Kimchi, not for me: Bethany's Tribute to her Dad

This is what Bethany read at her Dad's funeral this past Saturday in Tallahassee. (Read with kleenex!)

My Daddy

I wasn't going to share today, I had decided not to, but I changed my mind.

I just wanted to talk a little bit about some of the things my father loved. I think obviously the most important thing to him was his relationship with God. As you can see from some of the testimonites that have already been shared, God was number one i his life, and he lived his life to serve Him. And then after that, My father loved family, and his wife.

You know you’ve never met two more different people then my mother and father! I don’t know how they ended up together... well actually I do, my mom asked him to marry her, because my dad was too shy to ever ask her. That was how it happened. But anyways, two very different people,who were very much in love. My mom would be the first to say they didn’t have a perfect marriage. They had trials and tribulations, like everyone else, which is why I think he was so good at what he did, because he had been there, in those shoes. He knew what it was like. But my parent’s never gave up, and they beat the odds triumphantly and had 30 years of marriage.

My dad loved his children. We called him Adventure Man, because he was ALWAYS trying to find new ways to entertain and play with his kids. Playing with his kids was a very importnat thing to him. Frisbee, Basketball, Water parks, swimming, motorcycles, motor scooters, the beach. Just being with his children.

He loved counseling. I don't know if everyone here knows that he passed while in the middle of doing what he loved, because he really in truly loved it. He lived to help people. He really he loved to be transparent, so that others could learn from his mistakes, and his trials. He just wanted to point people to God. He loved teaching about forgiveness. That was his platform, it was his passion. I’m telling you, I’ve sat through so many sermons and lectures on forgiveness that I could probably preach an 8 week series from my memory alone without using notes.

He loved sour patch candies, and fireballs, He really just loved all candy. I can’t tell you how many times I would come home from Orlando to visit, and I’d walk in the door and he’d be like “why don’t you go get us some goodies and a couple of movies,” Althought hey usually had to be pg movies because my dad was very partiular about watching anything inappropriate.

My dad loved Shrek. LOVED LOVED LOVED shrek. He told me that he identified more with shrek than any one else. He said he was just a big bald guy with layers. Just like shrek. He was so excited about coming to Orlando at the end of this month, because he really wanted to see the 3-D shrek show at Universal. The younger four kids, who were usually with dad at all times when running errands, I guess because there lives were a little less busy than us older children, all had shrek slippers like my dad, and according to my mom they’d all go to Publix together wearing the slippers.

My dad loved the Seminoles, and as Dr. Emhoff said he loved technology. Man did he love computers. He was so excited about his computers, his websites, his gadgets and his phones. My mom and I have been walking around the house going, we don't know what all of this is!

Most of all my dad loved giving advice, and if he were here right now he would say to us that it’s ok to be sad. And that it's ok to weep, because we do not weep as those who have no hope, but we weep because we will miss an incredible man of God. I have heard many people say that difficult times, such as these, makes them doubt their salvation, makes them doubt God, and His love for us. But truthfully I haven’t. I am angry at the injustice of losing my dad way sooner than I’d like, it makes me grieve deeply that my eight year old baby sister, does not have a daddy anymore, but not for a second have I doubted that Christ is my savior, and that God loves me. And I think that is a testimony to my father. Because he gave my siblings and me an incredible foundation. So yes we are sad, because we love him, and we desperately miss him, but my father prepared me to go through times like this. And we will survive, and we are all confident that this is not goodbye forever. and in the meantime, thank you for your prayers and for your support, and most of all thank for coming today to celebrate the life of an incredible saint of the Lord.