"HAPPY BIRTHDAY DALE!!"

The Word of God instructs us to give “honor to whom honor is owed.” (Romans 13:7) Please indulge me for a minute as I fulfill this admonition and give honor to my brother Dale.

Most of you who read this know Dale, and there isn’t a lot I can tell you about how wonderful he is that would surprise you. Just a reminder, I have known him longer than anyone who reads these posts, and I am quite proud to say that!

Dale is a wonderful man of God. He and his sweet wife, Mel have raised two other wonderful men of God who are a tribute to their heritage.

Dale does as much to encourage and assist young preachers as any man I have ever known. He is a great preacher, a great leader, a great friend, and to me the most wonderful brother in the entire world. I wish everyone in the world could have a brother like Dale.

Our relationship has been a good one since our college days at Freed Hardeman, but is stronger than ever since the passing of our Dad. One of the greatest privileges of my life is working with Dale through our efforts in the Jenkins Institute as we strive to keep the memory and work of our Dad alive.

One of Dale’s sons asked me to write something to honor him on his 50th Birthday. It was an honor to do so and I wanted to share part of what I wrote with you.

Dear Dale,

Happy 50th Birthday. My prayer is that it will be a wonderful day for you as well as a wonderful year. I just wanted to take a few minutes to say thank you.

Thank you for being the wonderful man of God you are.

Thank you for the way you love your family.

Thank you for the way you lead the church.

Thank you for your kind heart.

Thank you for the way you show the love of God to everyone around you.

Thank you for the way you encourage younger men to be what God would want them to be. I know of no one among us who does more to help train, prepare, and encourage young preachers than you. Your work with them is helping to secure the future of the Lord’s Church. The hundreds, perhaps thousands of young men that you influence all respect you and love you just as they should. You are making a tremendous difference in their lives and ministry.

Thank you for being the best brother that any man could ever have. One of the greatest blessings in my life is being known as your brother. When people talk about how wonderful you are and about the great work you are doing I feel honored to get to be your brother. Your love and leadership in our family is outstanding. The example you are to me and all of us is a tremendous blessing. 

I love you more than I can tell you. I thank God daily for the special bond that we have because of our heritage. I am so thankful for the opportunity that we have now to work together and to be able to spend some time together. My prayer is that it will be this way for years to come.

My prayer is that God will continue to bless your life richly and that He will continue to use you mightily. Also, that He will continue to bless you, Mel, and all of your family richly. I know that Dad & Mom are looking down on you with a tremendous amount of pride.

Thank you for everything you do.

I love you,

Jeff