Family and Home Archives

Finding True Joy at Christmas

Merry Christmas!

On today’s Focus on the Family broadcast, we’re celebrating the holiday with you in a unique way. Here’s a hint: Think long beards, duck hunting, camouflage outfits, the backwoods of Louisiana, and delicious Cajun recipes.

That’s right. On today’s broadcast, we’re exploring the joys of family and faith as we reflect on what Christmas day is all about with Phil and “Miss Kay” Robertson of the Duck Dynasty clan.

They’ll share some fun stories – like how to cook a squirrel, a scary “John the Baptist” that walked through their front door, and a Christmas fire that almost burned down their house.

Topics: Current Events/ Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, family December 25, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Women who Welcomed the Birth of Jesus

Christmas is only a few days away, and you can feel the excitement in the air! The season is in full swing, and Christian families are looking forward to time with their loved ones as they remember the birth of Jesus Christ on Monday.

Today, we’re bringing you a special message by popular author and speaker Liz Curtis Higgs. She spoke at our staff chapel about the very first Christmas and how those momentous events in Bethlehem changed the world forever.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, family December 22, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Meet Two ‘Ordinary’ People God Used to Accomplish Great Things

Our spirits are uplifted when we see ordinary men and women who overcome amazing obstacles in their lives through unwavering faith.

Like Corrie ten Boom. Almost 34 years after her death, she is still a spiritual giant for millions of Christians around the world. We’re drawn to her because she was a common person who had moments of doubt, but who also had tremendous faith in God.

While imprisoned in a German concentration camp, her barracks were overrun with lice.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: events, faith December 21, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Quiet Hero of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (Hint: It’s Not Jimmy Stewart)

I want to give you a Christmas gift. My colleague and collaborator, Paul Batura, has authored a heartfelt holiday essay for FOX News today. It’s an insightful look at a favorite Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life.

As Paul suggests, maybe the biggest hero of the movie isn’t Jimmy Stewart, the well-known and beloved star of the perennial classic.

So, who is it? I think the answer might surprise you.

Click here to read the piece to find out who he thinks the hero is – and why.

Topics: Family and Home December 20, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

When Clams Marry Crowbars

Are you a clam or a crowbar?

That’s an analogy Dr. David Clarke uses to help husbands and wives understand how their poor communication skills have landed them in his counseling office.

In almost every marriage, there’s a clam. The percentages suggest it’s usually men, but it can be women, too.

In either case, clams are the ones who don’t naturally talk on an emotionally deep level. They clam up. But every time they do, their spouses break out a crowbar to pry them open.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, husband, marriage, relationships, wife December 18, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Three Steps of Kindness That Can Transform Your Marriage

Today’s broadcast has me thinking a lot about one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It reminds me of how I ought to conduct myself in the name of Christ. In Romans 2:4, Paul tells us that it’s “God’s kindness that leads us to repentance.”

Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit – an expression of God’s nature through us – and one of the most powerful tools for Christians who wish to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the world around them.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, husband, marriage, wife December 15, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How Rescued Horses Can Help Hurting Children

When Kim Meeder was growing up, she adored her parents.

She thought her father was a superhero. He didn’t wear a cape, fly, or leap tall buildings, but there wasn’t much else he couldn’t do. Her mother was the most beautiful and loving woman in the world, and Kim wanted to grow up to be just like her.

But when she was just nine years old, Kim lost both of her parents in a horrific tragedy that shattered her heart and left her disillusioned with God.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, kids, religious liberty December 14, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

This Quote Can Change Your Life and the Lives of Those You Love

The quote has been attributed to several people:

Plato.

Socrates.

Reverend John Watson.

Ian MacLaren.

As it turns out, Ian MacLaren is actually the pen name for the aforementioned Reverend John Watson, a Scottish author and theologian who lived the majority of his life during the second-half of the nineteenth century. He passed away in 1907 at the age of 57.

Ten years earlier, in 1897, the Reverend Watson was invited by the popular religious newspaper, the British Weekly, to submit a Christmas message.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, faith, family, friendship December 13, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Inside Scoop on What’s Going on Inside Your Teen’s Brain

“What were you thinking?”

If you’re a parent of teenagers, you’ve probably asked that question a few times. I know I have. On more than one occasion, Jean and I have looked at each other and asked the same question about one of our boys: “What is going on in that brain of his?”

Well, according to Dr. Jeramy and Jerusha Clark, our guests on today’s and tomorrow’s broadcasts, there’s an avalanche of change going on.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, kids, parenting December 11, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Forgive When You Really Don’t Want to

The call to forgive others lies at the heart of the Christian message.

But that doesn’t make it easy.

Forgiveness is tough. The human heart is wired for justice. When somebody sins against us, the hurt we feel is a cry for wrongs to be made right again. And when they can’t be, we often want the other person to suffer in some way that will help us feel that the debt has been satisfied. At least, we tell ourselves this is true.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, relationships December 8, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura