He is like me

Taking some time to remember my dad today, on what would have been his 70^th birthday. I like to get out old pictures and celebrate his life, and what a great dad he was. I especially love pictures of him near the age I am now. I was too young back then to have many memories of him but the pictures tell me so much.

Christmas dinner 1980 rocking the 3 piece suit with a full beard

Summer 1984 helping Grandpa Art build the log cabin like a boss (I seriously almost ordered those Cortez aka Forrest Gump Nikes last year. Now I might have to.)

February 28, 1987 His 40^th birthday (I included this one because omg I turn 40 this year)

His birthday tends to be one of the most, if not the most difficult days for me of the year. It’s a day when I miss him the most. I can’t do something that I did without exception before he died – call him and tell him Happy Birthday. It’s his day, it’s always been his day, and he isn’t here.

Birthdays were special to him and I have tangible proof - the miniature gold & crystal birthday cake he gave me on my golden birthday August 23, 2000. So…first of all he remembered it was not just any birthday, but my golden birthday. Second of all he went to a gift store and bought me a tiny golden cake. How precious is that?!

my tiny golden cake

While I love the pictures and objects he gave me, there is something more that he gave me – a lifetime of memories with him. There are two memories I have of him that have been running through my mind over and over and over in the past year. They seem almost too ordinary or too simple on the surface but I think he might be trying to tell me something.

(1)

It was 2005. We were building our house in Polk City and dad wanted to go for a (long) motorcycle ride, so he decided to come see us on his bike. It was his second trip out and with the first trip we laughed because apparently I gave him bad directions (Hey, it’s not my fault if he didn’t recognize the landmarks and I’d like to just point out that in recent years I’ve gotten better with N-S-W-E directions). Anyway, I was talking to him and about to remind him where to turn and he stopped me. He didn’t give me a hard time about the directions; he just said matter of factly “Let me find you” (and he did).

(2)

We were going to Sioux City for the weekend. Hannah was about 8 or 9 months old. We drove in Friday after work and had plans to go out for dinner so we asked my dad and stepmom if it would be ok to bring Hannah to their house so she could sleep and then we would come back and pick her up before going over to my sister’s house where we were actually staying. They of course said it would be no problem. She had already fallen asleep in the car and it was dim in their living room so we decided to just lay her down on a blanket on the carpet and that way they could keep an eye on her while they watched tv (I don’t remember what they were watching but I assume “Walker Texas Ranger”). We left and returned a few hours later. We came inside and dad was in his blue recliner, holding Hannah. She was fast asleep with her head on his shoulder. I say “Oh great…I thought this was going to be so easy, sorry if she didn’t sleep well.” My dad’s response “Oh no, we’re fine. I wanted to hold her.” And he had – the entire time we were gone.

::

In these simplest of moments you can recognize what kind of father and grandfather he was. But there is a different message here for me, and for everyone he knew. It’s about our heavenly father’s love for us. I forget how deep it is. I think the world wants us to forget that, to forget that we pray “Our Father.” In these memories I feel my dad whispering 

“He is like me. He will find you. He will hold you.”

I'm sharing memories of my dad but when I look at the dads all around me; my husband, family members, friends, neighbors...at the love they show their children and how honored each one is to be a dad; this is so beautiful and profound to me. 

James Bruce Netley

February 28, 1947 – August 30, 2010

happy birthday dad :: a letter he wrote me

This year as we stumbled to get the Christmas decorations down from the attic we realized that after 10 years in one house...we have collected a lot of junk that is taking up space for no reason. So after we took the decorations back up, it was time to get organized. I came across my save boxes - four large rubbermaid totes - packed with things from my birth through college years. We hauled the boxes down to the dining room table and I began the sorting process. I had saved elementary school artwork and projects, scrapbooks and don't forget my sticker collection, college art portfolios, and just about every card or letter anyone had ever given me.

What I have now, after sorting through all of my dad's things, is perspective. This perspective, however morbid it may seem, forced me to think about how I would feel about someone else having to dig through all my junk after I die. I started sorting and throwing the majority of it away, and at the end of the day I was emotionally spent. I hadn't really given much thought to what it was going to be like for those memories to surface again; childhood memories tied to the home I lived in for two decades of my life, the awkward adolescence and high school years, memories from summer camp where Dan and I met, my parents divorce, my amazing and carefree college experience at Iowa, the passing of my grandparents - everything and every decision of course compounded by the unexpected passing of my dad five years ago now. 

