Joyfull Living

The month of June has come and is already on the way out! The months seem to fly by, but June is one month out of the year for me that holds an entire year worth of emotion. In the span of a few weeks in June some momentous anniversaries occur. First the anniversary of my father's death, then my wedding anniversary and then the holiday of Father's Day. Many posts have been written sharing our family story. They can be found under 'Crisis" and "Grief" labels on the sidebar.  Through the years, these dates that hold utmost significance in my life cause me to pause and be thankful for the fatherly influences that have come to a beautiful fruition.   My father - no words are needed to what a father means to a girl. Her hero, protector, friend, advisor and the one influence that can fill her heart with love and acceptance.  No father is perfect and mine made some choices that negatively affected our family, but I never doubted his love for a minute.  My wedding

Dads....their day is coming up this weekend. This special day comes just weeks after Mother's Day which is a day mothers enjoy a day of recognition and pampering.  Father's play an important role in our families, churches and communities. Their leadership affects generations to come as well as leaves a legacy to follow. A godly father is the foundation of the home and his influence can be unlimited.  While Mother's Day gifts seem to be easy, beautiful and full of meaning and sentiment, gift giving for the fathers in my life is hard. There is no emotion in a neck tie or sporting goods item. Most men are practical and would rather not have another item that is not functional and useful laying around (taking space on the dresser!).  A perfect gift for dad is the sentiment of appreciation and respect.  Instead of gifts, words are especially meaningful. I found a link that has encouraging messages from Scripture just for dad.  You can print them off, cut out, write a personal me