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

July 19, 2025

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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...

Celebration

awe emotional health family gratitude

March 4, 2025

Make the Gracious Choice

I often feel overwhelmed by the constant criticism, contempt, and name-calling I hear in the news. And…I don’t think I’m alone. I hear many others talk about feeling discouraged as they watch this as well. What we hear in news stories is one thing. What I find even more discouraging is how many people come...

Grace Honor

criticism family family intimacy gratitude

February 1, 2025

Decreasing the Stress of Modern Parents

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, parents are struggling more than ever to cope with the stress of parenting. Changing social norms and growing social pressures have contributed to 48% of parents reporting that their stress is “overwhelming” most days. We begin to realize the significant repercussions of this growing parental stress when we recognize...

Family Shepherds

family relationship schedule stress management

December 7, 2024

The Less and More of a Healthier Family

Sometimes small changes can impact our families in enormous ways. With that in mind, I’d like to suggest we all practice “the less and the more of a healthier family.” These 11 “less and more” changes may appear small, but they will have an amazingly positive impact on your family. Pick 2 or 3 and...

Grace Honor

family family intimacy family relationship values

November 2, 2024

Raising Children Happiness

Raising happy children takes intentional effort these days. Perhaps it always has. Fortunately, a study from the University of Bristol suggests seven basic practices that can promote happiness…and so raise our children’s happiness. In this study, 51% of the participants maintained the practices that promoted happiness and reaped the benefits “during the following years.” We...

Celebration Family Shepherds

exercise family gratitude happiness kindness prayer social support

October 26, 2024

Selfless Vs. The Power Grab

The power grab will destroy a family; yet we go for the power grab all the time. You hear it in the things we say. Things like: We see the power play in action too. For instance, we refuse to do certain jobs we dislike or think of as “not my job.” We then delegate...