I’ve married 45 couples over the last two decades. It’s a joy to help a man and woman stand before God, family and friends, and step into a whole new life: oneness, family, covenant from God. You’d think, since God gave humans the gift of marriage, it would be filled with power, ease and endless delights. In reality, it is a LOT of hard work. 

As a friend and I ran together, he made a comment that has stayed with me. We were discussing our kids and family, and he said, “The greatest gift you can give your kids is emotional health.”

We’re supposed to be living the American Dream—hard work, decent reward, nice home and a few fun days at the beach. Yet, so many of us actually have stress and uncertainty: Is my job secure? Will I outlive my 401k? Will the economy tank? Will a medical crisis bankrupt me? Will our children’s generation ever make it? 

One thing is certain in life: disagreements are inevitable. Chinese or Mexican? Beach or Mountains? Toyota or Chevy? State, Duke or Carolina? Disagreements are everywhere, because we all have our own ideas about what’s better. 

You’d never give a martini to a seven-year-old. No good parent would. Why? Because young minds take time to develop, and we all know that alcohol inhibits that development. America’s drinking age is 21 for just this reason: it takes more than two decades for brains to mature such that they can handle safe consumption of alcohol.