A Penn State study tracked 292 families and found something striking: fathers’ warmth and engagement with their 10-month-old babies predicted better heart and metabolic health in those kids at age 7—more than mothers’ did in this measure. Less attentive or withdrawn dads linked to higher inflammation and blood sugar issues years later, often through poorer co-parenting dynamics at age 2. This isn’t downplaying moms—it’s highlighting dads’ unique, lasting role in emotional security that shows up physically. Warm play, responsive comfort, steady presence in infancy seem to build resilience against stress that harms the body long-term. In our homes, it means those everyday moments matter: floor time, soothing cries, simple affection. It also points to teamwork—better co-parenting flows from early attunement and protects kids’ health. As parents here, we’ve felt the weight of daily choices. This research quietly reframes fatherhood as foundational, not optional. Small, consistent acts now echo in a child’s biology later. What’s one way you’ve seen dad involvement strengthen your family’s emotional or physical wellbeing? Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/health/fathers-child-health.html (original reporting) and the study in Health Psychology.

Ever feel disconnected from your kids but can’t pinpoint why? Some situation keeping you up at night? Me too. I could tell something was off, but didn’t know what it was. Then God spoke to me in a dream. Showed me what was going on. Revealed where I made mistakes. Giving me a way to start a conversation that gets below the symptoms to the root of these challenges. If God fulfilled our dream of having children, He’ll give us dreams to raise them, and there are some things we do to position ourselves for them. We will have this class May 5-7. Details are here at this link!

When God says, “Be angry, and do not sin” He’s telling us a couple of really important things: Be angry: He’s encouraging us to feel anger. Not merely allowing us to feel it, encouraging us to feel it. Too many try not to feel angry when they actually do. They try to act as if they don’t feel it. Suppress it. Or convince themselves it’s wrong. But it’s encouraged, by God Himself. The anger isn’t right or wrong, it’s a signal. What we do because of it is what decides that. …and do not sin… Another thing He’s saying is that feeling angry doesn’t have to decide how we act or how we treat people. We can still control ourselves no matter how much anger we feel. …and give no opportunity to the devil. Not only that, but when we get this, we discover how to prevent the enemy access into our lives. Could it be that trying to suppress anger opens a door to the enemy? Could acting like we don’t feel give him access? Or is allowing it to decide what we do the thing that actually grants him a foothold? Yes, yes, and yes. In other words, dishonesty about anger is an opening the enemy will take advantage of. Honesty shuts him out.

Over Christmas we typically spend time with family and often this can be a difficult and frustrating time. We see all the things that we struggle with, but I want to give you a practical way to truly honor your parents and turn relational frustrations into deep joy and gratitude. Because both honor and dishonor are like download buttons, and we only want to download into our lives the things God has put in our parents, and nothing else.

Praying your day is amazing!!! Have any of you seen “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”? We watched it last night and it was super good!! Bless you all!! Seth