Arise Blog

Building Character

Hole In The Wall

I have a rowdy boy who is always playing some sport, even if he makes it up. He’s tossing, hitting, or kicking a ball at any given moment,

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Building Character

Teen Talk

I could tell by the way he walked from the bus to my house that the weight of the world was on my son’s shoulders. We had been

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Building Character

It’s a Jolly Holiday With Mary

This afternoon I found myself glued to the television watching the film Saving Mr. Banks. I had originally viewed the movie the day it released in theaters in

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Building Character

Removing The Sins That Kill Us

“Well it isn’t really hurting anyone so…” Isn’t it interesting how over time we can start to think that sin isn’t really a big deal? It makes sense…

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Building Character

Middle Schooler or Alien?

Middle school students are a different creature. It’s like they hatched from an alien planet. Your sweet, relatively normal child has morphed into a hormone-filled teenager who can

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Building Character

Baby Turtles, You Can Make It

The air is humid. The sun warms the sand as the water ebbs and flows. Movement begins slowly. Sand divots appear across the landscape. Then teeny tiny sea

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Building Character

Streams In The Desert

We all walk through seasons of dry times where we travel a dusty and weary land. We traipse across the barren landscape, parched and in need of some

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Building Character

Texting Your Teen

I had a wild idea to text a special message to my teenager each day for 20 days. Somedays he replied with a simple thumbs up, while others

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Building Character

Detours & Roadblocks

I excitedly prepared to head off for a conference in Grand Junction, Colorado, early the next morning. My confidence ebbed and flowed as I packed my car, ensuring

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Building Character

20 Truths About Single Moms

l. She has four legs, four arms, and two hearts—equaling double the love.2. She carries twice the work load and twice the stress but gets twice the hugs. 3.

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