Happy birthday to my dad! He is the strongest, hardest working man I’ve ever known. And I don’t just mean physically, I also mean spiritually. He gets up and is in the word every day seeking to know more about Jesus and becoming more like him. I was able to witness first hand the amazing transformation as he went from just working hard every day to provide for his family, to experiencing God in a deeply personal way, and starting to work hard every day to build up THE kingdom and bring anyone and everyone with him!
Dad,
One of the most impactful stories to me in the Bible only occupies a few short lines, but it resonates deeply with me and never fails to bring me to the brink of tears. At the end of King David’s life, he calls Solomon and gives him his last words of advice. He tells Solomon, “Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God…” (1 Kings 2:2-3). David, a warrior among warriors, and a man of immense virtue, character, and strength, tells his son, and soon-to-be successor, that he must be strong and show himself to be a man. I am sure that once Solomon succeeded to the throne, and over the course of his long reign, the sound of his father’s advice echoed in his mind: “Be strong, and show yourself a man.” I would also venture to guess that when Solomon found himself trying to live according to his father’s advice, he pictured his father as the best example of what it looks like to be strong and be a man. In times when his leadership was tested, when he felt the pressures of building God’s Temple, and in the moments when the crisis would reach him at home and on the throne, I am sure that he asked himself, “What would my father have done?”, and then tried living according to the character of David.
Throughout the course of my own journey as an adult, I feel both motivated and encouraged by David’s words to “Be strong” and show myself to be a man by living out the charge of the Lord. When I want to quite, lie down, retreat, or surrender, I find the words of David echoing in my mind and challenging me to bear down, be tough, and continue to move forward. Unlike Solomon, however, I do not think, “What would David do?”, and neither do I envision him as the example of manhood and strength. When I try to think of how a man among men acts and who embodies strength, endurance, character, patience, and toughness, I think of you. Whenever I read David’s words to “Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God” the advice comes off the page in your voice. You have shown, and continue to show, me what it looks like for a man of God to live in this world and I never fail to feel challenged to be more like you whenever I feel the temptation to be weak and give up. Truly, you are a man among men. You are confident, tough, smart, bold, strong, courageous, and you endure the throes of life with a disciplined and ever constant and sure step forward. You navigate the chaotic labyrinth of life with a sober intensity that all those around you gravitate toward when they themselves are feeling unsure or frightened. You have also cultivated and continue to grow in the Christian virtues of gentleness, faith(fulness), kindness, forgiveness, and love—the greatest of which is love (1 Cor. 13:13).
In all these ways, do I think you not only surpass David as a man, but I think you exemplify the most characteristic attitudes of Christ himself. You endure where all others fall away. You approach the challenge of sacrifice for your family and friends with the type of bold determination that is consonant with Christ’s own determination upon leaving Gethsemane, and while before the judgment of the high priest and Pilot, or on the road to Golgatha. Christ left this world with the exclamation that “It is finished!” (John 19:30). And you exemplify Christ’s own character through your discipline to always finish, even though the task is arduous, difficult, or daunting. You also instill this within your children, which is one of the greatest gifts in discipleship you could ever give.
Happy birthday! And know that Christ’s image is borne through your steadfast love and discipline to endure. The strength of Christ’s will to finish the call before him resonates through you as you determine to finish the task before you of being a provider, husband, brother, son, father, and grandfather. You are running the race well, and you have many eyes on you that are following after you (e.g. me, Luke, Mik, and Reece) and I am of the utmost confidence that you will continue to run well (cf. Heb. 12:1-3). Continue to be strong and show yourself a man by keeping the charge of the Lord your God, and we will all continue to look to you for help and guidance when we feel weak and worthless.
