Archives

Are you ready for the ultimate summer plan?

Summer vacation can be great—no school, no homework and no real schedule.  But, sometimes all of those summer hours can be hard to fill, especially if… read more

Why has my marriage walk not matched my marriage talk? I’m

Today I realized that I’ve been writing and speaking about how to have a great marriage, but I haven’t been putting all of it into practice.  Why? Wel… read more

What would you like to do?

Last Monday, I talked about the 1st lie that can hurt your child.  Today I’ll tackle the second.  We live in a world full of options.  What clothes to… read more

Are you teaching your kids to be compassionate?

Think back to your school days.  Remember the child who was different?  Maybe he wore old clothes, had a disability or didn’t look like everyone else.… read more

Want to better communicate with your husband?

“He just doesn’t understand.” Or, “He doesn’t listen,” you say. Well, that may be because you’re communicating with him the wrong way. Here are 5 Ways… read more

What did you think marriage would be like?

Many people think marriage is the “happily ever after” relationship told in fairy tales.  Before walking down the aisle, many envision their future sp… read more

How should you deal with an angry child?

First, deal with those intense emotions by calmly removing your child from the situation and sending him to his room to think about it…the fewer words… read more

Have you been lying to your children?

Every Monday for the next 5 weeks, I’ll be talking about 5 lies that can hurt your child.  The first lie we tell our kids is, “You can be anything you… read more

Do you have big plans for Mother’s Day?

Maybe you’re buying your wife or mother some flowers or you’re taking her out for a nice lunch. Well all that is wonderful but be sure to help your ch… read more

Why do you love your child?

That’s a strange question, but one that every parent needs to be able to answer.  Sure, your kids know you love them, but they also want to know why y… read more

How do you stay joined at the hip and heart with your teen?

Over the years, my wife, Susan has taught me how to maintain a great relationship with each of our children. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned. Firs… read more

So, your child is rebelling, now what?

Okay, imagine you’re at a basketball game. But in this arena, there are no rules and no boundaries. After the whistle blows, the players fight for the… read more

What happened to my sweet, compliant child?

The teen years arrive and many parents look back and now think the toddler, tike and even tween years were just a stroll in the park compared to what … read more

Why is home the hardest place to lead?

It’s tough to lead at the office. You have constant HR headaches, cash flow issues, and operational problems, just to name a few. But it’s a lot tough… read more

What can you expect from the new crop of Summer movies?

Every year, Hollywood entices our kids with a flood of new films designed for their consumption.  But, just like their favorite foods at the grocery s… read more

Are you feeling "parent pressure?"

No, not peer pressure… parent pressure.  You know, pressure to allow your child to do things that other parents are letting their kids do… watch movie… read more

What do air traffic controllers and parents have in common?

Sleeping on the job.  An air traffic controller is supposed to oversee and direct all the planes surrounding their airport.  It’s a stressful and tiri… read more

What do you want to be when you grow up?

That’s a question children hear all the time. And we enjoy hearing their answers… a doctor, a teacher, a fireman, a ballerina.  But what if the questi… read more

How do you tell your spouse something they don’t want to hear?

In a letter… that’s right… a letter.  When you write something out, you usually give it more thought, and are more careful with the words you put on p… read more

What’s the Kryptonite in your marriage?

Superman’s virtually indestructible, but he can be brought to his knees by a tiny piece of rock.  Kryptonite drains him of his powers and makes him vu… read more

Why do we still get frustrated in our marriage?

My wife, Susan, and I just celebrated 24 years of marriage.  After more than two decades together, you’d think we’d always have smooth sailing… but we… read more

Husbands, want to better understand your wife?

As you're listening to your wife explain a situation or problem, here are a couple of questions to ask yourself: "How does she feel as she’s telling m… read more

When’s the last time you went to the store with your wife?

It's no mystery…many women enjoy shopping as an “experience.”  On the other hand, most men shop with the "hunter" mentality…get what you need, as quic… read more

What’s your dream?

Benjamin Mays, mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, said “The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal t… read more

Have you ever felt like you were in an “emotional fog?”

You can’t see where you are going; you’ve lost your vision. Maybe you’ve lost your vision for your marriage. The road you were heading down with your … read more

Are your little chicks about to fly the nest?

