BMWK: How do you take time out for your marriage to reconnect in spite of all of the responsibilities that you carry?

Michael: It’s amazing because when you walk in your purpose, the time out is built in already. We find moments that aren’t even planned. If her feet even touch me she already knows what time it is [laughs]. She can’t look at me too long and I can’t look at her too long. We find time to appreciate those quiet moments. It’s nothing planned, we try not to plan it.

Wednesdays are family day. We work together so we’re always together 24/7. We dedicated that day to stop by and go shopping for our parents. If we have to call a brother or sister, we’re going to do it all on Wednesday. After that, that’s all you get until the next week [laughs].

BMWK: What parenting tips can you share with us?

Tanya: Someone said to me the other day that we have to intentionally parent our children. You have to figure out what your child is. Even at nineteen months old we know our child is very strong, determined, headstrong, talkative and very much a dictator. We have to figure out what it is in our children that is strong in them and nurture that the way God would have them be, not the way we want them to be. Nurture their strengths and look at their weaknesses and partner with God. Don’t just get them involved in dance classes but spiritually figure out who they are. At the end of the day, when everything is gone, that’s the only foundation that is going to stand.  We want to teach them not just to go to church but how to pray and have a relationship with God.

Michael: I think she’s absolutely correct. I know some things might reflect us but our children are nothing but an extension of who we are. Most importantly, we want them to know how to have a relationship with God in addition to how to have a relationship with people. Everything we do with people is 50% of life. The other 50% is how you deal with the Lord. So if our children don’t’ see anything that’s walking around and is negative, how can their life gravitate towards that? That’s controlled parenting in a positive way. When I come home from work, it’s not acting like the boss in front of the kids. It’s about getting my wife in the bedroom and telling her about my hard day.