I have never said anything negative about my Mom or my Dad. I have told funny stories about them, but never in a way that dishonored them. The command to honor our Father and our Mother is repeated in the Bible eight times, and it is one of those emphatic commands with many rewards for obeying and severe consequences for disobeying. I tell many stories about my parents, especially my Dad, in my sermons and lessons. At the end of a leadership class I was teaching, one of the guys in the class came up to me and said,” I wish I could have met your Dad; he seems almost superhuman from your stories.” The comment was a bit of a shock to me because, despite my stories, my Dad was a pretty ordinary person. He was an introvert; he didn’t enjoy being around many people, he was shy, wouldn’t talk in front of people, was small in stature, didn’t like being honored or singled out in a group, wasn’t a natural leader, didn’t play any sports, and only made it through the sixth grade in school. I know that the stories about my Dad’s wisdom, accomplishments, and influence on my life have grown over the years of my telling them, and my Dad has become almost superhuman in my stories because he is that in my memories. I am sure that a significant reason for that and why I tell so many positive stories about him is because I know that my Dad’s influence is much of who I am today in character. The older I get, the more I realize that and the more I want to honor him. I get much joy from telling a story about my Dad that makes him appear more significant than John Wayne. I hear of many families where the kids and parents aren’t speaking to each other. Many critical statements are made by parents about their kids and kids about their parents. I feel so blessed to have such a positive and godly heritage and that we have such a good relationship with our kids. This last week, we have been with our daughter Hanna, her husband, and three kids in Palm Springs, and it has been such a blessed time. Thank You, Lord, for my Mom, Dad, and our family. I am a very blessed man.