He told me to tell you that...

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.” The idea here is that as parents we should dedicate ourselves to showing our kids the right roads to travel. Create a foundation that they can build their lives on, this should include spiritual training.

Dad’s Day is coming up and it makes me think a lot.

Me and my father (he has been gone several years now) were not always on the best of terms but I know he did the best he could.

No doubt we learn how to parent from our parents, or we learn how to not parent from our parents.

What I am saying is my dad learned from his dad who learned from his dad and the fruit does not fall far from the tree. I have got my share of regrets as a dad as well.

My dad was a pastor and the ministry was a second career for him.

He spent 20 years in the Air Force, and I was always pleased with these things my dad did. He served his country and he served the Lord.

Both required a lot of sacrifices, lots of overseas stuff, away from his family, extra schooling, financial sacrifices, moving, etc.

I tell people I grew up in a great home where I saw both my parents live out their faith.

We had everything but the picket fence and the station wagon (we did have a van for a while).

My dad provided the best he could, and we really had all we needed.

We took great family vacations annually and when the time came my parents made sure I had a car to drive.

When I went on my first date with the Blonde my parents (really my mom) funded it with a couple of dollars so I could buy Jennifer a Coke at the local Sonic Drive In.

My dad taught me everything I needed to know - the good stuff you know what I mean?

How to put a worm on a hook, how to change a tire, change the oil (do we still do that?), how to respect women, how to tie a tie (do we still do that?), how to throw a baseball, football and shoot free throws.

Most importantly he taught me about Jesus. I am telling you my parents not only taught it, but they lived it, when I saw them, I saw Jesus.

I remember on my wedding day, my dad slipped me his Exxon credit card and told me to go and fill up my 1975 avocado green Cutlass Supreme (do they make Oldsmobiles anymore - man, I’m getting old).

That meant so much, I told him thanks, but I do not think he knew what that expression of love meant to me.

When we left California and came back to Texas and started the farm my dad was there to help dig trenches for water lines, glue pipe and paid for most of it (all of it).

When our business was failing, dad stepped up to fill in the financial gap.

We bought a hundred-year-old house during this time and he helped put in the flooring, bought some hundred-year-old doorknobs - polished them up and installed them inside the house.

Who does stuff like that? Your dad and only your dad.

My dad did the best he could, I’m not sure I can say the same, but I know my dad loved me in spite of my failures as a son, it’s what dad’s do.

My dad did what God asked him to do and that was to train me in the right ways of life so that later I could live out those teachings. He did his job, thanks dad. Shout out to all the dads out there!