Our oldest grandson was born seventeen years ago today. All five of our grandchildren have given us a lot of reasons to be proud of them. Each of them has added in his or her unique way to our “family legacy.”  Early in his life, our oldest grandson began one of those “legends” that every family has. Even some people who are not a part of our family know what we are talking about when we talk about The Red Lemon. When our grandson first began to speak and to be aware of the world around him, he fell in love with The Red Lemon. He still likes it even though he doesn’t call…

As I write these words, I am in a hotel room in Dexter, Missouri. About 10 miles away is the town of Bernie, where I am speaking in a Gospel Meeting this week. However, just about one mile in another direction is a landmark in my life, and because the trees have not put on their leaves yet, I can see part of it as I eat breakfast each morning. It’s the house I grew up in; a comfortable split-level with a nice front porch. From just before my 3rd-grade year until just after my freshman year of college, that was “home.” And, then, we moved. Some of you are…

Every day, I get an email with this title: “Accountability Report.” It comes from a company we pay to monitor what websites are visited on our family’s electronic devices. While I believe this is a smart practice for families in today’s digital world, that practice is not the focus of this article. Tonight, when I saw that email title, it made me stop and think about if I had an accountability report on my actions, words, or even thoughts on a daily basis. What would my report contain? Would it stay in the “green zone” where everything looks good or would it venture into yellow or red areas for caution…

I confess. I searched Pinterest for an idea for this article. But as soon as I saw it, I knew. The following quote is one that should be second-nature to me as a Special Education teacher. I often beg parents to celebrate gains instead of fixating on goals that seem unreachable. That said, sometimes we all need to be reminded. So, without further ado, here is the brilliant yet simple quote that gave me inspiration: “Applaud progress, not perfection.” Isn’t this what the Apostle Paul was trying to encourage in his readers when he said: Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make…

Leadership is a difficult thing. Whether it is a parent in the home, elders in the Lord’s church, or one who runs a business, there is a responsibility inherent in leadership that can cause all sorts of issues. One of those issues is the “mountaintop leader.” This is the leader (or group of leaders) who sees their role as giving dictates from on high, never to be questioned by the people down at the bottom of the mountain. Their authority is never to be questioned, and they have no desire to get down in the middle of the regular folks and be a real person around them. After all, doing…

Warning! What I am about to write here may depress you. From a counseling perspective, it is probably the worst approach and advice anyone could ever give. But guess what? This world is full of disappointment and some of it you will likely never get over. This is just truth. This is why this world is not our home. Sometimes life is just disappointing and difficult. People deal with disappointment every day. There is what people wish for and then there is their real life. Maybe they wish they had more physical blessings. Maybe they wish they had a certain portion of ability or talent in some area in which…