Happy Father’s Day !!!

Good fathers are needed. They are vitally important to the happiness and success of every family. There are many reasons why fathers are important, here are five truths that stand out to me.

1. Fathers are the knight in every daughter’s fairy tale and the hero in every son’s comic book.

2. Fathers are the greatest example when they think no one’s looking

3. A father’s counsel can live on forever

4. A father’s perspective fulfills every child’s need for exploration and adventure

5. Fathers are an earthly reflection of God

Every child is in need of a good father, one who will take the time to know his child and love him. William Shakespeare wrote, “Wise is the father that knows his own child.” When a father walks with his child each step of the way, not only does he learn to know his child, but he develops an unbreakable bond of love and friendship and he leaves valuable lessons etched on his child’s heart. There is no greater gift for a father in this life.

My Middle child graduated High School and  I’m so proud of him.

I’m so proud of all 3 .. Love my kids ❤

My mother. My Hero. Raised her daughters with dignity and respect. All by herself. Till this day she struggles to make us happy. She has suffered for so many years. I pray to God everyday to keep you safe. I love you more than words can say. 
Before I was myself you made me, me. With love and patience, discipline and tears, Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free, Allowing me to sail upon my sea, Though well within the headlands of your fears. Before I was myself you made me, me. With dreams enough of what I was to be And hopes that would be sculpted by the years, Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free, Relinquishing your powers gradually To let me shape myself among my peers. Before I was myself you made me, me, And being good and wise, you gracefully As dancers when the last sweet cadence nears Bit by bit stepped back to set me free. For love inspires learning naturally: The mind assents to what the heart reveres. And so it was through love you made me, me. By slowly stepping back to set me free.

Copyright by Nicholas Gordon

“The Lonely Path to the Summit”

Paul summarizes all that he is facing in two phrases—he is “carrying in the body the death of Jesus,” but not without purpose, for it is “so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” Following a suffering and rejected Savior in a fallen world will involve suffering—both because the world is fallen and because the world rejects its King. But when we suffer and choose to trust Christ through the trials we face, we are filled with his power and presence, reflecting his image to those around us.

The road of hurt is marked by hope. But we shouldn’t underestimate that this road can, at times, be lonely. It was for Jesus, and it will be for those who follow in his steps.

I remember when we began realizing that my eldest son struggled in ways that other children seemed not to. I was on a scary journey that it seemed no one else could relate to. As the struggle intensified, I found myself pulling away from those I cared about, staying home, and pushing down the stress and emotional turmoil building within me. In the confusion, fear, and uncertain future, I felt utterly alone.

But—and I still find this surprising, and wonderful—over these lonely years I have discovered within me a thankfulness for the lonely road I have been given to travel. Walking it has brought me a greater understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to know him not only as my Savior, but my comfort, sustainer, hope, and strength. There’s something about having our worldly comforts stripped away, and company around us falling away, that allows us to begin to experience the true depth, length, and height of his love for us.

Jesus knows the pain of loneliness. He knows the loneliness of being misunderstood, the loneliness of being rejected by his own family, the loneliness of praying in agony while his closest friends drifted off to sleep nearby, and the loneliness of being abandoned by his Father. And he did it all for you.

One day, the road will end, and it will end in the eternal city of God’s people. The loneliness of this world will be washed away in the presence of Christ. The path is uphill, but the summit is glorious.

Today, you are no longer a child, but a man. That’s hard for me to wrap my mind around, given it seems like just a few days ago you were just a little boy, running up to me for a hug with your sweet little voice and boundless energy.
Parenting you has been the ride of a lifetime. I wouldn’t trade it or give up a second I’ve spent with you, worrying about you, loving you, arguing with you. It’s been 18 years of pure emotion: love, joy, worry, anger, frustration, terror.

Follow your dreams. Never give up on something you desperately want. Ever. Don’t make the same mistakes I’ve made in life.
I want great things for you. You are loved and all things good in my heart. When you hurt, I hurt. When you have joy, I have joy. Of all the things in my life that I might have, could have or should have done differently, there’s one thing I’d never change, and that’s having you guys as sons… If I didn’t always find a way to say it, I hope I always showed it – I’m proud to be your parent and I love you with my heart and soul.
Happy 18th Birthday My Baby Boy. I love you…forever.