[Faith-talk] FW: [thefamilyoffaith] A Daddy who loves me - Girlfriends in God - March 7

Mon Mar 7 17:27:27 UTC 2011

People, I can relate to this.  I lost my dad, Peter Calhoun, Jr., in 1994,
at the age of 59.  I could have been close to him, but drugs (drugas) was
his god.  He cared very little about his kids.

Original Message: 
From: "TONY_at_FloridaHealth" <FloridaHealth21 at verizon.net>
To: <thefamilyoffaith at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [thefamilyoffaith] A Daddy who loves me - Girlfriends in God -
March 7
Date: 
Mon, 07 Mar 2011 08:26:56 -0500

           March 7, 2011
                                I Want a Daddy Who Loves Me
                                Sharon Jaynes

                                Today's Truth
                                "I will be a Father to you, and you will
be my sons and daughters" (2 Corinthians 6:18 NIV).

                                Friend to Friend
                                When I was a little girl, my father spent
most of his waking hours working at his building supply company, observing
construction sites, or socializing with his colleagues and associates. Even
though his place of business was only a few blocks from our home, his heart
was miles away in a place I could never find.  

                                My father didn't drink alcohol every day,
but when he did, it consumed him. Dad was filled with a rage that always
seemed to be boiling just beneath the surface of his tough exterior. When
he drank, that rage spewed out like hot lava onto those around him.  

                                As a child, many nights I crawled into
bed, pulled the covers tightly under my chin or even over my head, and
prayed that I would quickly fall asleep to shut out the noise of my parents
yelling and fighting. Crashing furniture, smashing glass, and fist upon
flesh were common sounds that pierced my little girl nights. Occasionally
I'd tiptoe over to my pink ballerina jewelry box, wind up the key in the
back, open the lid, and try to focus on the tinkling melody that came from
the music box as the dancer twirled with hands overhead.  I wanted to be
wherever she was...anywhere but home.

                                 I was afraid of my father. Even when he
was sober, I kept my distance. At the same time, I observed how other
daddies cherished their little girls. I saw daddies snuggle their daughters
in their laps, hold their hands while walking in the park, or kiss their
cheeks as they dropped them off at school in the mornings. Deep in my
heart, a dream was birthed.  I dreamed that one day, I would have a daddy
who loved me like that - not because I was pretty, or made good grades, or
could play the piano well, but just because I was his. I dreamed that one
day I would be a cherished daughter and the apple of my daddy's eye.

                                In talking to women all across the
country, I have seen eyes fill with tears when I talk about the dream of
having a daddy who loves me.  But the tears are not for me; they reveal the
longing in their own hearts.  Butterfly Kisses, a song by Bob Carlisle,
climbed the charts in 2000, receiving international recognition in both the
Christian and secular music industries. The song was about the tender love
between a father and his daughter, starting from her birth to her wedding
day. Mr. Carlisle said, "I get a lot of mail from young girls who try to
get me to marry their moms.  That used to be a real chuckle because it's so
cute, but then I realized they didn't want romance for mom.  They want the
father that is in that song, and that just kills me."

                                What did the little girls long for? They
wanted a daddy to scoop them up in his strong arms.  They wanted to plant
butterfly kisses on his scruffy face. They wanted to see tears in his eyes
when he walked them down the aisle on their wedding day. Little girls and
grown women alike long for a father to protect them, help them, guide them,
nurture them, and cheer them on through the struggles of life.

                                In the Old Testament, God has many names.
 He is Elohim - the Creator, El Elyon - God Most High, El Roi - the God who
sees, El Shaddai - the All-Sufficient One, Adonai - the Lord, Jehovah - the
Self-Existent One, Jehovah-Jireh -the Lord Will Provide, Jehovah - Rapha -
the Lord who heals, Jehovah-Shalom - the Lord is peace, Jehovah-Raah - the
Lord my Shepherd, and many more.  

                                In the New Testament, Jesus introduced a
new name for God - Father. In the Gospel of John alone, God is referred to
as Father at least 120 times. It is the name that Jesus referred to more
than any other and the name that He invites us to use to address the
Creator of the Universe. Just stop and think about that for a moment. The
God of the universe who created the heavens and the earth, who always has
been and always will be, who is all-knowing, all powerful, and present
everywhere at once - that same God invites you to call Him Abba Father. He
invites you to call Him Daddy!

                                When the disciples asked Jesus to teach
them how to pray, He said:

                                "But when you pray, go into your room,
close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.  Then your Father,
who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  And when you pray, do
not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because
of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you
need before you ask him.  This, then, is how you should pray:

                                'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your
name....'" (Matthews 6:6-9 italics added).

                                Let's Pray
                                Our Father who art in heaven, Hollowed by
Thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done, on earth as it is in
heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts as we
also have forgiven our debtors.  And do not lead us into temptation, but
deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the
glory, forever.  Amen

                                Now It's Your Turn
                                I believe that God gives us Butterfly
Kisses all through the day.  Today, look for ways that God is sending you
little blessings.  Don't miss it!  It could be in a sunrise, a redbird on
the backdrop of a gray sky, or a gentle breeze that whispers "I love you."

                                At the end of the day, visit my Facebook
page and share how you sensed your Father's presence today.

                                More From the Girlfriends
                                Today's devotion was taken from Sharon's
new book, 5 Dreams of Every Woman and How God Wants to Fulfill Them(a new
revised version of her previous book, Dreams of a Woman). Can you risk the
hope that God still has dreams for your life? That He hasn't forgotten you?
 Place your hand firmly in His-take a deep breath and begin the exciting
journey to a place you thought you'd never find: the dream God planned for
you all along. Let's dare to dream again!

                                Seeking God?
                                Click here to find out more about
                                how to have a personal relationship with
Jesus Christ.

                                Girlfriends in God
                                P.O. Box 725
                                Matthews, NC 28106

                                info at girlfriendsingod.com
                                            www.girlfriendsingod.com

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