Family by God&#039;s Design

Aim to Know…Not Win

We live in a very competitive world. When I played youth sports as a child, we enjoyed winning. But the focus of the game was threefold: to learn sportsmanship, to learn the basics of the games, and to have fun. We learned to socialize. We learned to win graciously and lose with dignity. We made...

Grace Honor

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July 5, 2026

The Foundational Building Blocks of Family

What makes for a happy, healthy marriage and family? Some would say communication skills. I agree, but I think communication skills flow from more foundational building blocks. Others might say secure finances or commitment make for a happy, healthy family. Both are important however, I think a truly happy, healthy marriage and family flow from...

Celebration Grace Honor

family family intimacy family relationship intimacy marital satisfaction marriage parent child relationship relationship

June 27, 2026

Listen, Breathe, Summarize

Disagreements. They are inevitable in marriages and families. Arguments. Happen all the time in marriages and families. But they escalate when we get louder and more animated, talking over one another in our efforts to be heard and understood. Unfortunately, loud and animated does not result in being heard or understood. It results in escalating...

Grace Honor

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June 22, 2026

On the Rise…Let’s Keep It Growing

Whether you follow the news on your social media feed, your TV, or your favorite app, you might get the feeling that kindness is going extinct, waning away. But I have good news…and a simple way you can keep the good news of kindness growing in your family. First, the good news. Kindness is on...

Grace Honor

gratitude kindness

June 8, 2026

Strengthen Your Children’s Feeling of Being Me

As our children grow and mature, they need a positive body image—a body they sense as their own, a body they can listen to in order to better understand their emotions, and a body they accept as part of their identity. A study published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences reviewed decades of research on how...

Family Shepherds Honor

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June 1, 2026

The Impact of Stress on Your Child’s Brain-Gut Communication…& So What?!?

Our bodies, when functioning well, are amazing models of communication and collaboration. Not surprisingly, stress impacts that communication. Researchers at NYU College of Dentistry’s Pain Research Center conducted one animal study and two human studies exploring the impact of stress on children’s digestive systems. One of the human studies involved over 40,000 children and the...

Celebration Family Shepherds Grace Honor

emotional health health parenting

May 23, 2026

To Inspire Your Spouse’s Support

Who wouldn’t like their spouse to support their goals and promote their growth? I know I would. If you would like your spouse to support your goals and promote your growth, I have good news. Specifically, three studies involving over 1,000 adults in romantic relationships reveal a simple way to encourage our spouses to do...

Celebration Honor

goals gratitude intimacy marriage support

May 18, 2026

3 Ingredients of a Well-Fed Brain…and How to Get Them

We are designed for relationships. In fact, John Bowlby, who is credited with founding attachment theory, went so far as to say loving, secure relationships with our primary caregiver are as essential to life as water and food. And research suggests that “Loneliness Is More Dangerous Than Smoking 15 Cigarettes A Day.” At least one...

Celebration Honor

emotional health family intimacy family relationships health marriage parent child relationship

May 9, 2026

Nice Guys Finish Best, Not Last

You’ve probably heard that “nice guys finish last.” I beg to differ; and this study, published in Social Psychology, also begs to differ. More specifically, this study involved two experiments. In the first experiment, 463 participants responded to statements measuring their tendency to show “everyday niceness,” their level of social connectedness, and their attitudes toward...