The Perfect Man

Posted on: 05/30/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

“I want a man who…”

That’s how her paper started.

My daughter just graduated from High School last week and will be heading to California Baptist University in a few months. In the shuffle of paperwork flowing through her room, I noticed this paper she wrote about what she wants in a man, a list of characteristics. I loved the list!

I asked her if I could post it. Here’s Alyssa’s list:

I want a man who… (in no particular order)

  1. Doesn’t have a bad temper
  2. Respects my schedule
  3. Buys me See’s chocolates
  4. Will wait five months to Continue reading “The Perfect Man”

Tickets for Two in Southern CA

Posted on: 04/8/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

This May will be the second year I’ll be speaking at the FAM Conference May 16-18th with my friends Doug Fields and Jim Burns at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California. I’ve got an exclusive discount for all of you and two FREE registrations to this amazing 3-day event! (WINNER POSTED BELOW)

I’m thrilled to be a part of this innovative conference again this year. I’ll be teaching the parenting track, and Doug and I will actually be releasing our brand new workbook helping parents set realistic rules and boundaries in the home, Should I Just SMASH My Kid’s Phone! I’ll also be teaching a brand new workshop on the same subject as one of the Super Seminars.

The conference offers something for everyone Continue reading “Tickets for Two in Southern CA”

My Baby in Uganda

Posted on: 02/15/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

As I’m stepping on a plane to NC today for a weekend of teaching, it’s actually my second trip to the airport within the last 24 hours. Yesterday Lori and I dropped off my daughter Alyssa, my dad and my mom at the airport where they joined a team of 21 people from our church who are going to Uganda to serve for two weeks.

I’m so excited for Alyssa… and a little scared.

I know I shouldn’t be worried. Our church has sent teams to partner with these Ugandan churches for years now. It’s an amazing time where Christians from different countries learn from each other and worship alongside one another. My dad is going to be training hundreds of Ugandan pastors, my mom (a CSUS professor) will be teaching at a women’s conference, and my little Alyssa (17) will be helping where needed and using her awesome photo skills to Continue reading “My Baby in Uganda”

Raising Kids in a Divorced Home

Posted on: 10/3/12 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

It’s interesting to notice the trends in the questions I receive from parents after my parenting workshops. Last year one of the most common questions I received was, “Am I too late to try all of this with my 18-year-old?”

This year, the number one question I receive, without a doubt, is, “How can I build values into my kids when my ‘ex’ is teaching something completely different in his/her house?” I probably hear that question at least twice in every city I speak.

What a great question. It’s difficult enough for two parents in the same home trying to raise kids today. Add a split home into the mix… it will take even more communication and more work.

After hearing this question a bazillion times, it dawned on me, I should probably get someone with experience in this situation to offer some help. So I called up my buddy Lane Palmer, one of our ministry’s writers, and asked if he could address this issue since he had been divorced, remarried, and only has partial custody of his two teenagers Continue reading “Raising Kids in a Divorced Home”

Permission to Go to the Homecoming Dance

Posted on: 09/19/12 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

This morning Alyssa and I had an very honest and open conversation about the homecoming dance this coming weekend.

I basically asked her, “Why am I letting you go?”

I think you’ll find the conversation intriguing.

This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about the homecoming dance. Last year I blogged about my struggle with the decision, giving my readers a glimpse at what goes on at school dances, and the second I posted it (Dad, Can I Go to the Homecoming Dance?), the comments started pouring in.

“I’m disgusted that parents would let their kids go.”

“Christians have no places at dances.”

“Why are all these kids who have a heart for Christ wanting to hang out in a place that is so entirely sinful?”

As I look at the playlist for this year’s dance (my daughter caught a sneak peek of it on Facebook and sent me a copy—I just wrote about it in detail here in my latest post at DougFields.com), I began second-guessing my decision to let her go. So I decided to Continue reading “Permission to Go to the Homecoming Dance”

43 Years Old

Posted on: 08/3/12 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

My amazing wife Lori turns 43 this weekend… and she just keeps getting better and better!

