Presidential — and Fatherly — Marriage Advice

How Ronald Reagan taught his son to be a husband

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin Perhaps it’s our upcoming presidential inauguration that had me thinking about this, but I read what I’m about to share with you some time ago, and I thought at the time it would be worth reproducing here. I’ve published my own advice […]

Our Chaos is Why Christmas Exists

The answer is yes

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – […]

On Traditions – Updated

Honoring the past and living with joy in the present

“Nothing comes from nothing. Nothing ever could” — Richard Rogers (“Something Good”) As Christmas approaches, I’ve been thinking about the importance of traditions.  Having a set of practices tied to the Christmas season has generated lots of benefits for me and my household.  I credit our traditions with the following: Making memories and sharing experiences that strengthen […]

Re-post: Lessons Learned from 30 Years of Marriage

Next to parenthood, it's the best trouble you'll ever have

“He who finds a wife finds a good thing     and obtains favor from the Lord.” – Proverbs 18:22 (ESV) Mrs. Booth and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary this week. I am profoundly thankful for the years we have had together, and I look forward to the years ahead. The institution of marriage has suffered […]

The Benefits of Maintaining a Cool Spirit

Keep cool, man

“Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.” – Proverbs 17:27 (ESV) With Thanksgiving this week, I am seeing articles and hearing reports unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Families are dividing, disowning, and disinviting over political differences. Ridiculous! Before we take a long-overdue visit to […]

Kids really do say the darndest things

"Dad, you're just being modest..."

“You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.”   — Franklin P. Jones We can talk about politics another day — and we might want to soon — but for now, here’s a fun story about an afternoon I spent with one of my sons back when he was […]

So, How Have YOU Been?

What I did on my summer blogging sabbatical

“Rest and be thankful.” ― William Wordsworth First, I want to thank all of you who read these words of mine — and the thoughts that inspire them. And I want to welcome you to the third year of Ontozoan — One Real Life. As some of you may know, I took a three-month hiatus […]

Re-post: How Cultivating Resilience Can Save Your Life

Suicide sucks -- ask the ones who've been there. Oh wait.

“No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.” -1 Corinthians 10:13 (MSG) […]

Re-post: Four Reasons Why Sex Is Such a Big Deal

Not just any two will do

“I could never take a chance Of losing love to find romance In the mysterious distance Between a man and a woman.”    -U2 As the saying goes, men think about sex roughly every seven seconds.  Sometimes it can seem like more frequently than that!  Whether that is the reason or not, our entertainment, our […]

Re-post — Monogamy: The Virtues of the One and Only – Part I

Marriage rocks - but you must be present to win

Note: In last week’s post, I quoted J. R. R. Tolkien’s saying that monogamy for men isn’t natural. I agree. It is, however, worth the effort as I explain in this post and its follow-up.   “He who loves one woman has loved them all. He who has loved many women has loved none.”  – […]