Family by God&#039;s Design

12 Simple & Creative Summer Activities for Your Family

Having fun with your family does not have to be expensive this summer. Try some of these ideas. Go get ice cream cones together. Go for a walk in the woods. Have a picnic at a local park…or in your back yard. Enjoy an evening of stargazing. Tell stories about various constellations. Enjoy a free...

Celebration

family intimacy fun laugh play summer

July 11, 2016

Changing the World: Families Sharing Grace

Watching the news today saddens me. The world is troubled. Vengeance, power grabbing, and insecure self-obsession have reached an all-time high. They have hit the streets in our communities…and our communities have become more dangerous and isolated as a result. They roam the halls in our schools…and our children suffer, even going from class to...

Grace

acceptance family intimacy forgiveness sacrifice serve

July 9, 2016

2 comments

3 Steps to Teach Children Better Behavior

Effective discipline involves teaching appropriate behavior, not just punishing negative behavior. In fact, the most effective discipline focuses first and foremost on teaching positive behaviors with these three steps. Model the behavior you want to see in your children. If you want honest children, model honesty. Tell them the truth. Keep your promises so they...

Family Shepherds

behavior discipline misbehavior parenting teaching

July 3, 2016

Prelude, Fugue, & Variation in “NO”

Prelude in “NO”: Learning to tell your children “no” will benefit them for a lifetime. They won’t like to hear it; after all, they have a mind of their own and your “no” reminds them they can’t do everything they want to do. Still, they need your “no.” They lack the experience and knowledge to make...

Family Shepherds

discipline healthy development limits parenting

July 2, 2016

2 comments

5 Benefits of a Family Adventure

My family and I just returned from vacation. We had a great time…fabulous. With my daughters getting older, we decided to go someplace new, someplace none of us have visited before. We all love food and music, so we chose New Orleans. We enjoyed a steamboat ride on the Mississippi, New Orleans jazz, historical museums,...

Celebration Honor

family intimacy family relationships fun parent child relationship play

June 18, 2016

Family Rules: The Guardrails of Safety

From the time my children could walk (and even before), my family has enjoyed walking along the ridge of Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh, PA. Our daughters often ran ahead of us and darted out onto the overlooks. They would run right to the edge of the overlook and peer through the fence at the panoramic...

Family Shepherds

boundaries consequences discipline limits rules

June 18, 2016

Arguing With Your Spouse: A Pain in the Back…or Worse!

The University of CA (Berkeley) and Northwestern University recently published the results of a study following 156 heterosexual couples for 20 years. The authors examined how the couple’s way of managing “conflict conversations” impacted their health over time. They found a link between “stonewalling” (which includes barely speaking, little to no eye contact, emotionally shutting...

Grace Honor

arguments disagreement intimacy listen love marriage

June 13, 2016

A Lesson for Graduates from Blind Bartimeaus

My youngest daughter graduated from high school this year. She and several of her classmates have encountered many painful obstacles on their journey toward graduation. They have comforted one another through an unusually high number of struggles and deep losses. But, this year they received their diplomas and set their sights on higher hopes, greater dreams,...

Celebration Honor

acknowledgement appreciation success value

June 11, 2016

A Beautiful Sight

My wife and I attended a free concert at the Three Rivers Arts Festival the other night. A few days later I had the opportunity to attend another one with my daughter. They were wonderful outdoor concerts…and free (who can beat that!). People filled Point Park to listen, dance, eat, and sing. I looked around at...