“ Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations ” – Zig Ziglar My family and I had the opportunity to go to a friend’s cabin a few years ago. We were told it was not a very long drive to the turn off, followed by a few miles on a dirt road and we would reach the cabin. This sounded like a great opportunity and a fun time away with my family. We had packed up the trailer and had everything loaded when I finally received the GPS coordinates to the cabin. You can imagine

I felt torn inside. Things were not going well at home, and some family members were experiencing some significant struggles. But, things at work were going very well, and I could tell that I was being blessed in those efforts. I knew that I had been blessed with many things, but there was a significant distance inside between the feelings of gratitude for the good and the feelings of despair for the bad. It felt like I was simultaneously on a high mountain and a low, dark va

There are 749,404 restaurants in the United States and with that comes an astounding variety of foods available to us. There are also countless types of diets that anyone can choose from. Our dietary choices are often affected by ethical and religious beliefs, medical needs, or a desire to control weight. From a young age, we learn, and over time better understand that our physical growth and health require that we provide our bodies with proper nutrition. We need a regular i

Lindsey stared at the screen in front of her. Another rejection email, another month with no job leads. She bit her lip in despair, trying to hold back her tears. She didn’t have money for her house payment, or any other bills, for that matter. The economy was seriously struggling and had been for some time now. She knew that she wasn’t the only person in her position, but being out of work for five months now was taking its toll on her. She thought back to when she was first

A couple of weeks ago, I authored an article about not feeling ready to become a father, but my wife was due with the baby soon. I wanted to write a follow up article to talk about how the change has affected me. If you have not read the first article, it might enhance this story to read that article first. The main question that I pondered in the last article was if I was ready to be a father. Now I get to see the answer. At least, I have proven that I can be the father of a

How many times have you heard somebody when, after given a compliment, say “No, that’s not true”, or “Not even”. They often reject the compliment trying to be humble, or because they do not believe the compliment, but in reality, they are being detrimental to themselves and the person giving the compliment. Saying “thank you” to a compliment greatly increases our ability to love ourselves and others. Let me explain why with a case study. I once knew a very impressive girl. Sh

I remember observing a Facebook conversation where a lawyer mocked certain modern trends and concluded by firmly stating that he was entirely self-made and had not relied on anyone else for his success. “I worked for my success” has a certain appeal to it. I remember often saying similar things myself in various situations, but when I saw it come from this attorney, I really started questioning the statement. Is any person self-made? As I have reflected on this question for s

The day had finally come, Jill and Tom were moving into their first home. They had spent many years in apartments and living in many different locations, but they were finally settling into an area where they could make memories and lasting relationships. Some of the apartments they had lived in were small and less than ideal, but they were able to make it work. The excitement of all the possibilities this new spacious home offered seemed surreal.   There were many things tha