Wanna know something crazy? Full House is now on Nick at Night.   Re-enter sappy synthesizer music, “live” studio audience laughter, and Uncle Jesse’s hair.   I love the kitsch of it all and despite the unfamiliar 80s references, my young kids actually get a kick out of watching it too. And while I’m […]

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  My Christmas decorations are displayed.  My Christmas cards are delivered.  My Christmas shopping is not done.  It gets harder and harder to find the perfect gift for my teenage boys.  I am wracking my brain.  But, I’m distracted.  Because thinking of the perfect gift for them means thinking of them.  And thinking of them […]

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{originally published in 2012}   Do you ever secretly (or not so secretly) long for a different stage of life? Maybe you want to go back to being DINKS (dual income, no kids). Or perhaps you’d like to return to the days of one child instead of four. Or just possibly you’d like to experience […]

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  Parent Teacher Conferences. You either go into them knowing what the teacher is going to say or you are totally blown away {and that isn’t always a good thing}.   Tonight we had our first conferences with a junior high student. We had short meetings with not only one teacher, but five. Five different […]

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In a previous post, I spoke directly to moms to help encourage them in the delicate balance of protecting their sons less, and preparing them more. In this post, I want to address sons, but I know that it’s unlikely that he will ever read the article. My suggestion would be, ask your husband/son’s father […]

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  I love my mom! I would not be the man I am today without her. She and I have always had a special relationship, but it is not the same today as it was when I was a boy. When I was young my mom was my primary nurturer.  She fed me, tucked me […]

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  Let’s be honest: parenting is hard. Parenting a child with special needs is really hard. And when your special needs child has mental illness, it can be flat out daunting.   This isn’t about comparison – it’s about compassion. If you are a parent with a mentally ill child, or you are close to […]

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{originally posted in 2011} It usually makes its first appearance somewhere between ages 10 to 12; somewhere in that tipping point between childhood and young adulthood. You say something that seems innocuous … a question … an observation … an opinion. Something innocently related to your adolescent’s present context. Then you see it. Its initial […]

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  {Click here to see Part 1}   We’re all His beautiful image.   The moment you’re conceived you are beauty. Whether you’re young or old, thick or thin, healthy or sick, you’re beauty. Beauty isn’t subjective, beauty is innate. Beauty is as God is, unchanging, everlasting and limitless.   So, why is it damaging to continue […]

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  Body image is hotter than ever as a cultural idol. The fashion, fitness, weight-loss and cosmetics industries spend billions every year to convince you that there is a lot you can do to be more beautiful, and conveniently, they have the product/workout/pill/diet/potion/procedure to help you get there. Yet, every year the cancer of self-loathing […]

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