My Dad

Father’s Day is a day to intentionally pause, celebrate, honor and reflect on dads….but what about all the days in between? Are you celebrated and honored as a dad? By your children?

There was a time in my life when I don’t think I could have answered those questions with confidence. I am a man who should have lost it all but because of God’s Amazing Grace, He restored the years that the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25). I share that story in Heartstone.

I have learned that our kids are one of the barometers God has placed in our lives to help ‘us dads’ better answer these questions. One of the greatest gifts a dad can receive from his kids is a testament on the impact we’ve had in their lives. The journey has been long and the road rough, but I have been blessed to receive testaments from both of my kids; spoken and written.

I recently published a post on, integrity, sharing such a testament from my daughter. Today I am excited to share an essay that my son wrote (unedited) in Junior High.

This is his testament to his dad.

I respect a lot of people, but the person I respect the most is my dad. My dad is always nice to me and other people. He is very helpful too. He is also fun and funny to be around. My dad will always be there for me. And every body likes him a lot. My dad deserves a lot of respect because he is honest, caring and thoughtful. He is tall, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. My dad is also very smart. When he was in Junior High, he was in the newspaper because he was gifted with computers. Today, he has his own article in CIO magazine and is the Vic President for an international company. Another reason why I respect him is because he travels all over the world to different countries. After he comes back, he tells me a lot about landmarks he has seen in these other countries. Some of the places he has seen include the London Bridge, Stone Hedge, Edinburgh Castle and the Panama Canal. They all sound so cool. Some day, I would like to go to those places with him. The final reason why I respect him is because he likes to do things with me. When we go on vacations together, he always goes on rides with me that nobody else wants to go on. He always helps me with projects I have to do for school. One thing I like to do is build models and he always helps me with that too. He seems to be having a good time when he does things with me. I am sure he knows that I love when he spends time with me. My dad is the most respected person I know. He is really smart and funny. He has traveled to many places and he does so much with and for me. I’m looking forward to all of the fun things we have not done yet. I am so lucky to have him as my dad. I hope when I am older, I will be a lot like him.

I am a proud dad and I thank the Lord daily for restoring the relationship with my kids!

What values do you want to pass on to your children? How well does your life reflect your core values? Your children are always watching you, so dad’s…be a living example for your kids!

Conviction is worthless until it converts itself into conduct. —Thomas Carlyle

Dad’s, as you celebrate Father’s Day, pause and take an inventory of your life. Are you fully present for your kids, or are you too wrapped up in your career, hobby, friends, fill in the blank_____? Have you ever thought of your children being treasures worth fighting for? Are you actively living out a Godly example for them…and would God agree?

Our actions and our words have an incredible impact on our kids! I’ve learned that the words every son needs to hear from their dad is, “I am proud to have you as my son! You have what it takes!” I’ve learned that the words every daughter needs to hear from their dad is, “You are an amazing gift from above, I love you and I will fight for your heart!”

I almost blew it, but God gave me another chance. So Dad’s….whats it gonna be?

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