Millions are watching Charlie Kirk's memorial service today. No one can deny that he stood for what he believed. Are you a man of your convictions willing to stand and even die for what you believe? 

The Bible says that we as husbands are to lay down our life for our wife, putting their needs and their desires above our own.  Do we really believe that and is that how we are living?  This week's challenge is to walk out what you believe each day, for your family and for the world. 

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There are people all around the world reassessing their life because of Charlie Kirk and what he stood for. If you or someone you know has questions and desire to know more about Jesus Christ, whom Charlie put his trust in, go to www.askdanandlydia.us to get answers. Lydia and I will be going live with "Ask Dan and Lydia" soon. More details to follow.

Record yourself telling your wife something you appreciate about her and that you love her. Send it via text sometime this week when she isn't expecting it.

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Go on a hike as a family and enjoy the beautiful weather.  With tomorrow being Labor Day, it makes for a great time to get away for a short excursion.

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Arguing in front of others, particularly our children, is detrimental to our marriage and family. Children become insecure when they see their parents argue. We need to provide a united front of love and nurture. This week make a commitment to discuss issues only in private.

As a bonus, if you want to help alleviate some potential conflict, help out with the actual laundry!

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Call your wife just to find out how her day is going and tell her that you are thinking of her.

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Are you getting past the surface in communicating with your spouse? Life can come at us so fast, that all we have time for is "What's next?", "Who's doing that?", "When is this?"... To keep our marriage healthy, we need to take time out to really talk.

I have to admit that I am not very good at this. I am working on going deeper with my bride and will provide updates as I uncover things to help in this area. For this week, I challenge you to take time to share your dream, goals, and plans for your career.

Where do you want to be in 5, 10, 20 years? What would you really like to do? Let your wife encourage and help you make plans to achieve your goals.

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Write a heartfelt handwritten note to your wife.  Include a quote or scripture that fits her well and share a few things you admire about her. 

Leave the note with a piece of chocolate on her pillow to find before she goes to bed one night this week.

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We were out of town this past weekend and had family that had a medical emergency. They needed a place to stay but we weren't available to come back, and we didn't have any way for them to get in. You never know when you'll need to have a spare key for just such an emergency.  

If you don't already, have a hidden place or neighbor keep a spare key in case something unforeseen happens. If you prefer there are also Wi-Fi enabled locks that can be accessed via your phone from anywhere.

Part of our job as husbands is planning ahead and being prepared for the unexpected.

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Plan a family vacation for at least 3-4 days, preferably a week. Discuss when you want to go, where to want to go and some specific things you want to do while you are there.

It doesn't have to be expensive, just a time to get away with the family and spend quality time together. Decide who is doing what to plan and get at least some preliminary reservations made.

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I grew up with parents that always had a garden. The original farm to table. For this week, get the family outside and plant a vegetable garden. If you have space, talk through all the things you want to grow. We just planted squash, okra, corn, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers. We also have blueberries, strawberries, black berries and peaches.

If you are limited in your space, get a pot and plant tomatoes or some herbs.

Working together to grow something and then sharing in the harvest helps build memories and bonds your family together.

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