My dad died over a year ago now. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was talking to him about all the construction issues of his new house in Arkansas. His engineering mind loved processing all the details about the building process, and one of our last in-depth conversations was about the details of his fencing. He died on January 11, 2007, and he never got to know that we were going to have Arden. Somehow, I still feel that he looks down from heaven and smiles. Small things are what make me sad: not being able to call him, knowing he will never hold his granddaughter, missing his laugh, not being able to talk to him about the classes I'm teaching. It is difficult to lose a parent, and I never thought I would lose mine in my 30's. I wish we could have had more time. Dad was a great example of how to follow God with all your heart. His death has inspired me to make each day count. I want to follow God with the reckless abandon that my dad did. His faith took him on the mission field and to many situations where there was no money or safety. That is scary, yet Dad had the privilege of knowing the true communion of a faith in God that doesn't rely on safety nets. He completely trusted his Lord as his best friend. That is the best example of faith a father can leave as his legacy.
