Family by God&#039;s Design

Nature, a Chat, & Family

I read the summaries of two studies, and I’d like to share the results with you and your family. The first study involved over 220 participants in a program of weekly “nature-based activities” for either 1 to 4 weeks, 5 to 8 weeks, or 9 to 12 weeks. The “nature-based activities” included one of three...

Celebration Family Shepherds Honor

communication connection emotional health family family intimacy happiness nature

August 4, 2025

Challenge & Joy of Connection

Research seems to suggest that each generation reports a lower sense of happiness and well-being than the generation preceding them. In the past, happiness and well-being was high in young adulthood, dipped some during middle age, and rose again in older adults. Now, it simply seems that each younger generation has a lower sense of...

Family Shepherds Honor

connection emotional health relationships

July 21, 2025

How to Deal with Difficult Emotions

Every family experiences difficult emotions. Family life can be hard at times. Life, in general, can be hard. Learning to manage and regulate our emotions helps us maintain our safety, happiness, and health. It helps us enjoy fulfilling relationships, which is important for our marriages, our children, our families. So how can we regulate our...

Family Shepherds

emotional health emotional management parenting

May 17, 2025

An Amplifier Your Family Needs

Gratitude doesn’t come easily. We have a built-in “danger alert system” that keeps us keenly aware of the threats and dangers around us. This negative bias captures our attention, screaming warnings about safety and caution, keeping us ever vigilante of potential dangers. Of course, this does play an important role in our lives. The danger...

Celebration

awe emotional health family gratitude

March 24, 2025

One Question to Save Your Marriage

Relationships tend to drift unless we become intentional. Today, they drift into the stream of a culture that threatens overwhelm with busyness and stressful events, robbing us of joy. Or they drift on negative feelings that, left unaddressed, eventually accumulate and drown our joy. A simple “research-approved” question can turn that drift around, giving married...

Celebration Grace

emotional health intimacy marriage stress management

February 24, 2025

A Family Check

Take a moment and think back to the time when you were engaged and preparing for marriage. What were your dreams about marriage? How did you envision the daily life of marriage? What values and priorities did you want to live out in your marriage? Take another moment. Consider the time when you were anticipating...