It’s in his blood. — I hate violence! I feel that way because I grew up on the wrong end of it in my childhood home. It reminds me of things I’d rather forget. It leaves me feeling unsettled. Unfortunately, there are times in our world when the only answer to violence being waged against…

We Need to Apply Some Elbow Grease at Times — It would be great if real love in real life were the way that it is portrayed in movies, on television, and in print. All shined up and perfect. Always exciting. Everybody is happy! But real love isn’t really like that. Real love is hard work. Real love requires us…

Our Lives Have Never Been the Same — The first time I held my newborn son, I wept and could not stop. The love I felt inside came out in tears and quiet sobs. I couldn’t contain my emotions or find a single word to express myself. I was overwhelmed with joy. I felt in awe. This new…

And How It Changes Life for the Better — Life can be hard. And you don’t have to do anything to make it so. It just is. You can eat clean, never smoke, use sunscreen all your life, and still get cancer. You can go to church every week, feed the poor, care for the neglected and still end…

And it’s always within reach. — “Josh, at some point, you will have to figure out how to be happy, even when you don’t have what you want.” Pleading a bit, Josh answered, “But, Dad, how can I be happy when I don’t have what I want?” “Well, Son, you could always be happy with what…

Some roads are headed right where you are going — They call it The Green Road, and it is said to be 5,000 years old. The dust from it was collecting on my shoes as I walked along its path. It was an exceptionally sunny day in Ireland. …

Sometimes a few words is all it takes. — “Dad, do you think I’ll be fine at homecoming?” “Yes, Josh, I absolutely believe you’ll be fine.” We were going to pick up the young lady (she was so kind and sweet) that he asked to go with him to the dance. As I looked in the rearview mirror and…

And you didn’t notice? — When Josh was becoming a toddler and exploring the world, trying to figure out how things worked, I would encourage him every chance I saw. I tried to boost his belief in himself and in the world around him. …

You seem kind of… confused — Destiny, I thought you knew what you were doing at the beginning of my adult life. I thought we were clear on my plans. But after living on the shores of Lake Erie for twenty years, you thought a change of environments would be nice, and the high desert of…