I saved my most favorite things, keeping in mind that whatever I decided to keep had to make me happy, or might be fun to show my kids when they are older. Anything not fitting that criteria went in the trash. I ended up condensing things down to 1 rubbermaid container. As exhausted as I was at the end of it, in many ways it felt like a giant weight had been lifted from my shoulders. It felt good to let go.

I read every card and letter, hoping to find something amazing. I did. If you have been reading letters I have written to my dad (here and here) you will probably understand how much finding this means to me. This letter he wrote me, something I haven't read since he gave it to me nearly 16 years ago, is still very relative today. It's something that he not only wished for me, but for all of those he loved.

Graduation day U of Iowa '00

Dad's Westmar College graduation photo '69

I feel like your pants are a little short, college boy.

He was just the best in every way. I love you dad. Happy birthday!

:: amy

ps. All this college talk has me thinking. I was good at painting. I should do that again.

dear dad :: unsaid

dear dad,

It's been five years now. There was no warning. No time for anything. No goodbye. I am incredibly thankful that I know the last thing I did the last time I saw you was hug you, tell you I love you, and say goodbye. One advantage of living a few hours away; that's how every time ended before we drove home.

Over the last five years I have struggled with acceptance. Some days I still don't believe it; you really are gone. We lost you the way we did. We put your body in a casket. We buried you. I will never again see you on this earth.

I feel incredibly fortunate that we didn't leave much left unsaid. But there is one thing that has been bothering me. One thing I never asked you. I have wanted to write about this for years now, but I haven't really known what to say. Until now. Because today you gave me resolve.

The question:

Why didn't you ask me to run on the track team in high school?

It wasn't just a track team it was your track team. You were the coach. You coached girls track for years and not one time did you ever talk to me about running, much less ask if I wanted to...I don't know...go for a run?

Over the years I have tried to answer the question myself.
-I was too fat. Yep, I've lost weight since high school.
-I was not gorgeous or popular like the other girls that ran track.
-You didn't want pressure put on you or me because you were the coach and I was your daughter.
-You thought me being on the dance team was enough to keep me busy.

This past summer I wrested with this a lot while out running. I think I came up with the response you would have given me if I ever would have been given the chance to ask:

You never asked me.

You never talked to me about running. You never expressed any interest in running, I never one time saw you run.

Touche, dad. That is all true. And that did make me feel better but it still didn't make me feel good.

Today you pointed me in a different direction, away from my own selfish interest. You answered me with a question:

What good would have come from asking?

I felt you telling me I may have some valid points and may even be right about your response. But what about the sad look on your face after I asked? What about the nights you would have stayed awake wondering if you let me down, because all you ever wanted in life was for your kids to be happy. Wait. Was leaving it unsaid a gift?

And I kid you not the minute I realized it was Pandora picked "Never Grow Up" by Taylor Swift for me. Tears.

You told me to let go. You told me to remember that back in 2007 when I first started running, you were the one that wanted to buy your all grown up daughter her first pair of running shoes. I may not have the shoes anymore dad but I'll never forget them. There's something really special about that first pair.

love,
amy

my first pair

Never Grow Up

Taylor Swift

Your little hands wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in and turn on your favorite nightlight

To you, everything's funny
You got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have honey
If you could stay like that

Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple
I won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
No one will desert you
Just try to never grow up
Never grow up

You're in the car on the way to the movies
And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off
At fourteen, there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out
Someday and call your own shots

But don't make her drop you off around the block
Remember that she's getting older too
And don't lose the way that you dance around in your p.j.s getting ready for school

Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple
And no one's ever burned you
Nothing's ever left you scarred
And even though you want to
Just try to never grow up

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone

So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
It's so much colder than I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my nightlight on

Wish I'd never grown up
I wish I'd never grown up
Oh I don't wanna grow up
Wish I'd never grown up
Could still be little
Oh I don't wanna grow up
Wish I'd never grown up
It could still be simple

Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple
I won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
And even though you want to
Please try to never grow up
Don't you ever grow up
Just never grow up

if i could wrap all of those i love in a quilt :: bev and jenny

It all started years ago when we realized Dan had a button down shirt problem, or rather an elbow problem which after time wore a hole in each sleeve. They were no longer suitable for donation but seemed crazy to just throw away those comfy worn beautifully plaided shirts....wait a minute...quilts! Naturally, I decided to make the process for making a quilt take longer. Simple patchwork has typically been a favorite style for me but for this round of quilts I decided to change it up a bit.

