Family and Home Archives

Snowflakes in April

You may remember the name Hannah Strege, a delightful girl who has appeared on Focus on the Family radio several times. Her mom and dad, Marlene and John, have the distinction of being the first couple in the world to have given birth to a baby through embryo adoption.

Hannah, thus, is forever known as “Snowflake #1.”

Why a “snowflake”?

After Mr. and Mrs. Strege approached the Nightlight Christian Adoption Agency (for info on embryo adoption with them, click here.) to facilitate the complicated embryo adoption process, the pioneering couple was at a loss as to how to describe what they were doing.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: adoption, family April 28, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Public Library Pornography

Have you ever been to the New York City Public Library?

It’s been in the national news this week after its spokesperson announced they’ll be making pornography available to any and all of its patrons. This comes as a shock on many levels, especially since adults and children share the same space inside its walls.

This national landmark sits at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. Even if your travels haven’t brought you there, you’ve probably seen it on television or in the movies.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news, pop culture April 27, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Best Place for Children

Dr. Brad Wilcox, a friend and the Director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, recently offered an analysis of federal research that confirms what you and I already know through faith and tradition: children do best when raised in a home with a married mom and dad.

But where do they fare the worst? Or more precisely and practically, where are they in the most danger? The answer might surprise you.

According to Brad’s analysis of the new federal study:

“…children living with their mother and her boyfriend are about 11 times more likely to be sexually, physically, or emotionally abused than children living with their married biological parents.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting April 26, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What Every Father Should Know

On today’s and tomorrow’s Focus radio program, you’ll hear something you’ve never heard before. Dr. Juli Slattery and I will be turning the tables on our co-host, John Fuller, as we talk with him about his excellent first book,

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting April 25, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Morality of the Federal Budget

In a post earlier this week, I speculated on what would happen if churches were to shut their doors. If you missed it, you can click here.

At a recent meeting, I was asked by a reporter to ponder the moral implications of a true government shutdown. I was given an opportunity to think and write about it. Here is how I responded to the question:

A: Although temporarily suspending “non-essential” government functions would have inconvenienced millions of Americans, a closure of that nature doesn’t create a major moral conundrum.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: pop culture April 15, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Royal Wedding: Why So Much Interest?

NOTE: The following was originally published on April 14, 2011.

Come April 29th, the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton will be televised by every major network and cable news channel. It will be viewed all over the world. Over one million people are expected to travel to London, if only to catch a glimpse and play their part.

Why? What is it about the royal wedding that pulls so many people in?

To some degree, it is, of course, the substance of the classic fairy tale: beauty, romance, nobility and prestige, not to mention the hope and expectation of a happy marriage and life.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage April 14, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

New York Tragedy

There is a ten-year-old boy living in upstate New York who desperately needs our prayers.

Around 8:00 p.m. EDT last night this youngster was riding with his three siblings in his family’s van. His mother was behind the wheel. In the back of the vehicle sat this boy, his two brothers (2 and 5 years old) and an 11-month old sister.

His mother than did the unthinkable and unimaginable. She deliberately drove off a boat ramp and into the Hudson River.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids April 13, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Don’t Give Up!

A colleague was recently telling me a story of a man whose son years ago was growing weary of balancing the rigors of college with two part-time jobs.

Here was a typical day for this 19-year-old student:

His mornings would begin in the pre-dawn dark, in the middle of the night, really, delivering newspapers out of his beat-up 1977 Chevy Malibu. After the final paper was tossed, he’d race home, shower, change and grab a Pop-Tart or bagel on the way out to class.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith April 12, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What If the Church Shut Down?

As you know, the United States federal government narrowly avoided a shutdown on Friday night. The impact would have been significant. In fact, nearly half of the 1.9 million civilian government employees could have been furloughed by today, complicating or delaying everything from Social Security filings to a class field trip to a national park.

This situation is not without precedent and larger budget battles still loom. But all the drama and dire talk has made me think:

What if the Church shut down?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, faith April 11, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Serendipity, Spagnuolo Style

Life is interesting.

I recently accepted an invitation to speak to a pregnancy resource center in St. Louis. It’s always an honor to meet these modern-day heroes. A few weeks prior to my visit, a member of the Focus team received a telephone call from a very kind Focus listener named Lory. Apparently Lory had been listening to a local Christian radio station in Missouri and heard an advertisement promoting the upcoming event and my participation.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, faith April 8, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura