Happy Birthday, Dad!

My dad's birthday comes at what, unfortunately, is a time when it can easily slide through the cracks: December 22. We did actually celebrate his birthday on his birthday this year with dinner at LongHorn Restaurant, but with a poinsettia decorating his birthday cake, it was impossible not to think of that other big day that would soon be coming up. And so, here it is, December 26, and I just now have the opportunity to write his birthday blog posting. So here it is--the things I love most about my dad.

1. His love for and faithfulness to God. In word and deed, my dad has taught his children and grandchildren the importance of obedience to God. He taught us that it is important to understand what the Bible teaches and what we believe. It was from my dad that I first learned the doctrines of TULIP, setting me on the path of a Calvinistic faith from an early age.

2. His love for music. My dad loves to sing, so when his children showed an interest in music as well, he did all he could to support us. He taught me to be a good accompanist on the piano, and he made sure that I had excellent piano instruction all through high school. He would come home from working all day, pick me up, and then drive me to Bowling Green, Ohio, about a 45-minute drive one way, so that I could take lessons from instructors in Bowling Green State University's School of Music. And I still love playing the piano and singing today.

3. His thoughtfulness and kind treatment of others. My dad lives out his faith. He is always available to help someone in need, whether it's a struggling family member, a friend from church, or my kids and me. He may be replacing my furnace filter, driving an ill friend to an appointment, or making a color-coded schedule of Jonathan's classes for him to tape into his notebook. If there is something he can do, he will.

4. His good sense of humor and the way he makes us laugh (and takes it well). He teases Katie, spills food on his shirt at dinner, or plays his Taco Bell Taco Maker game, always making us laugh.

5. His strength. In a time of difficulty, there is something reassuring about having my dad around. In the brief time of my little sister's consciousness after her car accident, she was confused, in pain, and agitated at times. That was when we would call my dad in to calm her down, and it always worked.
He can also calm Jonathan like no one else. It's comforting to have someone with his strength around.

6. His sense of honesty and integrity. He has always set a great example of being truthful and fair with others.

7. His dedication and commitment to his family. After God, family comes next with my dad. He and my mom moved from the town where he had always lived in Ohio to Grand Rapids to be a support system for me, Katie, and Jonathan. And he's stepped up to be dad and grandpa at times for my kids. I love the special bond he and Jonathan, especially, share. And I love it that when Katie wants someone to teach her to drive, she turns to grandpa. He's definitely NOT the same man who taught me to drive.

8. He makes the best homemade ice cream in the world. Ice cream parties used to be a more common occurrence when I was a child, but I have many fond memories of family get-togethers where my dad supplied the big treat: homemade vanilla ice cream.

9. His emphasis on excellence. I'll never forget a conversation I had with my dad back in high school, on one of those long trips back from piano lessons. We were talking about my future, and at the time I was thinking of majoring in music. He told me that Christians truly had something to make music about, and that they should be the best that they could be in their service to God. It's stuck with me all these years.

10. He can fix anything. Or if he can't, he at least knows what is wrong and what to do about it.

Happy birthday to my excellent dad!