Maya Angelou once said, I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a

better place for all people. When we think of the word hero, it tends to conjure
up certain emotions and perhaps a particular person or character quality comes to
mind. Most of us can think of someone or something that constitutes a hero in our
minds. I tend to agree with Maya Angelou and for that reason, I believe that Vinny
Guida was a great hero.
Let me begin by saying, I write this from a unique perspective, so although these
words are perhaps not the most eloquent, they are raw and genuine and real, so to
me, they are beautiful. These are my thoughts of a hero; my personal hero and role
model and a wonderful hero in the faith. All of us have shared a unique relationship
with Vinny, but I write this as the only person in the room who can speak from this
perspective Daddys little girl.
All of us here knew Vinny Guida and all of us had special encounters with him. From
what I know of my Dad, many, if not all of us, can think back to at least one moment
with him that impacted our life for the better. For me, I have many of those
momentsand for that, I am thankful. You see, my Dad lived out what it means to
be a Disciple of Christ and because of that, we are all left with beautiful memories,
which are now treasures. My Dad lived to become more like Christ every day, so
because of this, I have no bad memories of my father. You see, I am blessed
because my earthly father lived to be as close to a mirror image of our Heavenly
Father as he could. He spent countless hours studying the Word and wearing out his
knees to seek after his heavenly Father. More on this later, but let me shed some
light on how I knew, from the very beginning of my life, that my Dad was my hero.
Some of my earliest memories of my Dad are those of him serving his family. Now
this was a pervasive theme in my fathers life and only continued to grow, as we
grew, but let me share some early memories to paint a better picture for you of how
I see my Dad. Picture this, working a full day at work and then going to school in the
evening, to better yourself, so that you could continue to provide for your family.
Then, after a long, hard day, coming home to continue to pour yourself out to your
family, because you love them. That was my Dad, coming home after a long days
work, to play dolls with a bouncy little girl. And then to tuck your kids in so that you
could do your own homework. That was my Dad, but he was never too tired or too
busy for us. As a little girl, who was afraid of the dark, my Daddy helped me feel
safe, and he was never too busy to stay in my room with me for just 5 more
minutes, because I hoped to fall asleep while my Daddy was in there to protect me.
After this, he would stay awake to work on his own homework, only to start the
cycle all over again the next day.
Dad was loving. I remember him taking me every single Sunday, just me and him,
to the skating rink. He would help me get safely onto the floor and then wave at me
as I passed by. Never too busy and never too distracted to never miss anytime that I
would say, Dad, watch this!--just watching with that loving look in his eye.

My Dad was joyful. Even in situations that would clearly warrant fear, chaos,
sadness, or anger. Of course, my Dad experienced his fair share of these emotions,
as we all have, but he knew where his source of joy was found; never in the
circumstances, but in his Savior and the Hope, which he had. When I think of Dads
joy, I will always remember Dad singing his heart out in church and never being able
to find the right beat to clap on, but never being deterred from worshiping with a
pure heart, filled with joy because of Jesus.
My Dad was peaceful. In fact, when I think about my father, this is one of the main
words which come to mind. I dont really know how to describe it, but just being
around him brought a sense of comfort. I remember when I was laid off from a job I
had during my teenage years, I was so upset I could hardly drive. The first thing I
wanted to do was call my Dad. So thats what I did, I pulled over and called him. He
just had a way with words, which could reassure you in the most difficult of times.
My Dad personified what it meant to practice withness. After a terrible breakup,
my Dad was there with a bear hug and a tissue. Being with him was just comforting
and peaceful, and he just seemed to always know what to do.
Dad was patient. This brings me back to when I was learning how to drive. Dad truly
had the patience of a saint. He never once got upset with me, although I might have
scared him silly (especially this one time), but he would never get angry, just
correct me with love and help me to know how to do better next time. And no
matter how many times it took me to practice to Parallel Park, my Dad was never
upset; he just fixed the cones one more time and encouraged me to try again.
Dad was kind. When I think of Dads kindness, I think of how he interacted with
others. No matter where he went, he had such a kind, welcoming smile that
glimmered through his eyes and drew people to him. He would seek people out just
to pay them a random compliment, even if he had never met them before. He
genuinely cared for others. I witnessed this throughout my life and it was always
interesting to me to see how other people would react to Dads kindness. Some
people thought Dad was being silly or sarcastic and some people just didnt know
how to respond, but Dad was always serious about his kindness. Perhaps kindness is
just not as common these days, but Dad never let that deter him.
Dad was good. I had to look up the definition of Biblical goodness, so I would know
exactly how it is defined. According to one definition, Goodness in man is not a
mere passive quality, but the deliberate preference of right to wrong, the firm and
persistent resistance of all moral evil, and the choosing and following of all moral
good. Our heavenly Father is good to his children and my earthly father was good
to his children, as well. No matter the cost, my Dad did the right thing. Even if he
made a mistake, he always did the right thing. My Dad was a man of humility and
was never too proud to ask for forgiveness. Perhaps, this example could also tie into
my Dads gentleness. One day, there was a big snake in a bush in our front yard,
right next to the front door. My Dad allowed it to live there unharmed, until he

