For every parent, there comes a day when you wake up to realize that your relationship with your maturing teen is about to change. They are most likely a high school senior, making guided decisions for their future and taking the necessary steps to prepare for their life apart from you. It’s a challenging time for most kids as they may seem to be hesitant or seem like they can hardly wait to get out [...]
With anything that is a skill, there are basics that can be honed into muscle memory that make performance easy and effective. Whether it’s scooping up ground balls, shooting free throws, knocking in a 4-foot putt, or developing a pre-swing routine, it is these fundamentals you must practice over and over, not because fundamentals are simple (because they are not), but because the rest of the game is founded on the principles inherent in them. [...]
As we have both grown and matured since getting married right out of college, there is one skill we have learned to develop that has been significant in all of our relationships. Whether it is with our marriage, our children, our family and friends, or everyday relationships at work or in our community, learning the skill of discernment has become a game changer in our lives. Discernment is the ability to gain understanding in order [...]
Today’s Letter is from Dave to the Dads I put my hand on Dano’s forehead and started shaking it back and forth in a way I knew would make him laugh. “Ok, I see it. Here it comes¦. Wow! It’s a rocket ship and you’re blasting off into outer space. Dano, this is going to be a great dream. Ok, you’re pressed back into your chair as the rocket leaves the earth’s orbit” as I [...]
As our boys have gotten older, one parenting tool that we have utilized the most is planting seeds. While the generic concept of planting seeds is not new, our friends Dave and Lis provided us with a perspective that took the concept to a new level in our parenting with a 2 step approach – Planting seeds (initiate an idea or topic with a question) and Cultivation (ongoing conversation follow up). This tool has been [...]
Maybe your children are very young and the prospect of them going off into the world and being independent of you seems a far away dream. Your children are a part of your life and don’t have a life of their own so dependent are they on your inputs. You help them understand the world based on your understanding. Your views, your filtering of what they see, your nurturing and disciplining shapes their very understanding [...]
Father’s Day is almost here, so we thought it would be great to re-examine a teaching that focuses on eight specific duties dads can intentionally implement that cultivate and strengthen the bonds of trust with his children. The Father’s Mandate lesson from Growing Kids God’s Way, by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, was an important catalyst for our marriage and for our kids. It gave Rich some practical ways to be more purposeful with the boys [...]
What we are seeing transpire in our country is heartbreaking and humbling at every level. The heart of the issues we are seeing are heart issues! Doing what is right and being better people begins at home. The job of every parent is to daily teach their children God’s commandments to love Him and love one another as we love ourselves. It is teaching them the How, the Why and the Way of God from [...]
I have been a mom for 22 years and the baby boy that made me a mom is graduating from college this week! For 22 years motherhood has been a lot of heart-wrenching, heart-warming, soul-searching and blessed work. As we celebrate all moms this weekend, I wanted to share some thoughts I had from my own journey in motherhood that may cause you to reflect as well. Heart-wrenching: We will spend a third to three [...]
During this unprecedented season when families are required to stay home and maintain social distancing, we want to be an encouraging and sustaining resource that will equip you with practical insights and tools to help you take hold of the opportunities for a productive and fruitful family time. Parents everywhere are discovering more of the blessings and joy that this extended time at home is providing. Here are last weeks tips in case you missed [...]