Learning to be present for my children
When my late wife Chastidy was battling terminal cancer, and the animation studio I helped start was falling apart, I went on my first personal…
Running on empty
I sighed and looked at the gas gauge in my vehicle—ten miles to empty. Oh gas gauge, I thought, I can relate. Why is it always like this? So much to…
Developing thankfulness in difficulty
It’s so easy to be thankful in good times—when the job market is good, when you’re able to go on a nice family vacation, or when everyone is healthy…
The struggle to surrender
I've been thinking a lot about surrender and what it means as a believer—more specifically, as a special needs mom. I used to think of surrender as…
Four ways to connect with your kids this Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving evokes lots of wonderful memories for me. As a kid, my family would gather at my grandmother’s where the cousins would watch the…
Struggle well: Fatherhood, love, and grace
Fatherhood is a struggle. Don’t get me wrong. It is glorious, exhausting, worthwhile, exasperating, a blessing, and painful. It is all of those…
Back to Blahs, Blues, and Bullies Too
Back to school advice is often about returning to an earlier schedule, adjusting to new classes, and breaking in new shoes. Once school has started…
Lessons Learned Through Faith and Foster Care
I sat in my kitchen on a stormy morning about a month ago, looking at a precious baby boy sleeping in a bouncy seat on the counter in front of me. In…
The Truth About Consequences
When God created your children, He gave them life, breath, a soul, and a free will. No amount of parenting can remove your child’s God-given freedom…