Happy Father’s Day, daddio.

I am a daughter to a very important man, a holy man.  He has been a pastor, boss, spiritual leader to hundreds, thousands of people.  But he is my dad.  Few share that honor.  I first made him a dad.  That is mine alone.

I don’t think anyone who knows me can doubt the power of the love between us.  My dad is above all dads in my heart.

Happy day for me, because of the Father-of-Light, the Maker of Heaven and earth who adopted ME!

I am a daughter of the Most High.

Don’t you love how Jesus spoke to the persistent woman, the tired, worn out, woman who pushed through just to touch His clothing?  I do.

“Daughter,” He said.  I can hear it, “Daughter…” because she needed to know the Father’s love (and if you have seen Jesus, you have seen the Father).  She needed to know, that even though she’d lost many resources because of her infirmities, maybe even her family and friends, that her Father, her real true Father (the One who’d fashioned her in the womb) – saw her, knew her name and would heal her disease.

His disciples thought for Jesus to try to see who had touched him was a ridiculous exercise in futility, but He continued to look around for her.  He looked for her.  He turned to look for her.  He called her ‘daughter.’  And by His word (a word from the Word) she was whole – everything she was created to be, able and healthy to do all she was created to do.

I am contemplating the daughter thing.  I am determined to be a daughter who pleases her Father.  Or even just a daughter…

Happy Father’s Day to my sons:

Rocky, DP and Tristan, you guys are just amazing fathers and daddies.  The proof is in the pudding.  The grandbebes tell the story of children who are secure in the love of their fathers: Gavin, Guini and Gemma, Hunter, and Averi and Amelie – loved.  Whole.  It is beautiful.

And then – to the man who fathered my children.  Happy Father’s Day, my lover and friend!

Tara wrote on FB today:  As I sit here thinking about my Dad this morning it really occurred to me that he is one of my greatest heroes. He chose me not even knowing what the future might hold. He protects, he encourages, he provides wisdom, he always reminds me of… his love, he thinks I’m beautiful, he makes sure I’m safe, and he actually wants relationship with me!! Wow, sounds like a true father’s heart to me. Happy Father’s Day to you, Dad. I’m so honored that I was the one to make you a “Daddy” first!!

Today you will tend to all sorts of details of having the whole family over.  You’ll make sure the grandbebes have toys and beverages and are safe in the pool with floaties.  You’ll cook and fill the dishwasher and beam with joy, surrounded by your babies, the 5 we grew together, and the ones God sent to join us (and how we love them, too, don’t we??).   You will have had this exhausting HF weekend and yet, you will not have wanted to trade the time and moments with the heritage God has given you.  You love them.  And they love you and honor you.  And you are worthy of that honor.  Happy day, babe!

Yet another gorgeous day to celebrate your birth.  Just like the day you were born.

Here you came, born to us on the heels of your sister Stephanie (maybe you two were actually meant to be twins), to your madly-in-love parents and big sister Tara and a summer of good music and splashing with my baby girls in the wading pool and this fab hot-pink and white striped, ruffled-plunge swimsuit and finally feeling like adult, a real woman-wife-and-mommy.  You had no idea your birth brought all of that, did you?

This year on each child’s birthday, I have been re-reading all the things I have written since I started this blog.  From 2007 to the present, you have been one of my favorite topics.  And as I read, I love how you have grown and how God has blessed you and how you remain true to your calling and God’s plan for your lives.  It is beautiful.

Check out these glimpses of your birthday-blogs over the past 5 years. {click on the year-number for links to old posts}

2011, I am never at a loss for words about you

I was enthralled with the now-defunct picnik.com site and learned I could plaster words onto to photographs.  So for your birthday, I tried to paint your picture with my word-blessings, how I see you.

I wrote last year  (waxing rather poetically): “Dessy, Dessa, Tre-Tre, Dessy-Pooh-Pie – all names for the exotic, dark haired beauty who arrived just days before a most lovely summer in 1983.  You were christened and accessorized in a  wardrobe of sunshine-yellow and an earlier, milder form of Jeanie-green to set you apart, I suppose, from the lots-of-pink we already had in the family.  You were baby-girl-number-three (thus, Tre) and I knew from the first moment I had alone with you, something very different, quite extraordinary and alluring lay there in my arms.  The eyes, even at birth, showed an intensity of spirit; yet there seemed to reside in you, even as a tiny bundle, a quiescent repose, a knowing restfulness.”

2010 “And the Bible says…”

“Deep calls to deep…even at three, your main topic of conversation was “And the Bible says…” and your love for God and for His word have been the hallmark of all the days of your life so far.  How pleasing it is to me to see how strong that remains in you.  You are woman who is to be admired.  You have my awe and respect.”

And the Lord gave me a song to sing over you, too.

2009, Tredessa the leader…

“We were in Wilmore, Kentucky…on Dessa’s birthday,  gathering information and learning from people who have managed to keep a festival going for 40 years now.  I got to watch watch Tredessa in action interviewing people much older and I was so impressed at her ease and ability to draw the most important information from them.  She is soft-spoken and gentle, easy to talk to (and talk, they did), but she has the ability to harness millions of bits of data, opinion, strategy (both good and bad, both successful and disastrous) and infuse it into a leadership team of nearly 100 people who will make Heaven Fest all God has ordained it to be.”

And I wrote you 26 wishes for your 26th birthday and I LOVED re-reading those.  My fav was #22.  Hahahaha!  You still really are!

2008, looking forward to the Mr Right-Faaland

I was praying for your Jim-from-the-office, your Mr Darcy, your Boaz.

2007 Every single June 13 since 1983, I see the beauty of the day

“You have chosen to live your life poured out based on the Living Word of God (Jesus) for Him and for others.  Tredessa, you have great favor with both God and man.  i know this because I am looking out the back door – the sun has burst forth, the chimes are singing in the breeze, yesterday’s raindrops are sparkling like confetti, the flowers are vibrant and the grass is lush.  The heavens are apparently celebrating your birthday, too!”

I love you very, very much, o middlest of daughters.  You are a treasure and treasure-keeper, a good daughter and family-builder.  The tight fit between Stephanie and Rocky in the birth order has made you a glue of love for us all.

Happy birthday.  Happy life.  Happy insurance (*wink, wink*) and soooooo many more to come.  Your mommy loves you, beautiful girl.