Family Life | Make It Personal | Mental Health
The One Thing That Will Help You Survive Parenting as an Introvert
Confessions of an Introvert I am an introvert through and through. Although I love authentic relationships and conversations, people, no matter how much I love them, drain my energy. Do you know who else is a person (albeit little)? My three-year-old daughter,… Read More
Family Activities | Family Life
Let Your Kids Be Bored
“Moooooom! I’m boooored!” I’d been bracing myself for this time-honored refrain for months as my almost-4-year-old’s naptime slowly transitioned to “quiet” time. I felt a deep stab of guilt. His toddler brother was sound asleep, and the nap block was sacrosanct for… Read More
Elementary (K-5th) | Family Life | Fight For The Heart | High School (9th-12th) | Middle School (6th-8th)
The Humility of Connection
Growing up, I had a hard time connecting with my dad. Different Interests As a kid, all I could see were the differences between us. I liked to read comic books. I loved to draw. I would play with action figures for… Read More
Family Life | Make It Personal
Play is Essential for Parents, Too
There’s been one thing that has become clear to me through having kids that is missing in my life (and the life of many other people I know). Sound sleep, money in the bank, and a leisure day at the pool are… Read More
Family Life | Fight For The Heart
How No-Drama Discipline Helps Me Communicate with My Toddler
My toddler daughter, Arden, is very toddlery these days. And by toddlery, I mean I can’t help but look at the clock and wonder how in the world I’m supposed to make it to bedtime without us both collapsing in a puddle… Read More
Advice I’d Give Myself If I Were Starting Over as a Dad
This is going to sound strange, but I do wonder sometimes if God got it backwards when it comes to parenting. I’m not really questioning God’s wisdom, so don’t respond with a super-spiritual answer to correct my logic, just let me think… Read More
Why You Should Go on an Adventure with Your Family
I come from a family of campers. Tent campers, to be exact. I suppose it’s always been in my DNA, with parents who loved National Parks and toured us all around the great American West. I can still vividly remember that cold,… Read More
The Power of the Parentheses
“How can you endure giving kids back after they’ve lived with you?” It’s a good question. It’s often asked. And the answer is, “It’s really hard.” At some point, all foster parents face the reality of packing up suitcases with accumulated clothes,… Read More
High Hopes
We all have high hopes for our future, especially for our kid’s future. We all want the “perfect” family and we even try to fake it to the world through social media. But the truth is, we are not perfect. Our lives… Read More
5 Quick Ways to Help Your Kid Finish the School Year
I recently wrote a book called, “Finish, Give Yourself the Gift of Done.” One of the things that inspired me to write it was how difficult it is to actually finish goals. According to a study by the University of Scranton, 92%… Read More