Family by God&#039;s Design

The Top 6 Ways to Resolve Marital Conflict

A study published in August, 2024, and appearing in Contemporary Family Therapy offers interesting insight into resolving marital conflict. This study utilized data from 1,112 couples. Specifically, this study explored how the conflict resolution style each person brought to their marriage contributed to their ability to effectively manage conflict in the relationship. They identified 23...

Grace Honor

communication compromise conflict conflict resolution listen marriage self-soothe

January 11, 2025

Easing Transitions: A Lesson From College Transition

Transitions are rough. Some more than others, but all transitions can arouse stress and anxiety, loneliness and even sadness. Perhaps one of the most difficult transitions is the transition into college. A study in Social and Personality Compass suggests a great way to smooth out the transition into college. Although the study specifically dealt with...

Family Shepherds Grace

kindness stress management transition

December 30, 2024

Respect by the Baker’s Dozen

We were given an “echo” for Christmas. After we set it up, we started asking it to play certain styles of music. My family laughed because I added “please” to my requests. Although it may not fit for the “echo,” politeness generally flows from respect, a “due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions...

Grace Honor

listening patience politeness respect trust

December 21, 2024

Practice the Radical Generosity of Christmas

Christmas teaches many lessons. One of my favorite lessons is the lesson of radical generosity. Every Christmas we celebrate the “Child born to us and the Son given to us” (Isaiah 9:6), an amazing act of generosity. That act of generosity becomes even more radical when we recognize it was prophesied generations ago as a...

Celebration Grace Honor

attention availability christmas family intimacy gifts serve time

December 14, 2024

An Invitation

Families benefit from phrases that begin with “Let us…” or “Let’s….” “Let us” offers an invitation to engage with one another, to do something together. It is an invitation to a deeper relationship. Sometimes the invitation accompanies fun. Sometimes the invitation comes with work. Even if the invitation suggests a work activity, it implies that...

Celebration Grace Honor

family relationship intimacy parent child relationship relationship

December 7, 2024

The Less and More of a Healthier Family

Sometimes small changes can impact our families in enormous ways. With that in mind, I’d like to suggest we all practice “the less and the more of a healthier family.” These 11 “less and more” changes may appear small, but they will have an amazingly positive impact on your family. Pick 2 or 3 and...

Grace Honor

family family intimacy family relationship values

November 4, 2024

A Powerful Force

Want to ruin a good vacation? Grumble and complain. Want to destroy a lovely dinner? Grumble and complain. Would you like to destroy an intimate moment or ruin a gift? You got it…grumble and complain. It’s true. Grumbling is powerful, a mighty force of destruction in families; yet it is so common and even accepted....

Grace Honor

complaints family intimacy gratitude happiness Thanksgiving

October 26, 2024

Selfless Vs. The Power Grab

The power grab will destroy a family; yet we go for the power grab all the time. You hear it in the things we say. Things like: We see the power play in action too. For instance, we refuse to do certain jobs we dislike or think of as “not my job.” We then delegate...

Grace Honor

apology encouragement family family intimacy forgiveness

September 8, 2024

What I Like Most About Family Camp

The theme of family camp (and even the theme of the whole year at Camp Christian) was “Selfless” in 2024. I love the theme of “Selfless” for family camp. In fact, “Selfless” is foundational to healthy families. Those families that know how to practice a “selfless” lifestyle experience the joy of true connection and intimacy....