If you have ever said goodbye to someone you love, you know how difficult it is to see their belongings after they have passed. Belongings are one thing. Clothing is another. If you haven't had to sort through a loved one's clothing after they have passed don't pretend to understand how difficult it is. In the case of my dad and his sudden passing this was especially difficult. To see his boots worn to the shape of his foot. To smell his strong cologne burned into the fibers. To see what he was wearing the last time I saw him. And oh the piles of whitey-tighties (gotta smile at that). When it came to the button down shirts, I knew I needed to save those. I offered to make my step mom Bev and my sisters a quilt of dad's shirts if they wanted one. I didn't want to do the work if it was going to be something that would only cause sadness or uncomfortable feelings. Would you think it was weird to cover up with a quilt made of a (cringe) dead man's shirts?  Bev and Jenny were an immediate "yes" and Holly decided that she did want a quilt, but his t-shirts meant more to her so she decided to have someone make her a t-shirt quilt instead (I'm not skilled in the t-shirt quilt department).

It may have taken me four years to fulfill my promise but here they are. I gave them both as Christmas gifts this year. They are used entirely of dad's shirts - except - the back of both of them are a solid sheet & on Jenny's quilt the white and the edge are both purchased fabrics.

Bev's Quilt

Pattern :: Oh my Stars! by Make it Do I picked this pattern for Bev because I really wanted to include stars on her quilt. She loves blue and white and then I added the other colors to accent.

Types of shirts used :: flannel (plaid), corduroy (light brown), chambray (purple, white, gray), heavy weight (navy)

I love to try to include pictures of someone either with their quilt or showing pics of them in their home - here it is in Bev's house!

Jenny's Quilt

Pattern ::  Diverging Diamonds in Fabulously Fast Quilts by Amy Smart
This quilt is strip pieced which is quilt a bit faster (like if you say, start on it the week before Christmas). I chose the oranges and browns for her because it reminds me of the colors in the cabin and would also coordinate nicely in her home.
Types of shirts used :: chambray, white is Kona brand

snow picnic anyone?

quilt back...ah those lovely crinkles

i think she likes it!

Working on these I often thought about the transformation of these shirts. Taking something that once hurt to look at and turning it into something beautiful that now comforts us and makes us smile; how we must choose to do that over and over again as we grieve. What a privilege it has been to make these quilts. I think Dad would think they turned out really great too.

::

amy


2 Corinthians 5:17
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life has gone, a new life has begun.

dear dad

it's father's day. a day that makes me extremely happy to be the wife of such a loving man and wonderful father to my children, but also a day when i miss you terribly. i still recall how awful the first father's day was without you, how in one of those rare moments i had almost "forgotten" and stumbled upon the father's day card aisle to pick out cards for my father-in-law and step father. i grabbed one, read it, and with hands shaking gently folded it and returned it back to the shelf choking back some tears. damn you hallmark. i haven't been back.

almost four years have passed and a lot has changed. i say this like i need to update you, but i have a feeling you know. reminders of you are everywhere. quite possibly the two biggest changes to my life since then are the births of my two baby boys. i see you gave them each a single dimple on their cheeks.

i find you in the happenings of daily life as well. around the time i became pregnant with beckett (i say this for some at the expense of my sanity) while out for a run, your blue swishy track pants plain white old man athletic shoes wearing presence was so real i moved over on the path to make room. you have been coaching me along ever since and and frequently reminding me in that last mile that we are all on the homestretch.

it has taken me some time to get here but i want you to know that i am ok. reminders like these no longer bring a deep sadness of the void that i feel without you here. there was a time i felt a great deal of anger just seeing people with their fathers, overhearing a random stranger call out "dad," and thinking about how much losing you will mean to my children.

like the good husband he is, dan has helped me face a stark reality here: "they will never know the difference." i will (because of how close i was to grandpa art) but they will be just fine living their entire lives never having a single memory of you. hard to take, but even more so his final point: "they will remember having a sad mother."

