Family by God&#039;s Design

Is the Golden Rule Obsolete?

The Golden Rule reads as “do unto others as you would have the do to you.” A recent article noted that only 14% of parents use the Golden Rule phrase in their parenting. More concerning, 28% stated they “are unfamiliar with the meaning of the Golden Rule.” In an attempt to understand why this may...

Family Shepherds Grace Honor

family intimacy intimacy relationships respect

August 21, 2023

Excellent Parenting Begins…

We all want to be excellent parents… and that it is no simple task. Still, as difficult as it is, I do know where to begin. Excellent parenting begins with self-awareness. That’s right. Excellent parents practice self-awareness. They have learned that raising a child demands that we, as parents, take a deeply honest look at...

Family Shepherds

fear parenting priorities self awareness self examination

August 19, 2023

Marital Conflict, Fathers, & Children

If you’ve been married longer than your honeymoon, you know that marital conflicts will arise. Even people who love one another and want to spend the rest of their lives together have disagreements. Those conflicts and disagreements also impact their children. On the one hand, angry, stressed-out parents might take their anger out on their...

Family Shepherds Grace Honor

communication conflict marriage parenting resolving conflict

August 14, 2023

Household Labor and…Sexual Satisfaction?

“I have a headache” has become a somewhat iconic excuse to avoid sexual intimacy…along with “I have to get up early” or “I’m not in the mood.” I recognize these may be true statements at times and they need to be accepted as such. However, at times, they can also represent a lack of desire...

Celebration Honor

chores marriage sexual intimacy sexual satisfaction

August 12, 2023

Parental Protection & Your Child’s Resilience

We are experiencing a mental health crisis in our children that began before the pandemic and escalated through the pandemic. Some of this crisis was precipitated by an overemphasis on children’s safety and overprotectiveness on the part of parents. I find it interesting that children enjoyed more freedom in the 1960’s through the 1980’s even...

Family Shepherds

development healthy development independence letting go parenting

August 7, 2023

Children Need the Sound of Silence

Children’s brains are on a developmental fast track. Their brains are evolving, pruning, and shaping…at an amazing rate. You can see it in their changing abilities and growing knowledge every day. Interestingly, sounds have meaning to our brain and our brain seeks to understand that meaning. For instance, the sound of a speeding car when...

Family Shepherds

family relationship healthy development learning parenting

August 5, 2023

Marriage, Money, & Your Bank Account

When people get married, they have several decisions to make. Some of those decisions center on finances…and these financial decisions reflect beliefs about power and trust. With that in mind, researchers have completed studies to discover the impact of having a joint account versus separate accounts in a marriage. A longitudinal study published in March...