Family by God&#039;s Design

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....

Family Shepherds Grace

community family camp intimacy support

July 1, 2024

Jealousy in Love

I work with several young women who struggle to find healthy romantic relationships. One of the challenges I’ve observed (and these young women have pointed out to me time and again) is that the young men they date often get jealous of their success. The young men become insecure and attempt to control them when...

Grace Honor

jealousy marriage premarriage relationship

June 24, 2024

Family, Anger, and the Heart

Anger…everyone experiences anger. We get angry over so many things. Even those we love can arouse our anger at times. Many times, however, our anger is not a “righteous anger” over some injustice or true wrong but a reflection of our selfishness—things don’t go “my” way, someone interferes with “me” getting what “I” want, or...

Grace Honor

anger apology family intimacy forgiveness health

April 29, 2024

Self-Compassion & Marriage?

Are you hard on yourself? Do you expect more from yourself than you do of others? Do you struggle to forgive yourself? If so, you could be robbing your marriage and your spouse of greater happiness. A study involving 209 heterosexual couples found that a “caring, kind, and attentive attitude toward oneself, especially with regard...

Celebration Grace

compassion intimacy marriage self-talk

April 20, 2024

The Benefit of Inaccurate Information

We seem to live in days filled with misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy. I find it frustrating and disappointing. Worse, I find it somewhat frightening for our children. But…then again… inaccurate information does offer our children benefits IF—and only IF—we develop and nurture a secure, stable, trusting relationship with them. When children have a secure relationship...

Family Shepherds Grace

learning parent child relationship trust wisdom

March 30, 2024

In the Shadow of the Cross

It’s Saturday, the day after Good Friday and the day before Resurrection Sunday. I’m left only with my thoughts as I sit in the silence between the pain of death and the hope of resurrection. I imagine the friends and family of Jesus sitting silently, hopelessly pondering a myriad of questions. What would happen next?...