So thankful for my faithful husband on this Father’s Day. There is not a dad who is more loved and respected by his kids than this man! We are indeed blessed. For a glimpse into his life, our oldest son remembers this conversation with his dad when he was facing an extremely difficult situation…
“Joe, you know I love you, right?”
“Of course, dad.”
“Well, you know I will do whatever I can to make sure you are taken care and have what you need.”
“I know.”
“Well, God is our Father, right? So, don’t you think He will take care of you?”
This compilation, “A Tribute to a Faithful Dad” is written by our children in honor of their dad for Father’s Day 2017:
My dad is very special to me. He is the one who has always loved me regardless of my choices or actions. He is the one who made our family laugh because of his jokes. He is the one who held our hands during hard times and let us cry on his shoulder when we needed to.
My dad has always been (and still is) one of the most godly examples in my life. He has always been faithful to my mom – setting a great example of the sacredness of marriage for me. He has always worked hard to provide for his family. We have seen him struggle in difficult situations and overcome them with his head held high and his faith in the Lord stronger than ever.
My dad is one of my biggest cheerleaders in life. He faithfully prays for me and all of his children. He is quick to encourage me and tell me he is proud of me. He never hesitates to take the time to make sure we know that he loves us.
My dad is my hero. He is the one I have looked up to all of my life. He is humble, faithful, kind, strong in the Lord and the greatest dad anyone could ever ask for. I am thankful the Lord created him to be my earthly father.
Dad, thank you!! Thank you for always loving me, encouraging me, praying for me! You have set a great example of faithfulness and Godliness for me. I love you, Dad!
From Leanne
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Dad,
Thank you for your example and commitment to God and to our family.
Thank you for showing us how to live and to serve God through your own service and heart for Him. Your love for God and for others is prevalent. You are humble and show an abundance of kindness and patience in ministry. It has been a blessing to see your faithfulness to implement discipleship and the work you have put into developing a Biblical perspective on what discipleship should look like. It is incredible to watch your heart’s fire for the spiritual development of believers and your excitement for the new forms evangelism that have been birthed out of the growth of believers in the discipleship ministries that you are building and participating in.
Thank you for your tenderness towards those in need and for showing me from a young age how important it is to be willing to help others and to always be in prayer for others.
Thank you for your love for our family and for holding onto us when it seemed like the bar of the roller coaster might not actually be holding us safely in place. Thank you for the jokes that you would share with us at dinner and for always making sure we prayed before we ate. You can never know how much those prayers before meals have impacted me to this day as I am now careful to pray before eating and to be grateful for the provisions that the Lord has given to me.
Thank you for driving me to school and discussing the glory of God with me from that early age and all the way up to my adult life. Those discussions will always be in my memory and helped me to form my understanding and appreciation of the Great God that we serve.
Thank you for serving God in the tough times and demonstrating to me that there is nothing more important than glorifying God. Thank you for teaching me that the stresses of this world are temporary and that there is more to life than what our worries. Thank you for telling me that God knows more about my occupation than I do, or anyone else does and teaching me to pray when I needed wisdom. That has become a regular part of my routine and has given me the strength and encouragement I needed more than a few times in my work life
Thank you for being my father and pointing me to God the Father in all ways of life.
I wrote this tribute to thank you for being the most Godly and influential man in my life and to tell you that I am grateful to God every day for the amazing, loving, and impactful father that He has given me.
I love you. Happy Father’s Day!
-Jordan
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Dad,
I love you and I am so grateful for all the effort and careful attention that you (and mom) took to love, guide, and protect each of us; Joe, Leanne, Cherie, Jordan and myself. When I look back at the years I was growing up I realize that the challenges that you faced weren’t simple and the tough choices you made were always intentional and made with our family’s interest at the forefront of your mind. I remember many times that you went out of your way to include me in your life like when you helped and encouraged me to join the fire department; I remember you being there for me when I was having my hardest days like when you went out of the way to visit me in Lynchburg; and so many other times that you selflessly did what was best for us even when it wasn’t comfortable or convenient for you!
Dad, Thank you for each and every day that you took care of us. Thank you for being the greatest example of what God intended a father and husband to be especially when you did what was right even though it was hard. You are awesome!
From Jeremy
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Dad,
I’ll never forget that day I totaled a rental car in Ohio on a sales trip. The accident was my fault and when the police arrived I couldn’t find my wallet. It turns out it was still in the car but had flown across the seat during the accident into the passenger side door. I didn’t find it until hours later when someone drove me to where the car had been towed. So, at the time, I was far away from everyone, had no money, ID, key card for my hotel, or way to get home. I didn’t know what to do so I called you. I’ll never forget what you said to me. You said,
“Joe, you know I love you, right?”
“Of course, dad.”
“Well, you know I will do whatever I can to make sure you are taken care and have what you need.”
“I know.”
“Well, God is our Father, right? So, don’t you think He will take care of you?”
This little interaction encapsulates the blessing you have been in my life. In that moment, you reminded me of what I needed to remember. The God of the entire universe loves me like my dad (and even more)! The person I trusted to call in that moment of crisis, helped me see that God loves me like a Father. And you have been the kind of father that exemplifies the Father.
As demonstrated in this one interaction, you have been faithful. Mom talked about this in her post on Facebook to celebrate your anniversary. She celebrated you as a faithful husband and I celebrate you as a faithful father. You are there when we need you. I can trust you to offer advice that is based in love and reason. I know that can count on you to do whatever is in your power to be present and give when I’m in need.
Along with your faithfulness, faith the center of your life. In fact, it is inseparable from everything you do and who you are. Christ is so visible in you, because you walk, talk, eat, and breathe love for Him. Growing up in your home, we saw you in prayer and study regularly. We saw you demonstrate your faith both in the home and outside of it. You were grounded in faith that expressed itself in love of your wife, your children, and your community. For that I will be eternally grateful.
Finally, you demonstrate wisdom. You can laugh and joke with the best of them, but when things get serious, when there is a need or crisis, wisdom displays herself in your words and actions. The small story I started with is one in a lifetime of wisdom that you’ve given to me. It’s not because you attempt to be wise, or because you’re so “well read”. It’s because you practice wisdom. You seek wisdom. You love wisdom. And because of this, you are able to share wisdom by just being you.
I pray (and practice) that God displays these three traits in me the way He has in you: Faithfulness, Faith, and Wisdom. Thank you for pursuing God, for demonstrating these attributes when we were kids, and for continuing to demonstrate them to us and to our children. I love you, dad!
Happy Father’s Day!
Your Son,
Joe III