Love, Your son and forever little buddy, Kole
Dad is not the architect he is the builder. A builder that will follow The Architect's perfect plan as best and as close to square as possible even if he doesn’t fully understand the scope or end product. Dad does this by building relationships connections people and his children up. Thank you dad happy birthday. Love, Doofy
Happy birthday, Dad. You are turning into an old man, with a lot of gray hairs and I know I am the cause for a couple of those but not as much as my other siblings. HAHAHA. Thank you for always being there for all of us and giving me advice when I think I know what I am doing. And thank you for an example of how to be a dad, to want to better be every day. In everything, at school, at home, and knowing God better.. you always give everything in whatever you do, your famous saying is “Don't be average today”. And you aren’t average any day in everything you do, at work or in the morning when you spend your time with God. Thank you for always being there at my games cheering me on, sometimes saying the wrong stuff at my basketball games but I always knew you were there watching me play football or basketball. You are our number 1 fan, actually anyone you know you are their fan, you always want the best for everyone no matter how that would affect you. That comes from your relationship with Jesus that you have, giving up everything for your kids like he did. You are a great dad, thank you for everything you have done and we’ll do, and thank you for praying over Me. I wish u the best of best cake day.. love you, Dad, thank u again.. from the best son out of the 5. The Peak.
Thank you Daddy for all you do. You are a kingdom Builder you build love you build houses you raise kids and still have time for Jesus and everything else do you have going on you still Keep Us Alive you got us a dog from work by Talking to Jesus and you send us verses to every single one of us every day and I don't even think you've ever been late for work hardly, In fact, I don't think you have loved Jesus from one to fifty-seven after many moms you are still in one of the best relationships with Jesus and the holy spirit and just so you know you are hilarious you are very Godly you Toughen us up every day you pick me up by my ponytail And you sign the boys up for a sport every month wow and your fifty-seven you only have a few more years Old man👴👴👴 Happy Birthday 🎂
Hope this finds you well. On your special day, I would love to share a special part of my life with you because you are a special person in very many special ways to my life.
I sat one day with my mom( the woman that fed me right from
my early birth when my biological mother wasn’t there). I asked her to tell me a
small part of my early childhood. She told me a story that was told to her by my
biological mom. My biological mom became pregnant at her young age and she
never showed up with the person responsible for her pregnancy. When her dad(my
grandfather) saw her pregnant, she sent her away from home and never allowed
her to come back to his home. She was told that she was carrying a ‘Bastard’
child. Why would you tell your daughter such a word? If he was still here or
I knew him, I would have reminded him now of how he treated me even when I was
still in my womb and how God is the creator and designer of our lives.
The stories that happened are for some other time. All I wanted to draw at is that I never had that privilege of a dad’s warmth, a dad’s love at an early age. There was no dad to hold my hand and take me to school, we had school visitations and I saw all dads coming to visit their kids while I was looking through the metallic windows of our class; sadness, lonely and a spirit of not belonging anywhere used to lead me then. Sometimes you would sit and ask yourself, why on earth would everything happen to someone like me. Why not have a father, a boy, it’s good to grow up knowing that you have a dad out there who will reach out to you but I had none.
Then several years down the road, after my primary seven
completion, God heard my cries, God had my prayers and God said ‘ I am the
creator and giver of everything, I am the greatest father and I am here to love
you. I may not be there but I will send someone’
Who would God send? And who would go?
God sent you dad. You came in and made a good out of the bad, you owned the disowned, loved the unloved, and hugged the unhugged. You became a dad to a fatherless child. You didn’t know me, neither did you know my story but cherished and loved me as I was. My own grandfather never loved me and actually called me ‘bastard child’, he disowned his blood but you can from miles, crossed borders, and came and gave me God’s unending love. The first time I was in a father's arms was when you hugged me and held me tight in your arms. The only time I ever saw a father’s smile was when you smiled at me. The first time I got anything from a dad was when you brought me a ball and playing boots while I was at school.
Your love and tenderness make me feel safe. The only past
stories of my life do not scare me anymore because I have a father who loves
me. Someone I can proudly call Dad. Thank you for loving me, for advising me,
for supporting me, for everything you have gone through to amen a life for me
and my family. I know you go through trial and error but you never stop trying
because you always want your children to have the best. Thank you for always
inspiring me. Your sacrifices are together loved and appreciated. There are lots
of sacrifices you have made so that you can create a life for me personally and
money other children of the world. What you do to one is seen being done to so
many people. The support and care you gave to me is a foundation for so many
other children in the world. The entire statement I would use is “you have
lived your life for the well being of others”
You are the dad chosen for me
Someone that was chosen for me
My greatest blessing
Enjoy your day knowing that someone here loves you and prays
for you
Love you
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD.
