Family and Home Archives

The Climb to Calvary – Part I

In observance of Holy Week, I have decided to use this space to offer a devotional series that I have prepared and which I have entitled:

THE CLIMB TO CALVARY

Meditations on The Seven Last Words of Christ

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MONDAY: The First Words

“Then said Jesus, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ And they parted his raiment, and cast lots” (Luke 23:34).

In some ways, at least from a worldly perspective, these first recorded words spoken by Jesus on the cross are the most startling of all seven of His final statements captured in the Gospels.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith March 25, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Does this Video Make You Cry?

Have you seen this video?

Here is an eight-month old deaf baby’s reaction to his cochlear implant being activated:

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Thanks be to God!

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting March 21, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Have You Heard About Feminist Housewives?

A fascinating article from the Daily Mail in London landed in my in-box earlier this week. Here was the headline:

Rise of the happy housewife: How a new wave of feminists are giving up their careers to stay at home because they WANT to

The article details a growing trend among women who, though raised by two working parents, have decided they want to give their own children what they didn’t enjoy as a child:

A stay-at-home mother.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: husband, marriage, parenting, wife March 20, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Three Ways to Change Your Child’s Negative Attitude

Has your child’s attitude soured recently?

According to our counselors here at Focus, a common motivation for a child’s negativity is simply to get attention. If you suspect this is your child’s goal, there are a few ways to teach him or her not to complain.

1. Don’t reward his negative behavior

When he starts to grumble, tell him you’re sorry he feels that way. Then go about your business.

2. Reinforce a positive outlook

If your child shows the slightest enthusiasm, give him a smile, praise him, and let him know how much you appreciate his upbeat attitude.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, kids, parenting March 19, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Reflecting Back on College

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of engaging with a group of college students from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. As I shared in my previous blog post, our time together led to spirited, honest dialogue that I was told later inspired some students to have meaningful conversations about Jesus and Christianity.

That evening brought back to mind my own time in college. As I shared with the young people at UCCS, although I was a Christian during my undergrad days, I spent long stretches of time reading my text books, but not reading my Bible.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith March 14, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Do This NOW!

Do It Now

By Berton Braley

If with pleasure you are viewing
any work a man is doing,
If you like him or you love him,
tell him now;

Don’t withhold your approbation
till the parson makes oration
And he lies with snowy lilies on his brow;

No matter how you shout it
he won’t really care about it;
He won’t know how many teardrops you have shed;
If you think some praise is due him
now’s the time to slip it to him,
For he cannot read his tombstone when he’s dead.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith March 11, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

6 Ways to Become a Better Thinker

The following is excerpted from John Maxwell’s book, How Successful People Think:

HOW TO BECOME A BETTER THINKER

Do you want to master the process of good thinking? Do you want to be a better thinker tomorrow than you are today? Then you need to engage in an ongoing process that improves your thinking. I recommend you do the following:

1. Expose Yourself to Good Input

Good thinkers always prime the pump of ideas. They always look for things to get the thinking process started, because what you put in always impacts what comes out.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: pop culture March 8, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Who’s Your #1 Priority – Your Spouse or Kids?

So, if you’re married and have children, who’s your first priority – your spouse or the kids?

Entertainment reporter and reality TV personality Giuliana Rancic sparked something of a controversy last week when she said she puts her marriage first over motherhood. Her comments made headlines across the nation and spurred a debate over how couples should prioritize relationships.

It’s a good conversation to have.

Mrs. Rancic says she puts her husband, Bill, first because “the best thing we can do for him [son Edward Duke] is have a strong marriage.”

She has her supporters – one commenter to an online story said, “Putting your marriage first gives the child a stable, loving home to grow up in,” while others pointed out that some marriages fall apart when spouses stop making each other a priority.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, marriage, parenting March 6, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

5 Faith-Building Apps for Children

Like it or not, our kids are growing up in a world of gadgets and gizmos. Before they can even walk, many little ones know how to turn the page on an iPad or even open up a favorite app on a smart phone.

Navigating technology can be challenging enough for adults, but many parents contact us wanting to know how much screen time is safe for their kids. Should Junior be allowed to use the iPad?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, kids, parenting, technology February 28, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What to Pray For – If You Want to Be Successful

What causes someone at the top of their profession to lose control of it all?

I think one person got it right when he said: “Success will take you further than character can keep you.”

Whether a professional athlete, the CEO of a company, or an employee looking to move up the ladder, character matters.

As you’ve likely realized, success doesn’t alleviate the demands upon us, it only intensifies them. To handle that stress, you need more than talent or intellect.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith February 26, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura