What Saved Our Marriage
Sherwood and I met when we attended the same high school. We never graduated with our classmates; we quit high school to get married. I turned 17 in August and we were married in September. In February we had Chip, our first child. That spring we watched from our car...
An Eternal Home
The evening prior to my grandfather’s open-heart surgery, I sat at the foot of his hospital bed as he recounted the exchange he had had with his surgeon. “The doctor told me I might not live through the surgery tomorrow,” my grandfather explained, and then added “I...
5 Things Your Pastor Shouldn’t Tell You
GOOD WORKS GET YOU INTO HEAVEN This is one of the most common misconceptions in religion today. So many people believe that if they are good enough - if their good outweighs their bad - they will be allowed into heaven. This is simply not the case. “For by grace are...
Tips for Teens
Ah, the teenage years. I feel like it was just yesterday that I embarked on those never-forget years of being a teenager. There were many memories made during my teen years: high school, heading off to college, first time to Disney World (I know, I was robbed in my...
The Most Basic Needs of Teens
Most likely you or someone you know has had to deal with a distressed teenager at some time or another. Let’s face it; our American culture has taken its toll on the emotional health and well-being of our teens. They face pressures today that put them on the brink of...
15 Ways to Affirm Your Children
1. Speak Praise to Them—just pause in an unexpected moment and say, “Hey, I just want you to know I’m proud of you, and here are some reasons why!” 2. Write a Specific Note to Them—Write out the good qualities and successes you see unfolding in their lives. Even...
Enjoying Life With Your Teen
Teenagers in Your Home? You’ve lived through 2 a.m. feedings, toddler temper tantrums, and the back-to-school blues. So why is the word “teenager” causing you so much anxiety? The teenage years are an intense time of growth, not only physically, but morally and...
Making a House a Home
It was a plain house. The walls were off-white and the furniture was mismatched and worn. Not much insulation, and no indoor plumbing. The outside was no better. It certainly needed repairs and painting. And then there was the landscaping, or should I say lack...