Please, please make your kids sleep. Focus on it. Demonstrate it. Prioritize it. Our kids and teens are collapsing under a never-before-in-human-history lack of sleep. Cancel things on the calendar. Slow down. Hang out with your kids. Be bored. Prioritize your kids and teens sleep. At least love them that much. Delony

Wives: If your husband works hard for your family, tells you the truth, shows up for you and the kids (even though he may not say it right or do it all right), and is trying to navigate a world gone mad with both strength and vulnerability, Please grab his face, with both hands, Look him in his eyes, And tell him you're proud of him. Let him know you see him, and that you're proud of him. These words might just save his life. Delony

Please don't get to the end of your life and say to your spouse, "You know...we forwarded a bunch of memes and watched a bunch of streaming episodes." Go for a walk. Dance in the living room. Have sex. Go to counseling. Find a group of couples to come over. Go to a bingo hall. Take food to the homeless. Visit someone. And on and on and on. Go live your one wild life, and stop watching other people live theirs. Delony

Parents: Be very, very selective and careful about childhood sleepovers. Very careful. It takes one kid's smart phone to put images into your child's mind that will last a lifetime. It takes one older-brother's friend to take your child's innocence forever. It takes one adult's lapse in judgement or character to powerfully impact your child in a negative way. If you choose sleepovers for your kids, do not be afraid to ask hard questions about personal and digital safety. Be upfront about your expectations. And always let your child know you'll pick them up at any time of the night, for any reason. Never let your child feel they're on their own. Delony

One of the greatest gifts you can give your romantic partner is clear instructions about what you want. About how they can love you well. I know that Hollywood has taught us that being in love means that we should be able to read each others minds. But that's not reality. It's fantasy. Give the person you love a clear roadmap — with instructions — on how they can best love you. Dishes, car repair, sex, bed times with the kids, meals, putting down their phone, working more, etc. You might feel annoyed, angry, un-sexy, or frustrated. But clarity is kindness. It can help your partner love you — how you want to be loved. In the new year, give each other a chance to love well. No more mind reading. Delony

Children, at an elementary school, during worship. A woman on a train. Young high school students, headed to class. A husband and father of two young children, speaking at a public forum. Insanely and senselessly, gone. Tonight, we sob and weep with those who sob and weep. Because in these homes, fathers and daughters and sisters and kids aren't coming home. I'm sick and disgusted. I'm heartbroken and overwhelmed with sadness. I'm full of anger and a sense of hopelessness. May God welcome these souls home with open arms. And may God have mercy on our broken, ugly world. Delony

Never raise your voice in your home. Never yell at your kids. Never scream at your spouse. Yelling and screaming is an adult temper tantrum. It's a sign that you've lost control and are resorting to intimidation instead of leadership. It doesn't help. It only hurts. Children yell and kick and scream. Mature adults do not. Delony

Dads: I recently checked with some medical professional colleagues and my suspicions were correct… There has never been a continuous 45 minute poop in the history of bowel movements. Ever. Stop hiding in the bathroom. Put down your phones, wipe, flush, and rejoin your families. They need you. Much love, Delony

Do not be afraid to try as hard as you can. On your marriage. On your health. On your work. On your relationship with your kids. On your faith. On anything. Quiet quitting says way more about you, than anyone else. For once in your life, go all in. It will not guarantee success in terms of outcomes. But it will guarantee success in character and strength. And that, my friends, is the goal. I love y’all, Delony

Husbands: Stoping whining about your wife not putting gas in the car. Just go fill it up. I know you work hard. I know you're tired. I know she may not appreciate you in the way you think she should. Just go do the next right thing anyway. Fill up her car with gas, and move on with your time and energy. You can choose to look for ways to serve your wife or you can choose to look for things to complain about her. Choose service and honor. Delony

It's strange that this will be a controversial note, but here we go... Yesterday, my wife woke up with a terrible pain in her abdomen. By the early afternoon, she was in the ER, diagnosed with appendicitis. Within a few hours, an on-call surgeon came in, and working with his team of nurses, PA's, anesthesiologists, etc., he safely removed her appendix, and she is now on the road to recovery. I know it's become en vogue to crap on modern medicine, and to talk bad about medicall professionals of all sorts. Today, I am grateful for the nurses, PA's, pharmacists, administrators, and all of the doctors who saved my wife's life. Modern healthcare has problems, like every industry. But it's full of countless people dedicated to helping hurting people. I'm in awe of their talents and care. Thank you modern medicine and THANK YOU to everyone who has dedicated their lives to helping hurting people, especially those working in hospitals and medical offices all over the country. I’m super grateful for each of you. Thank you, Delony

