What I might say to...

a young husband and father who recently lost his father in a tragic accident:  There is but One that can fill the emptiness your father left behind.  God desires to know you and to be your Father now. 

What I would say to Jim...

At my daughter's wedding, you asked me how I raised the kids that I did.  I answered, 'By the grace of God.'  I wasn't just saying that because it's something people tend to say when asked a question like that.  From the time they were born, I taught them about God.  And I taught them to seek Him first.  (Matthew 6:33).  They learned that God has more than just a plan for their lives, He has a plan for the deepest part of their heart and their very soul as well.  A God centered life is to know a life full of magic and wonder. When she was quite small, she looked up at me and said, "Momma, knowing God is like having a magic genie."  My heart stood still.