ByGrace

As the moms and I sat and talked yesterday, naturally our discussion included much about children. At one point, one of the other moms, who also has teens, said, "If people would just realize that they're raising someone's husband or wife . . . " Boy, that struck a chord with me! My children have been pretty much my world for over 18 years now. They are a part of me, a part of my life. Most anywhere I've gone, they've gone with me. We traveled with them for 2 1/2 years as we raised our support to come to Canada to start a church. We've watched them grow, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and we've laughed a lot. Oh yeah, laughter has been a big part of our lives! They've seen me cry a lot. They've seen us get angry with them and each other, and we've ironed out the things causing the friction. They are a part of us. But they are not going to live with us forever. Someday they're going to get married and have families ...

I want to wish a Happy Father's Day to the three dads in my life - my very own Daddy, my husband Wes, and my father-in-law, Wesley, Sr., whom I call Dad. Not many women can say they have three men whom they love and cherish who all serve the same Lord, faithfully and completely. They are three men with widely differing personalities (trust me on that!), but united in their Savior. The Lord has indeed blessed me with three men that I can point to as examples for my boys to follow, and for my daughter to use as a measure of the kind of man she should look for. I love my Daddy for his unfailing love for me and his lifelong example of what it means to live a real Christian life everyday, not just on Sundays. He's a gentle and compassionate man, but not weak in any way. Thank you, Daddy! I love you! I love my husband most of all! He is a strong leader for me and our children, a man who stands for what he believes and makes no apology for it. He's a diligent provider for...