During the revolutionary war, our founding fathers were a diverse group of brave men who banded together in their quest for freedom. In 1776, Thomas Jefferson crafted these famous and profoundly eloquent words;

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”, in the Declaration of Independence.

We give thanks to our founding fathers for their courage and sacrifice in birthing one great “nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”

Personally, I never had the privilege of meeting either of my grandfather’s, yet I cherish their memory through stories and images shared by my parents. It is the blood of our grandfathers that courses through our veins. Through work of their hands and the sweat of their brow they realized a dream for a better life. Their gift to us is a legacy of love. We may never fully realize their impact on our lives; for the known and unknown parts of ourselves, we give thanks to our grandfathers.

For Pop 6-2014A father’s love for his child is such a powerful force that carries us through life like the wind on a  sail.

The longer we live,

The more your presence

We find, laid down,

Weave upon weave

Within our lives

 

The quiet constancy of your gentleness

Drew no attention to itself,

Yet filled our homes

With a climate of kindness

Where each mind felt free

To seek its own direction.

                                                                                                    – John O’Donohue

 

  Our heavenly Father’s love for us is boundless. He is never far, for He is the breath of life.

“Our longing for the eternal kindles our imagination to bless. Regardless of how we configure the eternal, the human heart continues to dream of a state of wholeness, that place where everything comes together, where loss will be made good, where blindness will transform into vision, where damage will be made whole, where the clenched question will open the house of surprise, where the travails of life’s journey will enjoy a homecoming. To invoke a blessing is to call some of that wholeness upon a person now.” – John O’Donohue

 This Father’s Day may you be blessed with a knowing of the Great Love that abides in you and may your way be lightened by Beauty. 

Happy Father's Day!

~liz Sorensen Wessel

Mandala. in loving remembrance of Helen and Wes, by ~liz

4 responses to “Days 167-168 With Gratitude, On Father’s Day”

  1. sbeng Avatar
    sbeng

    Thank you Liz for this thoughtful and appreciative reflection, beautiful Mandala and quote from John O’Donohue. We appreciate out earthly father how much more for our Heavenly Father who sacrificed His only begotten Son that we might be redeemed. The Father’s Delight-“All His joy, His rest, His pleasure All His deep delight in Thee-Lord,Thy heart alone can measure What Thy Father found in Thee” Happy Father’s Erie and all the Fathers reading and participating in this Journal.

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  2. Woody Wessel Avatar
    Woody Wessel

    Very nice Liz.

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  3. Cheri Cancelliere Avatar

    This is wonderful! Thank you, Liz, for always speaking and writing words of blessing.

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  4. erie chapman Avatar
    erie chapman

    Thank you for this Father’s Day recognition and reflection, Liz, and for your observation about our Heavenly Father and your sacred and beautiful mandala.

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