School is coming to a close and that means some households will be child-free for the first time in 18 years.  For many moms, the Empty Nest Syndrome … read more

Almost all mothers have wondered, am I doing this right?

Every mom desires to do her job well. But how can a mom know she’s doing it right?  And with all of the parenting options out there, how can a mother … read more

What’s so great about independence?

It seems like everything we hear today links strength with independence… it’s the American way, right?  Well, independence is great if you’re talking … read more

Have you told your kids not to talk to strangers?

Well, actually the concept of “stranger” can be confusing to children, so instead, teach them to recognize unsafe situations. Warn against adults who … read more

Is your child near-sighted?

The other day, my son tried on my reading glasses.  “Wow!” he said, “I can see really good up close, but far away—it’s blurry.”  That made me think … … read more

How can you keep things from heating up with an old flame?

Well, for a flame to exist, you have to have fuel.  You know those old pictures you have tucked away… the love letters you’ve saved… the texts you exc… read more

What are your kids listening to?

Recently, I asked my son for his iPod so I could check out the songs he was listening to.  I Googled the lyrics for the songs, and most were just fine… read more

Are you spending one-on-one time with your kids?

It’s great to do things as a family, but children love it when they get Mom or Dad all to themselves. So carve out a little time with each of your kid… read more

What are the odds that your child cheats?

My kids have said to me, “Dad, everybody cheats at school!”  Well, it may not be everybody, but a recent survey says three out of four high school stu… read more

Are you a workaholic?

A University of North Carolina study found that children of workaholics have the same levels of anxiety and depression as children of alcoholics. Scar… read more

Want the truth about marriage?

Marriage is really hard…. and takes a lot of work.  Even after all that hard work, I still mess up.  I mean, I want an awesome marriage, but I still D… read more

Want a tool to teach your kids how to interact with others?

Last night, as I stood at the kitchen sink, my son tried to push me aside, without saying a word.  Well, rather than just correct him, my wife and I d… read more

Want to hit a grand slam with your kids?

The temperature… a little warmer, the grass… a little greener. The crack of the bat is in the air.  It’s that time of year again – Opening Day of base… read more

How can you bring a dying marriage back to life?

You feel like it’s flat lined.  There’s no pulse—not a breath of life remains.  Before you pronounce it dead on arrival, there are four basic tools yo… read more

Are you busy this weekend?

Chances are you answered, “Yes.”  According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, observing a day of rest, or Sabbath, has become a lost art.  Back … read more

Does your marriage need a cease fire?

During the Civil War more than half of the skirmishes took place in Virginia, and each battle was just a continuation of the previous fight. Same reas… read more

Do you know the power of silence?

Do you know the power of silence?  I’m Mark Merrill with today’s Family Minute.  Sometimes we think that repeating ourselves over and over again in an… read more

Want better communication in your marriage?

Author Pat Morley suggests that we stop, look and listen when our spouse wants to talk.  First, stop what you’re doing.  Put down your cell phone, tur… read more

"Please don't take me for granted..."

Feel like all you do is clean the house, wash the clothes, pick up after others, and provide taxi service for the kids...  and no one notices? Or, may… read more

Is your spouse consumed with their body image?

Body image is how you picture yourself based on what you see in the mirror and by the reactions that you see from other people.  Negative feelings abo… read more

What are you planting this spring?

If you plant tomato seeds, you’ll get tomatoes, right? If you plant cucumber seeds, you’ll get cucumbers. You reap what you sow.  In the same way, the… read more

What happened this month that drives families today?

Charles and Frank Duryea were the first to sell an automobile on March 31st, 1896 in the town of Springfield, Massachusetts.  When the first cars took… read more

What have my teens taught me?

My kids have taught me a lot of things… and I can tell you, it’s a very humbling experience.  One thing that they’ve shown me over and over again is m… read more

Have you tried on your stepchildren’s shoes?

To understand how to relate to your stepchild you need to put yourself in their shoes.  How would you feel if your parents had split up?  How would yo… read more

Are toxins of the tongue poisoning your marriage?

Words are powerful. Words can build up. Words can tear down.  It’s so important to be careful what you say, especially in marriage.  There are four to… read more