I'm not talking about last night's dinner. I mean what we end up giving our spouse at the end of the day. We give leftover time—after too many hours at work. We give leftover affection—after loving on the kids all day. Those leftovers don't satisfy, they leave us craving more. What our spouse wants—and deserves—is our freshest and best. There are 4 ways to serve your spouse something fresh. First, post-it. Put a...
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Renew your wedding vows. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate. You can even surprise your children. Just tell them you have something planned for this Valentine's night. When the time comes, repeat the same vows you took on your wedding day, or use different words. The point is to show each other and your kids how committed you are to your marriage. Finish up the evening showing them your wedding album...
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The male Zeus bug, a tiny water bug common along Australia's east coast, hitches a ride on the female for up to a week, counting on the female to feed him and mate with him at will. That's a bug's life. It's all take and no give. Sound familiar? Well, in the lives of humans there's a law of diminishing returns when one side always gives and the other always takes. Marriage needs to be a 100%/100%,...
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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 question was not about what they wanted to do for a living but who they wanted to be as a person? Less about career and more about character. Imagine your child answering, "I want to be a person of integrity…of wisdom…of courage and conviction. I want to be...
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Our kids are constantly evaluated on their abilities at school, in sports, in the arts and even at home. But what about you? What grade would your kids give you as a parent? Well, here's a way to make an A every time. Remember the 6 A's of parenting. First is Affirmation. When your children are sharing their feelings or opinions, they want you to listen to them, identify with them and affirm them. Second is...
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Practically everything you purchase these days comes in a protective shell. The covering is designed to keep out dust and dirt, and to protect the contents from damage. Many of us parent the same way. We wrap our children up to protect them…we want to keep them isolated from harm and potential hurt. We have car seats, bumper guards, and baby wipes. As they grow, we try to keep them from bad influences and...
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It's tough. In a "me" focused world, getting your kids to focus on others is challenging. So, how do you do it? Well, last night, we took a shot at it…with a little coercion…we got our teens together. We assembled some "manna" or food bags for the homeless and hungry. We filled large zip lock bags with non-perishable items like granola bars, beef jerky, peanuts, fruit cups, and vegetable juice. Now, when we're out...
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