Family by God&#039;s Design

3 Ingredients of a Well-Fed Brain…and How to Get Them

We are designed for relationships. In fact, John Bowlby, who is credited with founding attachment theory, went so far as to say loving, secure relationships with our primary caregiver are as essential to life as water and food. And research suggests that “Loneliness Is More Dangerous Than Smoking 15 Cigarettes A Day.” At least one...

Celebration Honor

emotional health family intimacy family relationships health marriage parent child relationship

May 16, 2026

Your Teen Will Love This Simple Way You Protect Them

According to the CDC, teens are experiencing a crisis in mental health. As parents, we struggle to protect our teens’ mental health, nurturing a lifestyle that will protect their mental health over their lifetime. This study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, suggests one of the simplest ways to protect teen mental health. Even...

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May 11, 2026

Infants, Screen Time, & The Brain

A study published in eBioMedicine followed 168 children for more than a decade. Starting in infancy, the research team measured the infants’ screen time and then conducted brain scans at 4.5, 6, and 7.5 years of age. Screen use during infancy impact brain development, especially during the sensitive period of infant brain development. Specific to...

brain development healthy development parent child relationship screen time

May 9, 2026

Nice Guys Finish Best, Not Last

You’ve probably heard that “nice guys finish last.” I beg to differ; and this study, published in Social Psychology, also begs to differ. More specifically, this study involved two experiments. In the first experiment, 463 participants responded to statements measuring their tendency to show “everyday niceness,” their level of social connectedness, and their attitudes toward...

Honor

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May 4, 2026

Argument Intensifiers & Argument Busters

Families have arguments. Couples have arguments. In those moments of argument, we can engage in “Argument Intensifiers” or “Argument Busters.” Argument Intensifiers, as the name implies, will increase the incidence and intensity of our arguments. Let me share two Argument Intensifiers to avoid. Of course, we can learn to catch the Argument Intensifiers and replace...

Grace Honor

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May 2, 2026

What Would You Do?

Jean Twenge describes two scenarios for parents to consider: Stated that way, most of us have no problem saying, “No way” and putting an immediate stop to the potential damage that such behaviors could cause. However, when we give our children smartphones, we have essentially said “Yes” to both scenarios. Smartphones have made these scenarios...

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April 27, 2026

Growing Old with Family & Music

Music is a wonderful gift. Listening to music, playing music, or making music together…it all enhances our emotional, cognitive, & relational health. In fact, a recent longitudinal study of over 10,800 participants suggests that music actually decreases the risk of dementia. Specifically, those over 70-years-old who “always listen” to music showed a 39% decrease in...

Celebration

cognitive health emotional health family intimacy family relationships music

April 25, 2026

Be Careful What You Teach

Children are voracious learnings. They even learn lessons from us that we don’t want them to learn. Let me share a few examples I’ve seen over the years. No parent wants to teach their child that nagging or throwing a tantrum will help them “get their way.” We don’t want our children to believe they...

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April 20, 2026

Imagination or Resistance?

I recently read a paper in which the author described imagination as resistance in one of the chapters. Imagination, the author explained, allows people to stand against oppression and imagine a world in which they lived as liberated people. It gives hope and vision, which translates to a level of internal freedom and joy in...