I would like to take this time to recognize the greatest man I've ever had the pleasure to meet or know. My Dad, who turned 75 years old yesterday. He has Parkinson's disease and this will likely be his last birthday celebration.



He has been a Pastor for the majority of his adult life, 54 years in total and married to my Mom for 52 of those years. He has been all over the world and is responsible for hundreds of missionaries and Pastors going into ministry including myself, over the last 5 decades. He has held the highest merit of integrity and character of any man I've ever heard of or met in my life. He has always been there for me in my life, from the time he told me to jump into a pool for my first swimming lesson until today, I have always trusted him and his word.



He taught many things in life none more important than being honest with people and we live to help others.



I could list all his accomplishments but there is not enough room here..I just wanted to say this. I love my Dad, he is my hero and I do not know how I will ever live without his guidance and friendship, but I trust that I will always hold his standards as my compass and his words as my beaming light towards my future.



He can barely talk to me now, some of you know where I am today and what I am talking about, and I just miss him being able to tell me things. Even the simplest things like, who is winning in college football or do you wanna go to lunch. Parkinson's has been cruel to him the last couple of years, but when I looked into those eyes yesterday at least I knew he is still here for now and the memories will never leave me.



I love you Dad, you are the greatest.

Good use of this post!

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Excellent use of 20,000

Nice Homage.
 

Great post NG.

I'll keep you guys in my prayers.

I hold my dad in the same light. He had a stroke three years ago, and has been in a home, unable to speak. He tries to communicate, but it's very difficult and he can't form words.
I do miss his voice dearly, it was always a calming force no matter how severe the storm. I have learned to trust God more for that role in the time that has passed, though, and knowing my dad, he would probably say that his suffering was worth my spiritual growth. I'm sure that sounds like something your dad would say to you as well. Like your dad, mine was a preacher as well. He started back in 1985, late in life, though he knew the calling was there all along. ( There is a funny story regarding his decision to preach, and the "signs" from God )


Just keep taking care of him the best you can, and keep praying.

God Bless you and your family.

Make the best of the time you two have left together.


If you can make him smile every day you are winning.

 

Great post!
Prayers for your dad.

Nicely donbeer

Good use of post  20000.  Wish I could say the same if it were my dad.

Thanks guys for the kind words and prayers..I am in that "zone" now of watching and waiting for the day. But just to see that smile and watch those eyes dart around lets me know exactly what he is trying to say. He speaks without words to me if that makes sense.

Great Dad, good Son!

Cheers!

The toughest part is to know he has so much he wants to say, he gets frustrated but then I just speak out what he is thinking, then he nods yes or no.



He has such a great sense of humor..I asked him does he know old he is yesterday, he said yes I'm 48 years old but I feel like 102! Classis Dad..he always takes a moment to make you laugh.



Yesterday was probably the toughest day I have had the last 2 years, the reality began to sit in..I have been pretty much the primary care giver, all the doctor's visits all the midnight trips to the ER. I have enjoyed every last minute of it. One night it was 2 o'clock in the morning and he had fallen going to the bathroom, I hurried over and beat the ambulance, picked him up and put him the car..then hauled a$$ to the ER, one the way he said, "you'd better slow down or your gonna be taking a corpse to emergency room!" We both laughed and it was one of those times that I will never forget.

It makes perfect sense.

Here's one for the Deej to remember for me..Dad had gone to China in the mid 80's on a missions trip, one of the small villages he went in he had sat down to eat with the Pastor and his staff...they brought him out some vegetables, rice, other plates of full of gravy and whatnot and a small cooked animal and my dad asked them was this a dog through the interruptor and the Pastor smiled and said yes. My Dad is a country boy, former cotton picker from South Alabama, who picked cotton from the time he was 6 years old till he graduated high school. He has shot, caught and trapped everything in lower Alabama and ate it. He was'nt about to back off a little dog..Dad ripped into the the small canine and just smiled and said "Delicious!"..well the Pastor started laughing and said they have prepared chicken and beef for him...the small dog was for his wife who loved to eat dogs.



My Dad, not missing a beat said, I always wanted to eat a dog because I've had so many that I wanted to kill over the years, I just did'nt want to waste the meat..now I get to eat a wonderful dog in China and did'nt have to kill it!



Thats my Dad!

This, and thank you for sharing.

Most excellent use sir.  I too look to my father and when the time comes I will be at a loss

I feel for you. My grandfather is 86 and has been suffering from Parkinson's for 20 years. His health has declined sharply in the past 5 years, and I miss the conversations we had. Just remember that your dad feels the same way you do and probably wouldn't change his time with you for anything. He'll be in a better place without the burden of illness when merciful God knows he can't bear it anymore. I'll keep you and yours in my prayers.

Yes indeed..thank you. He was man that prayed sometimes all through the night and it always, always about someone else or some place else. Dad was a man of Faith and a man who believed God's word was true and he acted upon that. He was in Russia doing crusades in the early 90's after the wall came down and the Mayor of town brought his 7yr, old daughter to the meeting and asked Dad to pray for her, she had agressive leukemia and was about to die..he prayed and told the Mayor that Jesus is the healer and all he can do is pray.



Well, I have been doing youth meetings at schools and soccer stadiums with our band for young people and we were in a different area but followed his trek through the various cities in the Ukraine..we were behind him by about 3 days. We got to Omsk and it was cold like nothing I've ever been in, we were having the meetings and a group of people rushed the stage speaking in a emergency tone for me to come to the back of the auditorium for they had a girl that had been healed of Leukemia a few days earlier when my Dad was there..I got to the back they put me in a car and took me to the hospital. Yup, the girl had no signs of the leukemia and the doctors were still running x-rays and test to see what happened. I had chills go up my spine. This was a miracle and I got to be here to see it..the little girl was smiling and I went over and said Slava bogu..and she said da, slava bogu..which means Glory to God or Praise God..one of the two.



I had never seen a miracle up to that point in time..I've heard about them but not seen one. I told my Dad about the whole incident and he said, "Yes, thats the kind of God we serve".

Awesome 20K post.



Tell your dad happy B-day from me.

My dad's is coming up here in a couple of weeks.

Ok, I'm bawling. Wonderful story!

Another Dad story..as some of you may I got involved with the Marco Rubio campaign and was able to do the opening prayer or benediction at a few events for him. Even ate lunch with him twice and got the invitation to his inauguration in D.C....well, I get the pictures back and I am excited to show my Dad..well, he looks at them and says, "He just Senator you know, I shook hands with Reagan and Bush and also the potato boy, whats his name? I said Dan Quayle, "Well son, maybe on day you'll meet the Pope or Queen Elizabeth and that'll be a bigger deal than what I did!" and just laughed his butt off..then told me how proud he was, he has those pictures on his walls at the nursing home, right next to all his grandchildren. My Dad is an amazing man.

Thats a great story, sounds like you were blessed to be born to a wonderful man. Hopefully you can continue to have special moments until his last day.

He is amazing...I just hope everyone tells their Dad that they love him, you never know what tomorrow holds.

Best 20K post ever.  Sorry for your Dad, but I am glad he spent his time on Earth doing so much good.

May the Lord continue to bless you and your dad.