Father's Day Tribute and Gift Guide

 My father was not a perfect man, but he was a good man. He did his best, but sometimes he fell short. And that's okay. 

He passed this year. I had the opportunity to go out and help my mom in those final few days. We walked with angels as we took care of his needs and took note of any final wishes. After we put him on hospice, a pastor from another faith came to see us. My mom was terribly busy, so I sat with him in my parent's living room, discussing things. I mentioned we come from a faith-filled home, that my father did his repenting as he went along. He asked if there were any unresolved issues, conflicts or ill feelings in our family. Thankfully, all of our issues had been resolved. It was so nice to not have these lingering conflicts. Peace prevailed. It looks us a while to get there, but our family has had remarkable time to heal. The last question the paster asked was if our Bishop, the leader of our local congregation, had come to visit. This surprised me, because he hadn't. You see, our faith teaches us that we are all ministers. Instead of a minister for our congregation, we are striving to become a congregation of ministers. Many people had dropped by, sent wishes, emails and texts to my father. Our church community was incredibly supportive. Even at my home, while I was away, my church community brought food to my family while I was gone.

Father's Day is coming up. It can be a hard day for people, especially if they struggled in their relationship with your dad. I remember I gave a talk in our church on Father's Day and said something like, fathers need a sign around their neck saying, "under construction" like those work sites. I think we all need those signs. None of us are perfect, few of us are saintly and most of us are working on it. 

As Father's Day approaches, I also think about my husband, the father of my children. I chose him because I thought he would make a great dad. He is hardworking, compassionate, and fun. He was a great example to his younger brothers.

So here is my gift guide for Father's Day 2022. (I have some affiliate links here that grant me a small commission  if you make a purchase through these links but cost you nothing.)

Under $20

Grill Masters:

1. Grill light on Amazon. My husband loves to grill, but our back porch is not well lit. And we grill a lot in spring and autumn when the weather is nice, but the sun goes down early. This is probably my top pick for this year.

2. Grill gloves and thermometer  on Amazon. My husband would totally use this. I have a tote with all his grilling stuff in the garage.

3. Cedar Planks on Amazon. You can use them for anything--veggies, fish, meat.

4. Humorous Grill Father T-shirt For the grill master who has it all! Or needs a good laugh.

5. BBQ Rubs You know what I love about having my husband grill? I don't have to cook. These rubs will delight him but it's really a present for you!

Under $25

Tech Guys:

1. Tile These little guys hang on to your husband's keys, wallet, earbuds, laptop or anything else he might misplace. If your husband/father/son/man in your life is like mine, he'll need these. I bought these for my husband for Christmas and I love them! He can find his keys with the touch of a button! They make a noise so you can find your misplaced item.

2. Screen magnifier He can still watch his shows on his little phone with this handy, foldable, transportable magnifier. 

3. Sleep headphones I might just buy a pair of these for myself! I love that you can have the lulling sound of music without disturbing your bed partner. 

4. Lenses for your phone Did you know you can get camera lenses for your phone? I've always wanted a zoom lens. This is a must have for the photographer in your life.

5. Cord case organizer Great for travel or just for staying organized! This little pocket organizer keeps all your cords in one place!

Under $30

Fitness Guys:

1. Workout leggings Men can wear leggings, too!

2. Fitness shorts with pockets for his phone!

3. Workout journal record workouts, cool downs, food. Track it all! Leather makes this durable.

4. Workout gloves for those heavy lifters, these workout gloves will protect their hands so they can be soft for other things.

5. Perfect push up forms We've had some version of these at our house. They make sure you don't cheat! Great workout without taking up a whole lot of space.

I hope these gave you some ideas! Have a great Father's Day!