Father’s Day 2014

Each year I post a blog about my father and they way the man has helped shape my life. Each post comes from a place a deep appreciation for what he has taught me as a man and as a father myself. This year though I want to focus on his relationship with my sons, and celebrating him.

The past year has been a challenging one for my dad. Work has been insanely busy (when is it not though). But the big difference this year is that my dad lost his mom. He lost his dad 27 years ago and even though he knew this day would come, he still hit him hard and understandably so. He taught me something during that trying time for him: Celebrate now. Celebrate family. Love each other and do so unconditionally. Sounds like something our Father in Heaven taught us to do, doesn’t it?

My dad has a blast with my sons. And when I say blast, that is an understatement. The four year old runs to him every time he comes over and wants to play trains. The two year old is coming around to his grandfather, especially in the last six months. The feeling I get to watch my dad come in and the boys GO NUTS is one I cannot explain. It is a feeling he unfortunately only got to see with me and his dad. My brother never met my grandfather. He gets pulled into my son’s rooms to play trains and the youngest goes bulldozing in to play with him as well. They cannot get enough of him.

If my boys feel this way about their grandfather, then they are understanding the joy and appreciation me and my brother feel about him. He taught us so much. The sacrifices he made is mind blowing. And why did he do it? Not for recognition. Anyone who knows him knows he could care less of being recognized. What he cares about is that he shows God’s love and the ultimate sacrifice He made for us.

A few months ago, he called to ask if him and my mother could take Cameron Bible shopping to purchase his first Bible. This was a big deal growing up and still have the last Bible they gave me. Yes, the post car flood Bible. That is a whole other story for another time. His focus is that his grandchildren are raised with the same character and beliefs he raised his sons.

He is a special father and amazing Grandfather. I am so incredibly lucky to call him Dad. When you have people like this in your life, make sure you tell them you love them. I love you dad. Thank you for all that you have done for myself and Andrew. Thank you for all that you have done for my wife. Thank you for all that you do for my sons.

Happy Father’s Day.

Mother’s Day Part 3–My Amazing Wife

One person I continue to look up is my wife. How she does what she does with our two amazingly crazy boys is beyond me. I am thankful that she was given to me by God. She has put up with so much from me and the boys. She deals with the kids with my crazy work schedule while going back to school and starting a business with her photography. It blows me away.

When I met her, she was not someone to talk to before 10am on most days. She enjoys her sleep. She enjoyed her 8, 10, 12 hours of sleep. Now, she enjoys three straight hours of sleep if she can get it. That is what makes her the amazing person she is. She wants to do what is best for her family, even if that means she loses sleep.

So to honor my wife, I want to play the song from our wedding nearly 5.5 years ago. There is a long story on how this song was played at our wedding; however, the important thing is: She was worth it bringing him to sing our song. This song still hits me when I hear it when cutting the grass or driving to work.

I love you Stephanie. Happy Mother’s Day!!

Jared Taber – She

Video rights from Erik Van Duyn (You signed off on this when you emailed this to me!)

Mother’s Day Part 2–My mom

My mom and I have always had, let’s call, interesting relationship. There were many, many times that she was not too thrilled with me growing up. I think I am the reason that my brother and I are so far apart in years because I caused her so much grief that there was no way she wanted another one of me. Ha! Andrew, my brother came nearly eight years after me and was much more mellow, until college. It could go either way after that.

With all that my mom and I have argued on through the years, there is one thing that we do agree on. The importance of music in our lives. Now our tastes in music have been different through the years. Even the same type of music (Christian) has been different. I do not see my mom getting down with DC Talk’s CD “Nu Thang.” But there is one artist we do have in common: The great Rich Mullins.

He passed away a few years ago and we both still struggle that there is not any new music from him. My mom and I would fight over his cds. What she would do is buy the same cd for her and I would take her other one. She wanted to make sure that I heard what Rich Mullins was singing about.

There is one song that took awhile for my mom to hear again after Rich passed away nearly 17 years ago. It is a song that touches her and reminds me of how she brought me up. With all the arguing going on today about what the Bible is saying about every little detail, it all comes back to Jesus. It comes back to Him holding us through the storms in life and that no matter what storm is happening, we remember that He is our Prince of Peace.

Just this past Tuesday, a DVD came out entitled Ragamuffin, which is based off of Rich Mullins life. In a heartbeat, I knew what to get her for Mother’s Day.

This is our connection. When you find that with your mom, hold on to it. Thank you mom for fighting for me throughout all my fighting against you. Without you persistence, God only knows where I would be in life.

Here is the song. Hold me Jesus by Rich Mullins. I love you mom.

Mother’s Day Part 1–Ode to Grandma

This is a different Mother’s Day for our family. This is the first time my father cannot call my grandmother and say Happy Mother’s Day. She passed away a few months ago and is deeply missed. The lasting memory I have of my grandma is her holding Cameron in the picture below. I remember us trying to get a picture of her with Cameron and she looked at me and said her amazing New Orleans accent, “Dawlin’ you are going to have to set him on my lap. He is a BIG boy!” She was right. Cameron was a big boy (1o lbs 3 ounces) and he was a beast four months in this picture below.

There were many other pictures taken with her throughout the years. Between second lining on a boat with her and grandpa when I was six to my high school graduation. All of them remind me of a happy time with her. She grew up in the depression and lived off of very little as a young girl. Through many stories I have heard from my father and many times witnessed myself, she is one I will always admire and be thankful to call her my grandmother.

She was an amazing woman and one that we will miss in our family. So on this Mother’s Day, I pray for my dad and his two brothers as they miss there mom. But I promise all three of them this: There will be banana fritters had somewhere just for her. We miss you grandma and we love you.