Family by God&#039;s Design

Don’t Kill the Messenger

The green dragon opened one eye before quickly raising his head. He sniffed the air as his eyes darted around the room. Something was amiss. Something posed a threat to the relationship that the dragon jealously guarded. He nudges his master, even blows a little smoke in his direction. His master now has a choice:...

Grace Honor

jealousy marriage

May 3, 2025

Make the Gracious Choice

I often feel overwhelmed by the constant criticism, contempt, and name-calling I hear in the news. And…I don’t think I’m alone. I hear many others talk about feeling discouraged as they watch this as well. What we hear in news stories is one thing. What I find even more discouraging is how many people come...

Family Shepherds Honor

family intimacy family relationships observation student

April 28, 2025

Reading, Language, Empathy, the Brain

We all know how important reading is for our children. A study published in Neuroimage showed that this benefit reaches all the way down to the very structure of our children’s brains. That’s right. A study involving over 1,000 participants suggests that reading strengthens at least two regions of the left hemisphere. One region is...

Celebration Family Shepherds

brain development empathy language parenting reading

April 26, 2025

Mom’s Doing the Heavy Work, Carrying the Load

I almost hate to write this blog. The information forces me to look at myself and consider…do I need to make some changes? Am I part of this statistic? Does my wife notice? But I get ahead of myself. Let me explain. Research from the University of Bath and the University of Melbourn revealed that...

Family Shepherds Honor

family relationships mother schedule stress management

April 21, 2025

Sedentary Activities Good for the Family Brain

Sometimes we just need to relax, kick up our feet and rest. But not all sedentary activities are equal when it comes to the brain. A study conducted by researchers at the University of South Australia looked at 397 adults over 60-years-old and found that some sedentary activity had a more positive impact on the...

Celebration

activities brain development cognitive health exercise rest

April 19, 2025

What Parents Learn from Driving Rats

In a previous blog, we learned What Laughing Rats Teach Us About Family. Well, now I found a study in which rats that drive teach us an important lesson about children and family. Yes, you read that right. Rats learned to drive in this study. The researchers constructed little cars made of plastic, complete with...

Celebration Family Shepherds

fun motivation parent problem-solve

April 12, 2025

Personal Beauty & Kindness…Really?

A study published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing revealed interesting findings about perceived personal beauty and kindness. The study actually confirmed findings over a series of seven experiments. Specifically, this research suggests that people who feel good about their appearance channeled that good feeling into deeds of kindness toward others. In one...

Celebration

family intimacy generosity kindness

April 7, 2025

6 Practices to Build a Haven for Family Connection

Family life can become rushed…and the more rushed it becomes the more stressful it feels. Unfortunately, that’s the mode of our world today—rushed and stressed. But you can make your home different. You can incorporate some simple practices in your home that make it a place of respite, connection, and calm. Let me offer a...