Family by God&#039;s Design

Is Saying “Thank You” Really THAT Important in Families?

Have you ever wanted to just hear the words ” thank you” from a family member? After all, a little thanks would help you feel appreciated and add joy to your life, right? If you’ve had that desire, you’re not alone. In fact, research conducted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign confirms your sentiment and...

Family Shepherds Honor

family intimacy family relationships intimacy marriage parent child relationship

November 23, 2024

Real Vs. Artificial Intelligence

The other day I watched a young cashier try to count change when the automated cash register was down due to a power outage. The older gentleman making the purchase even gave the cashier a few pennies to make the change easier to count. The cashier had to call a friend over. Then, after a...

Family Shepherds Honor

brain development cognitive health healthy development

November 16, 2024

Our Children: Curious or Confident?

Curiosity compels us to explore, to find things out…often with no material reward. We just enjoy learning about those things that arouse our curiosity. Researchers at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute showed what the brain looks like when curiosity arises. Specifically, they showed people ambiguous visual images and used fMRI scans to witness how their brains responded....

Family Shepherds

confidence curiosity healthy development parenting play

November 11, 2024

Sync Your Brains for a Better Marriage

Have you ever felt like you and your spouse were out-of-sync? On the wrong page? Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a way to sync your brains, especially those areas of the brain that involve perspective taking, understanding other people’s intentions and emotions, and overall interaction? After all, syncing those brain areas with the...

Celebration Honor

intimacy marriage

November 9, 2024

The Effects of Marijuana on Developing Brains

Marijuana seems to be growing in popularity and acceptance. However, we are still learning about its effect on the developing brain. As new information comes out, I would like to share it with you, allowing you to continue making wise decisions for you and your children. With that in mind, I want to share the...

Family Shepherds

brain development cognitive health health healthy development marijuana

November 4, 2024

A Powerful Force

Want to ruin a good vacation? Grumble and complain. Want to destroy a lovely dinner? Grumble and complain. Would you like to destroy an intimate moment or ruin a gift? You got it…grumble and complain. It’s true. Grumbling is powerful, a mighty force of destruction in families; yet it is so common and even accepted....

Grace Honor

complaints family intimacy gratitude happiness Thanksgiving

November 2, 2024

Raising Children Happiness

Raising happy children takes intentional effort these days. Perhaps it always has. Fortunately, a study from the University of Bristol suggests seven basic practices that can promote happiness…and so raise our children’s happiness. In this study, 51% of the participants maintained the practices that promoted happiness and reaped the benefits “during the following years.” We...