Words can be used to build people and situations up, and they can cause the deepest wounds a soul can endure. Not only do other people's words affect us, but our own words significantly impact our lives and our success in life.

It seems that commitment is something that is less and less important in our society. As a teacher, I have watched commitment to activities and even to each other digress. The “selfie” culture has us focused on what makes “me” happy. If I’m not feeling it, I’m not going to do it.

Do you ever wish you had a manual for a healthy marriage or, better yet, one for each of your children? Yes, wonderful books are out there, and we should educate ourselves from those who have gone before us. But often, the books fail because your situation seems to be a little different from those you read about.

We would all agree that building a successful family takes love. But what about faith? Faith sometimes falls by the wayside. However, it is faith that will keep us going when the hard times come.