Happy Birthday Dad.

Today my dad turns 67 years old.

That's 24, 455 days. Those days have been spent in many different ways.

Ya know when people ask you if you could go back in time, "when" would you go? I always thought it would be so much fun to pull a Marty McFly and see my parents as kids and teenagers. I would especially love to watch the moment they met. I would love to be able to actually see those days that shaped him into the man he is today. I'm sure I would giggle on the day that he got on the school bus and then get off at the next stop to play hooky with his friend all day. Or the day that he swore and his Uncle Morris got after him. So little Johnny made up his own 'swear word'. I 'll try and do it justice here...*ahem*...

"Doggone, rickelfritzen, son of a gun and crackernottin, jitten belly, no good for nothin', dog breath nipper"......whew!

I don't recall ever hearing my dad use bad language. An occasional bible swear here and there but nothing offensive. I think you'll agree that this catchy little phrase would suffice in getting your point across.

I'm sure most of his childhood and teenage days were spent laughing and playing and making mistakes and learning from them. I'm sure he watched those around him... subconsciously allowing their influence to mold and shape him. I know my father was surrounded by good, hard working people. People who knew what was important. People who stood for things that mattered. Imperfect, but decent, loving people.

Although I did not 'see' him on those days of his youth, I am the lucky recipient of the lessons he learned. The days that I have seen of my father have been filled with knowledge to last a lifetime.

The majority of our days are like pearls strung together on a lovely necklace. But occasionally, there are jewels thrown in there that break up the monotony and make it stunning.

My dad's necklace is overflowing with jewels.

Many of those jewels stick out to me and remind me of the wonderful man my father is.

Like the days he spent fixing a neighbor's faucet, building trophy stands for the scouts, or taking me to visit some widows with him. The days (years) he would work 2 jobs to provide for our family. The day at Disneyland where he lugged around that Buick sized Video Camera so we would have memories recorded. The days he would take us to "help" him install a flagpole. The days he would spend planning big family camping trips. The days he has spent encouraging the youth of the world. He really has been blessed with a gift of understanding and love for troubled souls. They are drawn to his compassion. Or the night of my first date, when he came to my room with a white rose and told me how much he loved me and that I should keep myself like that rose. The day he sent me off on my mission. Or the day of my wedding when he sweetly put me in the care of another man. The day when I miscarried and he just held me and cried with me. The day of each of my children's birth. Today when I called to wish him Happy Birthday and he sounded like a little kid.

Days that he has surely forgotten but that are burned into my memory. Days where he not only told me but showed me. I know he is not perfect....but he's pretty close to it.

It would be impossible to count the number of people who have been blessed by, influenced by, or loved by my father. I was aware from an early age that I am lucky to have a dad like mine. I have known that not everyone does. I don't know why I got to come to his home, to be his daughter... I only know that I am so very happy to be.

He was the first man that I loved. The man who made me very picky about who I dated. The man who continues to teach me with his generosity, guide me with his example and show me that indeed, it is not about counting the days, but making the days count.

Here's to several thousand more days.

Love you Poppy John John!

Love, Sister Bug

Uhm....seriously?

Man sells pot to pay for police academy
August 24th, 2010 @ 10:40am
By Randall Jeppesen
OREM -- A man who says he was just trying to save up the money for the police academy is now looking at the other side of the justice system because of what he's accused of doing to get the cash.
According to the Daily Herald, police got a search warrant to check up on the activities of Marcos Antonio Ramirez of Orem after reports surfaced he had been selling drugs. Officers found he had marijuana, a scale, a stolen gun and drug paraphernalia.
Ramirez admitted to knowing the gun was stolen and that he was selling the drugs, but the reason he gave was a little unique.
The Daily Herald reports Ramirez told officers he had been selling pot for five months to pay for the police academy.
Police arrested Ramirez on suspicion of possession with intent to distribute, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.
E-mail: rjeppesen@ksl.com

This makes perfect sense right?
You know, like the woman who became a prostitute to pay for her wedding
or the guy that sold child pornography to pay for his elementary education degree.

Satan makes it so easy for us humans to rationalize decisions.
I don't think anyone wakes up in the morning and says, "I think I'll make a really bad life choice today that will effect not only me but those around me."
Satan is much more subtle than that.
He's crafty. (and not in the glue-gun, decoupage kind of way)
He makes things that are bad look not so bad (that movie was great except for a couple of parts)
He makes things that are good look nerdy or old fashioned.
He's a stinker.
We all make small everyday decisions that effect our entire lives.
My parents used to be voluntary clergy out at the prison. I remember the stories they would tell of the men and women they worked with.
Most of them would not be experiencing those heartbreaks if they had only made a few small choices a little differently. "If I hadn't listened to that friend", "if I hadn't gotten into his car", "if only I had not gone to that place"...
little choices.

One of my greatest worries is that my children will make one or two bad choices that will lead to a future heartbreak. That they will be influenced and let other people make choices for them. That I will have failed as a mother.
This is fear. This is Satan. This is trickery.
One of my greatest expectactions is that my children will remember what they have been taught. That they will have the confindence to stand up for what they know is right. That they will be leaders and will influence others to make good choices.
This is faith. This is a loving God. This is hope.

I know that my children will make mistakes and bad choices. We all do. It's part of the learning process. I only hope that they will learn from those mistakes, that they will recognize the tricks of Satan and that they will embrace the power of Jesus Christ.
And above all, that they will never think that it's okay to sell drugs to become a cop.

Here's to faith, hope and some really good rules.

(I do love them so)