Family by God&#039;s Design

The Superpower of a Compliment

March 1 was World Compliment Day, but I think we need a reminder of the importance of a good compliment more often than once a year. So, here’s a reminder of the superpower of a compliment. We all want our families to know how much we value them. And compliments make people feel valued. So,...

Celebration Honor

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September 18, 2021

Take Time to Reflect

In her book Hunt, Gather, Parent, Michaeleen Doucleff, PHD, describes “three steps [a parent can use] to transmit any value they want to a child.” These three steps include modeling, acknowledging, and practicing. And it’s true. Parents use these three powerful actions to transmit values to their children whether they know it or not, even...

Family Shepherds

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April 19, 2021

The Pause of Gratitude

An article in Anthropology & Aging (2020) explored the impact of gratitude on the “quiet hope” and contentment of seniors. The people interviewed for the article engaged in a “pause of gratitude.” This “pause of gratitude” went much deeper than mere thankfulness. It focused on the interconnections of life, the social networks and the supports...

Honor

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March 19, 2018

You Can Help Prevent Teen Suicide with These Simple Actions

I have bad news. Teen suicide rates are on the rise. In fact, suicide rates for teen girls hit a 40-year high in 2017 (Suicide Rate for Teen Girls Hits 40 Year High). Suicide is the third leading cause of death among teens 12- to 19-years-old in 2006 (CDC: Mortality Among Teens Age 12-19 Years...

Family Shepherds Honor

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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

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August 10, 2015

Lincoln on the Parental Tyrant

My family and I enjoyed a wonderful trip to visit family in Illinois. While there, we visited the Lincoln Museum and Lincoln’s home in Springfield. As we toured a home in Lincoln’s community, I read a quote by Mary Todd Lincoln: “He [Lincoln] always said, ‘It is my pleasure that my children are free, happy...

Celebration Family Shepherds

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July 20, 2015

Family Honor & Respect in a Card Trick

Did you ever see “The Colour Changing Card Trick” on YouTube? It is a cool card trick…and so much more. In fact, the “so much more” makes the trick astounding and teaches us an important lesson about family. Take a short 2 minutes and 43 seconds to watch “The Colour Changing Card Trick” in the...

Celebration Honor

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May 9, 2015

15 Phrase Your Spouse Needs to Hear

In the rush of family life, we often neglect to communicate our love to our spouse. We forget to make those verbal deposits of admiration and affection into our family bank of honor. Sometimes we might even begin to replace verbal deposits of admiration with withdrawals of criticism or complaint. We need to take a...

Honor

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November 8, 2014

6 Tips to Raise Confident Children

Do you want to raise a confident child? Of course you do. We all want our children to grow confident—willing to tackle healthy risks, able to stand firm in the face of opposition, willing to persevere through setbacks, comfortable with their ability to explore and achieve. With that in mind, consider these six tips for...