I recall when a little over 20 years ago my boys and I went camping at the Grand Canyon. We had an incredible time and even hiked about half way down into the canyon one day. Now if you have never been there, I should warn you that it is approximately 5000 feet from the…
I recently came across the following quote, “Marriage is your last best chance to grow up.” Now, before I go any further, I really want you to let that sink in. So (with Jeopardy music playing in the background), ponder for a moment those words. Ok – “I’ll take growing up for $400.” Many of…
Author and friend, Matt Heard writes in his book Life With a Capital L, “. . . we too often want our lives to be characterized by something that our individual days don’t come close to resembling. But the truth of the matter is a bunch of wasted days added together won’t make a significant…
It is Friday evening and you are finally enjoying an evening with your spouse without the children. You are having dinner in a romantic setting, the conversation is intimate and meaningful, you are excited to have this time without interruptions, when you hear that all too familiar text sound on your husband or wife’s phone.…
During a recent dinner conversation, while enjoying some great Mexican food, my friend Ed, who refurbishes houses, began to talk about different kinds of wall texturing. In his house they have a hand troweled texturing as opposed to the sprayed type. During the discussion, he mentioned that in one room of their house they sometimes…
“Things will get better.” This is a phrase of encouragement that we use with regularity. And it is often very true. For example, you are sad at the loss of a pet – “Things will get better.” True. As we typically experience grief, experiences are integrated into our new normal and things do get better.…
A couple of years ago, my wife and I were able to spend a few days in the Grand Canyon area. If you have never been there, you might think it is just a hole in the ground, which it is. But it is so much more. It is an incredible, beautiful, miraculous site that…
Whether you have been married for 6 months, 6 years, or 60 years, you probably began the journey with your mate with some sort of vision as to what this life together would look like. Perhaps, as you reflect back, it has been wonderful and all that you had hoped for. While for others, it…
You may be wondering, “What in the world does my relationship have to do with a job promotion?” Well, I’m glad you asked. A five year research project out of Washington University in St. Louis made some very interesting, and relevant to relationships, discoveries. The project involved more than 4,500 people, examining the relationship between…
You walk past a co-worker’s desk saying “Good Morning.” He responds with, “Yea, what’s good about it?” You comment to your child that he or she did a nice job on that school project only to have them respond, “Right! You don’t like anything I do.” You send your wife a text expressing how much…