The holidays aren’t all that happy for those hurting. Past painful experiences or current hardships cast a heavy blanket over bright lights and joyful hearts. My dear friend Joe Padilla, co-founder of Grace Alliance, understands this so well. Having endured many harsh holiday seasons, his wisdom for how to help the hurting is profound and […]
Category: Family Life/Caregivers
How to Lavishly Love the Holidays for the Rest of Your Life
It started at Target. I was attempting to stick to my shopping list . . . a continual challenge. Anyone with off-the-charts attention and focus issues like me understands this all too well. Picking up “a few things” on my list from any store larger than a roadside fruit stand is like plopping a nervous […]
When I Fell in Love with Thanksgiving
My love affair with Thanksgiving takes me all the way back to my boyhood days. I had just turned 10 years of age and was in fifth grade at Southmayd Elementary School in East Houston. As I recall, I was still going barefoot to school—and I combed my hair, maybe three times a week. Girls […]
A Riddle That Will Revolutionize Your Life
What comes in all shapes and sizes, creates a big mess, requires constant attention, but eventually offers great fulfillment? Could it be . . . A new puppy? Seasons in marriage? A garden during harvest time? Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner? Moving into a new home? Starting a new job? Oh, you’re so close! Stick with […]
Why You Must Put On Your Oxygen Mask First
Boarding an airplane is a bit like herding cattle. There are a bazillion people juggling babies, bottles, and bags that must be seated, settled, or stored in spaces the size of leftover Tupperware containers. Then, in the midst of all the chaos, the lovely flight attendant begins the “Emergency Oxygen Mask” speech. It’s something like: […]
How to Help People Survive Suffering
It was a morning I’ll never forget. My folks called and asked me to come by the house. Their typical enthusiastic tone was absent; in its place was a serious sadness I couldn’t identify. I opened the door and saw red, tearful eyes, their carriage weighing heavy with each step. We sat down. Everything was […]
Three Significant Skills Required for a Remarkable, Successful Life
An Olympic Event—Minus the Award Ceremony! The new school year is in full swing! Shortly before school started, I stopped by Target to grab a few things. As I turned into the parking lot, I realized almost every family with school-aged children in the city—one of the fastest growing in the nation—had decided to go […]
The Only Answer to 9/11 . . . and to Life
I had just hopped on the treadmill, my one-hour reprieve when Jon was little. Music flooded my ear buds as I picked up the pace. All was well. I glanced at the TV to see the morning news . . . typical drama. The screen was split. On one side was the news anchor, and […]
Why Being Crushed Is Essential to Creating a Beautiful Life
Ever wish you could turn back the pages of time and do things differently? I felt this way the other day as my son Austin and I worked on a project. An old song1Waylon Jennings, “Old Church Hymns and Nursery Rhymes,” MetroLyrics, CBS Interactive Inc., http://www.metrolyrics.com/old-church-hymns-and-nursery-rhymes-lyrics-waylon-jennings.html, accessed Aug. 8, 2018. my dad and I love […]
Turning Disasters into Timeless Memories
They say there are two things we can be certain about in this life: death and taxes. Well, I don’t know who “they” are, but “they” left out a bunch of stuff . . . by a long shot. Last month we spent a weekend away celebrating my son Jon’s 21st birthday. Jon has numerous […]
Safety: Can I Count On You?
I first met Lawrence Daly back in 2010. Larry was working with a mutual friend of ours to investigate a sexual assault case. The victim was a child with disabilities. They were working out of an office next to mine, so I occasionally drifted over and asked questions. Okay, maybe it was more like a […]
Cool Games You Need to Try When Summer Is the Hottest
It’s only a couple weeks until school resumes, which—this far into summer—makes most parents jump for joy. When my kids were little, I don’t think they ever ran out of energy . . . E V E R! As summer approached, I would make little summer to-do notebooks. They were filled with all kinds of […]