Family by God&#039;s Design

Treat Your Marriage As Well As Your Car

I just picked up my car from the garage. My brakes needed repaired and my oil changed. We take our car in all the time for repairs, don’t we? I needed my brakes repaired to avoid having an accident in the future. The oil change lengthens the life of my car. It’s essential; and, generally...

Grace Honor

connection intimacy marital satisfaction marriage repair

September 5, 2026

For a Lifelong Love, Learn the 2 R’s

As children, we went to school to learn the “3 R’s”—reading, writing, and arithmetic. (It always bothered me that the “3 R’s” didn’t all begin with R and yet we used the “3 R’s” to describe our education. Seems ironic…but that’s another story.) Well, if you want a healthy marriage, a lifelong love, you need...

Grace Honor

connection intimacy marriage repair responsiveness

August 3, 2026

The Subtle Attack of Materialism

We live in a very materialistic world. You may have seen a bumper sticker stating that “The one with the most toys wins.” If we can’t have the “most toys,” we at least try to “keep up with the Joneses.” But the materialism promoted in these sayings harms marriages in both obvious and subtle ways....

Celebration Honor

family intimacy finance intimacy marriage materialism

July 18, 2026

Don’t Forget to Savor

Savoring your marriage: to slow down and celebrate the happy moments of your relationship, to intentionally pause to appreciate the enjoyable experiences you have enjoyed together. Our world is not set up to savor. We rush from activity to activity. We do everything quickly rather than slowly experiencing and appreciating the moment. However, a study...

Celebration

intimacy marriage memories

July 5, 2026

The Foundational Building Blocks of Family

What makes for a happy, healthy marriage and family? Some would say communication skills. I agree, but I think communication skills flow from more foundational building blocks. Others might say secure finances or commitment make for a happy, healthy family. Both are important however, I think a truly happy, healthy marriage and family flow from...

Celebration Grace Honor

family family intimacy family relationship intimacy marital satisfaction marriage parent child relationship relationship

June 1, 2026

Parents, Sync Up for Best Results

Many couples struggle to parent their children together. They have different ideas about how to discipline, what constitutes acceptable behavior and how to approach behavioral problems. They may even have different ideas about the goal of discipline. If couples do not deal with this difference directly, they will encounter marital stress while trying to nurture...

Family Shepherds

discipline intimacy marriage parenting

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

May 18, 2026

3 Ingredients of a Well-Fed Brain…and How to Get Them

We are designed for relationships. In fact, John Bowlby, who is credited with founding attachment theory, went so far as to say loving, secure relationships with our primary caregiver are as essential to life as water and food. And research suggests that “Loneliness Is More Dangerous Than Smoking 15 Cigarettes A Day.” At least one...

Celebration Honor

emotional health family intimacy family relationships health marriage parent child relationship

May 9, 2026

Nice Guys Finish Best, Not Last

You’ve probably heard that “nice guys finish last.” I beg to differ; and this study, published in Social Psychology, also begs to differ. More specifically, this study involved two experiments. In the first experiment, 463 participants responded to statements measuring their tendency to show “everyday niceness,” their level of social connectedness, and their attitudes toward...