I Was Looking For Dad

I was looking for Dad. 
We had some time “in-between”.

I found him from a level below, staring out into a seemingly vacant ocean. 
Certainly, his thoughts were anything but. 
The last time he was on a ship this size (or larger), he was an officer in the Navy. 
Decades have since passed- nearly his entire adult life. 
And on this particular week- he returned to the ocean and I was blessed to accompany him. 
My youngest sister gifted him and Mom with a cruise and I simply tagged along. 
My parents’ highlights of the week were all about time with a couple of their girls. 

We took a jeep, snorkel, golf cart, and lighthouse tours. We saw multiple countries in just a few days. 
We ate and ate and ate and played card games on repeat. 
We lounged and chatted for endless hours. 
And yet on this particular afternoon, the depth of Dad’s thoughts certainly caused an opportunity for reflection on a life he likely could not have imagined the last time his view was an endless ocean off of the stern of a ship. 

Since his time in the Navy-
He has charted a course of discipleship. 
From my vantage point-
I would describe it as an -unwavering, actively serving, and loving as Christ would- journey. Countless times, he has found the one who needed help when no one else was noticing. He loves fiercely and invites all through quiet examples to do the same. 

I am grateful Dad and Mom both laid a course of discipleship for me to watch.

In the early afternoon of a day at sea, I wondered what Dad was lost in deep thought with. 
As a kid-
We would often watch his slides from his time in Vietnam. 
As I’ve gotten older- I’ve heard more stories- more of the hard ones- of love, leadership, and loss. 
He never complained about his service to his country nor how he was treated upon returning home. 
It was a level of struggle that I will truly never understand. 

And yet-
He turned to God. He found God. My mom introduced him to a path of religion different from just a Sunday service. He chose to embrace it. 

I’m a lucky one-
I know it. 
God put a man in my life as a father to help me understand Him and His Son.

The example of discipleship has always been and continues to be mine to choose to see- and choose to emulate.

-JC

Snickerdoodle Cakesters

Make a batch of Snickerdoodle Cake Cookies:

2 vanilla cake mixes (approx 15 oz. each)
⅔ cup vegetable oil
1¼ cups sour cream
4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients together on medium high for 2 minutes. Scoop out 48  -1¼” balls of dough onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle generously with Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 14-16 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. 
Frost the bottom of ½ of the cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. Top with remaining cookies.
Let set. Share!

Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture:
6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons cinnamon
Dash of salt

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces softened cream cheese
½  cup soft butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons whipping cream
3 cups powdered sugar
Dash of salt

Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Stir in cinnamon. Add vanilla extract, whipping cream, powdered sugar, and salt. Mix until fluffy.