I promised yesterday, an update to the rag roller experiment…this is Jessica’s “before” picture. I just used 1 1/2 x 4 inch strips of left over fabric to roll her hair. I was not very careful sectioning if off since I didn’t know how well it was going to actually work…we just washed and rolled!
This weekend we have plans for some gardening and home improvement…and then we’re planning for Father’s Day tomorrow. We are all looking forward to being able to pamper the Dad in our home tomorrow! I think that we’re going to let him sleep in, make his favorite meals and try to make the day as relaxing as possible for him.
Paul is so special to me. It is through watching him that I have learned what a real Daddy looks like.
My own Father left my life when I was 5. I didn’t see him again until I contacted him at age 17. I tried to have a relationship with him until about 10 years ago…things just sort of died off. He and I missed crucial bonding years. It is very unfortunate (this really doesn’t touch the grief that I feel on this subject), that my Dad lives less than an hour away and we are strangers.
I still look at my husband with my preschool aged children and wonder how anyone could leave their own child, and what my children would do if their Dad just walked out of their life. I was personally devastated. I can vividly remember feeling so many emotions. It’s not that my Dad would have ever qualified for “Father of the Year”, but he was my Dad. For him to walk away, took part of my life’s foundation ….something that even as an adult, causes me pain and hardship.
I feel bad for him too. I’m sure that he felt like it was his only option then, or maybe he just didn’t care… but how sad that he has missed those sweet years when a little one looks to you for their world….a time when they see no wrong in you, only strength and security. They will give you unconditional love when no one else will. They easily forgive and usually forget…..being a parent has many more rewards than responsibilities.
My husband is a wonderful father. He has seen us through good times and bad. He has been wise, loving, kind and thoughtful. He has helped bring my children into the world and then seen most of them take their first spriritual steps as they begin their walk with the Lord. I’ve seen his big hands steady a new bike rider and tenderly hold tiny babies.
His heart for his children is bigger than he is physically. He is a good man. At a time when I thought there were no men that could be faithful and true, God blessed me with Paul.
This Father’s Day, I have no real Father to celebrate on my own so. I would like to send a big thank you to those men who are doing what they were called to do. In a world that makes Dad’s out to be useless past conception, and a media that seems to only portray dumbed-down men ….I know the truth. God created you in His image. You are a crucial piece of the puzzle that is your child’s life. You are so important to your children that without you, they will struggle. You are their first glimpse of love, you are their first glimpse of The Father. You must be their Dad.
Prayer Requests…
I don’t usually include this on the weekends but I do have a prayer request for a special friend that I know is going to be missing her Dad tomorrow. I’m praying for you…I know that this day must be very hard. I pray that God will give you peace and comfort.
For Your Family
Why not take some time today for you and your children to make a special scrapbook page just to celebrate the reasons that you love the Dad in your life.
This is what my children said about their Dad:
Courtney- “I like that he’s always there for us. He encourages us, disciplines us, and helps us along the road of life.” “I love you Dad!”
Joshua- “He is willing to do anything we need him to do to get things done.”
Jacob- “Because he teaches me lots of things.”
Jessica- “Because he helps give me food. Because he is sweet.”
Matthew- “He works for us. He buys us the things that we need, and sometimes what we want.”
Timothy- “Because I love him so much!”
Benjamin- “I love him!”
Emma- O.K., she can’t talk yet but it doesn’t take a genius to see what happens when her Daddy walks in the room!! : )
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I promised manicure instructions today!! Every woman deserves a little pampering in her life!!
For The Perfect Manicure:
Start by soaking your fingertips in a small bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes to soften the cuticles.
Massage conditioning cream into the cuticles and gently push them back.
Apply a nourishing nail oil such as almond oil to moisturize the nail. (The Burt’s Bees hand creme is perfect for this!)
Shape your nails with the aid of a fine emery board. Always file in a single direction to gently smooth away any rough edges and achieve a slightly rounded shape. Look for special moisturizing and strengthening base coats.
To paint your nails, lay your hand on a flat surface such as a table. Apply color (I always use Sally Henson’s Hard As Nails) to the center of the nail and then paint each side keeping away from the cuticle. (One of the mistakes I used to make was to try to apply color in too many strokes across the nail.)
Keep a Q-tip dipped in nail polish remover handy to remove any excess polish.
You’ll need to apply at least two coats of nail color. Don’t worry if the first coat looks streaky. The second coat will remedy this.
Finally, add a single layer of clear top coat to prevent your color chipping and give a long lasting finish.
Be very careful! …you have to give your polish plenty of time to dry (usually about 15-20 minutes).
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Mal 4:6
“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
(NIV)
Eph 6:4
“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
(NIV)
Dads need to live a life that will leave a legacy for their children and the generations to follow! Here is a passage to ponder:
Jer 35:1-19
“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD during the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: “Go to the Recabite family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the house of the LORD and give them wine to drink.” So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons– the whole family of the Recabites. I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah the man of God. It was next to the room of the officials, which was over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper. Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the men of the Recabite family and said to them, “Drink some wine.” But they replied, “We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.’ We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab commanded us. But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded this land, we said, ‘Come, we must go to Jerusalem to escape the Babylonian and Aramean armies.’ So we have remained in Jerusalem.” Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying: “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, ‘Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?’ declares the LORD. ‘Jonadab son of Recab ordered his sons not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather’s command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me. Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, “Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your fathers.” But you have not paid attention or listened to me. The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab have carried out the command their forefather gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.’ “Therefore, this is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer.'” Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Recabites, “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.’ Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jonadab son of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me.'”
(NIV)
