Fathers Matter

A belated Happy Father’s Day once more. Men are such an important part of family life. They are the examples that boys will grow up to be. Rodney Atkins put it so well in his song Watching You. But it’s not just the influence that a father has on his son.

Fathers are the examples for their daughters as to what it means to be husbands and partners. Study after study has shown the importance of men as positive role models. A father that openly prays and practices his faith is more likely to raise children that have a strong faith as well.

Masculinity is not toxic. Men are valuable as men. God created men and women differently for a reason. Each plays an important part in bringing up happy, well adjusted children. A man’s parenting style and life lessons are different from that of a woman. Both are needed. While you would thing women teach compassion, a 26-year-long study showed that the number one factor in developing empathy in children was father involvement. Study after study demonstrates that fathers play an important and irreplaceable role in the well-being of child development. The messaging we’ve received from media, culture and government policies are wrong. It’s that simple.

Every year we have a tradition for Father’s Day. First off, it’s not just a single day. We dedicate the entire weekend to celebrating the importance of Fatherhood. It’s his weekend, and it’s all about spending time together doing the things Hubby truly enjoys. We are lucky in that the small towns around us feel the same way.

Saturday is Father’s Day Fly-In in the tiny town of Columbia, California. Every kind of plane imaginable fly in and put on an awesome show. People come from all around with their camping chairs. We line the runways and watch the planes take to the skies. It’s also a fundraiser for Lyons Club and other organizations by selling Tri-Tip Sandwiches and grilled hot dogs to the hungry crowds.

On Sunday, Father’s Day, we drive up the hill a ways to the town of Auburn. The Gold Rush Fair Grounds hosts a Country Music Festival featuring home-grown artists with a message of family values. There’s a lot of singing and dancing and some drinking, too. We aren’t all saints ya know.

Find what the man in your life really enjoys and build an entire weekend around him, letting him know he is valued. Relationships are all about work, but that work need not be hard if there’s love involved.

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Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.