HAPPY FATHER'S DAY HODGEPODGE!

     At the risk of appearing to be self serving, I cordially invite you all to participate in this edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Happy Father's Day to all you Dads out there!

1. What do you think makes a good dad?

     I have heard it said that most of succes in a person's life consists of "just showing up!" Any human male can become a father. It takes commitment and diligent effort to be a Dad! It is imperative that men stick around, show up, to teach and model for their sons and daughters what it means to be a man. Men must show by example the proper way a man shows up and conducts himself when times are good and when times are bad. 

     A Dad shows up and demonstrates how a man should treat women by the way he treats his wife and how he treats his daughters. How a Dad treats the women in his life also teaches his daughter(s) that she should expect to be treated in a respectful way and not to accept anything less. A Dad shows up to press home that point to any male who would treat his daughter(s) otherwise. 

     So, in short, what makes a good Dad is a man who consistently and reliably shows up!

2.  What's something you learned from your own father?

     My dad taught me how to make simple repairs around the home. He did this by making me help him when he made such repairs in our home.

     My dad instilled in me a love of country and impressed upon me the necessity of public service. He believed and taught his two sons that we must give back to our Nation for the freedoms and lifestyle that we enjoy.

     He did not tolerate ANY disrespect to our mother or any other adult. He taught us to treat every adult we encountered with courtesy and respect. 

     He taught me how to be a man!

3. It's your birthday-what kind of cake will we be having?

     We are having Devil's Food Cake with Vanilla Frosting. What else?

4. When you're faced with a big decision are you more of a go with your gut type of person, or are you someone who reasons it all out, weighing the pros and cons? 

     I reason everything out, weighing the pro's and cons. I further solicit advice from people wiser than me in the area under consideration. I also research most issues before coming to a decision. Once the decision is made, I generally stick with it and accept the consequences, for good or ill.

5. June is National Dairy Month. What's your favorite dairy item? Most often purchased dairy item? 

     My favorite dairy item is ice cream, of course! My most often purchased item is milk. I love a glass of ice cold milk.

6. Explorer Jacques Cousteau was born on June 11, 1910....what's something you've recently discovered or something you'd like to explore?

     I would love to load SWMBO and the fur-babies into an RV and explore the breadth of this great country. I'd love to visit and explore the various monuments and National Parks from Acadia National Park in Maine to Yosemite National Park in California and all the wonderful places in between.

7. Are you typical of your generation?

     I am a baby boomer through and through. I grew up in the turmoil that was the sixty's. I served in the armed forces in the seventy's. I served the Community and raised a family with my beloved SWMBO in the eighty's, ninety's and well into the 21st century. I don 't know if I'm typical, but my life has certainly been interesting! 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

     When I was growing up, my concept of God was the wrathful God of the Old Testament. The God who destroyed Egypt with ten plagues. The God who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone from the sky. The God who created Hell to eternally punish Satan and the angels who rebelled with him against God. The God who will consign all who sin to that same Hell.
     As a young man, however, God displayed His lovingkindness to me. He taught me that He was truly a loving Father and that because of His love for me went to extraordinary lengths to adopt me, and everyone else, into His family so that we might spend eternity with Him.
     God, through Jesus Christ paid the penalty that He did not owe for our sins and clothed us with a righteousness that is not our own. Because of this new righteousness we are beloved of God and have become His adopted children.
     I learned that we ALL will spend eternity somewhere. I also learned that the choice is ours as to where that will be. 
     I strongly urge everyone who is reading these words to choose life with God! He will not force you to choose Him, but you must choose, of your own free will! There is no better choice than choosing life with God! If I may be of assistance to you in making that choice, please ask! I stand ready to help!
    Happy Father's Day everyone!