Stories & Articles

It's a miracle in a conversation when we don't interrupt people.

What we need in the next pope.

Reader, Whether your Christmas Day is just getting started, or is coming to an end, I hope you take one more time to hear or read the Christmas story. The original one. The one in the Bible. No ornaments. No Santa. No Bing Crosby. It’s 100% natural and Gluten-free. Just Jesus. Click here to give a listen - or read. Even if you’ve heard it a hundred times before. It won’t take long, and It will calm your soul. Merry Christmas, John Certalic P.S. More episodes are coming in early 2025

Reader, My father spent all of his working life with the A.O. Smith Corporation, a huge manufacturer of auto and truck frames at the time. In its heyday, the company produced as many as 10,000 frames per day. Dad was a foreman on the shop floor, working mostly second shift until he retired. As a boy, I remember his schedule changing every few years or so as production stopped so they could re-tool for the new model year. I’ve come to realize I need to re-tool my communications with you. But...

Reader, I wasn’t going to write anything more about the election until I read Peggy Noonan’s column in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal. She wrote something so encouraging and comforting that I just had to share it with you. “A Great Democracy Faces a Bad Choice” is Ms. Noonan's commentary on the notable flaws of both major candidates in this year’s presidential race. None of it was encouraging or comforting. But it’s what she says at the end that touched me. This week my own October surprise....

Reader, It’s almost over. And it can’t come soon enough for me, how about for you? The 2024 presidential election here in the US. It reminds me of the podcast episode I did right before the 2020 election, episode 074. What was true then is still true today, four years later. Elections are relational minefields. They divide people and rarely, if ever, bring us together. In that podcast episode I mentioned a few things worth considering in 2020 that are also applicable here in 2024. Here’s a...

Reader, Legendary baseball star Pete Rose died a few weeks ago. He shares something in common with Tom Brady, whose football jersey was recently retired by the New England Patriots. Both men were described by their respective former teammates like this: “He made everyone around him better.” While this complement was made in the context of each man’s skill on the playing field, it could also apply to our relationships. He made everyone around him better makes me think of the people I know, who...

Reader, I’ve purchased just one water bottle in my life, but have collected quite a few more that were given to me for free. Water bottles from organizations promoting their brand, much like all the free pens and calendars we see everywhere along the marketing landscape. The last thing I need is another water bottle. But I almost bought one the other day because of the message printed on it. “What we do every day matters more than what we do once in a while.” I find this to be an inspiring...

Dear Reader, In my Wednesday emails over the past few months, I’ve explained 4 of the 6 topic categories our podcast episodes fit into. The last two are Relational Skills Relationship Principles Two of my favorite individual episodes within these categories include: 037: The Two-Step Process to Solve Relationship Conflicts 045: Seven Relationship Lessons from the Greatest Christmas Movie Ever Made Click on the links above to give a listen. Or click on the links below to see a brief...