My Daddy!

I have recently realized that when I think about my dad, most of the time I think about his death. This makes sense in a way because when people ask about my dad, most of the time they just want to hear about how he died, so I tell that story more than any other story about my dad. That's not a bad thing, but I've been trying lately to make a special effort to remember the GOOD stories about my daddy. Through this, I've come to realize that I wouldn't trade the short 15 years I had him in my life for anything.
I am so incredibly thankful to God for providing me with a loving, godly earthly Father who greatly influenced the woman I am growing into. He introduced me to the mission field at the age of 2, led me to Christ at age 8, and had so much wisdom and godly insight that he willingly and lovingly shared with me and encouraged me with through the years. One of my favorite moments is being able to hear and apply advice he gave me when I was younger in difficult situations I face now. He wasn't perfect and I remember his imperfections very clearly as well! :) But what a deep relief to be able to stop dwelling on his death and remember his life. It blows my mind to think about the amount of people he was able to reach for Christ through his short 50 years because of a heart surrendered to God and willing to go where the call was, whether it was the Philippines, Nevada, or Fort Worth.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. ~Acts 1:8

I wanted to share just a few of my precious daddy memories and things I miss the most about him!

-Singing together while he played the guitar for us.
-Having theological discussions at an age so young I didn't even realize we were discussing theology at the time!
-The best most comforting hugs after a hard day.
-Him sneaking in my room, while he thought I was still asleep, to give me a kiss on the forehead every single morning before he left for work without fail.
-Walking in his & mom's room to see him kneeling over the bed with his Bible open praying.
-Doing mission work together in Overton and Echo Bay each Sunday.
-Dancing to country music in the living room.
-Singing old country songs in the car.
-His laugh. His smile. His eyes. His hands.
-Going on family vacations and seeing every National Park between Texas and Nevada as a kid.
-Camping, hiking, fishing, swimming...
-Going to the park, playing games and sports together.
-Teaching me how to drive.
-Sharing popcorn while he helped me with homework.

This list goes on and on...

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ~Philippians 1:3-6