My father and mother, and my son...

 

I chose this picture because I KNOW that my son will grow up to be one of the world's greatest fathers. He has truly been one of the world's GREATEST sons...
I was blessed to grow up in a home with a father who set the spiritual bar extremely high. His example of serving the Lord and his fellow man simply cannot be equaled, in my eyes. I never once came home late at night that he was not sitting at the kitchen table, pouring over his scriptures. More often than not, he would be excited about something in them and want to share it with me right then and there. He would gather us around and teach us from the scriptures at every opportunity, and he would gather us from the far corners of the house, yard, and neighborhood for family prayer. He was always, always serving the Lord. I can't even remember a time when he wasn't a church leader: Bishop, Stake President, Stake Patriarch. He was up before the sun rose every single day, tending to our animals, our "crops", our grain elevator, our stake, ward, and family. Not in that order. :) As a father he was tough on us. And I am the person I am today because of his high expectations and example. He is one of the greatest teachers I have ever been privileged to hear. He taught us to think in spiritual terms, and to expect miracles. He lived a life just slightly south of Job...and I remember pleading with the Lord to ease his trials, and reminding Him of what a great servant and disciple Dad had ALWAYS been. WHY oh why was he tried and tested at every turn? And when I told Dad this one day, he was quiet for a few moments and then through his tears he said, "Connie, I wouldn't change a thing..." Now that is a man who understands the big picture. That is a man who loves and trusts the Lord, and who has been refined by Him. That is the man who is my Dad. And that is the man to whom I owe much, much more that I could ever hope to repay. And that is the man I love with every single bit of my heart.