“Johnny, get off the computer and finish your homework!” “No, Mom, just one more minute!” “No, Johnny — off right now!” “But Mom, I’m almost at the next level!” If you’re a parent or grandparent, chances are you’ve gone back and forth like this with your child at some point—it’s a familiar tug-of-war in many households. I know I did when I was raising my kids! Most parents have experienced this exhausting cycle of setting boundaries that resulted in pushback from their children. What begins as a simple request to complete homework or limit screen time quickly escalates into a […]

We are heading into a season of opportunity. For some families, Thanksgiving and Christmas can help define who they are. For others these holidays are little more than eating and expense. Where do family traditions fit in? Traditions might just be an extremely important part of this holiday season. In fact, one of my colleagues recently asked a group of young parents what they were looking for or wanting for their family. The overwhelming response was something we could do together. They were all wanting to come back to the dinner table. They were also making the choice to cut […]

As we enter this Thanksgiving season, my heart is full of memory, thankfulness and hope. Each November is Homelessness Awareness Month, and that observance makes this season a fitting time to remember how HOPE began and to consider what God might yet do through us.   A moment of compassion Thirty years ago, a single moment changed the direction of my life. It was Thanksgiving Day in 1995 when a young family with a baby walked into a church-sponsored dinner. Up to that point I had pictured homelessness as a problem of individuals on downtown sidewalks. Seeing that young mother […]

More Than a Meal There’s something sacred that happens around the table. Last month, we explored the idea of the table as a “thin space,” a place where the veil between heaven and earth feels remarkably thin. This month, as we move deeper into fall and near the holidays, we take that one step further: the table is not just where we meet God. It’s also where we meet one another. October gives us a pause before the flurry of the holidays, but it already carries the spirit of gathering. There’s football on the weekends, comfort food in the oven, […]

This has been a difficult month for our country. For many of us as parents, it is even more emotionally complicated as we are trying to both shield our kids from the division around us but also talk them through how to navigate it. Children often pick up on the tension around them, even if they don’t fully understand it. This is a great opportunity for us to train them not to “react” but to “respond.”  Learning to respond in difficult situations takes training. Think of our amazing first responders who face difficult situations every day. They undergo rigorous training […]

The Good News provides a monthly column with important content having to do with topics from the legal community. This month, Bill Davell discusses public and private adoption, and how to decide what’s best for your family situation, with Tripp Scott attorney and Director Jeff Wood: ————————————————————————————————–   Bill Davell: Jeff, what is a public versus a private adoption in Florida?   Jeff Wood: A public or state adoption involves adopting a child out of the foster care system, which in Florida is managed by community-based care agencies, or CBCs, contracting with the state. A great example of a CBC […]

We are heading deeper into a time when our society is questioning the need for the traditional family structure. Questions are being asked like: “Do we really need family? Does it really fit this modern culture? Does the traditional family do anything that couldn’t be accomplished by various nontraditional family paradigms?” When leaders don’t know why we need family, they tend to weaken their resolve to fight for it. When parents don’t know why we need family, they can unknowingly stop training the next generation to perpetuate family values.    What is the purpose? To understand the need for family […]

Have you ever heard the term “thin space”? It’s an ancient phrase, rich in spiritual meaning. A thin space is a moment, a place, an experience where the veil between heaven and earth seems especially fragile — where God’s presence feels near and tangible. You can’t always explain it. But when it happens, you know. Thin spaces are often found in moments of prayer or worship. Sometimes it’s during a church gathering, other times it’s when you’re alone in your car and clarity breaks through like a beam of sunlight. It’s as if the noise quiets, and God whispers something […]