Father's Day

Kent highly valued the calling of fatherhood, one of God's highest responsibilities for man. When I think of him as a father, Ephesians 6:4 comes to my mind which tells fathers to bring their children up in the ways of the Lord. He believed the goal of a Christian father's life with his children should be to instruct and discipline them according to God's Word all the while striving to serve as an example of how to live a life that glorifies God. Kent did this very well.

While Father's Day and all the hype surrounding it is a painful reminder that Kent isn't here anymore, I'm thankful for the seven years he was a father to our sons and the legacy he has left behind. I'm also thankful for my dad, step-dad and father-in-law and their investment in my sons' lives. Most of all though, I'm thankful for our Heavenly Father and His faithfulness to His promise to uphold the fatherless and widows (Psalm 146:9).

The purple cone flowers (or echinacea) from the gardens around our house that Kent started in the summer of 2005 bloomed early this year, so, after church this morning, we went to the cemetery to put some in the vase at his grave. Later in the afternoon, we enjoyed steaks and homemade strawberry ice cream.