wow, I wish Dad had said that to me...it would have made a lot of things easier to understand when I was growing up." Each session ends with a time of scripture reading and a prayer time where I confer upon him the truths about being a man. He always falls asleep in my arms, or holds my hand as he prays for me.

My girls are just a special. Singing with Taylor today was the best Father's Day gift I could have had from her. She's an awesome talent and I'm so pleased with her heart towards people. She wants to go to Japan next summer on missions ( Donations being accepted).

Mattie is so grown up and responsible and I'm so proud how she's taking on responsibility at such an age. She's going to be co-directing the Ritz Children's Drama camp in a couple of weeks. She came home from Super summer and told us she had made a vow not to date through high school and wanted a purity ring.

Could a father ask for more?

I know long after I'm gone, these words will still be floating around somewhere on the internet. I just want my kids to know that I love them--deeply and more and more each day I'm astounded that God would allow me to be your earthly Daddy. I love you all.