Family and Home Archives

Being a ‘Yes’ Parent in a World of No’s

The most popular word in the average parent’s vocabulary is “no.”

To be fair, it’s an important word for moms and dads. Used properly, it creates healthy boundaries for children.

But it’s easy to over-do our “no’s.” We can be too protective. Remember Dory, the fish with short-term memory loss from the animated hit movie Finding Nemo? She reminded Marlin, the dad of mis-adventurous Nemo, “You can’t never let anything happen to him. Then nothing would ever happen to him.”

If we build too many fences, we’re not allowing our kids to be kids or to grow.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, parenting January 9, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

My Journey to Salvation

Today’s guest on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “My Journey to Salvation” is Adolph Coors IV. In this presentation recorded at a prayer breakfast, Mr. Coors shares what it was like to grow up in the family that founded the Coors Brewing Company, one of the largest breweries in the world.

His story is a fascinating tale of wealth, privilege, and tragedy – and the lessons he learned along the way are thought-provoking.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith January 7, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Empowering Women to Take Control of Their Finances

A woman came up to author and speaker Deborah Pegues at a conference where she was speaking and said, “I lost my home after my husband died because I didn’t realize what a balloon payment was. When it came due, I didn’t have the money.”

Deborah has heard similar stories from more women than she can count. She’s a certified public account with an MBA in business finance and has written more than 20 books. She says the issue isn’t one of gender.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, finances January 6, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Homemade Meals for Busy Families

The holidays are over, and you’re probably running at high speed in a lot of directions.

The end of the workday doesn’t mean your work is over. Somebody has to pick up the kids from soccer practice and run to the store for groceries. After that, you still have to get home and make dinner, which can take a couple of hours once you cook, eat, and clean up the mess.

Who’s got time for that?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, parenting January 2, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Finding Your Path in Life

Racing wasn’t just a day job for NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip. I can tell you from experience, he was wired for it.

I played golf with him once, and he nearly took off in the golf cart without me. He wanted to beat the other members in our group to the next tee. He was literally zigging and zagging all along the cart path to keep them behind us … where they belonged, apparently. After Darrell won the short chase, he looked at me and said, “Life is a race to me.”

I love the adrenaline rush of a fast car, but I’m wired a lot differently than Darrell.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast December 30, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Making Daily Choices to Love Your Spouse

Theresa had a stroke 18 years ago. She lost control over her hands. Which means for all these years she’s struggled to do simple things in life, like styling her own hair. That’s why when she goes to the beauty salon, she leaves with a smile. She feels beautiful.

The trouble is, as soon as she washes her hair it falls flat, and she can’t get it to look the way her stylist does. Which means, until her next hair appointment comes around, Theresa doesn’t smile as much.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage, relationships December 27, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Raise Strong Believers

If God is good, why does He allow evil to exist?

Maybe your kids have asked you that to see how you answer. Have you ever asked your kids that question to see how they answer?

Or how about these?

Where did the universe come from?Do science and religion contradict each other?Do all religions worship the same God?How do we know God hears and answers prayer?

Natasha Crain didn’t know how to answer such important questions.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, children, parenting December 26, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Trusting God with Your Adult Child

I know of a couple whose daughter disappeared from home in a fit of rebellion on her 18th birthday. Her parents were devastated. For years, they didn’t know if she was alive or dead.

Early on, her mother made a simple decision. Every night – all night – she would turn on the porch light. It was an unspoken message to her daughter: “You’re always welcome home.”

Many nights, tears streamed down that mother’s face as she locked the front door, switched on the light, and prayed for her daughter.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, children, parenting December 23, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Different Type of Christmas

What does your ideal Christmas morning look like?

For many years, the Dalys began in the pre-dawn dark around 6:00 A.M. Jean and I would hear the scampering sound of little feet running down the hall towards our room. Bursting through the door, Trent and Troy would leap onto our bed, urging us to get up and come down to the tree and all the presents that seemed to have mysteriously appeared overnight.

Little did they know we had gotten to sleep only a few hours earlier, just after the bikes had been assembled, the last present was wrapped, and the stockings filled.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: christmas, holiday December 23, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Raising Boys to Become Godly Young Men

Masculinity is in crisis. Numerous studies show it. Boys are struggling to mature into competent young men, and men and fathers in general are often dismissed, or denigrated, in the culture.

Even when criticism is justified, the solution isn’t to tear down masculinity. It’s to teach boys how to harness manhood and to channel it properly.

That’s where you come in, Mom.

For every study that shows boys are in trouble, there’s another showing that boys grow into healthy, strong, and courageous young men when they have healthy and secure attachments with their mothers.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, children, men, mothers December 19, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura