My Hero!

My dad is amazing....
I know lots of kids say,"I have the best dad!"
But, for real.... I do!

Dad...

- Has showed us an example of a man that loves the Lord. A man that lives life to serve and glorify God.

- Looks for the best in people... always.

I was one of those kids....
You know... the one that pinches people and scares little boys.
When I was getting older, people that knew us when I was little, would mention what a tyrant I was.
They would tell stories of me pinching them with an evil grin, etc.

Dad never believed them.
He told me what a great kid I was....  mom did the same.
They refused to beleive that I was in any way a bad kid.

Recently we were reading our, "when we were little..." journal.
It said, "Well you, my little sweetheart,have been the bully in the family, so far. You have a reputation in the church for being too rough. Some of the other boys, even older than you, see you and run. "Baby Helen is there!" they scream in terror..." After explaining that I "had to be more aggressive" because of my older sisters, they went on to tell what a wonderful little girl I was.

Mom and Dad just loved me through it all....
Dealt with it.... but loved me!

Dad always see's me with eyes glossed over with love.

- Has a  great sense of humor!
He tells jokes like no other, and will laugh at my jokes even when they aren't funny.

- Really did "raise me up to more than I can be...." and truly was, "the wind beneath my wings!"
Many times, dad had me do things beyond my comfort zone.
"Helen, would you sing for us?" These words were very common for me to hear between the age of 10-18.
Whether it was at a party, church service, dinner, etc, dad would ask me to sing.
Although I hated it at first because of my self-consciousness, I never feared that dad would embarrass me.
 I knew that he would never put me in a position that was uncomfortable or awkward... and he never did.
Those times stretched me and gave me confidence in the best ways.

- Is so wise. There has never been a "problem" too big or small to take to dad.
Dad used to be a pastor and still teaches his own little church.... that would be us.
Because dad works in an office that is twenty feet from our front door....  it is an easy trot to bring him all of our "emergencies."
Each time my life feels close to ending, five minutes with dad will put it all in perspective.


- Is my hero.

Dad, Mom, and Jo

Some girls like Darcy, some Tarzan.... my greatest hero is and always will be, my dad!

- Has my heart.
I gave it to him.
I totally and completely trust him with it.

- Is my protector.
Not just from the boogie man... :)

- Is my greatest fan.
When I was preforming in "Cinderella," my parents came to as many shows as they possibly could.
Dad got just as excited as I was.
We would revel in certain scenes and sing the songs together.

When I was in volleyball, dad and I would sit at home with chess pieces on the table, going through all the great plays...

- Takes his role as "dad" very seriously.
My dad is our leader.
He doesn't just hope that his kids will turn out, he has a vital part in each of our lives.

~

The older I get and the more pain I see, the more I realize how ridiculously blessed I am.
Not only was I raised in a Christian home, have the best of friends, and live in beautiful North Idaho, I have parents that not only love me...they are flat out awesome!
My dad isn't just a "parent," he is my protector, guide, and loves me unconditionally.

I really believe that the relationship between a father and daughter is super important.
I think that many girls get themselves in loads of trouble because they didn't ever have a father that loved them. They end up searching for love and acceptance in all the wrong places.

Throughout my life, there have been so many times that the Lord has used my dad.

When I was younger, I struggled with being extremely insecure. Dad didn't just tell me that I was wrong, he pointed me to Christ.
We learned a song that is still "my song."
"Only Jesus tells me who I am...."

My dad's wise and loving counsel affects my life each and every day.
I love him more than a little blog post could ever express.....

Thank you, Lord.... for my dad!