When my son Chapman was a baby, I would bring him on to stage as a speaking prop. Don’t judge! As I sat on a stool, I would sit him in my lap and sing one verse of “Build Me Up Buttercup” while moving his...
There are times when life gets challenging professionally and personally. Maybe you aren’t loving or have lost your job. Maybe you have health issues that are impacting all parts of your life. Maybe you’ve lost a parent, and it still hurts. When life gets tough,...
For years, any tension with my wife, Nancie, had the same steps—just different topics. They were as follows: Step 1: My wife shared something bothering her. Step 2: I tried to fix her problems with suggestions and encouragement. Step 3: She argued why all my suggestions and encouragement...
“Where did you hear that word?” is a question most of us ask our children moments after they become verbal. We realize quickly we aren’t raising children; we’re raising parrots. So, most of us attempt to temper how and what we say. My wife and I decided early...
Growing up, I always knew I wanted a family of my own—the wife, the kids, the whole bit. In college, I remember having “deep” conversations with friends about how I was going to do family right. I remember thinking, I’m going to be a great...
When my now 12-year-old daughter was in preschool, I would drive her to school. Because we live in an area thick with traffic, this gave us time together—and me time to look at her in the rearview mirror. From the first traffic jam, I thought to...
“He always takes it out on me.” “She always takes it out on me.” “I always take it out on her.” “I always take it out on him.” As someone who has worked with married couples for years, I have heard those phrases many, many times. So often, married...