Family and Home Archives

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

The Dad Difference

Golf fans will remember Rory McIlroy’s painful unraveling at the Masters in April, a colossal collapse where he lost a four-shot lead on the final day of the historic tournament. Charl Schwartzel’s win that day was dramatic and well-earned, but it left the 22-year-old McIlroy reeling. The Irishman’s subsequent tournament play in May and early June was lackluster – that is, until this past weekend when he won the U.S. Open.

Analysts and commentators were quick to seize on the turnaround.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, family, parenting June 23, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Practice Makes You Dirty

My friend and colleague, Gary Schneeberger, is Focus’ vice president of communications. His office is right down the hall from mine and includes, among other things, a 7-foot-tall statue of Superman (that’s a story for another time). But among the many things on his desk is this little glass vase holding a pair of golf balls.

Now, I’ve been in many offices that contain golf balls from courses all over the world – from the famed St.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, marriage June 22, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Focus on National TV Tonight

Just last Wednesday, in Tontitown, Arkansas, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar welcomed another baby into the family. This time it was their eldest son Josh’s and wife Anna’s second child. Michael James and mom are doing great.

Hale and hearty congratulations to the ever-expanding Duggar family!

Of course, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are the proud parents of 19 children, 10 boys and 9 girls. You might already be familiar with them from their hit reality television show, 19 Kids and Counting, which airs on The Learning Channel (TLC).

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family June 21, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura