Most of us can forgive small stuff...but what about the big things that cause us great pain?  Ed Thomas was a caring husband, a good dad, and a highly respected man in his community.  After decades of coaching his football team, Ed was awarded the coveted NFL High School Coach of the Year in 2005.  Four years later, a former student walked into the school locker room, pulled out his gun and unloaded seven bullets...

As parents, we want to do everything we can do for our kids, but that’s not always best. It’s important to teach our kids to do things for themselves.  So here are some ways to teach your children self-discipline.  First, teach structured routine. Organized and consistent structure breeds discipline. For example, by setting a designated time for homework to be completed each day, the routine will become a natural...

When we think about what’s valuable to us, we often think about material things… our home, car, investment portfolio. We think about business success. We think about getting praise… getting the credit… all temporary things. But we should value relationships above results, the process above the product, what’s “God-made” above what’s “man-made,” serving others above being served, giving others credit above...

We want our kids to be confident. Acing a test, scoring a goal, or getting the part builds that confidence.  But all too often, confidence grows into pride as kids begin thinking they’re better than their peers.  Teach your children to be different by teaching them to be humble.  Here are some ways to teach your kids humility.  First, model it yourself.  It’s important to never underestimate the power of teaching...

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. told us what greatness is all about. He said, “Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.” One of our jobs as parents is to talk to our kids about the significance of serving others and show them how to do it. Serving others starts in your family. You don’t have to look any farther than the four walls of your home to serve others. Doing chores together around the house, such as...

We think forgiveness is a feeling. We think forgiveness means forgetting. We think forgiveness is a sign of weakness. But forgiveness is not what you think. Here are 3 truths about forgiveness. First, forgiveness is a decision to release. Instead of replaying the incident over and over in your mind, choose to not dwell on how you were wronged. Second, forgiveness is a decision to embrace. Instead of holding on to...

Patience has always been one of my biggest struggles.  Can you relate? If so, here are 3 ways to help you practice patience. First, understand what triggers impatience. Impatience often occurs when we don’t get what we want when we want it. There are a couple of things that can trigger it. We get impatient when circumstances don’t conform to our expectations—long lines at the store, traffic jams, and flight delays...