Each morning as I was ready to head to school, I’d find my dad… a cup of steaming black coffee, his Sunday School quarterly, and his open Bible laid out on the old oak tabletop in front of him. (He would have already returned from his daily 5-mile run). This memory goes back to my days in grade school and continued on to my days as a teen.
The memory of my dad’s faithfulness to reading God’s Word is one reason I continue to do the same thing each morning (minus the Sunday School quarterly…..oh, and 5-mile run) :)
Now, I know not all of you have a wonderful memory of a godly parent. But, I know everyone has a memory of someone who passed on to you something godly that you emulate today. Something you have now made your own.
This is heritage. Even if it is not passed on to you by a parent or grandparent.
Do you have a memory of something passed on to you by someone that is now part of who you are? Something you plan to pass on to your children? Tell us about it.
Robin
Your dad sounds a lot like my dad in this way Robin - running, coffee and God time each morning. My dad also used to do something cool when he would carry us to bed, after we had fallen asleep elsewere. I remember being just barely awake in his arms and hearing him say all the people in our life that loved us. "I love you. And mommy loves you. And Grandpa and Grandma love you and Jesus loves you and God loves you. Warm memories, and I find myself doing this with my kids sometimes, almost without thinking about it. It was ingrained in me or, as you say, imprinted on my heart.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteI felt like I had to learn everything of how to be a parent from scratch. Our life was hard! We were distant and miserable. My mom didn't say she loved me till I was 18.
What I do remember is my grandma, from a young age, sowed seeds of a Savior... A better way for me. I spent my whole life trying to find it in a dry & weary land.
I teach my kids about Jesus like my Gma did me because I wl never be perfect, but He is!
Love, s
I love this. Your dad sounds like a stud! :) Wish I had had a chance to know him.
ReplyDeleteI think of my Dad. He isn't an in your face, emotional worshipper, but he has shown me that faith and following God aren't just about how I feel. He has been this quiet example that showed me that in a life dedicated to God, it is just a natural outpouring to spend time in His Word or talk about what He has done.
ReplyDeleteI love that my dad was always up when I got home from being out and would talk to me for like an hour. It was such a sweet time.
ReplyDeleteI miss Popabob!
ReplyDeleteI too, think that staying in God's Word will be a staple for my family. It is SO vital!
I miss him too and think of him often.
ReplyDeleteI always will remember waking up before everyone else and finding mom in the living room reading her bible in the dim light of the lamp. I would snuggle up to her warm robe. It was our special time in the morning.
Remember mom?
haha...yeah, Katie. The light was dim and it was really early (like 5 am) and I was being VERY quiet so I could have some alone time. Guess you didn't want me to be "lonely" because you always joined me. And we did snuggle, and I spent a lot of time asking you to be quiet, and still or to go back to bed. haha Good times....really!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I remember the part about you asking me to be still and quiet, but I don't like to tell it that way ;)
ReplyDeletehard work without complaint was instilled in us from an early age by both of my sweet parents. my father picked cotton by hand from the time he could walk, and my mother grew up on a farm as well. in addition to being coaches and educators for over thirty years, they almost always held second jobs to join any loose ends. they taught me that no aspiration is out of sight for one who prays and works for it diligently.
ReplyDeletemy papa passed down a love for people that surpassed any i've seen thus far in life. he would give and give to those he knew needed it, without fanfare or questions asked. my granny passed to her children that they were never ever above anyone else, but they would always be just as good. my mom gave me this truth, in addition to never going a day without letting me know how proud she was of me or how much she loved me. it's a fair statement to say that in our family, we rarely leave a room without saying "i love you." :] oh, and being tucked in was a huge thing in the phillips clan. i hope to make it just as big of an event for my kids one day.
my siblings are quite a bit older than i am, and it has been such a blessing to watch them as parents and learn from their hard work too. love and patience rule their hearts - i'm so proud of them for so many reasons!
Geesh! I missed a few days and I'm behind on some good reading.
ReplyDeleteWhat a precious memory!!! Love the one of you and Katie too.
My dad and I went golfing every Sunday. (Rather than go to church ;) I cherish those memories! Lots of good talks. I learned some valuable lessons all those years of Sundays. Like how to listen and not talk. How to be gracious. Manners. How to be a lady and dress like one.
All those Sundays my dad instilled a desire in me of how a lady should be treated. Time again he would say watch me, this is how a boy is to treat you. I am very thankful he took the time to teach me that I was a lady (that is why he named me Donna....I heard that over and over) and I was worth being treated as such! :)
Now, I love taking Seth and Annelise golfing. I love being on the golf course and smelling the greens. i know it is weird. It is a great place for a boy to learn to be a gentleman, and a girl to learn to be a lady!
My dream house would be a house on a golf course where we could just hop over the fence and go play anytime. a slice of heaven!
Sounds pretty AMAZING!!!
ReplyDeleteThere are several people who I've had the blessing to know and learn from. My Nana was the one person I wanted to be like while growing up...and now I have several "mama's" who lead, love and teach me! It's been awesome to have that opportunity!!! It has certainly been a blessing to know that through every aspect of our lives God is there! What a comfort and a heritage.