WHAT DADS REALLY WANT

This weekend we celebrate the MEN in our lives.

There never seems to be as much hype surrounding Father’s Day as we see around Mother’s Day.  There are no ads suggesting we send beautiful bouquets of flowers, delicious chocolate-dipped strawberries, and exotic perfumes or take them out to gourmet dinners.  Even the greeting card section is reduced for Father’s Day.  The suggested gifts are grill utensils or the grill.  Now can you imagine getting Mom a set of spatulas or a frying pan?  Let me tell you, IT WOULD NOT BE PRETTY!  Then there is the TIE, which is fine if your dad is a lawyer or a preacher.  But then again, a lawyer or preacher probably already has a complete wardrobe of ties in every color and pattern available.

 So what can you give a man that just quietly goes to work every day so he can provide all the wonderful things his family enjoys?

How do you celebrate a man of integrity, who is faithful to his wife and children, saying NO when temptation knocks at his door?

How can you show your love for the man that loves your mother as Christ loved the church and would, without second, thought, lay down his life to protect those he loves?

What is it that such a Dad would really like to receive on his special day?

The answer doesn’t necessarily lie in a gift you can buy at the mall or order online, although I’m sure he appreciates anything you offer BUT that would be because it comes from YOU!!!  SO WHY NOT include yourself as part or all of your gift?  Here are some ideas to make this the BEST FATHER’S DAY ever…

First, think about something your Dad really enjoys doing during his leisure hours.

Second, creatively incorporate yourself into this gift or activity; your gift of time will mean more than the actual gift and every time he sees the gift, he will think of a special time with you.

FISHING – buy him some new lures and if he already has a fishing license, buy one for yourself and spend the day with your Dad at his favorite fishing hole, listening to his stories of the “one that got away,” and make sure to take a picture of the two of you to frame for his desk or night stand just to prove that your Dad really is the GREATEST CATCH of all.

SPORTS – buy tickets for the two of you to a sporting event and put a smile on your face even if you hate sports with a passion.  If you can’t afford tickets, buy his favorite snacks and soft drinks, give him a new Team T-Shirt and watch the event on TV.  DO NOT pull out and check your cell phone unless it is to take a “SELFIE” of the two of you cheering a play…this is guaranteed to produce a WINNING MOMENT that will last a life time. 

GARDENING – Go to your local nursery and buy Dad a tree, bush, unique plant or heirloom tomatoes, include a couple of pairs of gardening gloves, so you can help and maybe a new hat.  THEN, yep you guessed it….HELP him plant or weed or at least stand out there and let him show you how it is done.  Ask him questions. Is there a specific plant food you use?  What makes the tomatoes produce so heartily?  What makes your roses so much more beautiful than the neighbors?  AND at least pretend that you are interested.  He will love sharing his expertise with you and your relationship with Dad will continue to GROW.

 GRILLING – If there is no one that can flip a steak like Dad then go ahead and buy those new Grilling Utensils or a Chef’s Hat and Apron, then include a couple of thick juicy steaks, ribs, chops or chicken and some gourmet rubs to enhance the flavor.  Ask him to share his secret to the perfect steak or how his ribs are always so flavorful and never dry…take some notes to try at home and have the camera ready because a picture of Dad in a hat and apron will really get the day COOKING.

Perhaps your Dad likes to run or ride a bicycle, maybe he enjoys reading the latest Western or working on old cars, you can be creative and share one day participating in something in which he is passionate.

FINALLY, spend an evening with Dad, going through old pictures, sharing memories and laughing at your antics.  Set your favorite photos aside to scan, then go online and create a photo book of memories of just you and your Dad.  Order one for him and a second to keep because one day SOONER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE, all you will have left to celebrate are the wonderful memories you are making today.

Now if your Dad is a preacher and you must give him that tie to add to his collection, at least give it to him with a note that discusses your favorite sermons that you have heard him preach and TAKE A PICTURE OF HIM WEARING THAT TIE!

SO, what do Dad’s really want for Father’s Day?  They want to know that the effort they put forth every day of the year means something.  They want to know they are APPRECIATED and that they are making a difference in your life.  They want to spend REAL, QUALITY time with the ones that matters the most to them.  They want to be LOVED and CELEBRATED.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO MY DAD who has been gone for 14 years, thank you for loving my Mom and for creating  wonderful memories.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO MY FATHER-IN-LAW who has been gone 31 years and not only raised an awesome man for me to marry but treated me like his own daughter during the short time he was in my life.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO MY AWESOME HUSBAND who was the best Dad to our two boys and has treated their mother like a

princess for 39 years.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO MY TWO SONS who are following the great example set by their Dad and are now making memories with their own families.

WE NEED GREAT DADS

I WROTE THIS BLOG SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE FATHER'S DAY BLOGS.  I AM REPOSTING IN HONOR OF ALL THE GREAT DADS IN MY LIFE.

Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship, reports that prisoners send thousands of cards on Mother’s Day to their Mothers and Grandmothers.  A greeting card company donated thousands of cards to be sent on Father’s Day, but not one card was sent.  Many of the prisoners had lost touch with or had no idea who had fathered them.   This confirms the axiom that creating a baby does not make one a father.  What the world needs is more Great Dads.

Hollywood leads us to believe that great fathers no longer exist.  Men and fathers in particular are portrayed as self-centered, beer drinking idiots with rude obnoxious children and a wife that has to be both mother and father in the dysfunctional family.  My experience belies this pop-culture portrayal of men. I was raised by a Great Dad, my husband has been an example of a Great Dad and I have observed my sons mature into Great Dads.  Yes, I have been surrounded by Great Dads all my life. 

WHY IS A GREAT DAD SO IMPORTANT TO YOUR LIFE?

Mom comforts you when you fall down, a Great Dad teaches you to walk.

Mom cries when her babies go to school, a Great Dad cries when he walks his daughter down the aisle or when his son wrecks the car.

Mom cheers when you swing at the ball, a Great Dad cheers when you connect and get on base.

Mom raves over the crayon picture on the refrigerator, a Great Dad raves over the great job his college grad just landed.

Mom feeds you broccoli and salad, a Great Dad stuffs you with pizza and ice cream.

Mom teaches you to love the beauty of a tastefully decorated home, a Great Dad teaches you to fix the holes in the wall.

Mom reminds you to wear your seat belt, a Great Dad reminds you to check the oil.

God created children to need the softness and nurturing love of a Great Mom, but children are incomplete without a Great Dad. Without a Great Dad in our lives we would never learn the importance of getting up when we fall, the satisfaction of achievement and that trying is only a portion of success.  We would miss out on the delights of junk food, live in a beautiful, crumbling home and sit safely in a car that won’t run. A Great Dad goes to work when he is sick, mows the lawn when he would rather go fishing, unclogs the toilet, kills spiders and rodents, is crazy in love with your mother and pauses the basketball game to tuck you into bed.  A Great Dad worries when you are out too late, wonders if you have enough money to pay your bills and never forgets to call your name in prayer. 

Don’t forget to wish all the Great Dads in your life a very Happy Father’s Day.