Up the Sunbeam

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Showing posts with the label daddy

Influence

- May 07, 2015

It has been a long while since I have posted anything here. I have been busy completing three years toward my B.A. in English and my senior year is underway. My current class (Creative Writing) has finally given me the space to take off the tight harness of academic writing rules, and it feels SO GOOD!! After reading my first assignment, Mom and Daddy gave it their thumbs up and suggested I make it a blog post, so here it is. It is my story and their story. It's a little longer than my usual posts, but as with everything I have ever posted here, I pray it encourages you to run "up the sunbeam to the sun" (C. S. Lewis). "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV I sat above them on the stairs. Looking down through the window-like openings in the partition between the living room and the stairway, I listened to the basketball players, football players, baseball players, wrestlers, track athletes, both the lettermen ...

My Hero, My Champion, My Daddy

- June 19, 2011

The best basketball coach I know teaching She So Sweet the game he loves. Daddy, I hope you know that you’re my hero My hero, my champion, my coach And every good thing a father should be and rarely is You have taught me such important things In such creative, memorable ways. Daddy, you’ve always made me feel so wanted Wanted and beautiful and loved Things every girl should have a chance to feel but seldom does You always encouraged and believed And somehow you made me believe in me. Daddy, when it was time for me to leave home Our home, our family, our bit of heaven All the safe, sweet things the world wants and hardly ever sees You gave me the courage to step out To go find my life and to live it well. Daddy, I hope the way I live makes you proud Proud and hopeful, and certain That all the things you taught me have settled down and taken root My life is so much better, rich...

Abide in My Love

- January 05, 2011

Jesus said, "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in my love ." John 15:9 NASB She loves her daddy, can you tell? And he is wild about his baby girl! This is what I think it looks like to ABIDE . . . to settle down and relax . . . to be at home . . . to remain. In this captured moment from almost 9 years ago, my daughter's love for her daddy is utterly unfettered as she looks at him in contented expectancy, enjoying just being with him, soaking up his tender love for his little girl. That is the cry of my heart for this year. I want to look just like that, in joyful adoration and devotion into the gracious face of my Father . . . My Father who loves me with an everlasting love . . . love that sent His beloved Son to die for me. I want to abide in Him and the love of Jesus like never before. Where I have allowed frustrating circumstances and fear-tinged wondering to create a wary distance in my emotions toward God, I wan...

Daddy Painted the Doors Red

- November 14, 2010

-- Up and down the neatly laid out streets of our little Iowa town were big old wonderful houses that stood stately and dignified where they'd stood for decades. Almost all of them were white. Ours was white too, until . . . Daddy painted the front door bright red! What did people think, I wonder? These tried and true traditional Iowans--what did they make of the young basketball coach and his strange door-painting ideas!? Didn't he know the rules? Was he a rebel? Red wasn't even one of the school colors! What did it mean??? To him it meant "pizzazz!" After all it was his favorite color!! It was vivid and bright and positive--all things that he is. The red door was his way of making it OUR house, distinct and memorable. Painting the door red was the smile he put on our house to match the one he always wears! I was 5 and I was delighted! How deliciously scandalous it felt to have that flashy red door on our big whit...