Family and Home Archives

Could You Live in This House?

Could you live in a small space? (And by “small,” I mean less than 100 square feet.)

The national press seemed to pick up on this trend last year when New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg called on designers to come up with “micro-unit” apartments under 300 feet to accommodate the city’s growing single population.

Then there is the tiny house movement. These homes can make the NYC spaces look palatial in comparison. With homes as small as 89 square feet, it’s impressive to see how creativity plays a big role in making the best use of every nook and cranny.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith June 4, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What “Happily Ever After” Really Looks Like

Romantic movie or story plots are often predictable. Boy meets girl. Boy woos girl, and then something happens – a fight, a misunderstanding or a disaster – that tears the would-be couple apart. Ultimately, though, the boy and girl make it back together, and “they lived happily ever after.”

However, those of us who are married know that the real love story takes place after the wedding. Meeting and falling in love are just small parts of the big picture.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: husband, marriage, wife June 3, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Are Your Kids Overscheduled?

How did you spend your summer days as a child?

For many years I lived a short distance from my elementary school. My friends and I would play baseball over on the school field, riding our bikes home for lunch and then meeting back up for another 4 or 5 hours of play.

No uniforms. No umpires. No adults. Just the kids – like a typical Charlie Brown episode, minus the “wah, wah, woh, wah” adult soundtrack from the sidelines.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting May 31, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Secret to a Great Life

Anyone who will step back and take a look at his way of life can find ways to slow down without resorting to tranquilizers. Why shouldn’t the busy mom, between chores, kick off her shoes, lie down on the sofa, and day dream for a few minutes? If her conscience tries to intrude, it should be sent on an errand. When she gets up she’ll find that a lot of energy has flowed back into her.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, marriage, parenting May 30, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Is Online Dating Biblical?

Online dating is one of those subjects that Christians enjoy debating. In one camp, there are some who believe looking for love online betrays a lack of faith in God’s provision of a spouse. In their view, the seemingly endless lists of online profiles creates a superficial consumer mentality that undermines the sacrificial nature of Christ-centered love.

The other side counters that online dating is merely a tool God can use to bring two people together – users don’t place their faith in the matchmaking site, but in the Lord.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage, relationships May 29, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Why I Love Camping

Summer is in the air and in our family that means one thing: camping!

On our family trips in the great outdoors, one of the things we enjoy most is sitting outside at night under the stars. How mind boggling to think that the light from the nearest one took more than four years to reach earth! When we gaze at the starry heavens, we’re literally looking at the past.

And, there’s so much out there that we can’t see – planets, black holes, asteroids, other galaxies – many of which completely defy explanation or even description.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, events May 28, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Teach Them Why They Died So That We Might Live

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it said several hundred times:

It’s difficult to raise a child these days.

There’s the sliding culture to deal with, of course, and the loss of a unified Christian ethos, of a government attempting to force us to violate our conscience on numerous levels.

There are the practical demands of parenting, many of which seem more acute these days. Our neighborhoods don’t feel as safe or secure as they did when we were kids.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: religious liberty May 24, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Gabrielle Reece’s Controversial Conviction

You’ve probably heard of Gabrielle “Gabby” Reece, a former Women’s Beach Volleyball League star. But you may not be aware that her marriage was headed for divorce, when, as she calls it, “an old fashioned dynamic” mended the relationship. According to this volleyball star’s critics, the dynamic that saved her marriage set back women’s causes 50 years.

What could she have possibly said to provoke such a strong reaction?

All it took was one line from her newest book: “To be truly feminine means being soft, receptive, and – look out, here it comes – submissive.”

After sharing this perspective on national TV in April, Reece swiftly came under fire.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: husband, marriage, news, wife May 23, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Three Ways to Be a Radical Christian

Recently, Christianity Today and World Magazine both ran pieces on the growing trend of “radical Christianity.”

What’s it all about?

The “radical Christianity” movement encourages believers to eschew the relative comfort of our middle-class American lives in favor of walking out our faith with abandon.

I agree wholeheartedly that God is more interested in our character than our comfort. I also agree that sometimes God’s call on our life requires moving out of the suburbs and into the inner city to serve among the vulnerable, while others are called to leave the U.S.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, marriage, news, parenting May 22, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

35 Steps to a Better Life

What I’m going to share with you today is a version of a popular email forward. The author is unknown. But because the advice is so simple and foundational, it’s probably worth reviewing again.

What strikes you will be dependent upon what’s going on in your life. I hope what sticks with you will be the thing you need to work on.

Simple Steps to a Good Life

Pray.
Go to bed on time.
Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, marriage, parenting May 20, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura