Character and Values | Fight For The Heart | Middle School (6th-8th) | Self Care
How We View Our Own Beauty Shapes How Our Daughters View Theirs
Jingly bracelets and gardenia perfume—I must’ve been about eight as Mom got ready for an evening out. I don’t know where they went, or how late they stayed out, but I do remember the mean things she said to herself in the mirror, which stood in stark contrast... Read More
Why You Should Let Your Kids See You Do Something You Love
I can count on one hand the amount of things I love more than I love Zumba. Zumba and me go way back: I started taking the fitness class at a point in my life when I was the most downtrodden I’d ever felt—I had been laid off... Read More
Family Life | Make It Personal | Self Care
Surviving Parenthood
If you knew what was involved in parenting, would you still go back and choose to do it? I’ll be honest, most days I would say, “no.” I would say that I’m clearly not cut out for this. In fact, parenting isn’t in my strength-finder results. If I... Read More
Family Life | Make It Personal | Self Care
Parenting Dangerously Close to Empty
I love to live on the edge. At least that is what I tell my kids when they are all frustrated with me. I am that person. That person that drives until the “E” light in my car has been shining at me for about 30 miles. It... Read More
Family Life | Make It Personal | Self Care
How to Find Refreshment in the Middle of Summer
Think back to what summer was like before you had kids. Do you remember the glory of it? The late start to the day. Creating your own schedule. Taking actual vacations? (Because let’s be honest, a day at the beach with kids is not really a vacation. It’s... Read More
Family Life | Make It Personal | Self Care
You Are Enough
The thing about having a baby is that no one, no one, can prepare you for the full experience. People will give you advice—mostly unsolicited—but until you take your sweet baby home . . . there just aren’t words to convey the joy, pain, responsibility, honor, anxiety, and... Read More
The Wrestling Match
He told us matter-of-factly this morning that he thought he was getting taller. We’re short people. So this was big news. And he was right. Asher, my six-year-old is getting taller. And his knees are getting knobbier, bearing more scraps from run-ins with sticks, cement, and rocks. His hands... Read More
Finding Confidence in Parenting
There are a lot of things I’m confident about. I’m confident that my 3-month-old hates sleep. I’m confident that my kitchen will remain a mess until the year 2050. I’m confident that I’ll never ever like sushi. And I’m confident that I will always choose the slowest line... Read More
When You Feel Like a Total Failure as a Parent
One of my most dismal moments as a dad came a few years ago when my friend Reggie Joiner and I were writing our book, Parenting Beyond Your Capacity. When you write a parenting book, it’s tempting to think you need to have arrived, only because everyone who... Read More
I Feel Like a Failure
I just got off the phone with my best friend since 7th grade. Her name is Megan*, and she is one of my favorite people on Earth. First, she makes a mean grilled cheese, and second, she is one of the most loyal people I know. Now, between... Read More