Lis is in Sweden visiting her mom, so this week’s OneFamily Letter rests on my shoulders. The story below is an episode that was a major fork in the road for the Marr family. Little did we know that when we took the kids inner-tubing down an icy run that our lives would take a sudden turn for the worse. Lis settled in to the tube and launched herself down the run. Halfway down a [...]
Today’s OneFamily Letter is but a short video clip of a baby under 1 year old and a poem that captures the reality of a child’s growing heart and mind. Enjoy both. Our little babies are doing to us what we aspire to do to God - mimic His ways. We humans are designed to be copying creatures trying to sync up with our givers of life. Think on this: As far as your child [...]
If we’ve learned anything in the years we’ve lead parenting classes, it is this: The parenting process is a series of relational transitions. In our Parenting Phases letter, we described four stages and the relational phases: Birth to Toddlerhood – Discipline Phase Toddlerhood to Childhood – Training Phase Childhood to Teenagers – Coaching Phase Late Teens though Adulthood – Mentoring/Friendship Phase It’s often difficult for parents to transition through each of these phases and make [...]
“Every day is Valentine’s Day!” This is the usual quip Rich jokingly says to Shelly every Valentine’s Day. Yet, joking aside, it does lead to a very important question. Are you intentionally expressing your love on a daily basis and is it being received effectively? Or is it only intentionally expressed on special occasions… like Valentine’s Day? Simply saying “I love you” every day is nice, but sometimes it’s meaning can easily become diluted and [...]
Are you the best husband or wife you can be? Are you the best parent you can be? Are you the best son or daughter, brother or sister, friend, employer, employee, volunteer you can be? Are you the best version of you? Last year, in our New Year’s Resolution letter, we asked you to consider creating various communities as part of your resolutions. And, if you are a consistent reader of OneFamily letters, you know [...]
Imagine giving birth to triplets. Then imagine raising them all by yourself because the father wanted no part of you or raising three young lives. To make matters worse, you receive no financial support and continue to have health related issues from the delivery of those tiny little babies. Imagine thinking you’ve just finished raising your own child and then your younger, heroin addicted, sister gives birth to two baby boys and doesn’t want them. [...]
Every week we are confronted with the same agonizing dilemma, what should we write about that is of interest and value to you? We have 500 people receiving these emails, each with a unique perspective as to what’s worth investing the 5 minutes necessary to pick up whatever we’re throwing down. The young parents with teeny little ones have different desires than more seasoned parents of middle-schoolers, so we sort of work up and down [...]
Life is a journey, not a destination. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson Creating a thriving and vibrant family life is a journey. It is one that can provide fulfillment with meaning, purpose, and joy. However, it is not easy. It requires an intentional commitment to marriage and parenting that transcends many of the challenges and difficulties which inherently come from pursuing something meaningful. For this reason, we created OneFamily with Lis and Dave Marr. Our mission [...]
For the Howards, this is our favorite time of year. It’s a great time to reflect upon our blessings, enjoy many family traditions, and refocus our perspective on our life’s priorities. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year! However, in all that wonderfulness, it can also be the most stressful time of the year! Between Christmas shopping, decorating the house (Inside and Out), mailing out a billion Christmas cards, baking that never [...]
With the election one week away, one thing is 100% certain. A lot of people are NOT going to be happy! And guess what? That’s ok. We all understand that disappointment, frustration, anger, and disillusionment are a part of life. But how we deal with these emotions, and manifest them, can critically impact our lives and the lives of our spouse and children as we mentioned in our Emotional Expression letter. Learning to properly manage [...]