So This is What Sin Looks Like

One movie I can never pass by when flipping through the channels on television is A Few Good Men. In the movie, Tom Cruise played a military lawyer, named Daniel Kaffee, who defended two U.S. Marines charged with killing a fellow Marine at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Kaffee was essentially a used car salesman lawyer, who exclusively negotiated plea bargains, to the extent he had never seen the inside of a courtroom. Because higher ups did not want a trial, Kaffee was chosen over more qualified lawyers to take the case. After a dramatic courtroom scene, Kaffee turned around while exiting and remarked, “So this is what a courtroom looks like.”

Join New Facebook Group for Faith and Family Bloggers

***New Facebook Group for writers to mingle, share Blog posts, self-promote, expand following, and support other Bloggers.  63 Members and growing.***

Bloggers are always trying to find ways to increase their exposure and to stay in touch with and support loyal readers and fellow Bloggers. I find this to be a great challenge, particularly when following a large number of great writers.

To help with this challenge, I have started a new Facebook Group called “Faith and Family Bloggers.” I would love for as many of my followers as possible to join that Group. You can do so by clicking on the following link and submitting a join request:

Faith and Family Bloggers

10 Ingredients for the Hyde Antidote

Having just returned from a weekend lacrosse tournament in Asheville, NC, rabid and obnoxious sports parents are imprinted on my mind.

You know the type . . . the parents who . . .

A Teen’s Response To Prickly Parenting

[TheDaddyBlitz Introduction]

The following is a response from a 16-year old to my Prickly Parenting post. After she gave some feedback, I asked her if she would be willing to share her perspective on behalf of teens, and she graciously agreed! And without arguing! 🙂

Prickly Parenting

As a parent, do you ever feel prickly?

Merriam-Webster defines “prickly” as “covered with prickles.”

Two prickly creatures that come to mind are the puffer fish . . .

The Well-Worn Bone Guitar

[A SIMPLE SHORT STORY FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, WRITTEN AS ENCOURAGEMENT TO MY WONDERFULLY ARTISTIC AND TALENTED NIECE FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION]

A young cricket, mouse and frog were the best of friends and dreamed of forming a world famous band.

But father cricket told his young cricket, “Work hard and you can be the best chirper in the meadow.”

Wile E. Coyote Parenting

Wile E. Coyote is one of my favorite characters from Looney Tunes. Why? Because I can identify with him. When I parent, I am Wile E. Coyote.

Top 20 Values to Teach Children

Below is a list of values that my wife and I are constantly trying to instill in our children. This is not an exclusive list, and many overlap, but these are the top items on my parenting agenda (my wife may have others) as we shepherd our children.

The Darwinian Mind of the Youth Sport Blind

I anticipate this being a controversial post, but I gotta say it anyway; it’s been burning a hole in me for years:

Youth recreational sports should be focused on

fun,

teaching,

skill development,

and

experience,

not winning.

Advice to New Parents: Relax

For those who do not know me, my wife and I have 5 children, all boys, ranging from ages 4 to 15, including a set of twins. At one point, although I have little memory of it, we had 4 children ages 4 and under. There are people who have more children than we do, and I respect them greatly, but people already call me crazy, so what does that make those who have more?