Mi Choza De Nipa

By Dr James Dobson One of our volunteers at Focus on the Family US tells us about what he saw at a dog show. As part of the competition, about a dozen dogs were commanded to “Stay!” for eight minutes while their owners left the ring. About four minutes into the exercise, our volunteer noticed the dog on the end, a magnificent German Shepherd named Jake. By the time his trainer returned, Jake was lying flat on its stomach with its head on its paws. Everyone expected the trainer to scold the dog but, instead, he bent down, cupped its head in his hands and said with a smile: “That’s okay, Jake. We’ll do better next time.” There’s a lesson here for parents, too. Children are going to disappoint us. It’s an inevitable part of child-rearing . And when they do, our natural reaction is to bark at them and scold them. If we are wise, however, we’ll remember that they’re only children, just like we used to be, and simply say with warmth: “That’s okay. You’ll do better next time.” ...

By Dr James Dobson We can learn a valuable lesson from the glider pilots who soar through the skies. From my office, I can see air force pilots train. The yellow training gliders have immense wing spans and seem to ride the wind effortlessly. But eventually, the pilots exhaust the currents and they have to come down. The only way they can soar again is to be tethered behind a powered aircraft . If the trainee in the glider didn’t accept help, he would never get off the ground. Yet if that student remained tethered to the tow plane, there would never be a successful flight . Author and single mum Sandra Aldrich refers to this delicate balance in her book From One Single Mum to Another. She said: “In the early days of our singlehood, it’s often difficult to find the balance between letting friends help and leaning on them.” It’s a tough balance to be sure, but perhaps this picture of a glider being pulled aloft will encourage single parents to accept help when it’s needed and...

By Dr Bill Maier Are you constantly unhappy with the way you look? Maybe you need a change – and I’m not talking about a makeover. Self-image is a strange thing. Many people you would consider handsome or pretty actually struggle to accept the way they look. A girl may think her nose is too big when it’s a perfectly normal size. A man may fret over a bald spot that no one else even notices. How we see ourselves is seldom the way others see us. Poor self-image often comes from a parent who didn’t accept us, or failed to build us up as they should have. And it probably wasn’t a conscious thing on their part — they were simply reacting the way their parents reacted to them. Blaming your parents does no good. The healthy approach is to get past your childhood and move forward. Learning to accept yourself may take a lot of work — even counselling — but it’s critical to a happy future. From TODAY, Voices - Thursday, 01-July-2010 ----- Related articles by Zemanta Rob Asgh...

By Dr Bill Maier What do you do when you’re cooped up indoors with a bunch of bored kids? That’s easy — you get creative! Instead of mindlessly flipping through the channels, hoping something decent is on, why not turn off the television and get busy having fun? Try designing an obstacle course with pillows and chairs, and cardboard boxes . Get a stopwatch and see who can get through it the fastest. After that, try a game of musical chairs , hide and seek or play your favourite board game . I’ll bet it’s more fun than you remember. When’s the last time you played tag? Or jumped rope? There are tons of great indoor games to play if you’re willing to move furniture around and make a path in the middle of the room. If all else fails, get the kids dancing to some energetic music. Anything is better than vegging out in front of the television on those bad-weather days. From TODAY, Voices - Monday, 07-June-2010 -----

By Dr James Dobson Recently I heard an incredible story of the perseverance of the Pacific Salmon featured in a nature video produced by the Moody Institute of Science. A salmon was spawned in a hatchery in northern California , released into a channel which led to a stream , the stream to a river , and the river to the Pacific Ocean . After becoming ocean-bound, the fish swam thousands of kilometres. Then, as if by command, he began a treacherous journey back to the place of his spawning. Not only did the fish locate the spot where he’d entered the ocean, but also the river, the stream, and the exact inlet from which he had been released. But here’s the almost unbelievable part of the story. The salmon worked his way up through a drain and pushed through a heavy-screened lid on top of a one-metre vertical pipe, to end up in the very same tank from which he was hatched. Special markings on his fin confirmed the amazing journey. There is, perhaps, a parallel between the earl...

`By Dr James Dobson Someone once said: “If you connect a boy to the right man, he seldom goes wrong.” I fully believe that adage to be true. If a dad and a child can develop some common interests together, the rebellious years shouldn’t be all that troubling. I had that kind of father myself. I recalled the happiest moments of my childhood — how my Dad would get up very early on a wintry morning, pull on our hunting clothes and head 30 km out of town to our favourite place. We’d park the car, climb over the fence and follow a little creek to an area I called “the big woods”. Then we’d wait for the sun to come up, listening to the squirrels , birds and the chipmunks , and let the entire panorama of nature unfold before us. Those moments together with my Dad were priceless to me. How could I have gotten angry at this man who took the time to be with me? There was a closeness that made me want to be like him; to choose his values and dreams as mine. That’s the power of a man to s...