When your child starts speaking to you, put down your phone and look them in their eyes. Do this as soon as you hear their voice. Even if it's just to tell them you need some time to finish whatever it is you're doing. But make eye contact every single time. Your child is more important than your phone. Never, ever give them a reason to think otherwise. Delony

Wives: The story you've made up about your husband may be true. But it probably isn't. He may be checked out at the dinner table because he feels like he lives in a failure factory. He may be working late because the office is the only place where he might be celebrated. He may be hiding in the basement because he's received the message from his teachers, his parents, the news, and society at large - that HE is the reason why there is so much pain and destruction in his home and in the world, simply because he's a clueless, dumb man. He may be hiding because he doesn't want to hurt anyone. Behind your deepest frustrations with your husband, there is often a deep well of pain. Instead of asking, "What is wrong with you..?" - Ask, "What happened to you...? Delony

In a world where aging men are disposable and often in the way, fathers of grown children often find themselves without a purpose, meaning or a role. Humans default to their worst impulses when they feel alone and without a purpose. Adult (and college age) kids: This isn't your job, but it can be your gift. Call your dad. Importantly, ask him for his advice on an issue or idea, no matter how small. Ask for his idea(s). Ask for his help. If you're feeling really brave, ask for his opinion. And then, just listen. Yes, you may get nonsense. You may get some old tropes. But there's probably some wisdom in there. And along the way, you might also find a lost connection. Along the way, this exchange will give your dad his most precious gift in the world: You. Delony

Dads: Hug your sons. And not lame little side arm hugs. I'm talking about intentional, powerful, any-age hugs that let your sons know you love them, you believe in them, and you're not so weak and pitiful that you have to hide your emotions. You want to change the world? Create a generation of men who feel loved and supported by their fathers. Delony

Note to self: Don't let the on-field performance of a bunch of teenagers or young adults, on any given Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, make or break your weekend. You must have higher standards for yourself. If your emotional regulation revolves around the final score of other people (college or professional) playing a game, your life is lame. Instead of outsourcing your life to other people's performances, go out and find adventures and activities to be involved with yourself. It may be on a field, in the woods, on a stage, with your wife or kids, or playing music... Get in the ring of YOUR own life and stop quarterbacking from the recliner. Commit to no longer outsourcing your life. Delony

Today, do one out-of-the-ordinary kind thing for your romantic partner. If you already feel like you're doing enough for them, choose to do even one more thing. It could be picking up dinner. Doing the dishes. Writing a note. Keeping your phone in your bag until the morning. Watching their favorite show. Going for a walk. Playing a few rounds of dominoes. Taking care of bedtime with the kids. Just do something kind, above and beyond what you normally do. And most importantly - don't say anything. Just see a need/want and fulfill it, without any fanfare or expectations of gratitude. Make going above and beyond an Identity, especially for those closest to you. Be the person you want the world to become. Your life will begin to change in ways you never thought possible. I love y’all, Delony

If you've made a mistake or if you've made a decision that you regret, Own it... And then go do the next right thing. Now. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone makes decisions they regret. That's part of being human. But... You find out a persons character, not by their first mistake or their first indiscretion, but by how they own the aftermath. By who they are after they get exposed. Wallowing in self pity has never solved a problem. Ever. Say you're sorry. Ask for forgiveness. Ask how you can be a part of making things right. Delony

As the great David Kessler says, grief is like a finger print. Everyone - every single person - grieves and responds tragedy and fear differently. Sadness has a million different faces. Right now there are countless people yelling and screaming at each other, trying to force their particular way of grieving the chaos and loss in our world down each others throat. If someone tells you how you should be grieving or responding, including what words you should or shouldn't be saying, they lose the right to speak into your life. Their vote no longer counts. They don't care about your pain or hurt — they are trying to use you to feel a little more in control in a wild season. We are in a charged, heart-broken, and scattered world. We should all be grieving and responding... In our own, personal, unique way. Period. Delony

Childhood sleepovers have never been the wisest, safest choice. Now they’re borderline unwise. Be very selective about where you child sleeps. Ask very hard questions. Understand the boundaries and character of every adult, teenager, and other children who may be interacting with your child. Clearly state your values. And say no most of the time. Your child deserves to be safe where they sleep. That safety starts with you. Delony