Tomorrow is America's 237th birthday and most of us will celebrate with barbecue and fireworks. We usually smoke a brisket when we host barbecue events at our house. I was not happy with the dry rubs we would purchase at the store so I decided to make my own. After much trial and error this [...]
Author: Ryan North
Ryan North is the Co-Founder of One Big Happy Home and creator of The Empowered Parent Podcast. He is a recognized expert on childhood trauma, a TBRI Practitioner, and develops training materials for parents, schools, churches, and child-placing agencies. Ryan is a sought-after speaker known for his engaging and practical approach to communicating complex issues clearly and relatable to a wide range of audiences.
Where is the Trust?
Have you ever had one of those moments when you needed to trust someone? Have you ever just needed someone to trust you? Trust is both beautiful and scary. Beautiful because there is peace and joy in having a relationship where trust is freely extended and received. Scary because for relationships to grow there will [...]
5 Keys to Better Relationships
I want better relationships, don't you? Sometimes I feel like I spend more time thinking (or writing) about changing the way I interact with people than I actually spend changing the way I interact with people. I think some of you can relate. Change needs two things...ideas followed by actions. Our example of the balance [...]
Don’t Speak
If your childhood was anything like mine you would have heard the phrase "You need to earn my respect" many times. It seems like most of the people I speak to had similar experiences growing up. But as my own kids have grown I have had to fight the urge to just go with what [...]
My Daddy is Only a Picture
Ahh June, the month we celebrate father's day. I started thinking about what it means to be a dad and I realized that most of the foster placements we've had over the years had one thing in common; they grew up in a home without a father. I don't know what the percentage of kids [...]
Take me to the Other Side
Sometimes we feel like we have to be superhuman. You know what I mean, you can't say no to anything, it always has to be yes. Soccer, baseball, football, tennis, dance, gymnastics, play dates, etc. added to the therapies, appointments and all the rest. If you're like us you feel like saying no is a [...]
Can I Say a Bad Word?
One of the interesting things about fostering is that some of the kids who come to us have, shall we say, "spicy" vocabularies. They know and use words that our kids don't know and use. They know and use words that we don't use. They know and use words that 4 year olds shouldn't know [...]
What do you Remember?
Today we celebrate Memorial Day. Our nation has set aside the last Monday of May to remember those who have given their lives in defense of their country. This national day of remembrance got me thinking about all of the things we remember as a family. I remember the night we met Tori. I remember [...]
Go and Tell it on the Mountain
We often get asked about being foster parents. People seem to have a high degree of interest in foster care and we are always happy to talk about it with anyone who want to have a discussion. At some point in the conversation this phrase is uttered "I could never be a foster parent, it [...]
Pride (In the Name of Love)
Two summers ago I decided to study the Psalms. If you're anything like me you firmly believe that you have read every word of the Bible. If you're honest you know that’s probably not true especially when it comes to the Old Testament. And so I embarked on my journey through the book. One hundred and fifty of them [...]