nobody wants that, especially me. so instead of being sad, little by little i choose to take these encounters and appreciate the gentle way they remind me of you and your presence in my life - then and now. 

i may not be able to send you a hallmark card, but i want the world to know how much of a difference you made in my life. thank you for loving me no.matter.what. there were so many times you put my needs above your own and i could never repay you for that. what i will do is make a promise to choose to be happy and to love my husband and my kids the way you loved me.

love you dad,
amy

[found in your things]

smile (maybe tomorrow)

my sister jenny, me, & my sister holly with dad - christmas 1983

Yes, we do smile.  But not today.  Today we mourn. (Ecclesiastes 3:4)

James Bruce Netley

February 28, 1947 - August 30, 2010

***
Smile though your heart is aching

Smile even though it's breaking

When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by

If you smile through your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You'll see the sun shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness

Hide every trace of sadness

Although a tear may be ever so near

That's the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what's the use of crying?

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just smile

That's the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what's the use of crying?

You'll find that life is still worthwhile 

If you just smile

(Artist: Nat King Cole

Words by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons

Music by Charlie Chaplin)

Happy 65th Birthday Dad!

I miss you everyday, but even more today. Thanks for teaching me so much; and of course this includes to how to properly eat birthday cake.


Dad's 18th Birthday 2.28.65

Pictured: Dad, Aunt Melinda, Aunt Judy, Uncle Kevin

Amy's 1st birthday 8.23.78

rest in peace

James Bruce Netley 2/28/47 - 8/30/10

Grandpa Art with Dad (note resemblance to AJ)

Dad with me (R) & my sisters Jenny (L) & Holly (M)

Grandpa Art & Grandma Ninon Netley in the hammock on the farm...is she sitting on him?

Note Grandpa Art, quite a stylish man

Dad on the dock at the lake

Love everything about this picture of Grandpa Art

Dad with his TCX109 (I still remember that license plate) See where I get my love for Jeeps?

My Dad (isn't he handsome?) and his prized bass

Dad just napping in the sand

Dad with his "sled"

Not only could she catch a "keeper" but Grandma Ninon was quite the keeper herself!

The happy couple, married for 64 years

Grandpa Art, my Dad's brother Kevin, and Dad. They loved working hard and also having fun together

My Grandma took this picture of my Dad (guessing late 80's) from the dock at the lake. This is what I imagine he is doing right about now.

one year ago today

One year ago today was a Sunday.  We were back in Sioux City for the weekend for my cousin’s wedding.  Saturday night we partied and danced very late into the night so this particular Sunday we all chose sleep over church.  (Skippers!)  I called up dad in the morning to see when it would be best to see him before we left to go back home to Polk City.  He had previously mentioned that he wanted to take a drive out to his farmland; he was very excited to show us what he had been working on all summer.  Dan and I were not sure when we would be back next and I could sense how important it was to Dad that we see the land.  Dad suggested that we make a stop for lunch at “Bob’s Drive In” in LeMars for taverns and whips.  I told him that we hadn’t been there before and that was the end of discussion, we had to go!

Olson’s were also free that day so we piled into their SUV with them and met Dad and my stepmom Bev in the parking lot of their apartment to caravan from Dakota Dunes to LeMars.  Before we could drive away, Dad motioned to us to wait up a minute and I smiled as I saw him walking towards me with a very recognizable bag that just happened to be full of several pounds of jawbreakers.  He knew they were my favorite and frequently made a special trip just for me (and probably for him too for nut clusters of some variety I imagine) to Palmers Candy Shoppe!  As I watched him walk back to his truck I really wanted to jump out of Olson’s SUV and hop into the truck with he and Bev but something held me back.  How I loved those times riding with Dad in his truck, and they didn’t happen very often anymore.  Everything was so busy getting ready for the wedding and catching up with friends and family that weekend that I hadn’t spent much time with Dad & Bev.  But for some reason I stayed put.

We pulled into “Bob’s Drive In,” pushed a couple tables together, and Dad started telling us stories of how this place had been part of his life for so many years.  I guess that is why he thought it was crazy that we hadn't been there yet.  We ordered our taverns & whips, and he was right – they were amazing!  I would describe a “whip” as a root beer float blended into an icy shake.  Of course Hannah loved Grandpa’s raspberry whip the most and how he loved giving her a big sip and watching her smiling for more.  “Mmmm that’s good stuff!” he said over and over.  We spent our lunch listening to Dad tell stories about hanging out with his buddies there when he attended Westmar College in LeMars.  The place had changed some over the years but the food had not, it was just as great as it ever had been.

