Family by God&#039;s Design

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

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

January 25, 2026

The Real Work of Marriage Isn’t REALLY Work

When couples come to therapy to ask for help in “fixing” an unhappy marriage, they have generally struggled for years already. They’ve been working to fix their problems by analyzing the issues, processing the struggles, conversing about potential precipitators and causes, blaming, defending, and criticizing. The problem-solving and blaming haven’t worked…and that’s why they come...

Celebration Honor

admiration communication gratitude listen marriage politeness

January 12, 2026

Weeding Resentments

Resentments arise so easily in life. We may fall prey to resentment because we believe our parents favor our siblings, a neighbor’s barking dog annoys us all night, or our partner contributes little to maintaining our home. Whatever the cause, these everyday resentments pile up and affect our well-being, our happiness, and our joy. If...

Celebration Grace

emotional health family intimacy family relationship gratitude

December 13, 2025

Happiness or Hope?

Happiness or hope? If you had to choose, which one do you think is most strongly associated with a meaningful life? That’s the question researchers from the University of Missouri asked in a series of six studies involving over 2,300 participants. The results suggest that hope predicts greater meaning in life. Having a sense of...

Celebration Family Shepherds

appreciation family relationships gratitude meaning parenting purpose

November 29, 2025

Gratitude Comes in All Sizes

Gratitude comes in all sizes. I don’t mean the person expressing gratitude is big or small, young or old, although they truly can be any of those. Nor am I referring to the expression of gratitude as large or small, although it may appear so to the ungrateful eye. In reality, every expression of gratitude...

Celebration Honor

family intimacy gratitude

November 10, 2025

Driven by a Motto of Discontent

Have you learned the “motto of discontent?” I’m sure many of us have. Maybe the commercials taught us this motto. You know, “you could be happy if you only had our product.” Maybe our parents taught us through constant complaining and wishing for more. Maybe it’s just baked into our society, rising from the yeast...

Celebration Honor

blessing gratitude optimism Thanksgiving values

August 2, 2025

Nurturing the Evolution of Gratitude

“What do you say?” Have you ever encouraged your child to express their gratitude by asking them that question? Maybe you took a more direct approach and simply said: “Tell them thank you.” But is that the best way to nurture gratitude in our children. I say “nurture” gratitude because gratitude evolves as children age....

Family Shepherds Honor

connection gratitude 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...