Skip to content

Steve Kroening

Steve Kroening is a staff writer for the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. He has been a professional writer for 35 years and is the author of Make Mama Happy: Timeless Wisdom for Men Who Want an Extraordinary Marriage, and the blog TrueFantasy.org. He has written thousands of articles for various publications and worked in an addiction ministry for 12 years. He and his wife, Beth, also serve as domestic missionaries in Jasper, Georgia.

Content By Steve Kroening

Audio Blog Series

Building Champions at Home

March 19, 2026

When Coach John Wooden retired from basketball in 1975, he had every reason to savor the spotlight. He had led UCLA to an unprecedented 10 NCAA national championships in 12 years, including seven in a row. His teams had won 88 consecutive games at one point—a record that still stands as one of the most remarkable streaks in sports history. He coached legends and built a dynasty. He became, by nearly every measure, the greatest college basketball coach of all time. Yet when Dr. James Dobson asked what he missed most after stepping away from the game, what Coach Wooden said in response is important for every Christian parent to remember. He didn’t say he missed the roar of the crowd. Nor did he mention the trophies, banners, or championships. He said he missed the practices. He longed for the teaching. That statement reveals everything about why John Wooden was a champion—and why his example matters so much for moms and dads today. The Championships Were a Byproduct Wooden didn’t  begin his season by talking about taking home titles. In fact, he rarely mentioned winning at all. Instead, he focused on preparation, fundamentals, and character. The first practice of every season was famously simple. Coach Wooden taught his players how to put on their socks properly—carefully smoothing out wrinkles to avoid blisters. Then he showed them ...

Read More
Audio Blog Series

How Christian Women Can Change the Culture

March 6, 2026

In his book, Bringing Up Girls, Dr. James Dobson shares an amazing quote by John Adams, the second president of the United States. Adams wrote, “The manners of women are the most infallible barometer to ascertain the degree of morality and virtue in a nation.” After studying history and observing different societies, Adams concluded that when women no longer prioritize modesty and domestic virtue, nations eventually lost their public spirit and even their forms of government. That is a strong statement, but Adams understood something important: The character of women shapes the character of a culture. Today, many people believe that cultural change is the result of politics, media, or education. These areas do matter. But Scripture points to a deeper truth. Real change begins in the heart, then moves into the home, and spreads throughout the community. When women walk closely with the Lord and live out their faith in daily life, they create a ripple effect that reaches far beyond their front doors. In my recent blog, Hope for Your Marriage When Your Partner Is Distant, I talked about the power of quiet faithfulness. When a husband pulls away emotionally, his wife’s first instinct may be to argue harder, demand change, or withdraw in hurt. Yet 1 ...

Read More
Audio Blog Series

A Wife’s Superpower

March 3, 2026

Does your marriage sometimes feel like a tug-of-war? You want to be heard. You want to be valued. You want your husband to understand you. But instead of closeness, you feel tension. Instead of warmth, there is distance. And when you read passages in Scripture that instruct wives to “submit” or “respect,” something inside you tightens. It feels unfair, risky, and maybe even impossible. My wife and I once had a couple come to us for help in their marriage. The wife told us that she essentially forced her husband to go along with counseling because she wanted us to “fix him.” He worked hard in construction for a living but never seemed to get ahead. When he came home from work, he just wanted to relax by playing video games. The more we talked with this couple, the more we saw that this situation wasn’t one-sided, as she insisted. She constantly yelled at him, told him he was worthless, and argued with him about everything. She rarely had a positive remark to say to him. When we brought up the biblical principles of submission and respect, she wouldn’t have anything to do with either one. As far as she was concerned, he didn’t deserve respect, and ...

Read More
Audio Blog Series

Hope for Your Marriage When Your Partner is Distant

February 6, 2026

Few things feel heavier than wanting to fight for your marriage when your spouse seems distant and unwilling. You may feel alone, exhausted, and unsure where to begin. It’s tempting to believe that if your mate’s heart has hardened, nothing can change at all. But Scripture offers a different kind of hope. While you can’t control another person, there are some things you can do to influence him or her. Bill was in that position. He did everything he could to save his marriage, but his wife refused to change. She didn’t want a divorce, but her heart was no longer in the relationship. When I started meeting with him, he was angry and frustrated. Nothing he did seemed to work, and his faith was starting to waver. I encouraged Bill with this truth: God often works powerfully through one willing heart. If you are trying to save your marriage when your spouse isn’t interested, here are three necessities that matter more than any technique or argument.   1. Heal Your Relationship With the Lord First Before focusing on your spouse, God calls you to look inward and upward. A strained marriage often reveals a deeper spiritual weariness. Healing begins when you ...

Read More
Audio Blog Series

When Your Adult Child Is Hurting

February 2, 2026

When children fall and scrape their knees, parents typically meet their cries of pain with love and attention. Hugs, kind words, and a Band-Aid help soften the blow and ease the discomfort. But what should parents do when their adult sons and daughters experience heartache and anguish? How can parents help them through the difficult times that are sure to come? Challenging seasons are not always proof of failure, but they are always proof of humanity. Pain has a way of leveling the playing field. No amount of faith, success, money, or good intentions can fully shield a person from misfortune. Struggles come to the strong and the weak, the faithful and the doubting, often without warning or explanation. Watching our kids experience the sting of life is sometimes even harder than dealing with our own battles. It’s natural to try to fix the problem for them, apply a “bandage,” and make everything all right. Sadly, many hurts are too deep and complicated to be patched up and forgotten. Some wounds are self-inflicted and can take months or years to overcome. Others are caused by friends, family members, or even casual acquaintances, and may never fully heal. It’s easy for ...

Read More