We piled back into our vehicles and drove out to the grove.  Now we would get to see for ourselves the work that Dad had described to us over the summer.  He could have easily hired this job out but it was easy to see on his face the pride and joy he felt in doing the manual labor himself as he prepared the land for their retirement home; bringing in the electrical post, building a new driveway, and clearing trees that were in the way of where the house would sit.  I brought my camera along; I thought it would be fun to take pictures of Hannah with Papa at the grove.  They would be so fun to look at years from now, after many years and many trips out to Papa and Bev’s farm, it would be amazing to see pictures of her there before the house was even built.  But we got out of the car and I made a last second decision not to mess with the camera at the grove, instead I’d just take a picture of her on his tractor back at my Uncle Kevin’s farm instead.

Dad showed us the way through the brush, piles of tree limbs, and other things that he had discovered as he prepared the land.  He had found many old beehive containers as Sioux Bee Honey had in the past paid rent to my grandfather to use the grove as a location for some of their hives.  He moved a large limb out of our way and a small branch scraped his cheek and it instantly started bleeding.  I remember injecting into the conversation to tell him that it was bleeding a lot and he just continued talking about his plans and said something like “Eh it’s nothing” as he wiped it with a blue shop towel.  We walked around where the house would be and also around the outer edge of the trees while he pointed out things in his mental blueprints like where their porch would be, how they would have a great view of the sunset, and where he wanted to put in a tire swing for the grandkids.

Hannah and Dan on Dad's Tractor 8.29.10

Hannah and Papa Jim with kitty 8.29.10

We finished up at the grove and headed back to the other farm where he could show us his latest toy – his brand new tractor.  And this time I grabbed my camera to snap a few pictures.  This tractor was not his dad’s tractor or one that he was borrowing from his brother, but for the very first time his very own tractor.  As he talked about it telling us that he bought it partly because he “needed it” and partly because he thought Grandpa Art would have been proud; Dad just couldn’t have been happier.  Of course he got the best deal (as I am learning is the case with any man any time he buys something).  He also bought some attachments, and I was impressed to hear that he purchased a roll bar which was attached to it for his own safety.  We spent time looking at it and taking pictures on it and then our attention shifted to my cousin’s young daughter Hailey as she came into the shed carrying something very special – a baby kitty that she had found recently in the barn.  I couldn’t have been more in awe watching Papa as he helped Hannah hold her first little kitty.

Hannah Swinging 8.29.10

It was too beautiful a day not to just enjoy being outside and we shifted our conversations out of the shed and near the large swingset that I used to play on as a kid whenever we came to visit Grandpa and Grandma Netley.  The swings themselves needed an upgrade so rubber seats now replaced the wooden seats that I sat on as a child, but the large metal posts framing them remained the same.  How many times had I thought I could touch the sky on those swings?  About a thousand.  It brought joy to me watching my own daughter use them.  Dad came over to swing as well and I remember us laughing together, he looked pretty ridiculous trying to swing with only about a foot of ground clearance as the links were set for a typical two year old height.

We all stood around an old white pickup truck near the swingset just talking in the shade.  I knew we would be leaving soon, but we were really in no hurry to get anywhere and it was so nice being at the farm, I really hadn’t spent much time there in the past few years since Grandpa Art passed and being there again was like a breath of fresh air.  Dad began teasing Hannah with a stick, sticking it in the back of her pants and watching her walk in circles like a dog chasing its own tail trying to get it out.  She also found an ear of corn which she quickly became fascinated with (the best toys are not toys after all) and seeing the look of amazement on her face Papa quickly asked her if she wanted more corn.  I started to respond “Dad she’s ok” but he didn’t hear me as he was already halfway to the field searching for the best ears. 

He came back with the corn and soon after it was time to wrap things up and say goodbye.  He picked up Hannah and as he was holding her I gave him a hug goodbye as well.  I can remember the feeling of his cheek against mine and giving him a quick squeeze and kiss on the cheek as I said “Bye Dad.  I love you."    

