Family and Home Archives

When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking

Children are incredibly observant creatures, regularly keying in on that which you think sailed right over their heads. If you’re a mom or dad, you know they’re also astoundingly perceptive, which is why this essay written from a child’s perspective resonated with me. The author is unknown. But I think it will strike you in a similar manner.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I wanted to paint another.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting May 20, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Will the World End on Saturday?

By now you’ve picked up on the buzz that, according to Harold Camping of Family Radio, the rapture will occur this coming Saturday, May 21st. He’s even gone so far as to predict the exact time (6 PM), though there’s some confusion concerning time zones around the world.

So, May 21st, give or take a few hours.

This isn’t the first time that Mr. Camping predicted the Second Coming. He had previously proclaimed Jesus would return in September of 1994.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, pop culture May 19, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Life is all About Interruptions

Several years ago an enterprising individual began marketing a line of t-shirts. Printed in large bold lettering across the front of the shirt was a variation of this message:

“(Fill in the blank) Is Life. The Rest Is Just Details.”

They sold millions of them.

Largely, I think, because we tend to see our passions (family, sports, music, art, etc.) as the center of our life – and everything on the periphery is just the small stuff.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family May 18, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Key to a Good Day

The late Dwight Eisenhower, a five-star general and the 34th president of the United States, was once asked who he believed to be the greatest man he’d ever met. He replied in a snap:

“It wasn’t a man. It was a woman – my mother. She had little schooling, but her educated mind, her wisdom, came from a lifelong study of the Bible. One night we were playing a card game, mother, my brothers and I.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family May 17, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

New Test Tells How Long You’ll Live

There’s news out of Great Britain this morning that scientists have devised and perfected a blood test that proposes to predict how long you can expect to live.

It’s scheduled to be available by the end of the year.

By almost every account, this is not medical quackery, but instead a highly technical development that’s been years in the making.

Scientists believe a person’s “biological age” can be measured by examining the length of their telomeres, which is another word for the tips of their chromosomes.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news, pop culture May 16, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

If You’re Angry or Irritated

It’s challenging to tell someone you love that you’re angry with them. Even with the best of intentions, hurt feelings come easily.
Our counselors here at Focus regularly help with questions of this nature. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal dealt with this very issue, and so I asked them to review the author’s suggestions. They affirmed much of what was written, but offered a few other thoughts. I’d like to share their response with you now:

Slow Down.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family May 13, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

She Escaped From Planned Parenthood

If the producers of Hallmark Hall of Fame were looking for a thoughtful script that both inspires and convicts, they needn’t look any further than the story of Abby Johnson.

But for now, you can watch her tale of conversion this coming Tuesday May 17th, by clicking here.

After years of working for Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas, Abby experienced a dramatic change of heart regarding the morality of abortion and her participation in the ongoing tragedy of it.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, pro-life May 12, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Father’s Promise

I’d like you to meet Alice Ozma. She is 23 years-old and graduated as valedictorian of her class at Rutgers University with a degree in literature.

Impressive, to be sure, but that’s not the story nor the punch line. This is:

When Alice was 9 years-old, her mother left her father. Heartbroken and faced with the reality of being a single dad and raising a daughter alone, Jim became concerned that time and circumstance would pull him and Alice apart.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting May 11, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Family By The Numbers

Do you like statistics? A recent issue of Parade magazine featured dozens of facts and figures, from the best sports city (Chicago) to the skinniest state (Colorado). Also included were some numbers and trends related to marriage and family.

I thought I’d share some of them with you here and invite your comment:

Marriage Figures

54.1 percent of adults reported being married in 2010
2.1 million marriages took place in 2009.
17% of people who married in the past three years met online.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage May 10, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Express Your Anger

When was the last time you were angry with someone you loved? When was the last time someone you loved, rightly or wrongly, thought you were angry with them?

Just the other day, I was upstairs in our house. I heard Trent and Troy being boys downstairs, which means they were having some fun, running and chasing each other from one room to the next. Suddenly, I heard a door slam. Trent had slipped into the bathroom, hoping to hide from Troy.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting May 6, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura