Being in a dynamic, estrogen drenched, family comprised of four adolescent young women and myself being in my mid-forties and, let’s say “hormonally chaotic”, has taught me some things about limits and healthy boundaries.

One of my healthy boundaries is no drama after 6pm... when at all possible. 

Some people have a glass of wine, some stay away from caffeine after six and others turn down the blue light.  But, for me, the biggest trigger to nights of...

I don’t even pretend to understand American football (or European football, aka soccer, for that matter) at all.  I used to be a proud marching band geek (clarinet thank you very much) and went to every game for years, but never really paid attention.  I was too busy socializing. 

But there is one thing I know about the game for sure and that is that you need BOTH an offensive and a defensive strategy to be successful and this really does echo out in life, leading...

There are many stages of childhood and, for each child, they are further broken down and different.  I would argue that there are as many stages of parenthood to meet that individual and unique child’s needs of that season we well.  An immature season requires more responsibility, grace and structure while a season robust in self-accountability may need a hand of frivolity and seeking joy in the moment.

But, JUST looking at the parenting side of the equation, there are...

Wouldn't it be nice if a neatly packaged box of peace or freedom was under your tree this year?

I don't mean the trip to Aruba you've been secretly researching or the silent treks through Iceland's glaciers you daydream about (I keep hearing Iceland is a great place to go!).  This isn't about escapism, but real freedom in where you are right now.  Peace IN the chaos, IN the crazy, IN the mess, IN the drama and IN the inevitable hustle.

The trick is that you can not find this...

If you are reading this, I think I can assume you are a parent or leader that truly cares about your daughter and the young women [and men] you are leading of the next generation.  So, this article is not about the overt and dangerous ways people can hurt their children in the name of “loving” them.  This is about the people like you and me that care and love these kids so much that in doing so we can easily end up enabling poor choices and holding them back from their...

There is no denying that when you are raising, or in any way leading, teens and preteens that there are some head scratching, jaw dropping, "what in the world" moments where they will do and say things that test your love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control in BIG ways.

What do we do? Blind rage fit? Laugh it off? Hide all evidence? Enable their unhealthy choices for fear of not being their "friend”, rocking the artificial facade...

Courageous Conversations Lead to New Bridges 

This is the picture I sent my oldest daughter in college one night this week when saying goodnight.

Do you ever feel this way?

Maybe a little numb and starring off into the distance because you feel like you pulled every heart string, used every neuron and exhausted every breath with prayer that day?

I know I do, especially in this season of my life where I have a constant pulse on the adolescent young women...

This article is a community requested favorite.  I have answered this question many times on an individual family level depending on the needs of the child, but I want to give some broad stroke resource tips here on how to approach and stand in this typically vulnerable topic with your kids and especially your daughters.

Every generation and every family within that generation is going to approach this a little differently.  There is the blatantly out loud, tipping over into...

A new study, published in September, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is the newest body of proof to help us comprehend the impact the world-wide Covid experience had on our sons and daughters.  This study, in my opinion, delivers the most palpable understanding for what we saw then and what we are still seeing today.   

What did the study say?

160 teens (50% female and 50% male) aged 9-19 brains were studied through MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)...

Six years ago we went to Arizona on a business and family trip.  We toured Sedona, which to this day is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I have ever been, and hiked the Grand Canyon rim along with hundreds of other people from every corner of the globe. 

I am not sure what area of the Grand Canyon we were on, but it was an area with NO guardrails and signs littered the winding paths about deaths and injuries that had occurred several times in several...