Father’s Day Part 2

Ok, so while I was jotting down my thoughts about the Ultimate Father, I began to think about how much Chris resembles God’s nature with our children.  So in honor to the wonderful father Chris is – here’s my TOP 10 reasons why Chris is the best father around….

1.  He is a man after God’s heart and God’s Presence.  He is never satisfied with where He is.  He is always pursuing more.  This is contagious in our household.

2.  He provides for our physical needs and with that being said, he is wise about what is a legitimate need and desire.

3.  He provides for our desires as well!

4.  He leads our children down a path I’ve seen few  truely go before us, not giving attention to the status quo, rejecting worldly ideas about what is “good wisdom”  or holds importance.  This path is called the WORD OF GOD.

5.  He sets the example for worshiping the King!  He worships in spirit and in truth.  So my children worship in spirit and in truth – well, learning how to anyway.

6.  He trusts in no man.  He trusts in God alone.  He prays for my children.  He prays for their healing, their salvation, their protection, their destiny.

7.  He believes in them.  He has vision for their future and He speaks that vision to them.  He believes in their destinies and invests into their destinies.

8. He lovingly trains and disciplines them.  He follows God’s heart for each one, never pandering to their childish ways, but keeping the expectation on the standard.  He is neither passive nor aggressive.  He is consistent.

9.  He is raising our boys to gentle men, but not sissys.  He is raising our girls to be sure about who they are, but not “independent”.

10.  He says he’s sorry to them when he’s wrong.  He is humble before them.

Sounds like THE Father to me.  Thank you Chris!  I certainly could NOT do this job without you!    Katie

 

 

Father’s Day Part 1

So we are not ones to really celebrate hallmark holidays – sorry.  However, I have some thoughts to say about this “Father’s Day” 

The Father showed His mighty awesome power to save yesterday.  At church we got to witness 3 salvations and 7 baptisms (another blog on that to come).  That is my Father at work in hearts around us.  One of the baptisms was my son Jonathan.  That is my Father at work in my 9 year olds’ heart.   My Father received our worship to Him.   My Father gave us a word through our pastor.  My Father made Himself known to us all at church.  My Daddy is a GOOD Daddy!  Now that I will celebrate!   Katie

 

THANK YOU!

Thank you to the special friends who sent our family these shoes!  We are thoroughly enjoying them and we will get their full life out of them.  I think these may be the first shoes we’ve ever had that we may grow out of before they fall apart:0)     THANK YOU!    The Pattersons

Kneeling before the glory of God

Yesterday Miss Melinda’s mortality was swallowed up by Life.  For me this is bitter sweet.  She was a very special lady to me.  Melinda was 98 years old. Melinda was one of the first people I began to deliver food to when we moved to Alabama.  She was the seed for what exists today.  When I first met her I was scared to be honest.  I had never really related to old people on any level other than my relatives.  I didn’t know what to say.  I didn’t know how to love her past her inablilites as an old person.  I didn’t know how to help her physically without stripping her of her dignity.  Sometimes I didn’t even know how to communicate with her.

     But she taught me how to do these things with the wisdom and strength from having lived for nearly a century.  She was the one who helped me.  I think she knew I needed the help.  As I think about her I am reminded of a book I read very recently.  In this book two monks are conversing but the main one was expressing how we are made in the image of God and we have God dwelling in us, so when we kneel to fasten someones sandals for them, or rub their swollen feet, or bathe them, we are kneeling before the glory of God.  How true!  We, as humans, are the glory of God revealed.  We are how He chose to express himself and His glory into His creation.  As I spent time helping Miss Melinda (and as she spent time helping me)  I was kneeling before the glory of God!    —Katie