For some time, Catholics Come Home advertisements have aired in select media markets around the U.S.  An ad campaign in Phoenix, Arizona in 2008 resulted in more than 3,000 people returning to the Catholic church, according to a spokesperson from the Diocese of Phoenix.  Now, the church is poised to blanket the U.S. with 400 ads in more than 10,000 cities across the country, between December 16 and January 8.  The hope is that the $3 million campaign will motivate about a million Catholics to return to the church.

Many years ago, I experienced for myself a phenomenon that is an all-too-common problem in workplace relations between labor and management. I owned a small company, and decided that I would like to start profit-sharing with my employees as much as would be feasible. So, I rounded up an executive table and some chairs and convened an employee meeting.

Many years ago, I experienced for myself a phenomenon that is an all-too-common problem in workplace relations between labor and management. I owned a small company, and decided that I would like to start profit-sharing with my employees as much as would be feasible. So, I rounded up an executive table and some chairs, and convened an employee meeting.

The crisis in Europe has generated a myriad of opinions about its ultimate outcome. Some suggest a long and protracted period of crisis management.  Others see a sleeker version of a two-speed Europe (The Economist, November 10, 2011).  Some think Germany should leave the EU and take its friends with it (The Telegraph, November 16, 2011).  Some are calling for a New Europe (Reuters, November 9, 2011).  Still others hold to the idea that the EU can be saved only by making the “tough” decisions.

A couple of years ago, I was speaking with a gentleman who told me about a tradition in his family that would come to shape some of the traditions in mine. He explained that his mother would read books aloud to the family during dinnertime! This put into action a thought process that would lead me to dramatically change my family's dinnertime dynamics.

As a father of four, I began to ask myself: “How am I doing with my family? What are my wife and I doing to prepare our children for their future? Are we using dinnertime as a tool to build our family?”