Family by God&#039;s Design

The Power of LOL

Our communities and our families are being devastated by addiction. Drug use is destroying –families and we need to do everything we can to stop its contagion. I know this may sound simplistic…and in a way, it is; but I have an idea to help stem the rise of drug addiction. Now, I know that...

family intimacy family relationships laugh

March 4, 2017

Take Me Out to the Ballgame…For a Better Marriage

Baseball season is fast approaching and that’s good news for marriages. Let me explain. In the early 1990’s Howard Markman, director of The University of Denver Center for Marital and Family Studies, conducted an informal study of cities with major league baseball teams (See Baseball Preserves Marriage). He discovered that cities with major league baseball...

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July 16, 2016

12 Simple & Creative Summer Activities for Your Family

Having fun with your family does not have to be expensive this summer. Try some of these ideas. Go get ice cream cones together. Go for a walk in the woods. Have a picnic at a local park…or in your back yard. Enjoy an evening of stargazing. Tell stories about various constellations. Enjoy a free...

family intimacy fun laugh play summer

February 29, 2016

Laughter is Good Medicine…& A Great Date Night

Sarah Algoe, assistant professor of social psychology at UNC-Chapel Hill, believes “little things” like gratitude and laughter “help relationships flourish.” I agree, but she went so far as to test this belief. She and a graduate student asked 77 couples to describe how they first met. They watched and listened as the couple answered. After...

fun intimacy laugh marriage

January 2, 2016

Join My New Year Epidemic

A new year has begun. I’m glad. I am tired of the hassle, the bureaucracy, the constant barrage of sensational seeking in the news. I want to shed the heaviness of stress and feel the lightness of joy. So, I’ve decided to start an epidemic in my family. That’s right. I want to become ground zero...

Celebration Grace Honor

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December 14, 2015

4 Tips to Improve Your Marriage from Bob Marley

One of my Facebook friends recently posted a quote by Bob Marley on relationships. He shares four actions that will make our marriages grow and prosper. Make one another laugh AND think. Share fun times together. Joke and play together. This will enhance your relationship. Fun and laughter increase intimacy in marriages; so play some games. Joke....

Grace Honor

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December 12, 2015

Christmas–You Don’t Want to Miss This!

The Christmas Season is a wonderful family celebration. We fill our time with traditions and rituals that draw our families together and remind us of the true meaning of the season. Those traditions and rituals create an emotional bond we can cherish throughout our lives with our spouses and children. This holiday season seems to...

Celebration Family Shepherds

christmas connection family intimacy fun laugh play traditions

November 28, 2015

The Power of “The Dad Joke”

My daughters have accused me of telling “Dad jokes.” I don’t know what they’re talking about. Even some of their friends have accused me of telling dad jokes. I asked for clarification of the “Dad joke” and knew their answer could not describe my jokes…”lame,” “silly,” “sarcastic,” “uncool.” Well, maybe I do that once in...

Celebration Family Shepherds

discipline emotional health father fun intimacy laugh parent child relationship

September 28, 2015

Laughter is No Laughing Matter for Families

Laughter is an amazing medicine. This is not new information. In fact, one ancient Hebrew proverb states that “a cheerful heart is good medicine…” (Proverbs 17:22). Laughter is like medicine, not only to the soul but to the whole person. Consider these “medicinal benefits” of laughter: Laughter decreases the secretion of stress hormones in the...