Family and Home Archives

Guest Post: In a Generation that is Staying Single, Here’s Why I Got Married

By: Kathryn Andersen

My name is Kathryn, and I’m a statistical anomaly.

I’m one of the 27% of millennials who are married.

Student debt, cohabitation, and the “failure to launch” phenomenon have all been blamed for the plummeting marriage rates for people my age.

While those may certainly be factors, I think there’s one, huge, underlying issue that is mostly to blame. The best way I can explain that issue is through my story of cliff jumping.

Ever since I can remember, just the sight of a place called the “Hole in the Rock” — a tall cliff jumping spot on the lake my family frequently visited — was enough to make my heart pound and my hands sweat.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, marriage November 14, 2019 by Jim Daly

Saving Your Marriage with Love and Respect

You never know how God will intervene in a time of crisis. In the darkest part of Lisa Shea’s marriage struggles, hope showed up in her mailbox in the form of a book.

Her marriage was in trouble as soon as it got started. In their first 14 months together, she and her husband experienced most of life’s biggest stressors. They both got new jobs after they relocated out of state away from friends and family, and they got pregnant and had a baby.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, crisis, marriage November 14, 2019 by Jim Daly

Healing the Wounds of War

Happy Veteran’s Day!

Today on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Healing the Wounds of War,” we’re paying tribute to every man and woman who has worn a uniform to protect this great land.

Joining us in the studio is Dave Roever. If you’re not familiar with him, you’re in for a blessing. Dave is a U.S. veteran with an incredible story. He is the living embodiment of Romans 8:28, which tells us, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Dave was 21 years old when he married 19-year-old Brenda and joined the Navy.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, military, veterans November 11, 2019 by Jim Daly

Finding Better Ways to Communicate with Your Children

Mom and Dad, are you tugboats or rudders? You can tell by the way you motivate your children.

Tugboat parents get their children going the right direction by pulling them through the water. There’s a lot of nagging, mild threats, and endless warnings against the consequences of bad choices.

Every parent has done that, I think. I know I’ve grabbed the rope and started to pull when one of my boys hasn’t made a good decision.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, children, parenting November 8, 2019 by Jim Daly

Boone and Me: A Foster Adoption Story

God’s grace and unconditional love are most often on display when the lives of two people intersect.

Such is the story of Cecil and Boone Stokes. Cecil is a successful television and film producer of over 500 shows. He had it all.

Well, there was one unfulfilled dream. At the age of 12 years old, God planted the desire in Cecil’s heart to be a father someday, specifically the father of an adopted son.

Years later, Boone was one of over 400,000 kids in the foster care system.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: adoption, broadcast, parenting November 4, 2019 by Jim Daly

Guest Post: Nine Hours and 49 Minutes per Day

Today’s Young People Are Clocking in More “Entertainment Media” Then Ever Before

By: Jonathan McKee

“I can’t get my kids to pry their eyes from their screens for more than a minute!”

It’s probably the biggest complaint I hear from moms and dads at my parent workshops each weekend. Kids are soaking in more entertainment media than ever before.

I’m sure you’re not surprised when I tell you a brand‐new report has revealed screen time is up.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: children, parenting, technology November 1, 2019 by Jim Daly

Winning Your Inner Battles

Did
you know that the average person has five hundred negative thoughts every day?

There’s
a narrative flowing through your mind about who you are and what you’re worth.
Some of it – perhaps a lot if it – is critical.

“Why’d you do
that?”“You’re so
stupid.”“Nothing ever
goes right.”“No one could
ever love me.”

Sometimes
we’re our own worst enemy. We have habits, behaviors, and emotional triggers
that we wish could be different. But they’ve been part of our lives for so long
that change seems impossible.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith October 31, 2019 by Jim Daly

Asking the Right Questions of Your Child’s Future Spouse

I proposed to Jean the old-fashioned way. I asked her mom and dad for permission to marry her. Honestly, I think they were shocked with me. They weren’t a Christian family, so they didn’t fully appreciate the rich view of marriage offered in the Bible.

So, when I went to them and said, “I really want to marry your daughter. Would you give us your blessing?” they were slightly befuddled and didn’t quite know how to respond.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage, parenting October 29, 2019 by Jim Daly

Preparing Teens to Bring Peace to Their Chaotic World

A teenager’s world can be chaotic. The question is, how can parents help their teens not only survive, but thrive, in the face of peer pressure, social media dangers, and challenges to their Christian faith?

One of the greatest examples of a teenager who stood strong was David. Before he became king over Israel, David was a shepherd. Culturally, he was insignificant. He was the youngest member of his family, who wasn’t afforded much respect. His older brothers would have inherited most of his father’s wealth and reputation.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, parenting October 28, 2019 by Jim Daly

God Used Our Friends and Family to Save Our Marriage

Have you ever had loose thread in a shirt? It seems like such a small thing, doesn’t it? But one small tug and you realize that thread is part of a much larger problem. The next thing you know, your shirt is unraveling right before your eyes.

A marriage can have loose threads, too. Husbands and wives don’t always see eye-to-eye, and they don’t always communicate well. The next thing you know, little resentments crop up.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage October 25, 2019 by Jim Daly