What do you pray for? One of my kids, during our family prayer times, has begun to ask, “God help us to learn and be creative.” I love that prayer. I need it. Our family needs it. Our community needs it. Yeah, our country and world need people who seek God for learning and creativity.
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Family Media Fast
At the end of last month, some friends told my wife and me they were doing a media fast for all of September. They decided to take a break from social media, tv, movies, etc. One exception would be one movie night a week. Basically they wanted to put some boundaries on screen time for a month. Later that day, my wife asked me what I thought about us doing a media fast for the month of September. Inside I secretly thought, “That sounds awesome! I want to do it!” On the outside, though, I played it cool. I pretended to only be interested and supportive. My excitement stayed hidden. I wasn’t…
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Boundaries Are Your Friend
We hate boundaries. We need boundaries. I’m a recovering people pleaser. I struggle with boundaries. It is very hard for me to say “no” to people. I feel guilty saying “no” and I feel like I need to solve all the world’s problems. Do you struggle with this? Do you try and always say “yes” to your work, your boss, your pastor, your family? We cannot do it all. Healthy boundaries are a must. Not everyone should get a voice at all times into your life and your decisions. Do not allow those most important to you to be out-voiced by others. Also, unhealthy people should not be making decisions for you.…
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Don’t Live Alone
This post is not directly connected to my previous post Feeling Alone? Decrease Your Circles. I’m not suggesting you don’t live alone because you might be lonely, or as an option for you. I think, in general, we are not met to live alone. Think about it. When in history has one lived alone? You literally couldn’t for survival purposes. I think there is more to it than that though. We are wired for community. We are met to live in community. Living alone, among other things, leads us to getting our way in everything. I want my way just like everyone else, but this is not very helpful for…
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Raising Entrepreneurial Kids
One of our goals as a family is to help our children identify one passion they have and turn it into a business. Our hope is for them to have a way to provide for themselves before they go to college. To start off, we are looking at what they cannot stop doing. For example, one of our kids loves to cook. No one is allowed to cook in her presence without her help. She is willing to try any type of food. Since she was two, she has enjoyed watching cooking shows. Sounds like a passion! The key is looking for that one thing they cannot stop doing. Later they may choose…
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Stop The Comparison Game
Just because someone lives their life differently than you, does not mean they think you are doing it wrong. Stop the comparison game. Everyone is doing the best they can. Just because someone lives their life, parents their kids, spends their money, schools their children, leads their career…and the list goes on…just because they do these things differently than you, it does not mean you are doing it wrong. It is possible to have strong, differing opinions and still be on the same side. Let’s all be on the side of living good lives, raising great kids, having amazing marriages…no matter what path we take to get there. You can…
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Mom Power
Moms are amazing. They mold and make us into who we are. Moms love when no one else loves. Moms forgive. Some moms get to birth children. Others adopt them…or pick them up along the way. All moms make a difference. I am super grateful for my mom. We get to live and work together. The memories we are making as a family are so wonderful. I’m also honored to be married to a great mom. The way she loves on and points our kids to Jesus is awesome. What is one thing you love about your mom? Please share. Then go tell her.
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Parenthood: Soak It In
I took my 5 year old daughter to Chick-fil-A Daddy Daughter Date Night this evening. We ate. We talked. After our meal, she enjoyed a bowl of ice cream with M&Ms and Oreos on top. As I patiently waited for her to enjoy her ice cream, I slowed down for a moment. I looked into her eyes and saw the wonder, the awe, the innocence, the excitement. I looked at her pretty dress, her painted nails, her beautiful smile. For a moment, she was 15…and then 25. We were enjoying time together, talking about what young adult girls talk to their daddy about. She was no longer a little girl. Our…
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Real Productivity
A dad just walked into Starbucks with his 3 year old. They are on a date. I wonder if he knows this is the most important thing he will do this week? Do I realize the same when I am spending time with my family?
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Decide to Play Hurt
It is no fun to be hurt. Whether your pain is from a temporary sickness, a tragic life event or a chronic attack on you physically or emotionally, the feeling can be overwhelming. It paralyzes you. It makes you want to escape. You are hoping to wake up from this horrible nightmare. Have you ever felt crippled by your hurt? I remember once when I was about 10 years old, sitting on the steps in our house early one morning. I didn’t feel good. Nothing serious, but I was ready to go back to bed. Dad was dressed, making his coffee, preparing to fly out the door. He came across…