Japan has faced more than its share of tragedy lately. They've suffered through a catastrophic tsunami, record flooding and even nuclear disaster. The country could have responded by just giving up. There could have been looting and violence in the aftermath of the disasters. Instead, the Japanese people have responded by showing each other honor and grace as they face an uncertain future. We can learn from that....

We've powered up our laptops, phones and video games. We've powered down family meals, drive-time conversations and date nights with our spouse. We've increased tech and decreased touch. What can we do about it? Just remember these four R's. First, Recognize that you can control technology. Second, Remember that your children will learn more from your online actions than your offline words. Third, Require...

Sure, technology can be tough on relationships. Just ask the wife whose husband's cell phone is glued to his ear. The husband who can't get his wife off the keyboard. Technology has downsides and upsides. With three daughters in college or working and two teen boys at home, I've tried to turn this relational foe into a relational friend. Here's how. First, I send a good-night text to my girls almost every...

Let's face it—we live in a world of instant gratification. We want it all, and we want it now. We're a nation of express lanes, fast food, texts and tweets. But it's a problem when we impose those same expectations on people. We want instant acceptance from our peers, instant response from our colleagues, instant help from our spouse—regardless of the circumstances. And when we don't get the immediate response we...

I'm not talking about the turkey and dressing sitting in your fridge—left over from Thanksgiving. I'm talking about your time. You do the math. Right now, think about all of the things that go into your day . . . rushing to get ready in the morning, going to work, cleaning the house, cooking dinner, chores in the evening, watching TV. Now, add up how much time you really spend interacting with your kids. What's...

The list of "I wants" can go on and on. For kids it's, "I want that video game." "I want that scooter." For us, it's, "I want that car." "I want that couch." No matter what we have, there's always more. Henry David Thoreau said, "We make ourselves rich by making our wants few." Most of us already have what we need… it's just a matter of controlling what we want. So, the next time someone in your family wants to...

In our search for new energy supplies, we are learning more about the value of our natural resources and how to harness and channel them in the right direction. Well, you have a very valuable "natural resource," and it's important that you T.A.P. into it. T stands for Take … take a personal inventory of your strengths and write them down. A is for Ask…ask people you trust what they see as your greatest...