5 Ways You Should Be Exhausted as a Dad
Being a dad is often exhausting. A friend once recalled to me that most of his childhood memories of his blue-collar dad, whom he saw only on the weekends, included really long naps. It often irritated the little boy who wanted to play with his dad. He says “I didn’t understand until I became a dad myself.”
Would Your Child Vote for You in the Parental Election?
The Presidential election isn’t until November 8, but many people have already had enough of all the political shouting and shenanigans. Yet, as the race for the White House continues, the contentious political climate does offer an important reality check for parents: namely, if you were running for office in your house, not the White House, would your children vote for you?
#112: 4 Strategies to Help Solve Your Marriage Problems (Podcast)
Think back to when you first started to pursue your spouse. It required commitment, hard work, and imagination. If winning them over required that back then, why does it surprise us when neglect hurts our relationship after we walk down the aisle? They wouldn’t have married you if you took them for granted. Why risk everything now?
5 Measures of a Meaningful Marriage
What makes your marriage meaningful and rewarding? Based on the years I’ve served at Family First, I’d expect many people to answer with things like “being happy” or “having a soulmate.” But these are not the best ways to measure how meaningful and rewarding your marriage is. Susan and I believe that these five measures of a meaningful marriage outshine them all:
5 Things You Should Not Take With You to Bed
Does the idea of spending the night sleeping in a food court or office sound restful and romantic? If not, consider how you and your spouse are using your bed. What you bring to bed with you could be ruining the rest and intimacy you both need and want.
6 R’s for a Remarkable Vacation
Making the right decisions day by day provides the foundations for a strong marriage and family. The things you do in the ordinary moments of life are the bedrock of the home you are building. But then there are those less-frequent days that are like windows, letting in extra light and color. Awesome vacations.
4 Important Choices Every Parent Must Make
I was at a conference attended by a group of very, very successful business people when one of them was asked how he managed to achieve so much at work and be with his family. “Well, I’m not at home a lot,” he answered, “but when I am, I spend quality time with my wife and kids.” Whoa! It made me want to stand up and shout, “No! You’ve got it all wrong.”
10 Ways to Go from a Hopeless Marriage to a Hope-filled Marriage
I am always grieved when I hear about another marriage that has ended in divorce, but I am also saddened by the many couples I know of who stay together but live with disappointment, having long ago given up on believing their relationship can ever be all they had hoped for.
5 Lost Virtues That Must Be Found in Your Marriage
When a person puts on a U.S. military uniform, they are committing to serve others, to protect their lives and their liberty, and to put themselves on the line for others. Susan and I have been proud to have two of our children serve in the Navy. And our son-in-law is a captain in the Army JAG. My dad served our country as a captain in the Air Force JAG. The branches of the military are different but they share similar core values—duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, courage— that are sadly all too often ignored or overlooked in civilian life.
But I believe that by recognizing and adopting them, we can better arm ourselves in our fight for our marriages—a fight against a culture that increasingly devalues the idea of steadfast love, against an ever-busier lifestyle that works against developing rich and meaningful relationships, and yes, sometimes against our own weaknesses and shortcomings.
The following military-style five virtues are like a hidden, inner compass keeping you heading in the right direction.