Image via Wikipedia By Dr James Dobson When you want to offer advice to a person about a flaw or a shortcoming in his or her character, it’s best to do it the way porcupines make love: Very, very carefully. It’s often difficult to open the eyes of friends or relatives to their own blind spots. It’s even more risky to discuss a mistake in the way parenting responsibilities are being handled. You’re liable to get your ears pinned back, even when your motives are honourable and you have the other person’s interest at heart. Let me offer a suggestion that may be helpful in handling this delicate assignment. The right to criticise must be earned, even if the advice is constructive and desperately needed. Before you’re entitled to meddle with another person’s self-esteem, you must first demonstrate your respect for him as a person. You have to invest some time and effort in his life in an atmosphere of love and kindness, and human warmth. When a relationship of confidence has been c...

Image via Wikipedia By Dr Bill Maier Here’s a great game you can play with your spouse! It’s called: “Let’s see who can be the most courteous.” It’s an easy game to learn, and you only need two players — preferably a husband and wife . And all it takes to play is a little love and a lot of imagination. The object is to see who can outdo the other player with kindness. At every opportunity, do something that your opponent would never expect, like leaving little love notes around the house, or in their pockets. The way to really win is by racking up little points throughout the day. Compliment your mate every chance you get, and look for ways to make them feel special. Trust me, it’s a great game. And the longer you play, the better you get at it. The best part is everyone wins! From TODAY, Voices - Friday, 26-March-2010 ----- Blogged with the Flock Browser Related articles by Zemanta The Hole We're In (lukeford.net) Help Save Marriage (stepbysteptips.co...

By Dr James Dobson When I was in university , I ran a long distance race I will never forget. I did not win it, but I did learn a valuable lesson about myself, and about marriage . Although I had not trained properly, I bounded onto the track full of energy and optimism. At the sound of the starting gun, I tore off as fast as I could and left the pack far behind. By the second lap, however, my side was splitting and the pack was closing in on me. Somewhere near the halfway mark, I was sucking air frantically and my chest was heaving like a great grey whale. I soon collapsed on the infield grass in a sweating heap of failure, losing the race and my pride in one great disaster. Marathons are very different from sprints, and you have to learn to pace yourself if you're going to endure to the finish line. And isn't that true of married life, too? You have to set a pace that you can maintain through all the ups and downs of everyday living, and make up your mind to let nothing kno...

Image via Wikipedia By Dr James Dobson Is your family soaring above the clouds right now, or are you weighed down by activities, appointments, and acquisitions? My friend tells the story of the first hot air balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean . When the men piloting the magnificent balloon were just off the coast of Ireland , they became caught in a heavy cloud cover and ice began to form on the balloon's outer shell. They lost altitude , dropping quickly. The crew did everything they could to save the balloon. Finally, at nine-hundred metres , they broke through into sunlight . Something like this scenario is repeated in far too many homes today. Our altimeter says we're sinking because we continue to add activities and stretch ourselves to the limit. Instead of adding, there's a time to cut back, to spend more time at home. Then we can soar above the clouds, unencumbered by the things that weigh us down. From TODAY, Voices – Thursday, 01-Oct-2009 Related articles by...

Image via Wikipedia By Dr Bill Maier Are you tired of watching your kids clean their rooms with a shovel ? Getting some kids to clean their rooms is like asking the sun to rise in the West! They can be straight-A students, but their bedrooms look like a war zone! Some parents throw their hands up and say: "Well, it's their room, and if they want to live that way, so be it." But I'm not sure that's the best approach. A clean room is often a sign of respect for self and others. And every child should be held to a certain level of neatness, even if it's just "acceptable". One good approach is to set clear rules regarding cleanliness . You might post a memo on the fridge that every Tuesday and Saturday are "Pick-up days" and nobody eats dinner until their rooms are in order; then stick to it. Most kids won't be as concerned about corners as you are, so don't demand perfection. As long as they dig out the shovel and make a serious effo...

Image via Wikipedia I think I agree with this, since commuters include children who, by all means, should be 'shielded' from these adult (or should I call it inconsiderate) show-offs; we can't afford to openly and willingly 'corrupt' the minors, can we? ---------- Letter from Beevi FURTHER to the discussions about the "No eating, no drinking" regulations in MRT stations and trains, as well as those about commuters who don't give up their seats to the elderly, et cetera , I would like to ask: What about commuters who behave intimately? Aren't they a public nuisance ? I often see couples hugging and kissing in the trains and on the platforms. I think there should be "no hugging, no kissing" signs in the trains as well. From TODAY, Plus – Wednesday, 29-Jul-2009

Image via Wikipedia By Dr James Dobson When it comes to our jobs or our personal lives, many of us have specific goals regarding where we'd like to be in 10 or 20 years. But have we put that same thought into our family 's future? Someone once said: "If you aim at nothing, you're bound to hit it." That's why it's important to set clear goals in every area of life — including your family. Take some time to write out a statement of "family dreams and aspirations". Take inventory of where you've been, where you are, and where you want to be in 10 years. Then decide what you need to do in order to reach that goal. Make sure the entire family is involved in the process. Then commit to making the needed changes and sacrifices along the way. Mobilise your family for greatness, and see just how far it takes you. From TODAY, Voices – Monday, 01-Jun-2009 Related articles by Zemanta Mindful Living (bilerico.com) Our Impact Upon Other People (itakeo...