My Parents

If I was to describe each of my family members in three words, this is what comes to mind:

My Dad: Leader. Wise. Loving. My Dad is a faithful leader, from his days in the Air Force, to working at the Master's Seminary and being involved in children's ministries at Grace Community Church, to the way he has always shepherded my family. While actively being involved in ministry for a number of years, my Dad has NEVER been absent in the home. My Dad is a wise man, his office at home and work are filled with bookshelves and countless books I can only dream about reading someday. My Dad has so much book knowledge but also so much practical sense/life experience knowledge. But what I most respect about my Dad, is that He is wise and knowledgeable about God's Word. He loves God's Truth and that is what ultimately defines him. Lastly, while he may have an intimidating exterior, my Dad is so loving. As my mom likes to insist, he's really a teddy bear once you get to know him. :) My Dad is always taking my mom on some romantic date (from Hawaii to Canada to Europe this summer, to Bed & Breakfasts, to the Melting Pot...OK you get the idea ;) ) and he loves to spend time with his kids and granddaughter. The way he talks about us or the way he gets teary-eyed (and he never gets teary-eyed) when he thinks about us all living apart from one another someday is truly sweet and touching. While I am the beneficiary of many of his wise (and deserved) lectures, I also am the recipient of so many of his hugs. My Dad always knows, even just by looking at me, when I am upset or emotional (it's kind of scary sometimes). My oldest brother, Matt, jokingly likes to call him the "patriarch," an appropriate title because I can't imagine our family functioning without him.

My Mom: Home-maker. Family-oriented. Faithful. My mom is always working on some project in the house, or cooking some delicious meal, or buying some item for dirt cheap with all the coupons she collects, or hosting somebody in our home. While our home isn't big, often the first thing that a guest mentions, upon first entering our house is how homey it is. That's thanks to my mom. She also is very thoughtful and strategic when it comes to prioritizing my dad's preferences as it relates to our home. She always knows when he is going to have a crazy or stressful week and makes sure she plans her schedule accordingly. She is so family-oriented. Mom's greatest pride and joy in life next to being Mrs. Ray Mehringer, is her role as Mom and "Marmee." She loves to make her rounds throughout the week: visiting Courtney at Starbucks, sitting in on one of my college classes at Master's, or babysitting Reese. She has even driven to Burbank to have lunch with Tad at his office and has sat in as Matt has taught his junior highers at Trinity Classical Academy. She always sends us helpful reminders via e-mail about some important date or occasion. And when I come home on the weekend or during a break, I always find a stack of "welcome home" treats from her, from fuzzy socks, to hot chocolate mix, to a penciled note about wanting to go out for a lunch date. She also is quick to hand me a thermos of coffee as I jet out to work at Gap in the morning. Mom finally is very faithful. Mom always is involved in some neat ministry opportunity, from prayer get-togethers, to seminary wives fellowship, to Bible Study Fellowship, to a newly married Bible Study for seminary couples with my dad, etc. But she never lets these things replace her personal time with the Lord. I often come into her room only to find her sitting on her bed with her Bible in her lap, with the mound of Christian books she is reading piled on the nightstand next to her, or walk into the house as she is listening to Nancy Leigh DeMoss' radio program "Revive our Hearts." I don't think my dad could be the man that he is without the support of my mom behind him. And as I think about the many years mom spent homeschooling each of us, I know that her children couldn't be the adults that we are today, were it not for the many years she spent instructing us and modeling a lifestyle of godliness before us.