Family by God&#039;s Design

The Real Work of Marriage Isn’t REALLY Work

When couples come to therapy to ask for help in “fixing” an unhappy marriage, they have generally struggled for years already. They’ve been working to fix their problems by analyzing the issues, processing the struggles, conversing about potential precipitators and causes, blaming, defending, and criticizing. The problem-solving and blaming haven’t worked…and that’s why they come...

Celebration Honor

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January 24, 2026

Give LEGOs a Try

Does your child struggle with spatial reasoning and math? Here’s a fun, surprising way to help—enjoy some LEGO time. University of Surrey led a study involving 409 six- to seven-year-olds that incorporated LEGO building into their school’s daily teaching curriculum. This 6-week, hands-on, structured LEGO building program encouraged the students to visualize and mentally manipulate...

Family Shepherds

development education parenting teach

January 17, 2026

Parents, Have You Ever Been Lonely

Have you ever felt lonely as a parent? I know we don’t like to talk about it; but, if you’ve ever felt lonely as a parent, you are not alone. At least one survey suggests that up to 66% of parents experienced feelings of isolation and loneliness. In addition, 38% felt they had no one...

Family Shepherds Honor

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January 12, 2026

Weeding Resentments

Resentments arise so easily in life. We may fall prey to resentment because we believe our parents favor our siblings, a neighbor’s barking dog annoys us all night, or our partner contributes little to maintaining our home. Whatever the cause, these everyday resentments pile up and affect our well-being, our happiness, and our joy. If...

Celebration Grace

emotional health family intimacy family relationship gratitude

January 10, 2026

Boost Your Children’s Mental Health

The news is out. You can help boost your child’s mental health with this simple, nonpharmaceutical prescription. An analysis of over 375 trials involving more than 38,000 young people found that this simple intervention reduced anxiety and depression in teens. Even better, the biggest improvements in depressive symptoms occurred in fewer than 12 weeks. What...

Celebration Family Shepherds

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January 5, 2026

Forgiveness: A High Act of Love

We’ve all experienced hurt at the hands of our families. Sometimes our spouse, child, parent, or sibling hurt us accidentally. They truly did not understand how their actions or words might hurt us. Other times, they may have hurt us through impulsive words or actions expressed in a moment of anger. Sometimes, their anger may...

Grace

family relationship forgiveness marriage reconciliation relationships

January 3, 2026

And Now 1,500

When I began working with families, I also began to look for a way to effectively communicate what characteristics promote a stronger, healthier, more intimate family. In the process, I have completed many training courses related to marriage and parenting. I’ve read books and attended classes. My favorites certification trainings have included marital trainings through...

Celebration Grace Honor

family marriage parenting

December 29, 2025

The #1 Ingredient of Growth & Learning

We all want to learn and grow, don’t we? Even more, we want our children to learn and grow. We want our whole family to become wiser and more mature with each passing day. There is one ingredient that will promote this growth more than any other ingredient: relationships. We learn more effectively and more...

Family Shepherds Honor

brain development development family intimacy family relationship growth learning relationship

December 27, 2025

Resolve: Enjoy a Year of Christmas

I wish we would celebrate Christmas all year round. I mean…I’m not big on the hustle and bustle, the rush and hurry. I can do without the Christmas tree needles spreading through the living room and the whole house. But the Christmas spirit…I love the Christmas spirit, the heart of Christmas. I’d like to keep...