With this being the weekend that we celebrate Father's Day, I can't help but think of my husband and the kind of loving caring father he is to our 4 children. What a blessing he is to me and our kids!

I am so thankful that he has developed a close relationship with our older girls. He has time with each of them before they go to bed each night, discussing all kinds of things with them and then prays with them. The girls know to go to their father when they need help, advice, or guidance. I think they go to him more than me! That is a testimony to the kind of *Dad* he is!

Jack Henry follows Mike like a shadow...actually imitating what he does. He is definitely a daddy's boy! I think he has figured out that he and daddy are the same...the rest of us are girls, so he instinctively knows that his daddy is very important and he must learn from him! Isn't that funny how at such a young age, children know this? It is God working in his little heart, I believe.

Evie loves her daddy, but I must say she is a mommy's girl and although she knows that daddy is her protector...she still wants mommy. I have seen this get better, though, as she has gotten older. She seems to settle down with daddy talking to her. When she had the recent accident and had to get stitches, it was daddy that held her, calmed her down, and stayed right with her talking to her quietly in her ear as she was in the doctor's office getting her scary stitches in. We don't know what we do without our wonderful daddy/husband!!!

Pat Ennis and Lisa Tatlock, in their book, Designing A Lifestyle That Pleases God, says there are *places* where we should submit to our husbands leadership. I have never really thought of it as *places*, but I really like the way she explains this...it makes it easy for me to remember.

Where Do I Submit?

1) In my Heart--Joyfully!

Joy is the attitude that measures my commitment to submission. Evaluating my joy allows me to determine whether or not I am submitting as "unto the Lord". I am reminded of the saying, "I am sitting down on the outside, but standing up on the inside!" Submitting with joy means we are sitting down on the outside and inside. Joy is an indicator of the depth of our commitment to submission.

2) In My Home--Modeling

Our children are learning to submit to authority by how we submit to our husbands. Children learn their fathers are worthy of respect by the way their mothers treat him, honor him, and submit as wives. Take time to pray and thoughtfully respond, rather than emotionally react to your husband in front of the children.

3) In Public--Respectfully

We can practice submission in public by communicating with respect...not interrupting, not speaking for him, allowing him to respond for the family. We can submit publicly by not ever speaking poorly of him...not criticizing him with your friends, not complaining about his leadership, not contradicting him. And lastly, we can submit publicly by disagreeing privately...resolving conflict at home.

So, as we celebrate Father's Day, let's look at ourselves and see how we can encourage our husbands by submitting to them...if you already do this, then there is always room for improvement! Submitting is not just something we do on a special day, though, it must be a lifestyle...choosing God's ways in our marriage...affirming our husbands and showing how much we love and appreciate them every day! What a wonderful gift!

Update: If you are wondering what that red mark is on Mike's face...this picture was taken a couple of weeks after he passed out on a hike we did...he fell on a rock. It was a very scary day--He's fine now and you can barely see the mark.