Happy Father’s Day, Michael. I love you!!! Valerie
My husband Michael Ellsworth Curren Rocks!
I’m so thankful for the heritage of faith! My own father has been an incredible example of godly fatherhood for my entire life. He has found the way to balance faith, fun, and fatherhood…and it’s been passed down to both his sons and his son-in-law, my husband, Michael. What a tremendous legacy…his children rise up and call him blessed!
image from a Bing.com image search for “quiver scripture”
My husband has experienced Father God as a literal father to himself, someone who grew up basically fatherless. Although his parents were married when he was born, their marriage dissolved during his early elementary years and his mom moved him nearly halfway across the country surrounding that divorce. He only saw his dad a couple more times before he died during my husband’s teen years. He later had a step-father, who being a strong Christian, lead both Michael and his mother to the Lord! This man has been gone now for nearly two decades, and was a thousand miles away during my husband’s own developing into a father years.
image from a Bing.com image search for “fathers scripture quotes”
Michael is an amazing man of God, who has a near Abrahamic friendship style relationship with his Heavenly Father. He has overcome the odds of familial alcoholism and serial divorce and lives his life as a testament to the power of Christ to break the chains both within and about us. There are not enough words to convey the impact of seeing Michael persevere through the crucible years of Special Needs Parenting, and that is still the gift that still keeps on giving, though thankfully not with the same brutality as the early years! We love our special son, but he has challenged us in many ways–certainly beyond our own abilities to endure apart from God’s grace & strength…
image from a Bing.com image search for “quiver scripture”
My husband is such a blessing to me and to our four children…and also now to our new daughter-in-law. I really can’t wait to see where the Lord takes us on this wild ride that is marriage and family life in the (hopefully) many years to come.
Happy Father’s Day 2017
25 Years of Marriage
23 Years of Parenting
1 month of In-Lawing
Bing.com image search for “what a ride”
Below is a copy/paste from my niece’s Facebook page. She is quoting a poem my brother Curtis wrote about our dad many years ago. [Correction per my parents, see Comments below, this is actually a poem that Ashley wrote for my brother Curtis on the occasion of his birthday earlier–my mistake…] These sentiments are so applicable to my husband, my father, my brothers, and presumably to my sons when they too are blessed with Fatherhood someday…having all had many examples of men doing Fatherhood God’s Way! Enjoy…
Ashley Farasyn with Dawn Williams Stoddard.
Thank you for the gifts you’ve given me. The gifts of laughter and story-telling and articulation and poetry. Thank you for teaching me math is my friend and for being a rock and a firm foundation to stand on. Thank you for lifting me out of the water when I go under and gasp for air. Thank you for always knowing how to catch me even if I flail in the air and come down the wrong way. Thank you for being a dad who knows how to be right but also knows how to be wrong. Thank you for loving Jesus and bringing generational freedoms to your children and your household. Thank you for all your prayers and healing. Thank you for stepping into soberness so that I could follow. Thank you for speaking life into others and being sometimes the only bright part of someone’s day. I love that your main goal with whoever you come across is to make them see the love of Jesus and also pee their pants. I love how God made you. And I love that He put us together. And since you are not on FB, I will tag your wife because I know you use her phone in equal amounts. And because I can’t help it, I am recycling your birthday poem because it’s all so true. You are one of my favorites. ♡♤
▪¤
“What does it mean,”
“What does it mean?” you say
To have a dad who has fun
and knows how to play?
It means there’s games, and smiles,
and laughing galore
And tears rolling down cheeks
and more, more, more, more!
The more games there are,
the more creative our minds.
You see, dads who have fun
know how to seek, hide, and find!
They like to think out-of-the-box
and do the impossible.
Dads who have fun
are down right unstoppable!
What can’t we do
if we can climb the shelves at the store;
And throw cans of spaghetti sauce
at dinosaurs on the floor?
How about walking through forrests
and crossing tree logs,
To find the buried treasure of pirates
filled with chocolate coins and pogs?
When you have a dad who has fun,
nothing is boring!
So there’s no time whatsoever
for sleeps, yawns, or snorings!
Games abound by the dozen
and so does the fun!
Have you ever turned off the radio
and at the top of your voice, sung?
Have you ever crossed your legs
because you’re laughing so hard you might pee?
I don’t want to say it was me that did it,
but okay, it was me, it was me!
Dads are the best!
(But the fun ones are better.)
Your cheeks and your pants
just might get a tad wetter!
Don’t underestimate
the power of fun!
Laughing is therapy,
I asked a doctor once.
When you laugh,
you gain confidence
which is the opposite of fear.
A dad who shows you to laugh,
shows you he cares.
My dad is funny
and boy, he sure is the man!