realized it was a poisonous snake. Now, for most of us, there would be no question
or issue of ridding the earth of this creature, as it could cause us harm, but not for
my Dad. My father killed the snake, but admitted to me later, that he was very
upset with himself and needed to ask for forgiveness for killing one of Gods
creatures. A few days after, he shared with me that he had been very troubled over
his decision to kill the snake and would act differently, should the situation repeat
itself.
Dad was faithful. To be faithful implies an unswerving adherence to a person or
thing or to the oath or promise by which a tie was contracted. Dad was faithful to
his wife, his family, and to his Lord. As mentioned earlier, Dad spent hours upon
hours in his library getting to know Jesus. As I write this, I sit in his library and feel a
sense of peace. I look around and see pieces of Scripture jotted down on little notes
all over the room. I see journals opened to certain prayer requests and multiple
Bible study books with bookmarks and sticky notes in different places. Although my
Dad was one of the strongest men of God, who I have ever met, he never thought
that being too close to Jesus was ever really something to be achieved. Thinking
back over my life, the majority of my memories of my Dad involve him either in
personal study, prayer, family devotion, or involvement in his church. Even when it
seemed like my Dad was not doing those things, perhaps he was at work or on
vacation, I knew he still was; he was in constant communication with his Jesus. My
Dad did many things behind the scenes, which many here may not know about. He
was a serious prayer warrior and chances are he has prayed for probably most of us
in this room at some point in time. He taught me how to pray. In fact, I think hearing
my Dad pray will be one of the things I miss most about him. He just had a way with
words. He approached the Throne of Grace with a humble confidence. He knew how
to praise and petition the Lord, in a way that you just knew God was listening and
moving. My Dad knew how to pray, but more importantly he also knew how to
listen. One night, my Dad and I went to the church to pray over the seatsthis was
something we did for quite a while on Saturday nights. During this time, we both
spent time in personal prayer, but then we would pray together. When we prayed
together, I remember my Dad just sitting in silence for quite some time after saying
Let us pray. At first, I was pretty confused thinking, why is he not speaking if he is
praying, but after talking about it together, I learned that listening to the Lord is an
equally, if not more important, part of prayer. And lets not forget all of his prayers
at family gatherings. The food might have been a little cooler at the end of the
prayer, but our spirits were filled and satisfied when Dad prayed.
Dad was self-controlled. He practiced self-control in every aspect of his life, which I
can think ofemotional self-control, physical self-control, financial self-control, and
the list could go on. He always did things in moderation and never over did
anything.
As you can see, I could go on and on about how wonderful my earthly father was.
He has left me with beautiful memories and for that, I am forever grateful. I have

such a respect for my father and am so grateful for the example that he has set for
me. I am thankful for such a powerful legacy that was left in me, that my children
and my childrens children will know exactly who my father was. On Fathers Day in
2008, my Father spoke with us and generated our Family Commitment. We all
signed this commitment and are in agreement to teach our children about Jesus and
serve the Lord with our families, so that the generations to come can stand on our
shoulders. When I say I want to be like my Dad, that comes with a great
responsibility and some big shoes to fill. It comes with being a mighty prayer
warrior, a light to those in darkness, and a true Disciple of Christ. To be like my
earthly father means being much more than just being a good person. It means
being a devoted, surrendered follower of Christ. Its understanding who I am in
Christ, living it out, and teaching others the same.
You know, my Dad was a lot of things to a lot of people, but most importantly, my
Dad was a disciple of the Lord, a co-heir with Christ. My dad truly was close enough
to His Rabbi to be covered in His dust. Of all the things my Dad taught me, I am
thankful he taught me the most important thing he taught me that Christ is all. He
taught me through his words, but most importantly, he taught me through his
actions. You know, John Piper once said, All heroes are shadows of Christ. And
when I think about it, that statement perfectly sums up my sweet Daddy, and that is
why my Dad is and will always be my hero.