The home often symbolizes a place of comfort, warmth and solitude. Yet so often, families carry burdens that feel insurmountable, from separation and divorce to constant conflict and unmet expectations. What we envision as a place of safety and security often feels like a place of hurt and hostility. Read More

Weddings evoke emotion. While watching friends, family members and acquaintances “tie the knot,” I often find myself captivated by the joy, passion and childish excitement they share with their spouse. Less than a year ago, I had the opportunity to share these same emotions with my bride–crying as we… Read More

Illness can be an extremely stressful and terrifying experience. It’s often even worse when you are not the person who is sick. While you wait on doctors to run tests or sit by your loved one’s bedside, maintaining a constant vigil, you often feel helpless. There is little you… Read More

My 9-year-old son is an old soul. He spends birthday money on office supplies. He gets excited about e-books. He recently received his own business cards as a gift, and it was like Christmas all over again. But despite his maturity, he’s growing up in a generation that… Read More

Parent-child relationships can be extremely rewarding and extraordinarily challenging. (Often, they are both at the same time!) Whether you are the parent or the child, 16-years old or 61-years young, you have to love and guide, give care and receive help, discipline wrongdoing and admit when you’re wrong. Read More

Marriage doesn’t always work out quite the way you planned it. As a child, you probably imagined your wedding countless times. You envisioned the perfect marriage, house, lawn and 2.5 kids. As an adult, your friends and family watched as you vowed to love, honor and respect the… Read More

Being married can be wonderful. You have a built-in best friend and automatic date for your office party. You can build a life and home together. You deal with his dirty socks, and he deals with your mess of makeup. But sometimes marriage feels much harder than it… Read More

Do you remember the first time they placed that baby in your arms? Can you recall the scent of her skin and the incomparable feeling of his tiny fingers around yours? Do you remember the dreams you had for her or the plans you had for him? Surely… Read More

One of my earliest memories is of tent camping with my grandma. It rained three straight days, but that didn’t stop her from cooking Dinty Moore and popcorn over an open fire for my grandpa, sister and me. She invented activities, played games and fought the never-ending battle to keep… Read More

My husband and I have been married for a little over a year, and it has been one of the best times of my life—and one of the most challenging. On our wedding day, we heard many Scripture verses extolling the virtues of love and patience. But living… Read More