August 25, 2012

The Strength of Ten

August 25, 2012/ Jonathan Sherman

My strength is as the strength of ten,
Because my heart is pure.
—Lord Alfred Tennyson

My mother shared the last two lines with me when I was a teenager. I was going through some tough times as I was trying to straighten out my life. As I did so, I was struggling with the backlash I got from what turned out to be false friends. That quote really struck a chord and gave me strength when I greatly needed it. I've never forgotten that quote and have oft remembered it when I needed courage.

The Answers You Get

July 28, 2012/ Jonathan Sherman

I often remind people to be careful when seeking my advice and counsel: "Do you want the answer you want to hear or that is easiest to hear or do you want the answer you need to hear even if it's hard to hear?" For example, on one daddy daughter date last year with my teen girl I asked her, "How am I doing as a dad? What can I do better or differently to help you?" The answer I got really surprised me.

7 Ways to Honor Mothers

May 13, 2012/ Jonathan Sherman

Mothers Day is obviously a great day to show appreciation for our mothers. However, one day is not sufficient. Appreciation, to be effective, must be expressed frequently, regularly, and consistently. Appreciation is a relationship non-optional. While appreciation does not need to be over-the-top I think we can easily go beyond one card once a year. Here, then, are seven ways for honoring mothers throughout the year: