FATHER’S DAY IS FAST APPROACHING

Are you  ready?

The best way I know to turn a house into a happy home is to honor and respect the father/father’s who live, love and visit there.

I refuse to let Father’s Day be a downer for me because my own Father is no longer with us.  I know he is having a great time in heaven and he would not want me to be sad.  

Instead I choose to make it a day to remember and honor all the wonderful ways that he was a good father to me.  Thanks again Dad!  I hope I told you in a million ways while you were alive.

Also; there are also a whole wonderful bunch of loving family members and friends left here who are living all around me that need to celebrate the great God-given position of fatherhood.  

Our family has been blessed with many awesome fathers.  

I’ve cherished the honor of being a small part of helping my husband to be a good father; and I’ve adored the honor of watching my son-in-laws step into the happy place of becoming loving fathers too.

 

Father’s day is a good day for counting all of your blessings; both past, present and future.  What a wonderful way to officially begin the summer festivities,

So; let’s all have a wonderful Father’s Day celebration this year!

It is time to decorate the house in an honorable and festive way.

I want our house to have some elements of surprise, however;  I’m not changing too much of the color scheme that we used for Memorial Day and Pentecost.

The red,white and blue will be great through Father’s Day.    As a matter of fact; I’m leaving that color scheme in place until after Independence Day.

America’s colors are so flexible!

They blend with so many of our seasons. I love the bright cheerful look they present; so I’m going to plan my Father’s Day festivities around these patriotic colors.

Still – we need SOME changes; just a few little elements of surprise here and there.

Speaking of little surprises; I love Henri Nouwen’s way of welcoming a day into our lives.  He says:

“Each day holds a surprise, but only if we expect it can we see, hear, or feel it when it comes to us.  Let’s not be afraid to receive each day’s surprise, whether it comes to us as sorrow or as joy, it will open a new place in our hearts, a place where we can welcome new friends and celebrate more fully our shared humanity.“

Celebrating Father’s Day is certainly a way of bringing this type of celebration into our lives.  

Father’s Day is always a great time for remembering the good times we’ve had with our Fathers in the past; and a perfect time for beginning to look forward to and be thankful for the good things that are still ahead with the youngest generations who are quickly taking their place in the busy and bustling world.

The first element of surprise for Father’s Day will start at the entry door. The red, white and blue banner that says “Welcome to our home” will greet all the Dad’s who enter for our celebration.

I’ve gathered some red, white and blue photo frames for pics of our grand children to put on the couch table in the entry.

I’ve found a cute little red, white and blue fireplace screen that is made up of little row-house bird houses. It gives the fireplace area more of a cheerful summer look.

USING THE FAMILY TREE TO CELEBRATE AND HONOR OUR FATHERS

To give the decorating theme that little element of surprise; I’ll add some navy blue stars to the family tree in my kitchen window. On those stars will be some candid black and white photos of all of the Dad’s in our family.

I did this same  sort of project (in a different and appropriate way) for Mother’s Day,  and it was a great hit!  I hope all of the family’s fathers love it as well.

I’m sure the guys won’t be expecting their version of the family tree for Father’s Day, and it will be a novel conversational center in the room when we gather.

Everyone will love looking over the memories of all of our family’s Father’s in action.   This is sure to spark some interesting conversations, plus this little extra effort will truly surprise them.

I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.

 

For the dining room area I’m going to continue this festive approach and drape a string of red, white and blue wooden stars in the window between the open draperies.

The table will carry on the patriotic look with its array of red, white and blue dishes and place-mats and napkins; and I’ll also add a little country flair to this occasion with a row of mason jars filled with  short little stems of pretty navy blue and/or red carnations at the center of the table.  This will make things feel a little less formal and produce more of a jazzed-up-casual type of atmosphere that I think our Father’s will enjoy.

I’ll set out the old, well-used red, white and blue picnic basket with it’s starred napkins for a focus accent in the dining room.The kitchen table has it’s larger flags inside a tall narrow glass jar which has a place for a chalkboard message. I’ll write Happy Father’s Day on the chalk board message section and just let the flags bring the color to this location.

To accent the family tree whenever I get it filled with pics of our family’s Dads I’ll put two more rows of small mason jars filled with small flags on each side.I’ll keep my large red wing-backed chairs out in the corners of my kitchen just a while longer.  They will be flanked with pretty navy blue pillows that contain white stars.

The chairs accent each side of the table holding the family tree.I think some of our time together may be spent outside on the deck; even though our deck is still being remodeled.   Since that is the case I think I’ll flank the tables on the deck with bright red table cloths and add some mason jars and flags here and there along with some bright, pretty red, white and blue hanging baskets strategically located in different places along the deck.Things are really beginning to look festive and I think it is all shaping up for a lovely Father’s Day celebration.

ELIMINATE ALL THE STRESS FACTORS AHEAD OF TIME

Father’s day is another of those stressful scheduling times.

I try to eliminate the stress factor for everyone  by not even having a schedule. We will be home all day for whoever wants to wonder over.   The door will be open.  There will be food and festivity for whoever can join us. No pressure.

 

It could be a full house or an empty house; and I never know, so I just don’t worry and am thankful for whatever God brings our way.   I try to keep our home schedules simple and “off-the-cuff.”  

The world gives us enough schedules!  I’m not dealing with that in our celebrations and down time, nor am I harassing or rushing anyone else.   I simply prepare whatever I’ve planned for whoever shows up whenever; and have low expectations on keeping a firm schedule. Whatever unfolds; unfolds as it does.

The blessings God sends our way are always good and NEVER boring!

This is all the more reason for having the house festive and the food in order. You never know when someone could decide to drop in. We can be ready to celebrate with either just a few or a crowd at the drop of a hat.

This year I’m planning an  easy-to-prepare Father’s Day menu.  I’ll try to post it with this series of Father’s Day articles soon.

The finishing touch to all the patriotic and traditional decorating is simply knowing the truth of that one little trick that utilizes the words of Max Eastman:

“A smile is the universal welcome!”

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Don’t forget to purchase THE GOSPEL HIDDEN IN GENESIS – BOOK ONE OF TWO and THE GOSPEL HIDDEN IN GENESIS – BOOK TWO OF TWO for your reading library for June. These books make great Father’s Day Gifts! You can find them at Amazon.com. Each book will be listed in their “books” section under the proper title.