Happy Father’s Day

 

Father’s Day is a celebration honoring fathers; celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.

 Father’s Day this year will be different.  For the last 26 years, we have spent Father’s Day with my dad.  It was one of dad’s holidays when Belinda was growing up.  This year, I’m at a loss.  A void in my life which I feel on so many days.  It is weird, dad and I could go for weeks without talking yet just knowing he was there was okay.  In an instant, he was gone.  Heaven gained an angel on April 15th and there is a hole in my heart I struggle to fill.

Life with my dad had its ups and downs. Growing up was filled with family vacations and holidays.  MS has taken many of those memories away but we have told the stories many times but truly remembering is tough.  There are flashes some days but they are few and far between.

Dad was a HAM radio operator and I always had the BEST reports in school because he would reach out to friends far and wide for their help.  He bought me my first car for $100 and spray painted it blue. It was a stick shift, so he had to teach me – a true experience. The Chevy Nova lasted a long time and held many memories.  My junior year, he and my mom, cooked breakfast for the ENTIRE Junior Class of Ocean Twp HS after the prom.

Dad’s battle with alcoholism and those demons brought some really rough times. When my parents divorced, I was angry and hurt.  I wanted nothing to do with my dad. On Pop-pop’s death bed, he told me “it is time to forgive your dad”.  I wasn’t ready but every once in awhile I would get a nudge from my Weston angels it was time.  I never listened and it will be one of the regrets of my life.

My drug addiction brought us together and it was a gift.  My dad came to visit which was the first time we had spoken in 16 YEARS! He found out where I was and he traveled to Pennsylvania to see me. It is when the healing began.  No judgement.  No questions.  Just ready to fill the gaps of the missing years.

What a blessing it was to have him walk me down the aisle the day I got married.  He was the proud father as he walked me down the aisle.  A rough day for him due to health issues but one he would not have missed to anything.

I love this picture (even though we are missing some of the family bush). We have always said, it isn’t a family tree – it’s a bush and it was a blessing to have 4 generations in the same picture which is not always an easy task.  

I miss you Dad!

So today, I will spend time with hubby and cherish the memories.  I know my angels – dad and pop-pop – are enjoying the day together.

Take a moment today and thank the “fathers” in your life.  Some may be your biological dads, your adopted dads, some may be your friends dad’s, some may be a man who helped to shape your life – whoever it is, THANK them.  They have given you many blessings.  Remember blessings are sometimes in the form trials and it is all of those things which make you the person you are today.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day.

Use What Your Daddy Gave You

Happy 85th Birthday Dad!  Thank you Sharon Jaynes and Girlfriends in God for today’s message…

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him ~ 2 Peter 3:14

Did you know that you’ve got what it takes to do all that God has prepared for you to do? The Bible says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Pet. 1:3, emphasis added).

But that doesn’t mean we get to sit back on our haunches and do nothing. Peter wrote: “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness . . .” (2 Pet. 1:5).

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election” (1:10).

“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him” (2 Peter 3:14)

Theologian Mark Buchanan said it well: “Those who do not make every effort are like the blind man whose sight is restored, but who never adjusts to that. He remains in his old ways, tapping his cane on the sidewalk, rattling his cup at the curb, reading by Braille, groping and shuffling, turning light into darkness, day into night.”

You have everything you need. You’ve got what it takes to do all that God has called you to do and to be. So now, make every effort to do so—to take advantage of who you are, what you have, and where you are in Christ.

Don’t waste time comparing yourself to anyone else. Sharpen your skills. Practice your trade. Exercise your gifts. Grab hold of the truth and be on your way.

God had given Moses everything he needed for the task of leading the Israelites out of Egypt.

· He orchestrated the Pharaoh’s daughter to walk by the Nile at the precise moment baby Moses cried out from the floating basket.

· He choreographed Miriam to witness the love-struck princess’ rescue.

· He made sure that Moses was raised in the Pharaoh’s household, learned the Egyptian culture, and mastered the Egyptian language.

This was the Holy Ghost prep school, and Moses was pre-enrolled before he was even born. But when he failed and bailed in Egypt, Moses left bits and pieces of his confidence strewn along the path as he fled into the desert. By the time he reached Midian, it was all gone. And he gave up.

Oh, friend, the devil would like nothing more than to steal your confidence so that you won’t make every effort. Jesus reminds us, “The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10). There is no more perfect time for him to make his move than in a season of failure.

So remember, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Pet. 1:3, emphasis added). So now, it’s up to you to make every effort to use what your Daddy gave you!

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Happy Father’s Day

Father’s Day is a celebration honoring fathers; celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Today’s blog is in honor of my Pop-pop, my Dad and my hubby, Rob.

Pop-Pop worked long hours as a typesetter for the Asbury Park Press but always had time for his family. The story is told that he was the one who taught me to walk.  How?  A round hassock and a chocolate chip cookie.  Traveling with my grandparents was always an adventure. I always came home with lots of souvenirs and MORE money then I left with.  My grandparents always drove me back to college in Rhode Island after a visit home with the camper loaded with snacks and Mom-mom’s applesauce cake. Pop-pop made friends with EVERYONE, everywhere. A kind spirit, a loving smile and generous man.  On his final days fighting lung cancer, he was still sharing words of wisdom and worrying about those who would be left behind.  Pop-pop, I miss you every day but I know that you are one of my many Weston angels.

Life with my dad has its ups and downs. Growing up was filled with of memories of family vacations and holidays. My junior year, he and my mom, cooked breakfast for the ENTIRE Junior Class of Ocean Twp HS after the prom. There were some hard years mixed in there too as dad battled with alcoholism and all of the demons that came along with it. When my parents divorced, I was angry and hurt.  I wanted nothing to do with my dad. On Pop-pop’s death bed, he told me “it is time to forgive your dad”. It was many years later before I would start to heal and forgive. Who would have thought that my drug addiction would be the gift that brought us together.  My dad came to visit which was the first time that we had spoken in YEARS! I don’t know how he knew where I was, but he traveled to Pennsylvania to see me. That is when the healing began. What a blessing it was to have him walk me down the aisle the day I got married.  I love you Dad!

 No, Rob isn’t Belinda’s biological dad but over the years, he has become dad.  Growing up, Belinda’s father made the choice NOT to be a part of her life.  Her idea of what a dad should be came from her best friend’s dad, Bill Loder and from my dad.   To this day, she will readily admit that she has a hard time communicating with men.   The relationship between Rob and Belinda is special.  I will never forget the first time that Belinda text Rob the words “love you”.  Such a small gesture that brought a tear to his eyes.  When Belinda announced she was getting married, Rob claimed “this is Belinda’s year” and life has centered around the magical event.  Belinda has found her own way to let Rob know that she loves him.  “I think of him the same way I think of Pop-pop” says it all.  So Rob got the daughter that he always wanted and Belinda got a dad.  Their relationship may be different but they each know in their hearts how special it is.   I love you Rob and thank you for being DAD to Belinda.

Take a moment today and thank the “fathers” in your life.  Some may be your biological dads, your adopted dads, some may be your friends dad’s, some may be a man who helped to shape your life – whoever it is, THANK them.  They have given you many blessings.  Remember that blessings are sometimes in the form trials and it is all of those things that make you the person you are today.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day.