Family and Home Archives

VIDEO: Link Between the Debt Ceiling Impasse & Rupert Murdoch

What a world in which we live these days, though as Paul Harvey was keen on saying, “In times like these, it’s important to remember there have always been times like these.”

News out of Washington D.C. continues to strike a dramatic strain about a coming financial Armageddon should the White House and Congress fail to raise the debt ceiling by August 2nd. Across the Atlantic, all eyes are on Rupert Murdoch and his news empire, which has come under fire for hacking into personal phone accounts, all in search of gossip and a juicy story.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news, pop culture July 20, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Surprise!

I just returned to the office today from a wonderful week of vacation. Over lunch, after only a few hours back in the saddle, some of my kind teammates surprised me (literally) with a cake and a card in anticipation of my upcoming birthday on July 22nd.

Thoughts on the privilege of turning fifty to come…

Topics: Family and Home Tags: friendship, news July 18, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Summer Favorites

“I would maintain,” said the English writer, G.K. Chesterton, “that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” Like most parents we’ve tried to instill in our boys a spirit of gratitude. Since this is vacation week, and pivoting off yesterday’s discussion, I thought I’d ask them to share their favorite things about summer. As you can see, they tend to think alike!

Trent (10 7/8 yrs)

My birthday
Spending time with family
Seeing friends
Water fights
Camping

Troy (8 7/8 yrs)

My birthdayCamping
Hanging with Daddy
Shooting Airsoft guns
Water fights

Somebody once said that if a person isn’t grateful for what he already has, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, kids July 14, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

We’re headed out of town this week, for a week in the woods with our trusty camper. The boys are especially excited to be going, as are Jean and I, of course. After our inaugural season with the fifth wheel last year, I’m starting to get a handle on it – I think! But if you happen to see smoke signals in the western sky, you’ll know we’re in need of some help.

Summer is that golden season, when routines change up a bit and schedules, hopefully, loosen somewhat, too.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, kids July 12, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

TOMS Shoes Controversy

In anticipation of a week out of the office to do some family camping, Jim Daly prepared several commentaries to run in his absence. However, in light of the developing TOMS Shoes controversy, we wanted to alert Jim’s readers and provide some background links on the issue as well as the ministry’s reaction to the story:

This Christianity Today Blog provides good background.

Also, as you’ll see from this exclusive video, this was by no means a politically motivated event.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news, pop culture July 11, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Guest Blog: FOTF Featured in Christianity Today

As a reader of this blog, you’ll probably recognize the face on the cover of this month’s Christianity Today. It’s none other than the guy who usually writes in this space – Focus on the Family President Jim Daly. Jim’s been gracious enough to turn this platform over to me – the PR guy – today so I can urge you to give the accompanying article in CT a look. It is by far the most in-depth examination of our ministry’s passions and priorities as we move into what I like to call “Focus 2.0” – the next generation of helping families thrive.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, news, pop culture, staff July 8, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Raise a Philanthropist

A recent edition of the Wall Street Journal featured an interesting essay on how to teach children about the importance of charitable giving. According the author of the piece, some notably wealthy parents are growing concerned that their kids, who stand to one day inherit their family’s sizable fortunes, are unprepared to be multi-millionaires.

Imagine having such worries!

All kidding aside, there is a telling twist in this story. Afraid their kids will either lose the incentive to work and recklessly manage the assets, high-net worth families are turning to philanthropy advisors for advice on how to properly instill in their child a spirit of charity.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: finances, parenting July 5, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Thoughts on Violent Video Games

Over twenty years ago the Dakin toy company, then a well-known maker of cuddly stuffed animals for kids, ran a controversial advertisement in magazines and newspapers all throughout the country. With images of bloody knives, pistols and hand grenades framing the page, the headline asked the following rhetorical question:

“Is it any wonder the prisons are full?”

Still another ad in the series proclaimed:

“We help children develop more than their trigger finger.”

Directly beneath that ad was a cute little girl squeezing a Dakin teddy bear.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: pop culture, technology June 30, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

This is What Integrity Looks Like

Earlier this month Robert Adams of Arlington Heights, Illinois, was waiting to use an ATM machine when he discovered something you don’t often see: a clear plastic bag containing $20 and $100 bills resting beside the machine. He later learned that the sack contained a total of $17,000.

Following some research and a trip to a local Chase bank, it was determined that the bag belonged to the Loomis armored truck company.

Mr. Adams says he was never tempted to keep the lost treasure.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: finances, pop culture June 29, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Lazy Days of Summer

To be a boy again.

Jean recently snapped this photo of our boys, Trent and Troy, taking aim on some pop cans with their Airsoft guns.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting June 24, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura