Father's birthday and death.

This is my father. This picture was taken in April of 2018 when Destiny and I visited him on Spring Break vacation, and went to church with him.

His birthday was on Thursday, September 29th, the day before my older daughter's 25th birthday. He called to wish her a happy birthday, and we got to talk to him and wish him a happy birthday. He told us how he had not been doing too well during the past few weeks. He had been in the hospital on two different occasions for separate issues, and they had adjusted his medications, also, but said he was doing better.

He lives two hours drive away, and is very involved with his step-family, church family, and friends. And, because we stay busy with our lives, we don't see each other as often as we would like.

On Sunday, October 2nd, three days after he called, he collapsed onto the floor at his home. The ambulance was called, and on the way to the hospital, his heart stopped three times. They put him on life support, and one of his two sisters was called, who lives in Louisiana, about four hours drive away. She called me on Monday to let me know that she was on the way to the hospital where he was.

My father had made arrangements with his sister that if anything happened to him, that she would have the power to make decisions for him, and made sure that he was not to be kept on life support.

When she arrived at the hospital, she had them turn off the life support, and when his heart stopped again, they were not to try to revive him. He died on Monday, October 3rd.

My father had already made preparations for his death; who would handle the funeral, where it would be, who would officiate, what songs would be sung, and even where he would be buried; with his second wife, who had died in early 2013.

The funeral was held on Monday, October 10th, a week after he died.

This was not an easy time for me, especially since my step-father, the man who raised and provided for me, had died only about 18 months earlier.

There were not a lot of people at the funeral, family, step-family, and some friends and church members.

I got up and spoke:

I am Carl's only biological child, although he was father to his second wife's children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. I had a step-father who raised me, and I am proud to say he was my dad, but Carl was my father. Now, I have only God the Father, Abba, in heaven. Carl knew, accepted, loved, and served God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. He would wake every morning to study the Word of God from the Bible, and speak directly to God through prayer. He often expressed to me when we spoke, how the world we live in is filled with sin. He would pray for not only himself, in fact he was very humble in this aspect, but he would pray for his family and his friends. Carl was ready to join God in heaven, but knew that until God was ready for him, Carl would continue to serve God here on earth. He continued to teach about God from the Bible, and share. Carl always wanted for those around him to know God's love and joy and to know Jesus Christ as their personal savior, just as he did. As with everything in life, when it is no longer possible, I regret not spending more time with him, but I am so thankful for the time that we did spend together, because, even though he did not raise me, he was my father, and had a great impact on my life. I not only look, and act very much like him, but I too believe in Christ. It is too late for me to spend more time with Carl. And the time is coming when it will be too late for many people to accept Jesus into their lives. Don't wait. When God's Son returns, there will be no time for regrets.

This is the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard, because my father served in and retired from the U.S. Air Force.

David was his step-grandson, who he loved, mentored, and cherished, so it was only fitting that my father chose him to receive the flag.