Annie's Father's Day Page
Celebrated the third Sunday in June
~Sunday June 17th, 2007~
~Sunday June 15th, 2008~
~Sunday June 21st, 2009~

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children
to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord."
~Ephesians 6:4~

Father's Day, first celebrated on June 19, 1910, was originated by Sonora Louise Smart Dodd of Spokane.

The History of Father's Day
Father's Day is a day on which the people of many countries express gratitude and appreciation for their fathers by giving them gifts or greeting cards. In the United States and Canada, Father's Day falls on the third Sunday in June.

Sonora Louise Smart Dodd of Spokane, Wash., got the idea to set aside a special day to honor fathers in 1909, after listening to a sermon on Mother's Day. She wanted to honor her father, William Jackson Smart. Smart's wife died in 1898, and he raised their six children on his own. Dodd drew up a petition recommending adoption of a national father's day. The Spokane Ministerial Association and the local Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) supported it. Through Sonora Dodd's efforts, Spokane celebrated the first Father's Day on June 19, 1910. Over the years, many resolutions to make the day an official national holiday were introduced. Finally, in 1972, President Richard M. Nixon signed Father's Day into law.
~Father's Day Information from The World Book Encyclopedia~

Some of you are "fathers". Every one of us has a father.
Some of you are "Single Moms" so you are "Father and Mother" to your children.

Our fathers impact our lives in more ways then we will ever know. Little boys "copy" or "imitate" their Daddies. Little boys try to walk and talk just like their daddies. Have you ever seen a child walk with daddy's big shoes on? Little girls look up to their daddies to love them. It is said that the love a father shows his daughter reflects the type of man she will marry.

But not all our fathers are the IDEAL fathers.

Not all of you have grown up in a Christian or Godly homes. It is so unfortunate that many people have a hard time understanding about God as "Our Heavenly Father" because their Father's were alcoholics, physically abusive, verbally abusive, hateful, absent or ruthless. But the actions of the father don't have to even be that obvious. They can be controlling, unkind, always at work or just insensitive.

"Or what man is there of you, whom if your son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" Matthew 7:9-11

Not all of you have happy memories of a father that cared enough to give you good things or to spend time with you. Father's don't realize that "where their treasure is there their heart will be also". And if a child thinks that "Daddy cares more about his job then he does about them"; then the child will go seeking attention or love in all the wrong places. Remember even if you don't say it out loud the child will know by watching. For what you care about you spend the most time doing. How many hours do you spend at the office?

Here is a story of a father and son in the Bible:

Lets look at the "Prodigal Son" or the Parable of the Lost Son.
Luke 15:11-32

Here is a short synopsis of the story if you don't remember it:

The father had two sons. One stayed and was an obedient son. The other son asked for his part of his father's fortune. Then he went and squandered it all. He spent all the money and had nothing left. He was feeding the pigs and living in squalor. So he decided that he would be better off going back home and being a servant in his fathers home. His father say him coming back home from afar. Instead of giving his son a lecture about what a terrible thing he had done and maybe even disowning him.......the father opened up his arms and forgave his son. Without one word of criticism!!! This was not all the father did, he did even more then just forgiving him........he told the servants to "bring forth the BEST". They were going to celebrate the sons return.

Our Father is Heaven loves us just like that. We are the prodigal children and He is our Father. He wants to give us "good things" and show us His unconditional love for us. He knows all about our unspoken and our overt sins or omission BUT He still LOVES us. That is called UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

You don't have to be a father to show UNCONDITIONAL LOVE to your children. Mothers need to do this too.

What we do and say.........what we don't do or say DOES make a difference in our children's lives. And what they see they will imitate. The Bible tells Husbands to love their wives like Christ love the Church. Don't be afraid to SHOW and EXPRESS your love for each other as parents. Children need to see that.

Children NEED to HEAR and SEE the LOVE you as a FATHER have for them. It doesn't matter if you are 4 or even 40.......we all need to be loved and accepted UNCONDITIONALLY.

UNCONDITIONAL means NOT because of what you do or say.......it is LOVE with NO conditions. NONE!!!! Lets look at the verse that is at the beginning of this page one more time:

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
~Ephesians 6:4~

Fathers are to "Provoke not your children to wrath". Isn't the Lord so wonderful. In the Scriptures every time that the Lord says "DO NOT" He always tells us what to do. So if fathers are not suppose "to provoke"--what are they suppose to do? Well the next part of the verse is this "BUT bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

I challenge you to do nurture and teach your children with LOVE. That UNCONDITIONAL kind of Love. Don't use the old standby when your child asks a question---"Do what I say and not what I do"

Be an example of a Christian Father who LOVES the LORD and his wife and children. Little and Big EYES are watching your example.

Before you fall asleep tonight Dad....why not read the Bible together with your Children before they go to bed. It isn't enough your you to just give your children a Bible. They need to see you reading your own Bible and hear you take turns reading it out loud with them. And while you are at it how about saying their prayers with them too!!!

REMEMBER:
"Train up a child in the way which he should go
and when he is old he will not depart from it"
~Proverbs 22:6~

Use this as an example of how you as a Father should start your day.
It is how Jesus started his days.

"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." Mark 1:35

How do you start your day?
Consider reading one Proverb a Day---there are 31. And then you can add one Psalm to it.

Proverbs 4:1-9 A father's wisdom - "Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. For I was my father's son, tender and only [beloved] in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get understanding: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee."

"The most important thing a father can do
for his children is to love their mother."
~Author Unknown~

"Any man can be a Father,
but it takes someone special to be a DAD!"
~Author Unknown~

Proverbs 17:21 "He that begetteth a fool doeth is to
his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy."

Definitions from Webster's Dictionary

Father's Day n :
US: third Sunday in
June [syn: {Father's Day}]

Some times even Daddy's

need a Bear Hug!!!!

"A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's
children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just."
~Proverbs 13:22 ~