Friday we both are taking the day off and just… chillin! We’re going cycling, kayaking, eating dinner at her favorite seafood place… I can’t wait! I love hangin with Lori!

A little while ago I blogged about Lori being born in 1969 and how many beautiful people come from that year!  🙂  This weekend we celebrate her getting even more beautiful and aging like a fine wine.

Happy Birthday Lori!

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A Painfully Empty House

Posted on: 07/1/12 9:52 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Wednesday I dropped off Lori, Alyssa and Ashley at the San Francisco airport with my parents where the 5 of them boarded a big bird headed to Europe where they will spend two weeks hitting Italy, France, Switzerland and Germany.

I’m torn.

Part of me is thrilled that they get to do this trip. It started when Ashley did a report for school, years ago, about Florence, Italy and some of its architecture. My dad told her that they would take her there some day. Last year, they booked it, and Alyssa and Lori wanted in! I had enough airline miles to send all three of them with my parents, so Alec and I decided to stay home.

I know Lori and the girls will have a blast touring Europe with my parents… but the house is so quiet! Alec works and hangs out with his friends a lot, so many days it’s been just me. Continue reading “A Painfully Empty House”

Ashley’s Note

Posted on: 06/18/12 4:42 PM | by Jonathan McKee

It’s so good to have my kids all in the house.

Alec is back from college and the girls are adjusting to having him around again. It’s been really fun overall, but I can’t say it’s been without incident. Yesterday we found this note from Ashley taped to the upstairs bathroom door:

Nice!

Isn’t it fun being a parent of three teenagers?

Watching The Avengers

Posted on: 05/4/12 11:42 AM | by Jonathan McKee

This week my son came home from his first year of college. We had told him that we’d do something special, so yesterday afternoon I looked at him and his two sisters and asked, “How’d you guys like to go see the midnight premier of The Avengers?”

All three were thrilled. Luckily, the girls are both in the middle of some state testing right now at their schools and didn’t have to be at school til 10ish this morning. So the timing was perfect.

I’ve taken my kids (14, 16, and 18) to one midnight premier before, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The crowds are always fun at these midnight showings; nerds in costumes, dire-hard fans, a ton of energy, so my kids were really looking forward to it. This time we were able to convince Lori to go with us, so that was a bonus (She’s not big on staying up after midnight… but we twisted her arm). We were pretty sure that we would be the only “family of five” in the theater.

We Fandango’d the tickets to reserve a spot, then we showed up only 90 minutes early (which isn’t very early for a premier like this), hoping to find that delicate balance of not waiting forever in a line, but also being early enough to find decent seats. Those who follow me on Twitter saw that they had just let everyone into the theater at 10:30. We were able to grab some of the stadium seats a few rows apart, Lori and Alec together, and the girls and I several rows above.

Some people were in costumes, but most were just fans like us. One guy walked in dressed as Thor, held up his hammer and screamed. The entire theater cheered. My kids were loving every moment of it.

By 11:30 the theater was packed. We sucked down a Coke trying to get some caffeine and stay awake…and then…the room darkened.

Previews were awesome: the new Dark Knight trailer that I Tweeted about a couple days ago, the new Spiderman. The theater literally roared when these titles came up, but then immediately silenced to hear the preview. It was an interesting phenomena. They were excited, but at the same time were serious about the film so they were respectful enough to quickly silence their cheers and laughter for the next line.

And then… The Avengers.

The film was sheer brilliance. It was far better than I even expected. It was laugh-out-loud hilarious first, in no way lessening it’s appeal as a phenomenal action film. The cast was amazing, and the script practically perfect. All this with Joss Whedon at the helm… it was a nerd’s paradise, but something every audience will love.

Yeah, I know that I just wrote only one paragraph about the actual film, but I just posted our official review of the film, how age appropriate it is, etc. on our MOVIE REVIEWS & QUICK Q’s page along with some discussion questions and a passage of scripture. Be sure to check that out.

Oh… and stay until the end of the credits. NOT just to the surprise in the “middle” of the credits… but until the VERY end!