FAMILY Archives - Page 3 of 12

5 Steps To An Awesome Date Night With Your Spouse

I started dating Tina when we were both 16 years old and in high school. That was like, uh, 15 years ago? No actually, we have been together for well over half of our lifetime. And this month we celebrate 32 years of marriage. I can barely remember a “me” without Tina in my life. I love you honey!

We started out dating and became best friends. Throughout our marriage we’ve discovered that it is super-important to actively, intentionally work on staying friends. Having a regular, scheduled “date night” has been crucial to keeping the fires burning. We’ve found that if we don’t, we can end up only being in problem solving mode all the time and move from task to task and mini crisis to crisis and start to feel more like business partners than two people in love and marriage.

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How to Pray for Your Child’s Future Spouse

To consistently pray for your kids seems obvious. To pray for your child’s future spouse may be less obvious, but is a privilege that carries with it some pretty awesome blessings.

Tina and I have prayed for our son and two daughters’ potential spouses since they were little, little kids. Now Caesar and Christin, our two oldest, are happily married to amazing people. In both cases we felt God’s favor on that person and their budding relationships right away. (Click Here to download my Parent’s Prayer Guide and get started.)
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How Our Family Really Learned To Pull Together

Wouldn’t it be great if our families (your’s and mine) lived in such a way that we actually showed what God’s original idea for family was–and his true heart for everyone? Yes it would…and it can!

I’m not much of a sports guy and never really have been. I tried my hand at various sports as a kid and while in middle and high school, but alas, I had neither the genes nor ambition to be very good or super-competitive at sports. Now my son, on the other hand, is more of a natural athlete—especially when compared to me. (more…)

Are You Beating Yourself Up With Religion?

If you’re not experiencing the joy and freedom you once did in your faith, it may be that you are beating yourself up with religion instead of believing and living out of the true gospel of grace. Let me explain:

I’ve heard it said that religion is a set of practices and beliefs–a system–of pursuing and maintaining a relationship with God.

Ok, sounds technically right… (more…)

3 Easy Questions Quickly Turn Strangers Into Friends

Making new friends or transitioning a group of unrelated relationships into a community can be a challenge. Or feel uncomfortable. However, people are all the same and desire growing connections within any circle of acquaintances. I want to show you how you can easily help facilitate this.

I have used these three questions many times to break the ice and kill the awkwardness of things. They lead to great conversation, a lot of laughs, and a pretty quickly turn strangers into friends. [Be sure to get my 3 Easy Questions Cheat Sheet.]
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One Way To Help Your Kids Be Less Picky at the Table

If you’re part of a family, you’ve faced it: Picky eaters. And it may be the picky eater in your family stares back at you from the mirror each day! My children weren’t crazy picky about their food, but they sure liked to complain about it.

Recalibrating Our Entitlement Mentality

I did a lot of traveling internationally when my kids were younger. It was not uncommon for God to take me into a warzone or natural disaster for weeks at a time. The things I saw, smelled, tasted–and at times ate–left profound impressions on my life in regards to having an entitlement mentality. (more…)