October 29, 2010 Posted By: Mark Merrill

Turning off the ‘Tube’

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  For some, it may be stretching it a bit too far to just turn off the TV cold turkey. If that’s the case, here are some ideas of things we’ve done in our home. We have a rule that there is no T.V. during the school week.  If there is a show that they …

October 28, 2010 Posted By: Mark Merrill

Write to Right a Wrong

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  You know what you did or said hurt the person you love, and you know that you need to make things right.  What should you do? Write a note. There are advantages when you right a wrong with the written word over doing it verbally.  You are more thoughtful with your response.  You are …

October 25, 2010 Posted By: Mark Merrill

Wanted: Male Role-Models

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In today’s Family Minute we talked about the importance of male role models in the lives of boys.  Even though Tony Dungy grew up in a two-parent home, he was still impacted by many mentors and role models during the course of his young life.  In this particular story, Coach tells us how a concerned …

October 22, 2010 Posted By: Mark Merrill

Passing the Time on A Family Trip

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Taking an extended car trip with the family used to be a time of personal interaction and conversations.  But today, being close in proximity within the confines of your vehicle doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be connecting with your fellow passenger.  Technology has become so pervasive that we tend to buckle up, plug in and …

October 22, 2010 Posted By: Mark Merrill

The Prison of Want

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  Every single one of us knows what it feels like to want something.  From the moment we take our first breath, we loudly assert our desire for something that we want.  We want food, we want comfort, we want sleep, we want to be held.  As an infant, our wants are simple, but as …

October 18, 2010 Posted By: Mark Merrill

From Foster Care to Homelessness

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  Everybody deserves to be a part of a family, but the reality is that some kids never know the joy of a loving home.  These children are confined to orphanages or bounced around foster homes until they “age-out” when they turn 18.  It doesn’t have to be that way.  Maybe you can help.  Let …

October 15, 2010 Posted By: Mark Merrill

Thinking Positive…Like a Dog

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  In today’s Family Minute we talked about dwelling on the good things in life. This is so important because like I mentioned in the Family Minute, what we think about does become our attitudes and actions. Even if we focused on the little things that are good, we’d be better off. When it comes …