Those were my last words to him, except I vaguely remember smiling and rolling my eyes or maybe saying something along the lines of “really that’s ok” as he reached in the car and handed Hannah the ear of corn that he had picked for her.  He died the following morning alone in the grove clearing the last of the trees for the place that we all thought that he would finally call his home.  There were no warning signs, nobody to blame, and we are left with a good idea but also speculation as to what happened.  No time for final goodbyes.  Just like that, he was gone. 

It really can happen that fast and when you least expect it.  A friend of mine from school lost his father without notice and offered words and condolences to me in the days following dad’s death which are so true.  He wrote to me, “Sudden and unexpected might be nice for him, but it’s horrendous on us.”  As I reflect on the past year and what it has been like to be without my father and more difficultly my children’s grandfather I will tell you that while I am thankful that we did not have to watch him suffer, this first year has been pure torture at times.  “If I only would have _________,”  “I wish he was here to see _________,” “What will it be like to _________without Dad?” I could go on and on. 

I am still hanging on to that last day together and what a blessing that was.  I am also hanging on to my religious values he so faithfully demonstrated and instilled in me; we have hope because life doesn't end with death.  It isn't just something we tell ourselves to feel better about losing a loved one, it is our true hope.  Dad was preparing a place for his retirement here on earth, but more importantly he believed his heavenly father had already prepared a place for him in heaven.  We know by how he lived his life that Dad was ready when his time came, however suddenly it was. 

John 14:1-2

Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in me.  My father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 

Dad's Bible 23.23

Romans 5:1-5

So now, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith in his promises, we can have real peace with him because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.  For because of our faith, he has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to be patient.  And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.  Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Dad's Bible 22.23

Psalm 27:14
Don't be impatient. Wait for the Lord, and he will come and save you! Be brave, stout-hearted, and courageous. Yes, wait and he will help you.

Dad's Bible 21.23

Isaiah 30:18
Yet the Lord still waits for you to come to him, so he can show you his love; he will conquer you to bless you, just as he said. For the Lord is faithful to his promises. Blessed are those who wait for him to help them.

Dad's Bible 20.23

John 3:36
And all who trust him-God's son-to save them have eternal life; those who don't believe and obey him shall never see heaven, but the wrath of God remains upon them.

Dad's Bible 19.23

John 14:21
The one who obeys me is the one who loves me; and because he loves me, my Father will love him; and I will too, and I will reveal myself to him.

Dad's Bible 18.23

1 John 1:9
But if we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. [And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins.]

Dad's Bible 17.23

Hebrews 7:25
He is able to save completely all who come to God through him.  Since he will live forever, he will always be there to remind God that he has paid for their sins with his blood.

Dad's Bible 16.23

Psalms 34
I will praise the Lord no matter what happens.  I will constantly speak of his glories and grace.  I will boast of all his kindness to me.  Let all who are discouraged take heart.  Let us praise the Lord together, and exalt his name.

For I cried to him and he answered me!  He freed me from all my fears.  Others too were radiant at what he did for them.  Theirs was no downcast look of rejection!  This poor man cried to the Lord - and the Lord heard him and saved him out of his troubles.  For the Angel of the Lord guards and rescues all who reverence him.

Oh, put to the test and see how kind he is!  See for yourself the way his mercies shower down on  all who trust in him.  If you belong to the Lord, reverence him; for everyone who does this has everything he needs.  Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those of us who reverence the Lord will never lack any good thing.

Sons and daughters, come and listen and let me teach you the importance of trusting and fearing the Lord.  Do you want a long, good life?  Then watch your tongue!  Keep your lips from lying.  Turn from all known sin and spend your time in doing good.  Try to live in peace with everyone; work hard at it.

For the eyes of the Lord are intently watching all who live good lives, and he gives attention whe they cry to him.  But the Lord has made up his mind to wipe out even the memory of evil men from the earth.  Yes, the Lord hears the good man when he calls to him for help, and saves him out of all his troubles.

The Lord is close to those whose hearts are breaking; he rescues those who are humbly sorry for their sins.  The good man does not escape all troubles - he has them too.  But the Lord helps him in each and every one.  God even protects him from accidents.

Calamity will surely overtake the wicked; heavy penalties are meted out to those who hate the good.  But as for those who serve the Lord, he will redeem them; everyone who takes refuge in him will be freely pardoned.