By Edward Lee At the end of last year the U.S. State Department decided to change the DS-11 form which is used for new U.S. passport applicants. The changes on the form, which are being rolled out February 2011, were initially made to move to gender neutral language by removing and replacing the titles "Mother" and "Father" with "Parent 1" and "Parent 2." However, … [Read more...]
The Hand – Writing on the Wall of Your Marriage
by Edward C. Lee Last weekend I did what I have done every weekend since late August. I spent most of the weekend x-ing things off my to-do list, to make sure I was free once my favorite football team was on. So here it was, first round of the playoffs, and my beloved Philadelphia Eagles and Mike Vick were ready to do their thing. But about mid-way through the first quarter … [Read more...]
The Other Side of the Ted Williams Story: The Affected Spouse
By Edward C. Lee A few months ago, while researching an upcoming project of every marriage in the Bible, I wrote about "The Affected Spouse." The idea was that decisions and actions of one spouse often adversely impact their husband or wife. It was based on the biblical story of David (the David that killed Goliath the giant) and Bathsheba's adulterous affair and the … [Read more...]
Two Husbands, One Fate: Where is Your Marriage Headed?
By Edward C. Lee A new year always gives us a chance to look at what's good and what needs some work in our marriage. Admittedly, I have a minor obsession about planning when it comes to my relationship. I am always asking and evaluating what I am doing today, in light of what I want my marriage to look like in 20 or 30 years. And more importantly I always need to know if … [Read more...]
Parenting A Child to Overcome Fear
By Edward Lee My son has not even made it to first grade yet, so I am in no way writing as a parenting expert. Instead, I am writing on the back end of an "Aha Moment" that I had a few months ago. Originally the title of this post was going to be something to the effect of, "The Day My Son Fell Off the Bed." But something told me that might not go over to well, for me. … [Read more...]
A Marriage Built To Last: Lessons Learned From My Grandparents
By Edward C. Lee The Christmas holiday season always makes me think of my grandparents. My grandfather, Buddy, and my grandmother, Thelma, were married on New Year's Eve, December 31st 1935. They had been married 59 years when my grandfather passed away in his garden with his hands neatly folded on his chest and a smile on his face in 1994. With a nickname like "Buddy" … [Read more...]
Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired: 4 Ways to Avoid a Mid-Marriage Crisis
By Edward Lee Recently I was at For Sister's Only (FSO) in DC. The reported attendance was over 20,000 - of course most were women. It felt like I must have spoken to at least half of them about their marriage or relationships. And there seemed to be a recurring theme in these conversations with both married and single women that still is "impacting" me. A large number … [Read more...]
The African-American Marriage Paradox
by Edward Lee There is a new study conducted by The Marriage Project at the University of Virginia that is pushing new questions and discussion to the surface regarding the role and impact of faith in marriage. Let me pause here and clarify that professionally, spiritually and personally I have no doubt that a personal relationship with God makes an absolutely … [Read more...]
Head of Household
This is the first post of many from new BMWK contributor Edward C. Lee. Please welcome him in the comments section. By Edward C. Lee The generally accepted definition of "Head of Household" as the IRS sees it is the person that earns more than half of the income in the household. I fully understand both the meaning and intention of the IRS's designation and definition. … [Read more...]