He was choking up as he spoke a blessing over his daughter. They had just completed a week together enjoying a wilderness adventure that included day hikes, an overnight campout and a raft trip. Each evening they had a topic-specific discussion around the father-daughter relationship that resulted in more one-on-one dialogue than they had ever engaged in. Now, recognizing his ‘little girl’ as a young lady was overwhelming.
He had spent a couple of summers with his uncle. They were not anything out of the ordinary – the boy did chores like mowing and other small projects around the house. He enjoyed every minute of it because he got to be with his uncle, a father-figure in his life. This summer would be different because they were going on a 10-day backpacking trip. While they would be participating with a group of Boy Scouts, he knew there would be a lot of one-on-one time with his uncle.
THIS FATHER’S DAY, June 16th, 2019, I commit as a faithful father to:
Prioritize my physical presence in the home and with family. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning … The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.’ John 1:1-2, 14. Just as God provided a connection with Him through the physical presence of His Son, a father provides a connection to the Father by being present and accounted for in family.
An annual tribute to my father and encouragement to you: Born in 1917, four years after his parents immigrated from the south of Russia, he spent his early years growing up in Nebraska. The family continued to speak Russian in the home so when it came time to go to school, the young boy was held back a year until he could learn English. Railroad work took his family to Missouri where he proved to be a good worker and strong athlete through school. He joined his dad working in the roundhouse at the railyard until the attack on Pearl Harbor changed the direction of his life. He enlisted in the Navy ...read on
He was choking up as he spoke a blessing over his daughter. They had just completed a week together enjoying a wilderness adventure that included day hikes, an overnight campout and a raft trip. Each evening they had a topic-specific discussion around the father-daughter relationship that resulted in more one-on-one dialogue than they had ever engaged in. Now, recognizing his ‘little girl’ as a young lady was overwhelming.
He had spent a couple of summers with his uncle. They were not anything out of the ordinary – the boy did chores like mowing and other small projects around the house. He enjoyed every minute of it because he got to be with his uncle, a father-figure in his life. This summer would be different because they were going on a 10-day backpacking trip. While they would be participating with a group of Boy Scouts, he knew there would be a lot of one-on-one time with his uncle.
Prioritize my physical presence in the home and with family. 
Born in 1917, four years after his parents immigrated from the south of Russia, he spent his early years growing up in Nebraska. The family continued to speak Russian in the home so when it came time to go to school, the young boy was held back a year until he could learn English. Railroad work took his family to Missouri where he proved to be a good worker and strong athlete through school. He joined his dad working in the roundhouse at the railyard until the attack on Pearl Harbor changed the direction of his life. He enlisted in the Navy 
