I am thankful for the blessings that my father provided for me and my family growing up as a child. He worked hard to provide for our family and to meet our physical needs. He also led our family by making sure we all went to church together. He gave us a good example of serving in the ministry of the church and being a leader, a servant, a giver, and a helper in the work of the ministry of the church body. He was the one who I first saw spending time personally in the Word of God early in the morning before the day got too busy. My father was very human with flaws and struggles just like us all, but I expressed to him many times the things I was thankful that he gave to me to help me get started in life. During our vacation, my brother and I discussed some of these things as well as some of the struggles he had as well. We both have made conscience intentional decisions to carry his good qualities with us, while at the same time making a few changes in our own fatherhood in our families. As I am thankful for my physical father and the life that he made possible for me, I am most thankful for my Heavenly Father and the best example of fatherhood He has given to me and to every one of His children. God the Father is perfectly loving, but He also chastens us in His love for us. God the Father has given us His rules for life and His expectations for our life, and He reminds us of them before chastening us in our disobedience. My Heavenly Father does provide for me in many ways, especially the things I cannot do for myself. However, He also expects me to do for myself the things I am capable of doing, especially with His help of wisdom and encouragement. My Heavenly Father tells me “NO” when I am seeking something that is not in His will for me or is not best for me. My Heavenly Father also tells me to wait on many things and I need to be patient in waiting for them. No matter what kind of human father you may have had, if you have God as your Heavenly Father, then you have the greatest and perfect example of fatherhood any one could ever hope for. We just need to make sure we are following the best example with our best effort.