Purchasing a new car and driving it off the showroom floor is a thrilling event. We’re mesmerized by the new car smell, the glossy paint, and all the latest “bells and whistles.” The last thing on our mind is future fluid changes, tunes ups, and replacing worn out parts. In high school I had my […]

The number one human need after survival is to seek connection.  It is a biological imperative that this happen through attachment, and it makes sense when we consider that the infant sees the world first in the eyes of their mother and father.  This gaze back and forth creates the attachment and the connection and […]

I have spent all of parenthood trying to share my experience with my children. I have concluded that this attempt has been a horrible failure as it relates to changing their choice of behavior. As I have watched others struggle with child rearing, and struggled myself, I have concluded that natural consequence is the most […]

Time after time I have watched teenagers, just prior to leaving home, initiate conflict or exaggerate a fight with their parents to facilitate the separation. This often leaves the parents confused and hurt at a time they are genuinely trying to connect. The tension serves to equip the child with a framework of motivation to […]

My heart is hurting. Last summer a good friend of mine died from his depression. As a minister, it was a privilege to serve his widow by presiding at his memorial service. As his friend I have cried before, during and after his funeral. Suicide invites us to evaluate our relationship with the person, and […]