Marriage & Family topics

The Moral Problem With Happiness

Personal happiness has been elevated into a moral entitlement, often at the expense of responsibility, loyalty, and commitment. The irony is that the love and faithfulness we demand from others require the very sacrifices we're increasingly unwilling to make.

The Wonder of God's Creation

A family trip to the North Carolina Zoo was a chance to enjoy time together and appreciate the remarkable diversity of God's creation. It's easy to take the natural world for granted, even when there's so much about it worth admiring.

Plenty of People. Harder to Find Community.

I don’t need everyone to become a close friend. But I miss the ordinary trust of knowing whom to call—and I’m realizing that building it may require more effort from me than I’ve been giving.

What I Say When I Walk Past It

I don’t think of myself as a husband who expects to be waited on. But some of my everyday habits would be hard to explain any other way.

You Can Be Right and Still Be Missing Something

Most of us are willing to hear the other side—as long as it doesn’t weaken our case. It gets harder when listening means withdrawing an accusation or giving someone credit we’ve withheld.

Some Things Hit Harder Now

In parenting, the ability to empathize with others often brings both joy and sorrow to the forefront. Learning to manage these emotions helps us nurture our families while remaining engaged with the world around us.

Values Over Victories in Youth Sports

Children's worth should not hinge on performance. A coach's reminder that Jesus remains Lord emphasizes the importance of grounded values amidst competition.

Sometimes Winning Means Knowing Where to Lose

Victory can sometimes be meaningless, while a small act of humility can create lasting joy. Learning to choose meaningful moments over personal triumphs reflects a deeper understanding of strength.

Marriage Is Not a Feeling You Keep

The longer you're married, the easier it can become to assume love no longer needs explaining. But what we feel for someone and what they actually experience from us can be two very different things.

Rediscovering Day One

Familiarity can quietly erode our engagement in various aspects of life. By nurturing a Day One mindset, we remain open to learning and growth in our spiritual lives, relationships, and careers.

The Transformative Journey of Parenthood

The birth of a child is not just a joyful occasion; it marks the beginning of profound responsibility. This journey reveals the depths of love, sacrifice, and the need for spiritual growth.

The Birth Rate Isn't the Disease

America's falling birth rate isn't primarily an economic problem—it's a spiritual one. A society that increasingly delays or rejects marriage and children is revealing what it believes about sacrifice, hope, and the future. Scripture presents children not as obstacles to self-fulfillment, but as gifts entrusted by God and evidence that we believe tomorrow is worth building.

The Most Important Thing You Teach Your Children

Parents spend countless hours teaching their children what to say, what to believe, and how to behave. Yet children are often shaped far more by what they observe than by what they are told. They learn what matters most by watching what captures their parents' time, attention, affection, and sacrifice. Long before they understand our theology, they are studying our priorities.

Your Children Are Not Yours

Modern parenting often revolves around happiness, success, self-esteem, and endless opportunities. Scripture presents a different calling. Parents are not merely raising children to become happy adults; they are stewarding souls entrusted to them by God. That responsibility falls on both mother and father, but not identically. God assigns complementary roles, each essential to the flourishing of the family and the spiritual formation of the next generation.

The Heart of Fatherhood in Wedding Toasts

A heartfelt wedding toast captures the essence of fatherhood, blending humor and honesty. It emphasizes the importance of intentional love and the legacy we pass on to future generations.