Great is thy Father’s Love

When I was younger, I was a Daddy’s little girl. My father was my hero and I knew I was his princess. He could do no wrong and I’m certain he felt the same towards me. He knew all of my imperfections yet his love covered over them all. To him, I was perfect. Still am.

This Father’s Day we celebrate that love a man has for his child- a love that is sacrificial and generous. It’s protective and forgiving. It can be misguided but filled with intention. A father’s love is not perfect because we are not perfect. Thankfully, like my dad’s love made me blameless in his eyes, God’s love not only covers the imperfections of our fathers but fills the voids where our dad’s failed. We have a father above who is perfect and loves us completely, just as we are. So as we celebrate our dads this Father’s Day, let us do so with grace and mercy, compassion and thanksgiving. And to my own father, I say thank you for teaching me what it feels like to be unconditionally loved.

A few of my favorite pictures capturing the love of a dad:

Great photos celebrating the love of our dads

(photo by Kellie Carter)

You know a good dad when you see one (photo source Huffington Post)

An Amish dad and son (photo by Melissa Picone)

Jim Redmond helps son Derek across the finishing line in 1992 Olympics after a hamstring injury

Loved (photo Jason Lee)

(photo by The Blue basket)

a first shave

(link to source)

(photo by Melissa McKolay)

I love my wife

May 22, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

10 ways to Show Respect on Memorial Day

10 Ways to say thank you on Memorial Day

I am naive to think I understand the meaning of the word sacrifice. It means “a giving up of something for something else”. I have often sacrificed my time, my money, and many a desire, but I have never risked my life for your rights or my own? I have never seen death on the battlefield nor the loss of a loved one serving our country, yet I reap the benefits on a daily basis.

Freedom is my norm and I take it for granted. I open my Bible without fear of persecution. I speak my mind with no concern for punishment. I do not fear living my life. No words can express the depth of our gratitude towards those who have risked their life or lost loved ones to protect our own, but I think it is important we try.

Teach your kids how to show respect through these simple ideas (the House of Hendrix)

Here are 10 simple ways children and adults can show respect to those who have sacrificed to protect our freedom:

Use your phone – If you know a veteran or family of a fallen soldier, call them and say thank you. Let them know you appreciate what they have done for you as an individual and for our country.
Tweet! If you use the #wearegrateful hashtag, comments are screened, printed out on postcards, and distributed to troops worldwide.
Fly a flag half-staff until noon. Memorial Day is a national day of mourning. Great way to show the United States of America some respect and pride.
If you know somebody who is actively serving, write them a letter or send an email. Younger children can draw a picture of a flag.
Attend a parade to pay tribute to those who have sacrificed their life. They are our heroes and should be treated as such.
Make patriotic cookies for a service family. Many retirement facilities have large numbers of both veterans and widows living there.
Pray for the families who have lost a child, spouse, or parents protecting our rights. The grieving doesn’t stop. The “National Moment of Remembrance” is at 3:00pm.
If you own a business, give a discount to veterans.
Visit a cemetery or grave of our fallen heroes. Leave flowers or a flag.
If you live near a family of one who is serving, take your kids over and offer to do yard work, repaint a fence, or plant some flowers.
Do something. We so often, don’t know what to do or say, the opportunity passes. Even fumbled words and messed up gifts show the gratitude of our hearts.

Have you endured the ultimate sacrifice of losing a loved one in service? I would love to read your story and honor them in the comment section below.

(picture below) In honor of my brother – and in memory of his friends who have lost their lives defending our country.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

Don't make Memorial Day just another long weekend. Teach your children what and who we are honoring - (the House of Hendrix) For more ideas, check out these Pinterest boards : All things Kids, Intentional Perenting, Celebrations

May 10, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

the Darker Side of Mother’s Day

photo by askinyourface.com

I was halfway through venting to a girlfriend today about my exhausting schedule of Mother’s Day parties for my boys, home-school testing for my daughter, coaching track, and the birth of yet another litter of pet bunnies…when I stopped dead in my tracks. I actually heard myself. My friend, who deeply desires a baby of her own, was nothing but supportive and encouraging to my rants, but I had forgotten. I had forgotten that particular Mother’s Day nine years ago when I woke up feeling hollow because…just days before there had been life in my womb. Even though I had already been blessed with a daughter, it was the loss of this unborn child which defined my holiday.

As mothers were celebrated all around the world, my heart ached in a place that was lonely…longing to hold that baby just once. Mother’s Day felt so…in-my-face. I lost two more babies before being blessed with my sons. That broken place in the depths of my soul never returned to the normalcy I had previously known. I was changed, less naive, and different. You see, there is a piece of me that is forever bruised. It is the tender place from which tears can come without notice…that place that allows me to cry with a woman I don’t know because I understand her longing for a baby of her own.

I looked back into the eyes of my friend and apologized for forgetting the blessing behind my hectic schedule. Her eyes filled with tears and then so did mine. We held each other with that understanding of loss and longing. So today my heart remembers that, although I will be uplifted in celebration on Sunday, there is a darker side to Mother’s Day, one which often gets overlooked, and behind it is a woman who needs a hug.

♥ Allison

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