Just Call Me Daddy

Today is the day set aside every year to celebrate fathers.  And like all the other holidays, it is something we should celebrate every day not just one day a year. And like some other holidays, today is a hard day for many.  I have been blessed with an awesome father and I am thankful for him everyday.  But I also know what it is like to be rejected by your father.  My birth father deserted my birth mother and if I chose to focus on that, I could really feel rejected and unwanted.  But I choose to focus on the father (and mother) who chose me when I was just one month old and have loved on me ever since.  This love has shown me that blood isn't what relationships are about.

Many of you, I know, have grown up in loving homes where your fathers were always there for you and were a role model of how to be a man and what to look for in a spouse.  But I also know that just as many of you have grown up without that love and example - even when the father was in your life.  To those people, I say it's okay.  We all have a father that we can depend on - a daddy who never leaves us and is always there for us no matter what we have done or how many times we have done it.  Honestly, He knows us and loves us in a way that our earthly fathers can't.

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows is God in His holy dwelling.”  Psalms 68:5

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  Deuteronomy 31:8

I hope that as you celebrate your fathers today that you will not forget to include your heavenly father who loves you more than you will ever understand.  And for those of you who aren't celebrating - maybe because your earthly father deserted you or maybe you don't even know who your earthly father is - know this.  You always have a daddy who loves you, who you can turn to in the good and the bad, and who will never leave you no matter what you do.  Find comfort and joy in that today and everyday.

Happy Father's Day to everyone who has a mentoring role in someone's life - you are special, you have a unique job and special role that only you can fulfill!!

No Exceptions!

This past Friday we swore in our 45th President of the United States. And it seems like every time we get a new President there is more controversy than the last.  It is okay to have different opinions and different ways of dealing with things - that is the foundation of our country - but when that difference of opinion spills over into anger and disrespect we have a problem.

"A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another."  John 13:34

If I asked you if you were a loving person, you would probably answer yes.  You love your family, your spouse, your children and the people you are close to.  You even love a stranger when they are in need.  But do you really love everyone?  And do you love them with the love of Jesus?

That is the one that got me.  You see, I am from the south.  We are the epitome of  love or at least the appearance of love.  We say "Bless your heart" when sometimes we really mean just the opposite.  We give a head nod to a stranger in the grocery store when sometimes we are really thinking "get out of my way."  I now live in the north where everyone is very straight forward even to the point of being rude.  But where we need to land is somewhere in the middle.  We need to be honest about how we feel, but make sure that our feelings and actions are rooted in love.  And not just any love, but the love of Jesus.

Have you ever studied Jesus - I mean really studied Jesus.  This is what it will take to really understand what he means when he says "As I have loved you..."  Jesus didn't just talk and be kind to Christians and the "good" people or even just the people who agreed with him.  He loved everyone - Christians, sinners, prostitutes, criminals, thieves.  He loved everyone - no exceptions.  And this is what he is commanding us to do.  One of my most used phrases is "We will have to agree to disagree."  I don't have to agree with you to love you.  I don't even have to be your friend to be kind to you when I see you.  I simply need to love you with the same love that Jesus loves me with.  That's all.  No exceptions.

"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."  Proverbs 16:24 NLT

Be kind to everyone - whether they dress like you, belong to the same political party as you, pull for the same football team as you; whether they are mean to you, talk rudely to you, believe something you don't.  We are all unique; we are all God's children; and we have been instructed by Jesus himself to love one another with the same love he gives to us.  No exceptions!

Have a blessed week and we love you!