As a kid growing up in the 70’s, family sitcoms gave wonderful and idealistic family values — two-parent families with lots of love, laughter and light-hearted humor such as “The Brady Bunch” and “Happy Days.” Family dramas included biblical and moral values such as “Little House on the Prairie” and “The Waltons.” But, perhaps the television version of family in those days was more of an escape from my reality, which was that I was the youngest of four siblings who lived in a blended family, as my mom and dad divorced when I was not just two years old. […]

  As back to school sales mark the approach of another school year, a growing number of both secular and religious Floridians is choosing to educate their children at home. From 2003 to 2012 the percentage of children who are being home schooled has gradually increased from 2.2 percent to about 3.4 percent. Home schooling parents are still a small minority, but they are a vocal minority. The reasons people choose to home school are different for each family, but the most common reason cited is the environment the children are expected to learn in. Another reason stated very well […]

In “the good ol’ days,” Jim and Shirley Cox, of Plantation, celebrated their annual family reunion at their beach house in a little coastal town called Garden City in South Carolina. The reason for the reunion was simple: to bring family members together. There was no schedule of activities to be planned, no internet ideas, themes, resources, free reunion registry and message boards or invites to address and deliver…via email. There was only the anticipation of 24 hours of shared memories and another day in which new ones could be made, and undoubtedly last a lifetime. Four generations later, that […]

Well, I believe that whatever choices my son makes, whether good or bad, Godly or godless, wise or “what were you thinking,” we feel as though we managed and invested well. We’ve known from his birth that our kids belong to God and that we are simply managers and investors with what God has given us “on loan.” Life is about knowing and following an awesome God who by His grace offers forgiveness and freedom, even when things get difficult and challenging. We’ve guided Toby from birth to understand the importance of God’s inherent Word to teach and guide his […]