How I lost 85 lbs & went from an XXL to an M!

When Allison and I got married, I weighed a solid 300 lbs. And it wasn't fun... or pretty. My back hurt constantly, I got winded every time I stood up, I had sleep apnea... oh, and I hated the way I looked. I ate when I felt bad, and I felt bad when I ate. It really was a vicious cycle. Like most people, I felt like I had tried everything. I had done fad diets, getting rid of all my junk food, switching to diet soda, stopping eating anything...

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The 7 Essential Elements of Leaving A Great Legacy

I'll never forget when my dad gave the eulogy at his dad's funeral. My dad is a highly experienced public speaker, but it's no small thing to try to sum up the life of a great man. And as I sat in the pew of the Lutheran church where the funeral was held, I realized that that's really what a legacy is - it's the summation of your life. When it's all said an done, your legacy is what your life boils down to.  Photo courtesy of mbell1975...

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3 ways to give teenagers the respect they need to become mature adults

Alura was 12 when I married her mom and became her dad. At first, her need from me was simple. She needed to time to build trust. Now she's 16 and we've built a lot of trust, but her needs have changed too. As a teenager, she still has lots of needs. But, in my mind, one stands above the rest. Like all teenagers, Alura needs to be respected by Allison and m...

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7 Things every son needs from his dad to become a man

Raising boys isn't easy. We live in a world that's increasingly designed to derail their lives and hurl them into a darkness futility, or worse. And the problem is compounded by the fact that our society doesn't have a unified definition of what it means to be a man. If you look around, manhood seems to be defined by who can make the most money, buy the most toys, and score with the most girls. What doesn't add up is the fact that many of the...

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How to tell if a recovering addict is about to relapse

One of the scariest parts of recovery is the anxiety that comes with worrying that you or someone you care about will relapse after they've gotten a foothold in sobriety. Photo courtesy of Michael Dunn at Flickr.com It happens commonly. In fact, it's a statistical probability. And it can happen to anyone at any point in their recovery. I remember an old school teacher who once confided in me that he was brokenhearted over a close friend who...

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Dads and grandpas, here's why you're losing our respect

If there's anything a man wants to leave behind when his life is over, it's a great legacy. We're wired to want to be great and impact the world. It's the reason we build large businesses, strive to be great husbands and fathers, do scientific research, overcome impossible odds, and never stop working to become better. Photo courtesy of Nicholas at Flickr.com Many men have left incredible legacies behind. By working hard to stand for something...

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Thankfully, I pranked my daughter until she cried

Parenting isn't an exact science... In fact it's not a science at all. It's more of an art. An art where the rules and methods change every day. Sometimes you screw up and it's bad. Other times you screw up and somehow it turns out good. A few days ago I played a prank on Scarlett that left her in tears, but with the way things turned out neither of us would have it any other way...

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