ast Sunday was Father's Day. Just mentioning the day evokes a wide range of emotions. Many people have good relationships or memories of their fathers and are thankful for them and to them. Others may have scars and voids in their lives because of the lack of a positive father image they can draw upon. Some may have no image at all and can only imagine what it might be like to have a Dad to call or acknowledge. Our ability to love Father God and understand how He loves us is often influenced be our earthly relationship with Dad or the lack of it. God says in His Book that He will be a father to the fatherless. We have to let Him do that. Whatever weaknesses our father may have had God does not have. It takes work and learning to trust in a new way to allow our Heavenly Father to be what many of us need Him to be in our lives.

At Hillside Christian Church Sunday we read and studied from Psalm one. This first Psalm describes some of the differences between godly and ungodly men. The results of a man following God in his life are profound. Fathers who seek right living and are planted in God's will are real men. They are strong when others are weak. They produce a harvest in their lives of good things and leave a legacy of truth and positive spiritual influence that ripples through time to eternity. Father's Day in the home of a godly man can be a celebration because of the peace and strength he brings to all those in his life, both family and friends. It is imperative that anyone willing to call himself a man be honest with God about his spiritual walk and his key relationships in life. Men absolutely can and must be who they are supposed to be in their families and culture. A man first given to God won't do damage to anyone but will be a source of strength to all.

Our youth have been busy raising funds and preparing to go Cleveland, Tennessee for the annual Christ in Youth gathering this summer. They will be leaving in a few weeks for a week of learning, praising and sharing with hundreds of other teens who are seeking to know more about the Savior and His will for their lives. Hillside is planning to send over thirty youth and sponsors this year. We know they will be blessed and challenged.

We are excited about our week of Vacation Bible School coming up soon. It will start July 6th at 6:15 pm. The evening sessions will run till 8:30 pm. The closing program will be at 6:30 pm on the following Friday. The theme will based on a county fair and feature the " Fruits of the Spirit". Children of all ages will have a good time and learn a lot about the God who loves them. Transportation can be arranged by calling the church in advance of the first session at 859-6072.