Father's Day | JOY for Today

(Updated 5/16/2024.)

Fathers, on this day we honor you. We honor the commitment you made and upheld to guide, protect, and love your family. We are better because of you and with JOY we welcome your enduring presence.

June's Third Sunday

Father's Day Offerings:

• Did You Know... Five we didn't.
• Wolfe Stew Connects To the need for all men to father.
• Bible Verses and Quotes Inspired by Father's Day.
• Activity Suggestions Card-making and book-reading suggestions.

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS:

• Forgiveness Day (June 26th Annually)
• National Financial Freedom Day (July 1st Annually)
• Independence Day (July 4th Annually)

Did You Know:

1. Father's Day was inspired by a Mother's Day sermon? Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, heard a sermon on Mother's Day that started her on the path toward getting a Father's Day on the calendar too. She felt her father, William Smart, who raised six kids by himself after his wife died during childbirth, deserved a day that honored him and other great fathers. (Spokane City)
2. It took 62 years for Father's Day to be federally recognized? The first celebration of Father's Day took place in Spokane in 1910 and in 1972 Richard Nixon officially proclaimed Father's Day a federal holiday. Father's Day was initially met with resistance because it feminized manliness and provided yet another commercialized holiday. But, during WWII, the idea of celebrating fathers won popularity as the country realized this was yet another way that we could honor our troops. And this national tradition of honoring fathers finally became official amidst Nixon's hard-fought re-election campaign. (History.com)
3. March 19th is Father's Day in many other countries? Father's Day and St. Joseph's Day (honors Jesus' earthly father) are combined in these mostly European and Latin American countries. (History.com)
4. The number of dads who stay-at-home has nearly doubled since 1989? While stay-at-home moms still outnumber stay-at-home dads, dads make up 17% of all stay-at-home parents compared to 10% in 1989. Twenty-four percent of stay-at-home dads cite caring for family as the main reason for this choice, compared to 4% citing the same reason in 1989. (Pew Research)
5. In the United States, 1 in 4 households have no father? A father's absence leads to poverty, behavioral problems, and a higher likelihood for crime and drug use as an adult, while a father's presence leads to financial security, emotional stability, and lower risk for criminal behavior and drug use. (Fatherhood.org)

We'd Love to Know:

Which fact most interests you?

Wolfe Stew Connects

Father. A word both strong and loving. There is no question about the depth of a father's impact. Both of us come from broken homes and currently reside in one. Within all of these family dynamics we have powerful, enduring emotions connected with each of the fathers in our life.

And we strongly believe the majority of you are good fathers. You enjoy spending time with your children, guiding them in good decision making, and providing them with more than they need. We see you, Fathers. We recognize your dedication and celebrate you. 

But we need more of you. The problem is not enough fathers father - 25% of American households lack a father (Fatherhood.org) and in too many remaining households abusive or passive fathers reside. A solution is to be a "father" to those around you. There is no need for blood ties, but opportunity. Keep watch for how and when you might step in. Every child longs for a strong father who will protect, lead, love, and believe in them. 

But as you lead, know your impact. How you treat those children who trust in you can put enduring wind in their sails or deflate them. You, Fathers, have power - of that, there is no question. The question is: how will you wield that power? 

If you need help learning to lead well, we think looking to the Good Father is the perfect place to start. To help focus your vision, we've crafted a GROWTH for Today Calendar with daily exercises to improve your "God"sight. If you're ready to train with us, we'd love to have you. Let's learn to lead better together. We need you!

We'd Love to Know:

What quality you most admire in a good father you know?

Father's Day Inspired Bible Verses and Quotes 

Verses

• "You saw what happened in the desert. You saw how the Lord your God carried you like a man carries his child. He brought you safely all the way to this place." Deuteronomy 1:31 ERV 
• "He is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic to those who reverence him." Psalm 103:13 TLB 
• "Young man, do not resent it when God chastens and corrects you, for his punishment is proof of his love. Just as a father punishes a son he delights in to make him better, so the Lord corrects you." Proverbs 3:11-12 TLB 
• "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4 EHV 
• "Children are a gift from the Lord, a reward from a mother's womb. A young man's sons are like the arrows in a soldier's hand. The man who fills his quiver with sons will be very blessed. He will never be defeated when he opposes his enemy at the city gates." Psalm 127:3-5 ERV 

Quotes

• "No man stands taller than when he stoops to help a child." - Abraham Lincoln 
• "There is a mirror that is held up to me now. You have someone watching you. You have to lead by example." - John Krazinski 
• "I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." - Sigmund Freud 
• "A strong father means a strong family." - Melvina Young 
• "Father's Day is for every guy who holds nothing back ... who gives his heart, soul, and energy to those he cares about and still finds a way to love them more every single day." - Andrew Blackburn 

We'd Love to Know:

Which verse or quote would you write in a Father's Day card?

Father's Day Activity Suggestions 

Our overall tip for Father's Day: honor your father in a way that's meaningful to him.

Our Nephew's Suggestion:

"Do the same as Mother's Day, but with your dad." 

Give him a hug and make him a card (ideas from123homeschool4me). 

Book Suggestions

• Help Wanted: Must Love Books by Janet Sumner Johnson, illustrated by Courtney Dawson. When her dad has to put more time in at work, Shailey immediately begins interviewing new storytellers. In the end, she realizes there is only one who is just right for the job.
• What We'll Build: Plans for Our Together Future by Oliver Jeffers This book, about a father and daughter, is filled with hope, memories, and love. Through colorful art and conceptual text, Jeffers reminds us that it is our relationships and the time we spend together that provide us with memories to treasure. 
• Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan. Will has no father, but still aims to please him. Join this orphan in his coming-of-age journey. Grow with him in courage, determination, and honor. Bond with the family and father figures who challenge, support, and respect Will as he faces the kalkara, assassin-like creatures weaponized by an vengeful foe of the kingdom.

We'd Love to Know: 

A favorite Father's Day tradition of yours.

We’re excited to share one more day with you and wish you JOY for Today and HOPE for Tomorrow. Check in next week for...Forgiveness Day!

Fighting the Good Fight with You,

Sample these related posts:

To browse more Father's Day ideas.

To read about a meaningful father figure in the Mr.'s life.

To connect a father/son relationship with Star Wars.

To recognize a glorious throne to the Father's house by studying Isaiah 22.

To see Martin Luther King, Jr.'s father's impact on his life.

Find even more JOY for Today in our monthly calendars, holiday, and seasonal posts.