Orange Parents

I remember getting my first smartphone about seven years ago. It wasn’t much compared to what’s in the marketplace today, but I was mesmerized. I thought it was so amazing that you could text and email right off your phone and almost (emphasis on almost) browse the Web. Even at dinner. Even on vacation.
My family,… [read more]

I kind of like technology. You might say I’m a bit addicted.
Three people live in our house–me, my wife, and our teenage son. Ten years ago, we had one family computer that sat in the living room, and I had a laptop for work. Today, between the three of us, we have nine computer-ish devices–three… [read more]

After several responses to our post earlier this week about Rick Smith and his NoahsDad.com website, we thought it might be interesting to hear Rick’s first-hand account of the journey.
by Rick Smith
“I’m so sorry.”
Those were the first words we heard from my wife’s OBGYN shortly after our son Noah was born. Instead of flowers, streamers, bubble… [read more]

Sometimes we don’t like the stories that we’re unwittingly or unwillingly written into. At other times, we realize that it may not be the story we imagined, but it’s our story and we’re going to find a way to live that story to its greatest potential.
Rick and Abbie Smith are examples of the “it’s our… [read more]

So, let’s do a quick survey:
If I asked you whether you would like your child or teen to display any of the following characteristics, what would you say?
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Goodness
Kindness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Let me rephrase that: Is there anyone who doesn’t want to see these in their kids? I mean, come on, many of us pray for these things to… [read more]

What parent doesn’t? I’ve not yet met a parent who’s said, “I hope to instill such a low sense of self-esteem in my kids that they struggle with self worth for the rest of their lives.”
Despite our best intentions, self-esteem issues arise in almost all of us. Why?
It’s not for lack of trying. Many of us… [read more]

Confession: Sometimes I watch the show Hoarders. It totally freaks me out and yet I watch. I don’t know if it inspires me to clean my house or I just like freaking out over a house filled with cats. Anyway, the other day I was watching it and a 40–year-old woman threw a total, out… [read more]

There’s a strange-sounding passage written by an ancient writer thousands of years ago that says, “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self control.”
The principle is sobering. If we are not careful, our homes can become like broken down cities that are vulnerable to a variety of dangerous elements… [read more]

Happy 2012! The new year is a time to celebrate new beginnings and make new resolutions, but it’s also a time to rewind and revisit some of the top moments of the year before. I hope you’ve been able to take the time as a family to reflect on the most meaningful moments from 2011…. [read more]