Happy Birthday Papa!

My Dad

Lowell Frederick Kline

July 16th, 1939

(yep, now you know how young he is!)

"Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you."

Deuteronomy 5:16

The Bible is very clear about how children are to honor, respect and obey their fathers.  I can be totally honest (many of you may not believe this) but I have not always honored, respected or obeyed my father.  I do not plan to have "prolonged" days on this earth because of my disobedience and disrespect toward my parents.  But praise the Lord for His hand upon my life.  It was the summer before my senior year of high school that my dad decided to follow a life-time dream of moving to Colorado and take a job in Colorado Springs.  It was because of that life-changing decision that my dad had us move across the country and God pulled me from the pit and place me in His palm.  I will never forget the brief time dad and I shared in Colorado before my mom was able to join us.  It was our first weekend in Colorado that dad told me to get the phone book and find a good church!  That was just the beginning of my journey with Jesus.  Thanks dad for keeping your priorities straight and getting us settled into a church family.  I think I picked a good one...Mountainview Brethren in Christ...my parents still keep in touch with several of the friends we met in that short year.  My life was forever changed because of that move...thanks dad for following your heart and allowing God to save mine.

It has taken me many years of learning the great privilege of honoring, respecting and obeying parents.  I pray that the years since 1982 have reflected growth in these three characteristics.  It was through friends in Colorado that I heard about a small Christian college in Dayton, Tennessee...Bryan College...where I eventually met the man of my dreams, Tom Anglea.  The rest is history, however I always wonder how life would have turned out if my dad had not followed his dream to Colorado...but then again I really don't want to know!

"As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
 For He Himself knows our frame;

He is mindful that we are but dust."

Psalm 103:12-14

I am so thankful to my dad for his love for his family and the priorities he has made keeping God first in his and his family's life.  Our family will take (Lord willing) our annual family vacation to Norris Lake, Tennessee in August.  It will be a new experience with Tom now in a wheelchair.  We are going to a different vacation home this year after many years at the same place.  We are looking forward to all being together and celebrating LIFE together with Christ at the center.  Please begin to pray for all of us as we plan and prepare for this trip that takes on a new look from a year ago.

I (we) love you dad!

Praying your day is as special as you are to me!

and Tom too!