The Trust Factor

Today, let’s talk about the Trust Factor. Are we coming apart as a society?  What role does trust or the lack of it play in what appears to be a tearing apart of our nation? What role will you and your family play in making your community and your world a safer place to live?  The Trust Factor is critically important in life. There’s a lot in the news nowadays about trust, or the lack of it, when it comes to our government leaders. Folks all over America are doubtful […]

How Can I Change?

How can I change? “I want my daughter to feel better about herself than I did growing up. But how can I help her with that if I don’t feel good about myself?” These are the words of a single mom who had become painfully aware of the destructive toll her anger and immaturity were taking on her daughter. I understood her painful question to mean there was a glimmer of hope for her relationship with her daughter. The weeks of therapy had created an awareness and an uncomfortable level […]

How Do I Change Directions?

How do I change directions? This blog addresses the last of the “Four Important Life Questions” series. There will be one more blog to continue the discussion of this very important question. Thank you for hanging in and doing the hard work required by honestly answering the previous three questions: (1) Where am I?, (2) How did I get to where I am?, and (3) Where am I going? Are you ready to change something about the way you do life? The change may be something small or truly life-altering. […]

How Did You Get To Where You Are?

How did you get to where you are? In my last blog, I raised the question, “where are you?” Hopefully, you’ve given some serious thought to what it is that is causing some real discomfort and pain in your relationships or other areas of your life. You know that getting that problem resolved would make life much more pleasant and easier for you. You may think you know the problem, but where do you start to fix it? This could come as a surprise to you, but what you think […]

What Momma Said

  While shopping in a big box store recently I was assisted by an elderly man named Bob. He was very helpful, friendly, and brimming with stories about his life. This type of encounter can make the task of shopping more enjoyable for me, so I listened, and listened, and listened until I left the parking lot.  One of the things he told me about was the wild side of his life as a pro wrestler for several years. He described this period as living on the dark side of […]

Worth Fighting For

This blog is written on May 31, 2021, Memorial Day. This particular date is important to me for a couple of reasons. First, it is a federal holiday set aside to honor the countless men and women who have died in battle to gain or preserve the freedoms we so often take for granted. In the year 1969, Memorial Day was on Saturday, May 31; a day that forever changed my life. It seems that anything worth having in life will cost us something. Let me tell you what I […]

Lonely?

      Lonely? Sometimes I feel lonely. What about you? I believe everyone struggles with a sense or feeling of loneliness from time to time. This deep, uneasy struggle for meaning may last for a day or two for some of us while others live with it day after day, never really escaping its drain on their energy and sense of purpose. There are many reasons you may feel lonely; an unrequited love, loss of a job, illness, lack of meaningful relationships, or marital issues. The common denominator of […]

Two Important Words

    Two Important Words “Thank You” are two of the most important words we can use. They rank right up there with “I’m sorry” and “I love you.” Of course, none of these words are meaningful if they are not sincere, coming from somewhere deep inside us. Giving thanks, expressing gratitude are highly encouraged in the scriptures. Paul reminds us in his prison letter to the Philippians (4:6-7) that thanksgiving is a great antidote for anxiety. Try it sometime when you are feeling anxious. Take a few minutes to […]

How Emotionally Mature Are You?

How emotionally mature are you? What if someone treated you the way you treat others? Would you feel happy, angry, disappointed, important or encouraged? Have you had someone hurt you by their careless remark or act?  Have you considered that your words and actions have a powerful effect on others? This is especially true with your child. To a large degree your child’s sense of himself comes from his interpretation of your words and actions toward him. No one can be perfect, we all make mistakes. However, being mindful of […]

The Power of “I’m Sorry”

 Do you ever say “I’m sorry” to your child? Let’s face it, we aren’t going to be perfect parents. That means we make mistakes; do and say things we shouldn’t say and do to our kids. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to be the best parent we can be because our child needs and deserves our best effort.  One important fact to keep in mind is that parenting is “on-the-job-training.” If you learn from your mistakes you should get better at it with more experience. Interesting, isn’t it? Your […]