A good father, in terms of our parable, is someone you can count on to come to the door and offer you nourishment when you show up on his doorstep. But I recognize a good father when I see one. A prayer that tells us so much about God in so few words: вЂњFather, hallowed be thy name. On my side, I found myself repeating a prayer over and over again. The night before he died, in the early hours of morning, my husband Murry and I each sat on either side of his bed in the darkened room, praying. The wonderful hospice saints were coming every day. When his liver cancer, after a year of remission, came back in 2002, it was my turn to say to him, вЂњDad, IвЂ™d take this big bad sickness from you if I could.вЂќ вЂњHey,вЂќ he said, вЂњThatвЂ™s my line.вЂќ He was in a bed with metal rails set up in his study at the back of the house. When I was little and sick, he would gather me up on his lap, wrap me in a blanket and rock me in the rocking chair, and say, вЂњMiss Alyce, IвЂ™d take this big bad sickness from you if I could.вЂќ My father was a tall man with dark hair, a great sense of humor and a great love for his children. With a cordless drill, a Weber grill, or a hobby tie? Those are the three most popular FatherвЂ™s Day gifts this year. How do you thank a good father? With a card and an invitation to lunch. It is a day when we stand on our fatherвЂ™s doorstep and offer him thanks. And nobody in that village 2,000 years ago would want to be the one to destroy its reputation for gracious hospitality to travelers with their grumbling. To grumble like this would bring shame on oneвЂ™s family and oneвЂ™s village. Plus the houses were so close together that when the needy friend stands on your doorstep pounding on your door at midnight, everybody up and down the street knows theyвЂ™re there and youвЂ™re not getting out of bed to help them. The custom is that you serve fresh bread to company. Everyone in the village baked their bread at the village oven. You wouldnвЂ™t grumble and try to get out of giving bread to the friend at midnight standing on your door, either. You couldnвЂ™t get away with not answering the door in a first century Palestinian village. The girl on the couch next to me, dressed in that lovely prom gown, jumps up and starts to run to the door, then catches herself and begins to walk in a statelier manner. ThatвЂ™s an answer!ДЄnd there is a nervous looking young man in a tuxedo holding a corsage. Oh, look - there is a floristвЂ™s truck at the curb and the florist standing there with flowers. IвЂ™ve consumed 2 boxes of Samoas and 3 of thin mints in the past 6 days. ItвЂ™s an eight year old girl green dress with sash covered with badges. We call it вЂњFront Porch.вЂќ ItвЂ™s like visual caller id. It also provides the kids and me with hours of entertainment.

Did mc leave the storme warren show