Parenting can be frustrating!

Authors Amber Lia and Wendy Speake thought they were the only moms who struggled with anger and shame. Then they talked to a lot of other moms and discovered that they weren’t alone.

Anger catches many women off guard. Stress, helplessness, and feelings of inadequacy slowly build until some final straw pushes them over the edge. Shame quickly follows, which pushes women into isolation. For every brave mom who acknowledges a problem with anger, hundreds more wonder if they alone struggle.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family July 17, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

As the Republican National Convention kicks off this week in Milwaukee, and as I recently mentioned on my blog, political party platforms matter – especially when it comes to the sanctity of preborn life.

Many of us with pro-life convictions were disappointed last week when the GOP adopted a party platform that, while supporting the banning of third-trimester abortions, is silent regarding the first two trimesters. 

Meanwhile, the Democrat Party Platform endorses the codification of abortion rights and opposes any measure restricting the killing of preborn children. 

We can be grateful the GOP is unanimous that preborn life should be protected in the latter stages of a pregnancy, but 94% of all abortions occur in the first 15 weeks of development.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family July 16, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Critics of religion say it’s all make believe. They say the Bible is nothing but a collection of fairy tales. And people who profess faith in God may as well believe in magic and unicorns.

When I hear people talk about faith like that, I scratch my head. Some of the stories in the Bible are remarkable, but there’s nothing akin to fairy dust and houses made of candy.

The Bible doesn’t sugarcoat human suffering, corruption, or the consequences of evil.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family July 16, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Joni Eareckson Tada calls suffering a “splash-over of hell.”

Few people can talk about the intensity of suffering with Joni’s authority. A tragic accident fifty years ago left her a quadriplegic in need of 24-hour care. She has also survived a stage-3 breast cancer diagnosis, the removal of a three-inch tumor, and months of chemotherapy.

So when she talks about handling suffering in a way that enriches our lives and glorifies God, we all do well to listen.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family July 15, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, we’re introduced to Aslan, a great lion who rules Narnia. Susan, a little girl who stumbles into the enchanted world through a magic wardrobe, asks Mr. Beaver if Aslan is safe. “Safe?” Mr. Beaver replies. “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King.”

God, whom Aslan symbolizes, isn’t safe, either. We never know when or how God will show up in our lives.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family July 11, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How would you like to eavesdrop on the events leading up to the Revolutionary War?

Imagine witnessing the dumping of nearly 350 crates of tea into Boston Harbor. Or searching for lanterns in a church tower while riding a horse at full gallop to warn colonists about a British invasion.

You and your family can experience the drama of the American Revolution and Paul Revere’s midnight ride on a special edition of Focus on the Family with Jim Daly featuring an episode of Adventures in Odyssey called “The Midnight Ride.”

If you’re new to Focus on the Family, Adventures in Odyssey is a radio drama for children (click here for more information).

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family July 4, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura