Dear Dad

Today, September 16, is a very special day. It is the birthday of the best dad on the planet. And he happens to be my dad. Dad is 74 today and says he doesn't feel a day over 80! (Dad always enjoys a laugh and a good joke, even if it is at his own expense.) Dad and I are a lot different in some ways, of course, but in other ways we are a lot alike.

I owe to my dad a lot of credit for my lifelong love for Bible study. Some of my most treasured memories are of us sitting at the dining room table with Bibles and a Strong's Concordance, looking up Scriptures. Dad wanted me to choose for myself what I would believe about the oneness of God and the plan of salvation. He never forced me to accept what he believed, but encouraged me to dig it out for myself. He encouraged me to memorize Scripture. As a kid I was fascinated by the Bible, even its geneologies and big words that I couldn't pronounce. I was not a good Bible Quizzer because I was not very self-disciplined, but I learned the Bible nonetheless.

Though he did not have an extensive formal education, he had/has a lot of practical wisdom that helped me through life. I guess one of the ways I'm most like my dad is that I try to look at life logically, realistically, and biblically. I find this an amazingly stable way to navigate the ups and downs of life's unpredictable highway.

Dad has always supported me in my endeavors. He paid for my Bible college education. He supported me for three summers during my teenage years, when I joined Summer Missions Teams to work at - but mostly learn from - home missions works in Arizona, Massachusetts, and Maine. He never tried to tie me to his "apron strings." I even remember him saying that it was natural for young people to want to walk their own path in life. He released me to spread my wings and fly, to be whatever God called me to be. Because of that, I've never been afraid or intimidated to meet new people, to go places many other people would not go, and to try new things. (Singapore's tea-infused hard boiled eggs come to mind.)

Dad (and Mom too) created in me a love for reading (via books/encyclopedias/magazines) and a love for travel (via car/truck/van). Dad was never the kind of dad who stayed home during vacation to manicure the lawn and paint the trim on the house. We were forever gallivanting to a Missouri state park, hiking up mountains, and canoeing down rivers. I remember our 1984 visit to New Orleans, to take in the World's Fair. I was fascinated by the the Rain Forest exhibit most. When I was 12, it was an extended car trip to Oregon, to visit Dad's brother. We saw all kinds of cool stuff and my 16-year-old brother barely avoided hitting a deer on a mountain road one night. Great memory...we're still alive to tell the tale!

I could go on and on - and maybe I will in a future blog - but for now I'll keep it simple: Happy Birthday to the Best Dad Ever!!!!!