Fathers.

Last night my husband made me tear up as he just laid his head on my belly, kissed it, leaned his head back on it, and just rested there.  It moved me so deeply.  In fact, tears are in my eyes as I write this.

Our child will have the most amazing father. I know I am biased, but my husband is the most solid man I have ever met and one who lives by God's word and loves through it as well (which makes me insanely blessed...).  

The topic of the "fatherless" has been huge on my heart for awhile now.  Partly due to the wee one on the way and partly because I meet with/or know quite a few girls who are fatherless either from abuse/death/neglect/divorce/etc and just talking to them makes me realize the weight of the call to be a father.  Children desperately need their dads.  Just for proof, here are a few statistics regarding the fatherless:

· 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. (Source: U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census).
· 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.
· 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes.
(Source: Center for Disease Control).
· 80% of rapist motivated by displaced anger come from fatherless homes. (Source:
Criminal Justice and Behavior, Vol. 14, pp. 403-26).
· 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. (Source: National Principals Assoc. Report on the State of High Schools).
· 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home. (Source: Fulton County Georgia jail populations, Texas Dept. Of Corrections, 1992).
These statistics translate to mean that children from fatherless homes are:
· 5 times more likely to commit suicide
· 32 times more likely to run away
· 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders
· 14 times more likely to commit rape
· 9 times more likely to drop out of high school
· 20 times more likely to end up in prison

I went and saw the movie "Courageous" two weeks ago with my sis, my little sis (through big bros/sis) and her sister.  I was so moved by this group of men who made a vow to be men, different from the world, and to step up and love their wives and children as Christ loves us.

It has made me pray for men, for fathers, for men who will be fathers, for those without fathers, for hope for those who lost their dads (in one of many ways) and who were able to step past that and know God's love and the Father he is.  

My dad is a beautiful example of this having grown up in a home with a less than great father who passed away when he was 14 (and sadly there were few who were sad about this).  My father stepped past that and because of God's love he honestly became the most loving, gentle, tender, man my sister and I could have ever asked for as a father (just watch sometime how little kids run up to him without even knowing him!).    

I hope this encourages all of you to pray for men and for those who are fathers.  Also to pray for those who have been damaged by the "fatherless" state of our nation. 

xoxo, Anna N