Happy Father's Day!

-Daddy leading our cow up to be milked.

It is Father's Day once again! In this post, I want to pay homage to my loving dad and then share a few tips for making June 20th an enjoyable holiday.

My Dad-

Being that it is the week before Father’s Day, and that my dad is the best example of a Godly man that I know of, I think it only fair to give a brief description of my dad as I‘ve known him, James B. Riggs.

My dad was the one that taught me to hit my first baseball, throw my first basketball, shoot my first gun, take me on my first hunt, take me on my first camping and canoe trip, and drive my first car and first heavy machinery. He taught me to overcome my fears, a trait that I strongly carry to this day. My dad is slow to anger, objective during a discussion, wise, understanding, sympathetic, an amazingly professional business man, a loyal husband, and a dependable Father. This website would not exist if it wasn't for my dad. Love you, Daddy!

Some Tips for Father’s Day-

Remember, Dad may not need another ink pen, watch, or gift card.  Especially if the “gift” from you comes out of HIS pocket.

>  Think about organizing your dad’s tool shed or keys/junk/money drop area. No, this is not cheap; it’s practical. Many dads are frustrated when the lawnmower won’t crank and the tools are in disarray. What better way for dad to remember your love when he walks in and opens a pristine chest of organized wrenches or opens his used-to-be-junk drawer and finds labeled bins for change, keys, business cards, odd finds, etc?

> “Borrow” the car and return it like new. Most males enjoy a clean vehicle, inside and out. Spend a maximum of $15 and buy wax (for the rims) and rubber luster (for the rubber). Hint: waxing the body of the vehicle is not too important due to the better technologies of cheap wax jobs at the car wash. 

>  Find his to-do list and see if there are any tasks that you can complete.

>  Magazine subscriptions are very good ways to spread $19.99 throughout a whole year! There are hunting, fishing, Consumer Report, and many other morally suitable magazines that your mother or sister can help you find.

>  As uncommunicative homosapiens, we tend to just stick a signature on a prewritten card and tuck it in the gift to our fathers. Even if your dad is not the communicative type either, he can still read. With cards, it truly is the thought that counts. If you hit writer’s block, don’t worry about an introduction. Just write down what you feel on a scrap sheet of paper, see if there are any easy modifications to make, and then copy it down to the official card. Men are wired in a way that they psychologically feel forever criticized, degraded, and unimportant, therefore, build them up in your card. A relationship doesn’t build on what is torn down, so don’t point out his faults. Find what you would miss about him if he wasn’t there and tell him so.

(Luke 12:6-7)

For Those Who Don’t Have Dads-

Studies show that 1 out of 3 children will return to a fatherless home tonight. There are three reasons, possibly more, for a fatherless home: death, divorce, and work related deprivation. Under these three circumstances, Father’s Day can heavily bereave the fatherless. Here are some ways to avoid loneliness on the 20th of June.

>  Pray to “Our Father which art in Heaven”. I believe the subject most taught in modern day Christianity is God’s love for them. However, we tend to perpetually forget this concept. If you will love the Lord and keep His commandments, you will be loved of God (John 14: 21- 23). He is always there for you, and cares for you. Luke 12:6-7 says, “Are not five sparrows bought for two farthings, and yet not one of them is forgotten before God? Yeah, and all the hairs of your head are numbered: fear not therefore: ye are more of value than many sparrows.”

>Your family will most likely be grieving along with you over the loss or lack of a father. Do not try to replace your father, but do try to take on a few fathering attributes such as consoling your family, helping with more than your share of the work and chores, and being a role model and older playmate for the youngest siblings.

>  If there is a man that has positively affected your life, whether presently or in the past, be sure to let him know. As hard as it may be, at least send him a card and thank him for being the closest substitute. Other people to look to as substitutions or role models are grandfathers, godfathers, uncles, or church elders. Remember that most biological and faith-based relations would find it an honor to help during tough times, such as Father's Day.  All you have to do is ask.

Father's Day History-
I looked up the history of Father’s Day.  The story behind this great holiday was so intriguing that I had to share it.

Father's Day is a celebration inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting. It is also celebrated to honor and commemorate our forefathers. Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving, special dinners to fathers, and family-oriented activities.

The first observance of Father's Day is believed to have been held on June 13, 1910 through the efforts of Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington. After listening to a church sermon at Spokane's Central Methodist Episcopal Church in 1909 about the newly recognized Mother's Day, Dodd felt strongly that fatherhood needed recognition, as well. She wanted a celebration that honored fathers like her own father, William Smart, a Civil War veteran who was left to raise his family alone when his wife died giving birth to their sixth child.

A bill to accord national recognition of the holiday was introduced in Congress in 1913. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson went to Spokane to speak in a Father's Day celebration and wanted to make it official, but Congress resisted, fearing that it would become commercialized. US President Calvin Coolidge recommended in 1924 that the day be observed by the nation, but stopped short of issuing a national proclamation. Two earlier attempts to formally recognize the holiday had been defeated by Congress. In 1957, Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote a proposal accusing Congress of ignoring fathers for 40 years while honoring mothers, thus "[singling] out just one of our two parents" In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Six years later, the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972.

In addition to Father's Day, International Men's Day is celebrated in many countries on November 19 for men and boys who are not fathers. - Wikipedia

Have an enjoyable Father's Day, everyone!