Tag Archives: Father

Father’s Day 2023

18 Jun

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Re-post I would like to re-post this from 2017 – It’s still relevant today

Another Father’s Day dawns this morning.  As someone recently said, it’s such a pity that in today’s world of TV and comedy, fathers are portrayed as clueless and laughable.  How are our boys and young men going to grow up to be the strong men of God that we want them to be, when that is their example?  I am so glad that my father, my brother, and my husband grew up in times when men were, indeed, strong men of God, and spiritual leaders in their household.

And how are our girls and young women going to grow up, thinking that all the boys/men in their lives are luckless creatures – only to be tolerated?  In watching the TV programs that are out there now – unfortunately including some of the current Disney programs – adults in general, and men in particular –  are portrayed as stupid and ignorant, while their teenagers – and younger – are the “smart” ones.  It just ain’t so, folks!

And since that was a rather depressing way to begin this post, let me get back to the men in my life who were strong believers in God and Jesus Christ, and were able to be strong, safe, places for me.

Let me tell you about my own father.

Mother, Father, Bill and me – 1952

I’ve written other posts about my father (June 16, 2013; June 15, 2014; September 28, 2014) and the influence he had in my life.  He was gone quite a bit – traveling around the state – but I always knew he loved me, and I looked up to him.

Daddy getting ready for one of his trips – 1959

He was, indeed, the spiritual leader in our household.   He always took us to church with him, and our family life revolved around church and our belief in God.

Daddy, me, Mother, Bill – 1956

Fred’s father – a second father to me after Fred and I married – was dedicated to God and His work in this world.

Charles Wills – Chaplain – 1951

Charles Wills – Base Chaplain, Tyndall AFB, FL – 1951-1955

He was a pastor for a while, but then most of his life was doing God’s work as a military chaplain.  And yet, with all that work, he was devoted to his family.  He, too, was the spiritual leader in his family.

Charles and Kitty Wills – 1950’s

Fred and I both look back on our lives, and are so grateful that each of our fathers-in-law treated us like their son or daughter.  I never felt out of place in Fred’s family, and Fred has said so many times that my father enjoyed him as if he were another son of his.  We were so blest to have that in our lives.

And because of that, Fred grew up in a household that showered him with love – family love and God’s love.  He grew to be a self-assured man that I am proud to call my husband.  He taught our girls what a true man – a gentleman – is like, and what they should expect from their spouses.

Fred, me, Karen and Janet – 1976

And my brother, Bill, grew up in a household that taught him how to be a true man of God, as well.  He gave his children God’s word, and the strength to be what God wants them to be. 

Bill, DiVoran, Billy, Charlene – 1985

Both of our girls have married men who are strong personalities, and are dedicated to the Lord.  We pray for each member of their families, as they begin to have families of their own.

Brian,Savannah, Forrest, and Karen

On our 50th wedding anniversary cruise to Bermuda May 2011

Hannah, Janet, Tom and Connor – October 2022

There is a scripture that helps with this:

Start children off on the way they should go,

and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6 

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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Susie’s Daddy

29 Jul

My Take

DiVoran LItes

Author, Poet and Artist

Earl plays the guitar for our praise team. He’s one of those who can play many instruments and play them without notes on paper.

Earl is a big man, younger than my son, older than my grandson.  I hold his hand in our prayer circle after practice. His hand is gentle, patient, and strong.

His little girl, Susie, is in my Sunday School class. She’s about to be seven as she puts it.

One day she brought a plush horse to Sunday School and I noticed he had construction paper wings. They were designed and cut and adhered to the horse with tape that stayed on through all Susie’s loving. “Who made your horse’s wings?” I said.

“My daddy,” she said. Later I learned that almost all her critters have wings daddy has made for them. One Sunday she told me about a small worry, and I suggested she tell her Mommy about it. AND my Daddy says Susie adamantly.

After practice on Father’s Day it came to me to compliment Earl on his fathering skills. Everyone likes to be encouraged in this way.

As we left the platform I said I had something I wanted to tell him. A look of fear came into his eyes and I realized that he had perhaps in the past been told a lot of things he didn’t want to hear, but he was brave, he didn’t bolt.

“Susie really loves you, I said. You are a good father.”

“She’s my baby,” he said, still wary.

I told him about the wings and how impressed I was with the way Susie loves him and trusts him.

“Just doing what comes naturally,” said Earl.

I told him I understood that, but that few daddy’s of my acquaintance gave their little daughters the kind of TLC he does.

“Oh, I didn’t know….” His face began to crumple.

In order to escape his embarrassment if he started to cry I started to move discretely away, but he kept pace with me. “Thank you for telling me that,” he said. “You can’t know what it means to me.”

I told him I did understand what he meant. Regular people so rarely see our own excellent qualities.

My grandmother Maire would approve of my telling him how I felt.. She always taught that if you saw something good about someone they deserved a compliment.

Pastor Peter Lord would approve too. His number one message these days is Eulogy:.tell people good things about themselves while they are alive. Don’t wait until you go to their funerals.

Most people need encouragement for the good things they are and do. To coin a phrase a quart of praise is worth more than a gallon of criticism. It’s one gift that makes both the giver and the receiver as happy as can be.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. I Thessalonians 5:11

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