Family and Home Archives

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

A Favorite Quote

“Christianity says that the trouble with men and women is in their heart, in their ultimate power of vision and understanding.It is not that they are partially wrong, they are all wrong; they are looking in the wrong direction, they are blinded at the most vital point. The organ that keeps them going is itself in trouble—the heart. So our Lord puts this great emphasis upon “first,” and “heart,” and “eye” and this is just a pictorial way of saying that what the human race needs is not just to be improved a little bit here and there … they need to be radically changed.”

– Dr.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith May 17, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Are You a Fan or a Follower?

Kyle Idleman is the teaching pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and the author of Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus. His words strike right at the heart of this issue:

We have all kinds of funny ways to measure our relationship with God and have things that we point to as evidence, like the fact that there is a fish on our bumper or people will talk about the fact that their grandparents went to church or that they have four Bibles in their house … Jesus doesn’t want fans; he wants completely committed followers.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith May 16, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

If You Want Your Kids to Pass Finals, Don’t Let Them Do This

We all can remember studying for our final exams. After all the hours sitting in class, after all the homework and pop quizzes and papers, the entire academic year comes down to a few last tests.Ace them and a carefree summer awaits. Choke and you could be facing the prospect of summer school.

Times may change, but the discipline of studying remains constant. It’s all about preparation and focus. I once heard about a teacher in a Christian school who led her classes in the same prayer before every final: “Lord,” she would say, “please help these kids remember what they studied.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting, technology May 15, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How You Can Spot Body Image Issues in Your Teen

Have you heard about “thigh gap” yet? If not, it’s likely your teenage daughter or granddaughter has.

Thigh gap is a troubling – and potentially dangerous – new trend. It’s causing some girls to starve themselves in hopes of achieving a gap between their thighs when they stand with their knees together. Other girls exercise obsessively or resort to other self-destructive behavior, so they can become thin enough to accomplish the thigh gap and post pictures of their success on social networking sites like Tumblr.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting May 14, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura