Stepmom: The place between rock and hard
When I saw the uncontrollable shaking shoulders of my stepdaughter-in-law as she wept at our wedding, I knew the stepmom life was going to be harder…
Hope for when honoring your parents is hard
Growing up, I had a good relationship with my parents. Honoring and obeying them came relatively easy. But when I hit adulthood, things got…
Investing in your marriage is worth the sacrifice
There were 101 reasons why a March getaway with my husband to focus on our marriage didn’t make sense—the kids’ spring activities in full swing, a…
Bitterness, forgiveness, and restoration
People get hurt. People get sad and mad. People get bitter. It happens to adults. It happens to kids. It’s happened to us and it’s happened in our…
Wonder
One of my goals as a father is to infect my children with childlike wonder. Arthur Gordon is one of my role models when it comes to wonder. I read…
Simply enjoying your children: A father’s advice for love and joy
“Tell me you are from a small town without saying you are from a small town . . . .” “Tell me you are married without saying that you are married . .…
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…
Role reversal: The beauty of serving a parent
I’ve observed my mom almost eat glass. She’s been lost around the neighborhood a few times, she’s told me she doesn’t love me anymore, and she drank…
Four truths about childhood for grandparents to embrace
Vacation requests were approved and tickets bought. Beds were ready and the refrigerator was stocked. Finally, the day came! Our three grandchildren…
