To: Dad

This week I've got eleven 6 and 7 year olds, and let's just say they have a rough time settling down and going to sleep at night. It's a routine that regularly takes me about 3 and a half hours, ha. Anyway, tonight I thought I'd do something different, and instead of talking over them to try to get them to be quiet, I just sat in a chair in the corner of the room and sang quietly. They were out in 30 minutes. :-) I sang songs that I haven't heard in probably over 10 years... Songs dad used to sing to us when he was tucking us in at night when we were little...

I love this song:

Jesus, Jesus,
There's just something about that name...
Jesus, Jesus,
All of heaven and earth proclaim.
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there's something about that name...

My dad used to sing that one to us. Along with songs like "The Old Rugged Cross," and "God Answers Prayer," and "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." Those were the days.... Laying in the bottom bunk in my pajamas after a hot bath, in the room I shared with my sister, after having listened to dad read a chapter from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, and just listening to dad sing softly to us as we fell asleep. And I still remember those songs.....after over 10 years...

And after singing those songs tonight, I came to 2 conclusions: 1) that my dad is the greatest man that I've ever known, and 2) that one day I hope I can sing those same songs to my kids. And if I can be half as good a dad one day as my dad has been over the last 20 years, then I'll consider myself one of the most blessed men alive.