Family and Home Archives

A Great New Book

Brad Lomenick is a good friend of mine and he just released a new book this week. It’s titled THE CATALYST LEADER.

In the book Brad shares eight essentials for becoming a change maker – a leader who has the potential to dramatically impact the world for the sake of the Kingdom. I highly recommend this book to those who are passionate about the calling God has placed on their lives.

To give you a better sense of Brad and the book, here are two questions recently posed to him:

Q: What is the Catalyst Leader about?

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

10 Reasons Kids Leave the Church

Of all the hats I wear in life, the one I enjoy most may be that of “dad.”

As much fun as Trent, Troy, and I have together, whether it’s camping or just throwing the ball around, not a day goes by that I don’t give serious thought to how my wife, Jean, and I are leading them spiritually. In the grand scheme of things, we only a have a short window to help them build a solid biblical foundation before they launch out on their own.

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

Thoughts on “42”

Growing up in Southern California in the 1960s and ‘70s, the Los Angeles Dodgers were my team. I can still hear the poetic Vin Scully calling the games on the radio. (Pictured below) His play-by-play was the soundtrack of my summers. Vin’s voice was a steady bright spot throughout my dysfunctional childhood. It was predictable, too, a quality I longed for in my life.

Attending Dodger games was a real and rare treat; my first game was a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, pop culture April 12, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Six Things You Should Know About Edith Schaeffer

Edith Schaeffer, the wife of the late Christian apologist Francis Schaeffer, died a little over a week ago. She was 98.

Simply put, Mrs. Schaeffer was a remarkable woman. She lived in a turbulent time and ministered to thousands alongside her talented husband. The daughter of Chinese missionaries, Edith met Francis at a church event on a summer Sunday evening in 1932. From that day forward they were partners in both life and ministry.

Books have been written about Francis, a man who was brave and bold.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, marriage, news, parenting April 8, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Secret Parents Don’t Want their Kids to Know

Children, please turn away from the computer.

Here’s the secret: moms and dads aren’t perfect.

Sometimes we hurt our kids’ feelings with the things we say, often without even knowing it.

Authors Tim and Darcy Kimmel wanted to be sure to deal with any resentment their actions caused, so they did something brave. They created a safe opportunity for their children to be completely candid and to point out areas where mom and dad weren’t “practicing what they preached.”

It worked like this:

And this is how “What’s Your Beef?” nights began at the Kimmel home.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, kids, parenting April 5, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

8 Lessons from the World’s Happiest Couples

The May edition of Reader’s Digest features a breezy article titled “Is Your Marriage Normal or Nuts?”

Don’t answer just yet.

But within the piece is a short list detailing eight lessons from the “World’s Happiest Couples.” I’d like to share them with you and ask if you might add to it:

1. Kindness Helps

74 percent of couples who said they were happy give each other back rubs.

2. It’s Not Necessarily about the Looks

20 percent of the happiest partners say they’re not physically attracted to their spouse.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: husband, intimacy, marriage, wife April 4, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Get a Great Idea

Have you ever wondered where great ideas come from? The simple answer to that question is, of course, people. But why do some people get them and others don’t?

If you ask me, God is constantly planting thoughts in our minds, or permitting us to cross paths with someone who will inevitably trigger a thought or do something that sets off the spark of creative energy inside of us. But what about those seemingly “dull days” when you’re feeling tired and uninspired?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment April 2, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Five Ways to Help Your Student Finish the School Year Strong

Have your children been infected with a case of spring fever? Many school kids are already focused on one thing: summer vacation!

But wait. Not just yet. There’s still over a month to go in the classroom, even though in many homes the natives are growing restless. My wife, Jean, calls this stretch of time the “craziest” of the academic year. I think she’s right.

What’s a parent to do? How can you help your distracted student finish the school year strong?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, kids April 1, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Why…

Do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He is risen!

HAPPY EASTER FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS!

Blessings, Jim, Jean, Trent and Troy

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, faith March 31, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Climb to Calvary – Part VII

THE CLIMB TO CALVARY
Meditations on The Seven Last Words of Christ

The Seventh Words

“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit’” (Luke 23:46).

At the time of the crucifixion, it was typical for Jewish parents to teach and recite with their child a single prayer (Psalm 31:5) at bedtime. (This is much like many parents do with their children today, as in “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray my soul to keep…”) This final statement on the cross from Jesus was that very same Psalm and prayer parents were saying with their children – with only the word “Father” added to it.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, faith March 29, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura