I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t want a strong, close-knit family. The question is: How do we move from wanting one to having one? Growing up, I remember seeing a highway billboard over and over again on our road trips. It said, “The Family That Prays Together, Stays Together.” A number of recent studies have revealed that there is in fact some truth to this timeless slogan.  Specifically, research has shown that...

The term “sibling rivalry” often comes to our minds a whole lot faster than “sibling love.”  Perhaps it’s because of the way the backseat of our car is constantly filled with, “Tell Kevin to stop pulling on my hair,” or “Make Janie leave me alone!”  Teaching your children to love one another is never easy, but is always worth it.  So here are 5 ways to encourage sibling love in your family.  First, encourage warm...

Before the game starts, you run up to the grocery store to grab a couple things.  Just as you walk out of the store and pack your groceries into the trunk, your wife calls to say she needs one more thing.  It’s an unexpected moment…you have a decision to make…keep your cool, or lose it?  We’ve all experienced something like that.  So when things don’t go the way you thought, here are 5 ways to keep your cool. ...

I think of moral margin as creating an extra amount of space between us and immorality—immoral thinking and immoral actions. Here 6 ways to create moral margin in your life. First, build a relationship with a “personal auditor.” Just as a financial auditor would do a complete examination of financial records, your “personal auditor” would be given authority by you to ask you questions about your life and your...

When you look at a tombstone, you see a name, something nice about the person, the year they were born and the year they died…and a small dash in between. The dash…it’s what we do between the time we’re born and the time we die…that’s what’s most important. It’s critical because the dash is your identity…it’s who you are—husband, wife, mom, dad.  The dash is your influence…it’s how you touch the lives of others. ...

Make this Valentine’s Day count with your spouse by creating a fun, new memory together.  Here are 10 creative Valentine’s Day date ideas.  Number 1: Go for a canoe ride together.  Get away from the rest of the world and have an afternoon for just the two of you.  Number 2: Go on a scavenger hunt with your spouse…maybe it’s outdoors, maybe it’s at a mall.  Number 3: Recreate your first date, from the food you eat...

Most of us can forgive small stuff...but what about the big things that cause us great pain?  Ed Thomas was a caring husband, a good dad, and a highly respected man in his community.  After decades of coaching his football team, Ed was awarded the coveted NFL High School Coach of the Year in 2005.  Four years later, a former student walked into the school locker room, pulled out his gun and unloaded seven bullets...