Father’s Day 2026

Children are a gift from God. They are His reward. Psalm 127:3 

For those who may not know, 3 months ago, I lost a best friend.

He also happened to be my son.

In a father’s heart, these 2 pictures are the same. The same father. The same son. The same gift. The same love. The same joy. The same delight.

But between these 2 pictures, something beautiful happened. Somewhere along the way, Coulter became a cherished friend. In the last 18 years, his mother is probably the only person I have spent more time with.

Coulter was amazing. He was one of my favorite people to be with. We did everything together. We trained together, backpacked together, hunted together, traveled together, SCUBA dived together, studied Scripture together, cooked together, talked about life together, dreamed of the future together, and probably most of all, we laughed together. I loved and admired him, and was prouder of him than words can convey.

Before we were married, Coulter’s mom (Lanikai) told me that I would never understand the love of our Heavenly Father until I had a child of my own. In arrogance and a complete lack of context, I told her she was wrong, and I fully understood my relationship to God. Don’t tell her, but she was right.

It was not until God and Lanikai blessed me with Coulter that I began to understand the Love of a Father. That love and understanding were immediate. But one of the unexpected blessings of fatherhood is that your child can become your friend. Not because they must, but because you genuinely enjoy each other.

But this Father's Day, that brings me to something I wish every young person could understand.

All parents are flawed. They may not always say the right thing or understand you fully. But they likely love you more than you can imagine. In their hearts, the pictures are the same. You are the little boy or little girl they held in their arms. But even if something has gone wrong and your earthly family is not functioning as God designed, your Heavenly Father still loves you.

Coulter, although you knew we loved you, we suspect that only now, in the presence of the Father, do you truly understand how much.

Happy Father's Day.

I love you. I miss you.

You Are Loved More Than You Know.