Fatherless on Father's Day

In Genesis 48-50 Jacob, the father of 12 men, blesses his children before he is gathered to his own fathers. He speaks over them the history of the world – his blessings, his curses, his cautions, his favoritism - and the words are so powerful that they shaped the future of mankind - a father’s words. In Deuteronomy 26 and 27 God makes provision for the fatherless a law to be obeyed; being fatherless was a handicap requiring an entire community to underwrite. Later in Deuteronomy 32, it is made clear to us that God is our Father – our creator. The two words go hand-in-hand.

In Psalm 103:13 and Matt 18:4 God ascribes to himself the compassion of a father and in Prov 3:12 the discipline of a father and in Luke 15 the forgiveness of a father. There is so much more. Bottom line, fathering is essential to understanding who God is.

Today on Father’s Day, my first without my Father, I remember lessons he taught me. He taught me to love God above all else, to care about the least of humans, to find humor in everything, to value family, to be responsible as a servant, to stay healthy, to be a sacrificing grandparent, to be present in the lives of my family for important occassions, that you are never too old to have fun, that doing something outrageous is okay, and that to die is gain Dad, pretend you just climbed Mt. Everest.

Let's get a good look at you Emma!

Proud of his daugther graduating- no matter how old she is.

Buddies forever with Great Grandpa.



Blessing Emma at her Baptism

Never too young to start exercising.

It's hard to say good-bye to Grandpa and Grandma

This is why it is hard to say good-bye!

Writing secret notes to Grandpa - and her daughter did the same.