"A PERSPECTIVE OF FATHER'S DAY - THOUGHTS ABOUT SONS AND DAUGHTERS"

I celebrated Father's Day this past Sunday children-less but not alone. Our daughter Carrie now lives in Minnesota and our son Jonathan lives in Texas. Carrie is a mechanical engineer and is married to our son-in-law Jason Boggs who teaches high school chemistry. Jonathan, a ministerial student at Truett Seminary of Baylor University in Waco, is serving as pastor/preacher to high school and junior high students at LifeWay MFuge Camp in Mobile, Alabama this summer. We also have an "unofficial" daughter, Arin Shuffield, who teaches high school at Trumann, Arkansas. We count all four as our family.

All four are graduates of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. All are active in their respective churches. All are leading godly lives.

I could go on and on and on and on about our children, but I'll simply let the Bible speak for me: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" 3 John 1:4. I hope your children are, too.

There are many ways to help children learn how to "walk in the truth" just like there are many ways to be a dad ... biological, adoptive, foster, and/or being a role model for the kids that live next door and down the street. As one wise person once said, "Any man can be a father ... but it takes a special man to be a dad." Fathers care because they must. Dads love because they choose.

This is one proud father's (and hopefully, dad's) perspective.

PS: And, oh - by the way ... the credit for raising such godly children goes not to me, but to their mother, my wonderful wife: "Her children stand and bless her; so does her husband. He praises her with these words" Proverbs 31:28, The Living Bible.