Family by God&#039;s Design

Aging, Your Attention & Relationships

I hate to say it, but I’m getting older (at least that’s what I’m told). As we age, our reaction times slow and we find it more difficult to tune out distractions. However, a study completed by USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology suggests a powerful method for enhancing attention and reaction times even as...

Family Shepherds Honor

aging attention family relationships marriage parenting

November 29, 2025

Gratitude Comes in All Sizes

Gratitude comes in all sizes. I don’t mean the person expressing gratitude is big or small, young or old, although they truly can be any of those. Nor am I referring to the expression of gratitude as large or small, although it may appear so to the ungrateful eye. In reality, every expression of gratitude...

Celebration Honor

family intimacy gratitude

November 10, 2025

Driven by a Motto of Discontent

Have you learned the “motto of discontent?” I’m sure many of us have. Maybe the commercials taught us this motto. You know, “you could be happy if you only had our product.” Maybe our parents taught us through constant complaining and wishing for more. Maybe it’s just baked into our society, rising from the yeast...

Celebration Honor

blessing gratitude optimism Thanksgiving values

November 3, 2025

Step Out of the Conflict

Conflict arises in every relationship, even in healthy marriages. It’s inevitable, but it’s not necessarily detrimental. In fact, conflict with our spouse allows us a window into their values, priorities, and desires. If we manage the conflict well, it teaches us how to love our spouse in the best way possible. So, the question is...

Grace Honor

communication conflict resolution intimacy listen marriage

October 25, 2025

Finding Sleep in a Grocery Store

Do you ever struggle to get a good night’s sleep? Do your children? A lack of sleep has many problematic outcomes ranging from a craving for foods higher in fat and sugar to increased suicide in teens. However, a study led by researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine and Columbia University offers a way...

Family Shepherds Honor

diet emotional health mental health sleep

October 20, 2025

Immunize Against Marital Breakdown

John Gottman, PhD, describes four phases a marriage goes through as it falls apart. Each phase reflects a symptom of the disease of marital breakdown. And, fortunately, each phase has a solution, a remedy, an antidote. In the first phase, the couple gets stuck in repeated arguments and conflicts. As many of these repetitive conflicts...

Grace Honor

conflict resolution disagreement intimacy marital satisfaction marriage responsibility

September 20, 2025

Brain Rewiring Words

We often communicate with one another by using words. Words, however, do much more than simply express our thoughts and share information. Words shape the way we think; and, spoken at the right times, words rewire our brains. For instance, positive feedback activates the reward centers in the brain and creates positive emotions, increasing the...

Family Shepherds Honor

acknowledgement brain encouragement power of words praise

September 15, 2025

Alcohol Abuse, Romance, & Genetics

I recently read that a person’s genetic makeup accounts for approximately 50% of their risk for some type of alcohol abuse disorder. Notice, it accounts for the “risk” of alcohol abuse, not the actual abuse of alcohol itself. Other factors play a role when it comes to a person actually abusing alcohol. One factor that...

Celebration Honor

alcohol emotional management marriage

September 6, 2025

A Family with Purpose

We had another wonderful Family Camp at Camp Christian this year. The main speaker, Jeff Bush from the MVA Church of Christ, shared important principles for families, including the importance of love, respect, honor, and accepting influence (also known as mutual submission). Although the messages and the music were wonderful, that is not what makes...