Happy Father's Day Charlie

Happy Father's Day to my man.  

As this man is watching his friends empty their nests and slow down a little, he has had to grab another gear and keep going.  He never complains, he just puts his head down and goes to work.    

The things that bless me the most, is the many kids that Charlie provides for, far beyond his own children.  He is a provider and he goes beyond  financial provision,

 Charlie supports with his heart and soul.  He invests beyond the checkbook. 

 He gives himself, he gives his heart and his back and both are strong and constant, and can carry heavy things.

I love my man's silver hair.  I have helped him earn every last one of those beautiful hairs.

Charlie can be a pretty strict dad with a lot of expectation, but he never expects anything he isn't willing to do himself.  He leads by example.  

The most important leading this man does is that he leads in following

JESUS.

Jesus is the Lord of his life and he spends time studying the WORD and instructions of his God.

Some of the hardest things I've ever seen this man do, he has done with a strength and faithfulness that only comes from the Jesus in which he follows.

  He is not usually the first to respond in situations, but he is there soon and with strength, he is a finisher. He will always be the one to see it thru.

 He will clean up the mess that everyone else has left and be the last to leave every single time.

  He always leaves things better than they were.  

I believe this is why God has entrusted Charlie to be a father for so many years, to so many kids and still raising little ones, when all his peers are finishing up, he is a clean up guy, he perseveres longer than most, and so God is using his gifts and talents to keep going and raise up many kids.

Look at the way this baby looks at her daddy, she knows he loves her.  

She knows he has her full attention.

 And they have the same expressions.

Charlie is a strong finisher, but once he knows he has done his part or if he feels ineffective he will move to the side with resolve and strength.

I have watched him marry off 2 of his girls and he knew he had done his part well, and he handed them over to the men that God had designed for them to be with.

This man of mine is a father to all our kids and more and every day I know him he looks more and more like our Father in Heaven. 

Psalm 127:3-5English Standard Version (ESV)

3 

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

    the fruit of the womb a reward.

4 

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior

    are the children of one's youth.

5 

Blessed is the man

    who fills his quiver with them!

He shall not be put to shame

    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.