Family by God&#039;s Design

Childhood Adversity? Get Physical

Did you experience childhood adversity such as abuse, a family member with mental illness, domestic violence, or neglect? If you did, you’ll be glad to hear this good news. Those adverse experiences represent risk factors, not fate. They do not determine your present life or your future, not even on a neurologic level. Indeed, these...

Celebration

activities adverse childhood experiences brain development exercise

August 8, 2026

Imagine the Difference

Criticism, neglect, or harsh treatment from our caregivers can have a lasting impact on our sense of well-being and even our quality of life as we mature. The memories of these events can haunt us well into adulthood, impacting how we think about ourselves and the world and contributing to a lower sense of worth...

Family Shepherds Honor

adverse childhood experiences family intimacy memories parenting

August 3, 2026

The Subtle Attack of Materialism

We live in a very materialistic world. You may have seen a bumper sticker stating that “The one with the most toys wins.” If we can’t have the “most toys,” we at least try to “keep up with the Joneses.” But the materialism promoted in these sayings harms marriages in both obvious and subtle ways....

Celebration Honor

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August 1, 2026

Teach an Old Dog New Tricks? You Bet!!

I’ve heard it said that “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” However, this research begs to differ…at least when it comes to elderly humans like me. In this study, participants between 60 and 80 years of age exhibited as much growth as participants in their twenties after an 8-week intervention focused on stress...

Grace Honor

emotional development emotional health emotional management maturity

July 25, 2026

Get Happy, Get Calm, Get Moving

Anxiety and depression have risen significantly in the United States over the last decade. Statistics suggest that 1 in 8 people in the U.S. over the age of 12 have a diagnosis of depression and 31.1% of adults will experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime. In fact, as many as one in four people...

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anxiety depression emotional health exercise health

July 20, 2026

Get Connected

Many forces in our society pull families apart. Each family member becomes involved in their own activities, pursuing their individual interests and individual growth. Unfortunately, this can easily result in a disconnected family. Even together, we find each person pursuing their own experience as they sit together in the same location: one listens to their...

Family Shepherds Honor

connection family identity family intimacy healthy development play

July 18, 2026

Don’t Forget to Savor

Savoring your marriage: to slow down and celebrate the happy moments of your relationship, to intentionally pause to appreciate the enjoyable experiences you have enjoyed together. Our world is not set up to savor. We rush from activity to activity. We do everything quickly rather than slowly experiencing and appreciating the moment. However, a study...

Celebration

intimacy marriage memories

July 13, 2026

Check Out This Play Research Completed by the Experts—Our Children

Researchers from Aarhus University interviewed hundreds of play experts about the crucial elements of “good” play. Interestingly, the experts interviewed were the children themselves. Using the data from these interviews, they identified seven “critical factors” of play: Guess where the 7 elements of play arise most often. In an adult-supervised, structured sporting event? Maybe sometimes....