How I became a successful fitness model (who works out with his kids)
I grew up spotting my dad in our home’s garage gym. Almost as far back as I remember, my father had me standing behind him as he pounded out reps on his old Weider bench press. I would watch the bar go up and down and stand ready to grab it if needed. Throughout the 80s, my dad was the guy in a sweatband and sleeveless shirt who insisted on moving a few hundred [...]
A girl named trust
Comedian Jim Gaffigan has a joke he tells about having his fifth child: "If you want to know what it's like to have a fifth kid, imagine you are drowning....and someone hands you a baby." That's how my wife and I felt when we got the phone call letting [...]
What to do when your life is disrupted
Disruptions happen all the time. But rarely do they happen to everyone at the same time on the scale they are happening right now. Most disruptions happen to other people; they have a child get sick or they lose their job or their life changes abruptly in some other [...]
Being thankful when difficulty and blessing arrive together
Six months ago my wife and I were sitting on our couch when we got a message that said our daughter had a new sister. We were already parents of two one-year-olds and a two-year-old and quite honestly we often felt overwhelmed already. Most people get nine months to [...]
How a little courage turned into a family holiday
This is a big week for me. Almost a decade ago I did something stupid. Something I was terrified to do. But because I did that thing that I was terrified to do next week I get to do something I've wanted to do my entire life. Something I'm [...]
How to be authentic
Some people are fond of asking if others can tell what you believe by looking at your life. The truth is the answer to that question is always yes, because you always live what you actually believe. The real question is if you believe what you think you believe. [...]
When God has other plans: A new foster care story
There is an old Yiddish adage that says "Man plans and God laughs." I'm not sure that's true, but if it is, then I bet when God needs a good laugh he looks at my plans. My whole life has been full of detoured plans and crushed timelines. I [...]