I like changes in seasons, and one of my particular favorites is the arrival of fall. Here in Fort Worth we are still experiencing a change in the leaves (which has been quite dramatic this year) as recent north winds are blowing the leaves off their branches. Today as I was driving I was watching the flurry of leaves in the air and on the ground and reminded of one of the reasons I like fall. It is a time for cleaning out, whisking away the old, as one begins the winter wait for spring renewal. In families there are similar ‘seasons.’ There is a time to allow the old to fall away, much like the leaves. These may be memories of past arguments, frustrations with a child’s defiance, or attempts to fix problems that have not worked. It may be time to allow grace to enter into the relationships and drop those issues from the family tree. Grace requires us to let the intensity of the issue to fade away so we no longer hang onto the emotional weight within the relationship. As a father and h...