Date: 06-01-2020

Title: A Grateful and Proud Dad

(S) cripture:
    Proverbs 22:6 (NASB) Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

    Proverbs 23:22-25 (NASB) Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old. 23 Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding. 24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him. 25 Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

(O) bservation:
    In these two proverbs the writer has given parents a task and then outlined the rewards of following through with the task. Training our children to be persons of faith in Christ is our main task as parents. The rewards are many but great joy and delight are at the top of the list.

(A) pplication:
    Becky and I have two grown daughters, Sarah and Bethany. We knew that if we had great ministries but failed as parents we had not done what God expected of us. We have always understood that the priorities in our lives was:
    First our personal relationship with the Lord
    Second was our Family
    After that came our work and ministry and everything else

That was something we got right and it gives us great joy today. Both girls are growing in their faith, active in their churches and helping others to grow as disciples of Jesus, too. Sarah and her husband are teaching their daughter these lessons of faith with Bible Stories at bedtime and active participation in their local church. Bethany and her husband are teaching their three sons these lessons of faith with daily Bible stories and active participation in their church. Both girls and their husbands live their faith at work, too, Sarah and Ryan in Law Enforcement and Bethany in the medical field and Justin as a High School teacher and coach.. It is exciting to see your daughters and their families growing and living their faith.

The joy we receive is experienced nearly every day when they call to check in and tell us about their days and the adventures of our grandchildren. They are not only our daughters but are our friends. Great joy and delight.

(P) rayer:
    Father, I thank you for the faith and growth we see in our daughters and their families. I thank you for helping me keep my priorities straight. I have great joy because they are following you. Help me now to teach other parents how to have this same joy. Amen