Marriage is not a ritual or an end. It is a long, intricate, intimate dance together and nothing matters more than your own sense of balance and your choice of partner—Amy Bloom. Military families are not unlike thousands of couples around the country in that they struggle with communication. The...
Are you married and in the military or married to military? You already know that the best relationships are friendships that bring out the best and hold you up during the worst. Do you want to see how well you understand your partner and their view of the world? Let’s...
My wife, Ally, and I will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary in July, and I’m already planning a special celebration for her. We aren’t going to Europe or a luxury resort in the Maldives, but our anniversary will be loving, meaningful, and special for both of us. Like most of...
As a member of the military past or present, you likely spend, or have spent, much time away from your family, leaving your spouse with the day-to-day task of establishing parenting ground rules for your kids. If you’re a military spouse, you’re probably used to making all of the day-to-day...
One thing I’ve learned during my work as a US Army chaplain is that arguments are certain to arise in almost every relationship we encounter. It’s human nature. But disagreements—whether they’re with a loved one, such as a spouse or child, or with a co-worker—do not have to be nasty,...
As founder of our faith-based, nonprofit organization, I’d like to tell you a little about our mission and how we came to be. Technically, the idea for Centurion’s Watch was birthed when I was deployed in Iraq from 2004 to 2005. As a US Army chaplain, I ministered to soldiers...
Ally and I pray you are mightily blessed as you celebrate this Resurrection Sunday! There is no better time of year to rejoice and reflect on the gift of salvation Christ offers us all. Now and always, there is hope as we look to the future. “The angel said to the women, do not...
Happy Valentines Day! I hope you are well. If you are like most American military couples, at the beginning of a new year, you tend to take a little more of a critical look at your lives and ask yourselves, is this where we thought we would be at this stage of our lives,...
“The greatest discovery of our generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their state of mind”—William James I cannot imagine being diagnosed with a disease that would one day cause me to not be able to walk, talk or even breathe on my own. This happened...
This picture is from my family’s first annual turkey bowl game played in my back yard this past Thanksgiving. The game ended in a tie. Despite a few hard hits and a few bruises everyone had a great time. At our Hedrick Thanksgiving dinner 2007 I instituted a new practice...