Being Dad....

Many of you saw on my Facebook post last night that Abbey my 12 year old got asked on a date. Very simple deal, the boy just wanted a simple date to grab a bite to eat. Being the youngest of four boys this girl thing is all new to me. I have to admit when she told me I really didn't know what to say or handle it very well. My first answer to her is, well these are the things you need to talk with your mom about. Wrong answer, now is the time she needs her dad and father figure more than ever and if I fade into the background on these deals the distance will grow between us. God really worked on me last night about this. He woke me up at 1230 am with a clear message that like him you always have to walking by her side, sometimes to answer questions but most times to just be there. She told the boy no, she said I don't want to date yet, and she felt sad for him, theres a girl with a heart. Jodi and I started a long time ago speaking to her and praying for these exact situations. Though I didn't handle it right yesterday, Abbey and I had a great talk about it this morning and I let her know what god had said and that I was there for her not matter what. I appreciate her honesty and willingness to share her experiences, I missed that yesterday in my own selfishness and fear of a unknown situation. I am proud of her and she is on a solid foundation!!! It also has become very clear to me that this path I'm on is not just about me, it is about those moments that my family and friends need me and the time I will have to be there instead of being consumed by work and stress. As our time draws near to a close in California I know that we made a good choice to be here, not for the job but for what it has taught all of us. It's the girls last day of school today, its the end of another chapter, I am so pround of how well they adjusted to picking up and moving in the middle of the year in 2010 from a place that was their home and that they were extremely comfortable in, to watch them exceed and grow as students but most of all into fine young ladies. I am truly blessed!!!