Happy Father's Day!

It has been a true blessing to have been surrounded by such wonderful Christian men throughout my life. Both of my grandfathers were tremendous men, who loved their families and exhibited so many characteristics that I admire.

When I think about my Grandpa Bowers, I think about the words kindness and patience. I don't recall a time that I was around him that he didn't tell me that he loved me. I see his quiet strength in my daddy and brother, as well.

When I think about my Granddaddy Ross, I think about laughter and smiles, a stratchy face when he kissed us, and the most beautiful tenor voice there ever was! He was a man that lived his life with joy and easily spread that to those around him. I can still remember how he would laugh so hard he could hardly breathe. He adored my Grandmama and also made her a better woman because of his love. He shared his love for music with my mother, who then shared it with me. He also shared his red hair with me, which I will cherish until it turns gray or yellow or whatever color I have to dye it to. I can't wait to sing with him in Heaven!

When I think about my Daddy, there isn't enough time to tell all the ways I appreciate and respect him. All my life, he has been a constant presence of love, security, encouragement and determination. Hands down, there is no harder worker than Joe Bowers. In James, when he talks about expressing our faith through our works, I see this principle being lived out so well by my father. He touches peoples' lives in his workplace, where he is respected for his character as well as his abilities on the job. He exhibits his faith to his church family, by being there for them and helping them however he can. He has an incredible skill in carpentry, which he uses for good to help those who need it. I love that he learned that skill from both of my grandfathers, who were both great carpenters, too. More than anything, though, I am so thankful for all that he does for Mama and us kids and his grandkids. Almost every holiday, before we eat together, he tells us, "If I had to pick three kids from all the people in the world, I would pick the three of you", and he now says the same thing about his sons-in-law and daughter-in-law. This always kinda makes me laugh, but I feel the same way about both my parents. I have always known that I can count on Daddy for anything. As I grew, he provided me with such a clear picture of what I should look for in a husband and a father for my own children. Happy Father's Day, Daddy, I love you!

Before I can talk about Lane, I have to say a word about another special man in our life - Paw Paw! That's Lane's dad, Skeetz. A lot of the qualities I admire in Lane, he gets from his dad. If you can't handle tricks being played on you, then you don't want to be around Skeetz! He makes our time spent together so much fun, and it hasn't taken very long for Dane to become attached to his Paw Paw. Both my mom and Lane's mom joke about how much Dane LOVES his Pa and Paw Paw. Skeetz has a great way of finding what he has in common with you and growing a relationship from that. He has already started that with Dane, with their shared love of fishing. It really is amazing that Dane still pretends to call his cousin, J.J., to tell him the fishing story about Paw Paw in the boat, at least two months later. Most importantly, Skeetz makes a concerted effort to make sure that his kids and grandkids know about Jesus. One of things I love most about Skeetz is the way he interacts with his grandkids when it comes to talking about Jesus. He will take the time to talk about anything they need to talk about. When ones of them have decided to give their life to Christ, he always writes the most beautiful thoughts and prayer for them to commemorate their milestone. I admire him so much for that, and I hope to share one of those moments with him with my children someday, too. Thank you, Skeetz, for being you and for helping to mold Lane into the man he is. You are so special to us, and we love you! Happy Father's Day!

Now, to my Lane, Happy Father's Day! As I said earlier, my daddy's character and qualities helped me to find the perfect match for me - believe it or not, that's Lane Brown! There is no one I would rather spend my life here on Earth with! Lane is the funniest, most joyful person I have ever known. I love to laugh, and coming up this June 28, I've been laughing at and with Lane for 11 years! We were blessed to have met and worked together at Camp Deer Run, where I was able to see firsthand very early on in our relationship, that he was very gifted in his ability to work with children. I knew then what kind of dad he would be. I was also able to witness his relationship with our Lord, Jesus. He encourages me in my walk with Christ by encouraging me and helping me with my struggles. A lot of people ask me if Lane is ever serious, which he is on occasion. Lane has such a great heart, and I would say he is one of the most loyal people I know. If you want a good friend, he's your man. This week, Lane is gone with some of our youth group up to Harding for Uplift camp. So, unfortunately, Dane and I aren't getting to spend Father's Day with him. Now, if you don't know, Dane does not handle being away from Lane very well at all. He is normally an amazing sleeper, but everything gets out of whack when his daddy's gone, which is what we're experiencing a little of this week. So, if that doesn't tell you how important fathers are, I don't know what will. Dane needs me, but boy, does he sure love his daddy! I love to see the two of them together. They look just alike, which I'm glad of, because Dane is his daddy's #1 fan! Dane and I have fun together, too, but as soon as Lane gets home from work everyday, that's when the big fun begins! So, just like he's been filling my life with joy for 11 years, he's been doing the same for Dane these past almost 20 months. Thank you, Lane, for being such a solid example of Christ through your life. We love you! Happy Father's Day!