Please Excuse the Mess… We Live Here

Please Excuse the Mess… We Live Here

I have a problem. I’m a bit of an OCD neat freak. And my family is not. I’m a “picture-perfect” kind of guy who literally walks down the hallway of our house and daily straightens the family photos. From what my wife and kids say, nothing brings out the...
Keeping the Fire in the Fireplace

Keeping the Fire in the Fireplace

You’re probably aware of the tragic fires raging in the state of California this past week. Our hearts and prayers go out to all of those affected. Like many things in life, fire can be both a blessing and a curse. Fire ablaze in the fireplace is a good thing. Fire...
In 2025, Your Kids Don’t Care!

In 2025, Your Kids Don’t Care!

“Dad, here’s a gift for you… Well, it’s actually a gift for you to give back to me and your future grandkids….” About eight months ago, our oldest son gave me a book called, Dad, Tell Me Your Story.  It was filled with questions to answer about my family, life,...
6 Parenting Books Worth Your Time in 2025

6 Parenting Books Worth Your Time in 2025

You’ve heard it before, that “leaders are readers.”  Well, it’s true, and in my opinion, there are no greater leaders in the world than the ones in every home—parents.  William Ross Wallace shared this sentiment when he said, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the...
Oh No, Jesus Was a Step-Child!

Oh No, Jesus Was a Step-Child!

Now the birth of Jesus was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.  Matthew 1:18 Imagine with me for a moment, Jesus, the only Son of God, was: The child of an...
Love the People That God Gives You

Love the People That God Gives You

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 Constant change—Two words that describe our home in a nutshell over the past few months and years.  Our one-year-old foster daughter is speeding through the seasons of...
Loud Fruit

Loud Fruit

“By their fruits ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:20 Woven throughout Scripture, there is a subtle yet motivational principle—fruits are extensions of roots (Luke 6:43-45).  One of the greatest Biblical fruits referenced is children—the “fruit of the womb.” God says...
Silence Is Not Always Golden

Silence Is Not Always Golden

We live in a world full of tough topics. And when it comes to our kids, silence is not always golden. If we fail to talk to our kids about the tough stuff, someone else certainly will. I can remember having “the talk” with each of our kids as preteens. However, more...
6 Small Daily Moments Parents Need to Prioritize

6 Small Daily Moments Parents Need to Prioritize

“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”  Eph. 5:16 Have you noticed?… that the days we’re living in are evil? Time is short… before our kids grow up into adults… before the impressionable years are gone… before Christ comes back again. I was reminded of...
Behavior Strategy #4 — Discipline as Discipleship

Behavior Strategy #4 — Discipline as Discipleship

No parent can avoid it. No child is without need of it. Discipline.  But, believe it or not, discipline is a gift.  Discipline provides parents with an unparalleled opportunity to tap into the innermost workings of their child’s heart. As a parent, you have: –...
Behavior Strategy #2 — The Required Response

Behavior Strategy #2 — The Required Response

As a child, our youngest son had a terrible habit of repeatedly failing to do what he was asked. And his excuse was always the same… “But, I didn’t hear you,” or ” I forgot.” On some level, all parents deal with kids not doing what...
Behavior Strategy #1 – The Repeat Re-do

Behavior Strategy #1 – The Repeat Re-do

This month, I’ll be sharing multiple ways to quickly and effectively address common behavior issues with your kids through heart-based strategies that work. While my wife and I got plenty of things wrong when our kids were young, these were some of the things we got...