If my dad was still living, it would have been his 94th birthday today!  What is so neat is my niece’s little son, Carter’s birthday, is today, so a great day to remember.  I think about my dad often and realize more and more how he influenced my life and who I am and am becoming.  I often wish our children had known my dad and had had the privilege of talking with him and discussing life together.  I was having lunch with my friend Alyson today and I was telling her about the conversations I would have with dad, especially about spirituality, and being a contrarian by nature, these conversations were always about issues or matters I didn’t agree with dad.  I can never remember my dad ever being impatient with my views or him not allowing me to speak what I thought was truth to me at that point in time.  So much of my theology today comes from his teaching and especially from how he lived his theology.  Following Christ to dad was living out what you believed in your daily life.  I remember as a child being very angry that I had to get up early every morning and sit at the breakfast table as dad read the Scriptures and prayed.  Now for me it would have been fine if dad had just read and prayed…but that was not the way dad did it.  Dad had the gift of teaching so he always explained and talked about what he was reading and then would ask the question…”So how do we live today?”  Dad loved words and he loved learning and he loved the Scriptures…I am sure he had the New Testament memorized as he had an amazing memory.  I am not like my dad in personality at all…but I do have his love for words, for learning and for the Scriptures.  Happy Birthday dad!  My dad continues to be my inspiration!