7 C’s for Communicating with Teens
My wife, Susan, has always been really good at communicating with our five children, now all young adults. In fact, throughout the years, I’ve often sought her advice on how I should handle various situations with our kids. So Susan has given me most of the material you’ll now read below.
6 Questions to Ask Before You Call It Quits in Marriage
I just don’t love him anymore. She doesn’t make me happy. We fight all the time. The kids are grown and we have nothing in common. Those are some of the words that are often spoken by a husband or wife when they’re ready to throw in their marital towel. But there are a lot of reasons why couples […]
Life Lessons from the Movie Where Hope Grows
Where Hope Grows is coming soon. It’s a movie about an ex-major league baseball player named Calvin. He’s a single father with a teenage daughter. He has an alcohol addiction. Calvin struggles in his relationship with his daughter because of his drinking. He consistently lets her down by not following through on his promises. At […]
#068: What to Remember Before You Call It Quits in Marriage (Podcast)
There is nothing more devastating than a spouse considering calling it quits in their marriage. They ask things like, “What if I’m the only one putting in any effort?” “Why am I so lonely?” and “Should I just give up and call it quits in my marriage?” Well, rather than begin down the painful path […]
How to Deal with Different Types of Difficult People
Recently, a friend introduced me to a new term: EGR. I’m not sure who coined the term EGR, but it’s used to describe how to deal with people who are difficult. It stands for Extra Grace Required because the EGR person tries your patience, tests your social skills, and drains your energy. Everybody has EGRs in their lives. And, at times, everybody is an EGR to someone else.
You might be tempted to ask, “How can I avoid difficult people?” You can’t. Or “How can I fix them?” You won’t. The best question to ask is “How can I deal with difficult people well?” Why? Because your response is the only thing you can control. So here are some of the difficult types of people we all meet in our daily lives and how to handle them.
Forgiveness: It’s Not What You Think
So, let’s say that you’ve been wronged…wronged by your spouse, child, close friend or coworker. You thought you could count on them. You thought you could trust them. They let you down. It hurts. The pain runs deep inside you. What makes things worse, you didn’t deserve it. You didn’t deserve the deed. It wasn’t […]
#067: How to Lead Your Family Well with New Orleans Saints Tight End Benjamin Watson (Podcast)
Being a dad is our most important job and, when something is our job, we need to understand our mission. So what is our mission as fathers? To love and lead our families well. On today’s podcast episode, New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson shares the 3 keys to family leadership: love, trust, and […]
How to Talk through Tough Topics with Your Spouse
I’m a wordsmith. I hang on every word that is said. I’m a literal listener. My wife, Susan, is not. She’s a big picture person. She’s intuitive and reads emotions. Because of our differing styles of communication and information processing, whenever Susan and I have a tough topic we need to address, we use what’s […]
Unlocking the Door to Intimacy in Marriage
Imagine you’re on the Family Feud television show. The show host steps up to you and your opponent and says: “We asked 100 people this question, and the top three answers are on the board. What is the key to intimacy in a marriage?” I can imagine a lot of words that might race through your mind.
