“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” ~Winston Churchill Our lives are filled with choices every day. Perhaps none is more critical than the choice to be positive. Why be positive? There are lots of benefits. Positive people tend to be healthier and live longer lives. They have happier, more fulfilling relationships. They often experience greater professional success.  In general, research indicates that positive people simply enjoy life more than negative people. Letting go of negativity can garner us all of the above-mentioned benefits. However, it is a conscious decision.  I

The topic of education always seems to spark controversy, so let me begin by saying that this will not be an exhaustive discussion regarding this subject.  More than anything, I just want parents to recognize that we need to be purposeful when it comes to educating our children.  The responsibility lies squarely with us.  Not the government. Not the school. Not the community. Not the church. Sobering, isn’t it? Now, that is not to say that we can’t have any realistic expectations of any institution that we choose to help us in this process.  But that is a whole other

The 2003 remake of the movie Freaky Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan has been a family favorite for several years now.  The movie begins with the typical crazy morning rush to get the family out the door and off to school and work.  As the mom is dropping off her teenage daughter at school, she calls out the window after her, “Make good choices!”  The daughter sighs and rolls her eyes as she is walking towards the building. After we had seen this movie for the first time, I would often say this phrase to my girls