Family by God&#039;s Design

Learning to Love

The other day, I ran across this quote from a bell hooks book. Well, I didn’t really run across it. I read it. Either way, I really like it and want to share it with you. “While ours is a nation wherein the vast majority of citizens are followers of religious faiths that proclaim the...

Grace Honor

family family relationships love values

February 7, 2026

We Need Valentine’s Day More Than Ever

We need Valentine’s Day more than ever. The world around us seems to be falling into an ever-widening, ever-deepening pit of hate, mistrust, and division. Worse, this pit threatens to swallow up our families in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. The stress and strain of seeing the division, the horrid abuses, and the hateful rhetoric adds...

Celebration Grace Honor

adoration family love marriage Valentine's

February 2, 2026

Do You or Your Child Get Carsick?

Have you ever experienced motion sickness? You know, riding in a car with that nauseous, head-swimming feeling? If you have, I have some good news. You can thank the researchers of this study…and the participants who volunteered to endure having carsickness induced on purpose (who does that?). Participants in this study were divided into six...

Family Shepherds Honor

family health music

January 3, 2026

And Now 1,500

When I began working with families, I also began to look for a way to effectively communicate what characteristics promote a stronger, healthier, more intimate family. In the process, I have completed many training courses related to marriage and parenting. I’ve read books and attended classes. My favorites certification trainings have included marital trainings through...

Celebration Grace Honor

family marriage parenting

October 11, 2025

A Happier Family for Pennies a Day

Research out of Shenzhen and Peking Universities suggests a way to decrease depressive symptoms and increase positive emotions for just pennies a day. They conducted 3 randomized, controlled trials with a total of 880 participants. These participants all exhibited enough symptoms of depression to reach diagnostic criteria. For the purpose of this study, they were...

Celebration

challenge depression emotional health family generosity

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...

Celebration Honor

blessing family family camp purpose

August 11, 2025

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

July 19, 2025

A Place at the Table

My father passed away this week. He passed away like his father before him and his father’s father before him. One day I will also pass away, I suppose. It happens to all of us…if we live long enough (lol). That doesn’t make it any less heart wrenching when you lose a loved one. We...

Honor

family loss

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...