THE PERFECT FATHER

I DO know Someone who is the PERFECT Father--God Himself, our Heavenly Father.
He meets every qualification for the task--listen to His words and see!

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons of God...(1 John 3:1 KJV)."

"F" aithful!
  "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for he is faithful that promised)(Hebrews 10:23 KJV)."
"A" lways there!
  "...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5 KJV)."
"T" rustworthy!
  "...there hath not failed one word of all his good promises...(1 Kings 8:56 KJV)."
"H" onoring!
  "If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be; if any man serve me, him will my Father honor (John 12:26 KJV)."
"E" ver-loving!
  "...I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee (Jeremiah 31:3 KJV)."
"R" ighteous!
  "The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works (Psalm 145:17 KJV)."
"S" upportive!
  "Fear thou not; for I am with thee. Be no dismayed; for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold these with the right hand of my righteousness (Isaiah 41:10 KJV)."




WHEN GOD MADE FATHERS.

When the good Lord was creating Fathers, He started with a tall frame. An angel nearby said, "What kind of a Father is that? If you're going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put the Father up so high? He won't be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, play pretend drinking tea, and kiss dolly goodnight, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without stooping?" God smiled and said, "Yes, but if I make him child size, who would children have to look up to?"

And when God made a Father's hands, they were large. The angel said, "Large hands can't manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on pony tails, or even remove splinters caused from baseball bats." Again God smiled and said, "I know, but they're large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets and a little girls paper dolls and jump rope, and to teach her to turn cartwheels, yet small enough to cup a child's face in them."

Then God molded long slim legs and broad shoulders, "Do you realize you just made a Father without a lap?" the angel chuckled. God said, "A Mother needs a lap. A Father needs strong shoulders to pull a wagon, to balance a bicycle, or to hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus."

When God was in the middle of creating the biggest body any one had ever seen, the angel said, "That's not fair. Do you honestly think that form is going to get out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries, or walk through a birthday party without crushing one or two of the guests?" God again smiled and said, "It will work. You will see. It will support a small child who wants to ride to Banbury Cross or scare mice away from a summer cabin , or walk in shoes that will be a challenge to fill."

God worked throughout the night, giving the Father few words, but a firm authoritative voice; eyes that see everything, but remain calm and tolerant. Finally, almost as an afterthought, He added tears. Then he turned to the angel and said, "Now are you satisfied he can love as much as a Mother can?"
The angel said nothing more.

~~By Erma Bombeck.~~



What Makes a Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so,

He called it ... Dad

~~Author Unknown.~~




QUOTES

"The most important thing a father can do
for his children is to love their mother."
~~Author Unknown

"To her the name of father was another name for love."
~~By Fanny Fern.~~

"They didn't believe their father had ever been young;
surely even in the cradle he had been a very,
very small man in a gray suit,
with a little dark mustache and flat, incurious eyes."
~~By Richard Shattuck.~~

"Fathers, like mothers, are not born.
Men grow into fathers-
and fathering is
a very important stage in their development."
~~By David M. Gottesman.~~

"It is a wise father that knows his own child."
~~By William Shakespeare (1564-1616)~~

"It doesn't matter who my father was;
it matters who I remember he was."
~~By Anne Sexton (1928-1974) U.S. poet.~~

"I cannot think of any need in childhood
as strong as the need for a father's protection."
~~By Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)~~

"A Man's children and his garden both reflect the
amount of weeding done during the growing season."
~~Author Unknown.~~

"The greatest gift I ever had
Came from God, and I call him Dad!"
~~Author Unknown.

"A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet
where his money used to be."
~~Author Unknown.~~

"If the hat is missin'...I've gone fishing."

"Old Fisherman never die, they just smell that way."



OUR FATHERS

Our fathers toil with hands and heart
To make our lives complete.
They quietly brave the winter cold,
Endure the summer heat.

Our fathers' lives are busy, but
There's always time for us.
They boldly face the ups and downs
And seldom ever fuss.

Our fathers are the greatest dads.
We know you know this, too.
But thank you for the chance to share
Our love for them with you.

~Author Unknown~



A FATHER MEANS...

A Father means so many things...
A understanding heart,
A source of strength and of support
Right from the very start.
A constant readiness to help
In a kind and thoughtful way.
With encouragement and forgiveness
No matter what comes your way.
A special generosity and always affection, too
A Father means so many things
When he's a man like you...

~Author Unknown~




Message from Faith:
I've been blessed in my life to have not one but 3 "Fathers", one Our Heavenly Father, two my birth father, and three a "step-father" who has been a very important part of my life for many years (so many I can't remember how many). Jim, this message is mainly for you but also feel many others may learn from it. It isn't blood that makes a father, it isn't time that makes a father, it isn't name that makes a father. To me what makes a father is a man who has the heart to love even without blood, time, or name. A man who will support, encourage, criticize, and guide. A man who may not always feel appreciated, who may not always feel "popular", a man who loves unconditionally. Jim I thank you for loving my Mom (the most special lady in the world to me), for loving my kids, and for loving me. Happy Father's Day, faith

My Prayer for Fathers everywhere: Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you on bent knees, you know my strengths and you know my weaknesses as of all Fathers you are the all knowing, all caring, all loving Father. I thank you Father for all the many things you've given me in my life, thank you for the special people you've brought into my life. I ask you now dear Heavenly Father to keep a special place for the earthly fathers of the world, to guide them, encourage and support them as they have us children. For the fathers here who do not know you I pray that you will touch their hearts and use a child to guide them into your loving arms. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.

Please feel free to take this gift for yourself if your a Father or to give to a Father in your life.





ByFaithOnly