He’s my number one sitcom
and I’m his number one fan!
Posting & Picture from my niece Ashley Stoddard Farasyn’s Facebook page, showing Zachary, daddy Curtis, and Ashley circa 1994
Michael & Valerie engaged, December 1991
that was then, this is now…”It’s not the years, it’s the mileage” as Indiana Jones said…
sons: Josiah, Brandon, & Nathaniel; husband Michael; & father Bill, circa 2011; at The Shack
Michael & our daughter Clarissa hunting Michigan’s North Woods, circa 2014
The pool where it all began…Valerie and Michael met at this pool in their then apartment complex, Sand Dollar, in Tulsa, Oklahoma in May of 1991. Val says that since they had no one in common, God introduced them. Returning to the scene of the crime they documented how things have changed over the ensuing years, Summer 2010.
Michael and his mom’s artwork; the rest of us will meet her some day when we are all with the Lord…
and in honor of the familial ADHD tendencies…
Michael’s Facebook caption for this one, “One of the dangers of being distracted by a squirrel!”
Rock!
Binding Faith Band, the beginning of Michael’s Christian Rock Band Adventures! Jason-rhythm guitar, Tim-vocals, Greg-lead guitar, Paul-drums, & Michael-bass
rocking in his basement Man Cave before allowing our son(s) to live there instead…
Rocking Rocktoberfest with his former band, Harken
New Band, Lively Pelts: Marty-lead guitar & vocals, Roy-drums, & Michael-bass & backup vocals, at Blessing of the Bikers, Victory Biker Church, June 17, 2017
Faith Walk
“Went to pick up pizza and got caught up in appreciating my Fathers handy work! Artist God.”
Michael’s found the narrow way, and wouldn’t you know it’s in the North Woods of Michigan! I’ve always said that Michigan is God’s Country…
What an awesome way to honor Michael who has become more than a son-in-law….
and the honoring of your own father was touching as well~ You STILL ARE SO GIFTED WITH VERBAL AND WRITTEN EXPRESSIVNESS….. AND A GIFT TO YOUR DAD AND ME!
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Thanks so much for these kind words & thoughts…and most especially for that blessed heritage of faith that you and Dad continue to live out loud with such Love!
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Your dad just read this wonderful blog…and he noticed what I missed when I read it. The poem that Ashley posted and you reposted was written by her about Curtis on the occassion of his 50th birthday last year. It wasn’t authored by Curtis about your dad.
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Well, thanks for the correction. I honestly thought it sounded like Curtis’ voice and could just as easily have been written by him about our Dad. Apparently that apple, or would it be more aptly called nut?, didn’t fall far from the tree!
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I have tried to live my life in such a way that glorifies the Lord, and yet walks upon the playful edge that balances love, laughter, and a touch of insanity. One my favorite quotes was written a former president.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Teddy Roosevelt.
I can’t say I have lived up to this bar, but I know I’ve danced around it from time to time. I honestly wouldn’t be where I am at in life without my wonderful wife, and fantastic kids who have taught more about humility than I could ever have come with on my own. As far my father goes? Well, I made my peace with the man who helped bring me into world long ago, but I also gave my heart to the Father who designed me well before the earth was even created. This is my true Father! Valerie is amazing, and I a loss for words from what I just read above, for most of what I see is man trying to stick his neck out ..a little bit ..with what I courage he can muster up, and a heavenly Father pushing him a little further so that His grace can be shown. Whatever greatness I have achieved, hopefully was done in way that brings glory to God, and not my own person. Being a father is an honor and a privilege, being a good father takes hard work and humility, and being great father (which I’m not declaring myself to be) takes a knee bent to the throne of God everyday to find out what God would do to express love in times of turmoil. That, I am still working on daily!
Thank you Valerie, you are too kind with your eloquent words. I am not worthy…
I love you dearly,
Michael Curren
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I always treasure whatever you write…it’s a piece of you I can hold onto without my own mental/emotional distortion potentially warping the view. You are an Amazing Man!!! God has blessed me, and our kids, so richly with your love, joy, strength, & creative craziness! I Love YOU! Valerie
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Dear Michael,
I cannot really add to what you’ve shared here…but I’m misty eyed at who you are, how you love, and that we get the privilege of living in that arena together, on God’s team, doing battle in/for Christ. I don’t deserve you but I am so blessed to share this wild ride with such a fun, crazy, godly, musical, creative, elusive elk (or is it lone wolf) who occasionally comes down from the mountain top to frolic with us mere mortals!
I love you!
Valerie
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Loved the photos and your tributes to each other.
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Thanks so much Betty. We so appreciate your love & prayers for our families…& your unique insights in the special needs domain. How are things with your grandson now?
Love, Valerie
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