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 about Father's
"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~
"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~
Are Dads Expendable?
Sociologists and feminists have said
that fathers are obsolete:
scientists, after all,
can start life in a petri dish.
And single moms are
doing just fine,
thank you -- no man needed.
But can society do without fathers?
Are dads really expendable?
Fathers have always had a
protective role in the family.
The words "duty" and "sacrifice"
come to mind.
Dads have fought wars for us:
the war to end all wars;
a war to save the world from
the iron will of Hitler;
the Korean War,
sometimes called the "forgotten war,"
but from 1950 to 53,
almost 34,000 American men died there.
And then there was Vietnam,
where many served bravely,
only to return home to derision;
then it was the Persian Gulf;
Somalia; and Kosovo.
Many fathers came home from war
to embrace their children,
only to be greeted as strangers.
Others kissed tearful children
good-bye and returned
with large chunks of their lives missing.
And some of those relationships
were never healed.
In all of these places,
American men filled a father's role for
the children of the world.
Thank you, dads, for your sacrifices,
your blood, and your very lives,
given to keep unborn generations
of children from harm.
And thank you, dads,
for getting up every day
and slogging away at sometimes
boring and even sometimes dangerous jobs,
to put food on the table.
You built our schools and hospitals,
cut our roads out of solid rock,
transformed our wilderness,
because there were little mouths
at home to feed.
There is something comforting and secure
for a child who knows that Daddy's around.
Dad provides a solid foundation for their lives.
Even Dad's snoring can be reassuring,
because all's well in the house-- Dad's home.
But Dad's not home in the 40 percent
of American homes where children live
without their biological fathers
And two and a half million kids will
become fatherless this year.
Does it matter?
Pediatricians are seeing huge increases
in the number of emotional problems,
such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,
learning disabilities,
and depression among America's kids.
New research has linked such problems
with the increases in single-parenting
(meaning "no father") and the resulting poverty.
The absentee-father problem is fraying
our social fabric.
If you're one of them,
pick up the phone today and call your kids.
Write them a note,
and tell them you love them
and want to be part of their lives.
Let your children know it wasn't their fault
you left.
If you're still at home, great.
Put down that remote,
turn off that computer,
and honor your children with your full attention.
Listen to them,
enjoy them,
and take them on errands with you.
Your son can learn manly things,
and your daughter needs your
interest and approval, as well,
so she won't have to search for it
in less worthy men.
And don't forget,
as we celebrate Father's Day,
your role as the spiritual leader of the family.
Teach your kids about God and prayer and morals,
and let them see your example.
Be the kind of father you always wanted.
God could have had any role He wanted,
but He chose to be our Heavenly Father.
Fatherhood was once an honored position,
and we need to make it
so again today and everyday.
Are dads expendable? No way.
**************
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!
