Family and Home Archives

Never Stop Looking Up in Your Marriage

Karen Kain is one of the most respected ballet dancers in the world. She gave over 10,000 performances in her career. Somebody once asked her if age was the dancer’s worst enemy. Karen answered, “Sometimes. But sometimes the dancer’s worst enemy is themselves. They get in their own way.”

Karen’s response gets to the heart of dance. It’s the art of movement. It’s all about placing your feet, your hands, and your arms in the right spots at the right times and moving in concert with the music and your partner.

Topics: Family and Home February 22, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Seeing the Value of Every Person

Being pro-life means much more than being against abortion. Our value statement on the sanctity of human life reads:

We believe that human beings are created by God in His image. Therefore every person, from conception to natural death, possesses inherent dignity and immeasurable worth – including preborn children, elderly individuals, those with special needs and others marginalized by society. Christians, then, are called to defend, protect, and value all human life.

Author and speaker Emily Colson has lived the truth of that statement up close and personal.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, value February 21, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Helping Your Daughter Become a Confident Woman

I saw a video that illustrates the important role fathers play in the lives of their daughters. It captured a dad in his living room watching a basketball game, jumping and yelling in support of his favorite team. Right by his side, his three-year-old daughter copied his behavior. She mimicked every jump, every hand clap, and every expression of excitement.

Then the mood changed. The dad started shouting at the television. He complained about a blown call.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, daughter, faith, kids, parenting February 18, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Embracing Hope in the Midst of Postpartum Depression

Like a lot of first time moms, Jerusha Clark kept a copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting on her bedside table. She referenced it frequently. Mostly she stuck to topics on eating well and her labor and delivery.

Looking back, she remembers skipping the section on postpartum depression. Why bother? She was generally a happy woman. She enjoyed her pregnancy, and she loved being a mom when her child was born.

A few months later, everything changed.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, depression, faith, kids, parenting February 15, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Connecting with Your Spouse for a Lifetime

Let me ask you this: Which part of your marriage relationship do you believe will develop the deepest intimacy?

Here are your choices:

Sexuality
Emotions
Spiritual connection

They each have their place, of course, but all things considered, spiritual connection with your spouse will create a deeper, more meaningful connection than the other two areas.

Here’s why. The benefits of spiritual intimacy naturally spill over to the other two areas, but not necessarily the other way around.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, family, marriage February 14, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Gaining a New Perspective in Life

Author and speaker J.John tells this story:

At the end of a long work day, an employee left his factory, pushing a wheelbarrow through the gate to head home. Inside the wheelbarrow was a small box.

The security guard stopped the man and asked, “What have you got in your wheelbarrow?”

“I’ve got a small box,” he said.

“What’s in the box?”

The worker replied, “The sawdust from the floor. At the end of the day, it gets swept up and is thrown away.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, perspective February 12, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Mother’s Influence on Her Son

Mom, you play a pivotal role in your son’s life.

It’s you who will help your son learn how to communicate verbally, to express his emotion, and to share his feelings – things he’s not as likely to learn from his dad.

You’re also the primary woman who will demonstrate how your son ought to treat other women – with love, strength, kindness, and character.

Then, along about junior high, your relationship with your son will begin to shift.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, family, mom, parenting February 7, 2019 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. Hear why he walked away from the company that bears his name and how he found the grace to forgive the prison escapee who kidnapped and brutally murdered his father.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith February 5, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Valuing Marriage in a Culture That Doesn’t

Marriage is changing.

There are a lot of reasons for that, not the least of which are cultural forces, political maneuverings, and judicial rulings that have systematically redefined marriage in past years.

There’s also been a shift in the average age for first marriages. More and more young people are staying single for far longer than past generations. Some are choosing not to marry at all, in many cases as a reaction to seeing their own parents divorce.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage, relationships February 4, 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 18thbirthday. 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, faith, family, kids, parenting February 1, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura