Family and Home Archives

Your Money and Abortion

Would it shock or anger you to learn that your tax dollars have been paying for abortion, albeit indirectly, for years? Wait until you read some new figures just out this week in a report published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

During this past winter’s highly controversial debate over the universal health care bill, Focus on the Family and CitizenLink, along with other numerous other pro-life groups, fought passionately, though ultimately unsuccessfully, to prohibit the legislation’s inclusion of federally funded abortion coverage.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: policy, pro-life June 17, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

No-Fault Parenting

One of the treats about being a father and having children is the chance to watch yourself grow up all over again. Have you ever thought about it that way? I certainly have. Admittedly, life in 2010 is drastically different than it was in 1960s America when I was a boy, but the essence and wonder of childhood are primarily the same. Or is it?

There are many days when I catch a glimpse of Trent and Troy doing something that ushers me back 40 or so years.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, kids, parenting, pop culture June 15, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Is the Good Life Good Enough?

Are you living a fulfilled life? Are you content where you are?

Those always seem like good questions to ponder, but I think they’re especially relevant in light of the recent news concerning Al and Tipper Gore’s marital separation. Please stay with me here. I don’t read the gossip columns nor do I spend time reading the tabloids. But I do try and make sense of the times in which we live and, as such, I’m always processing what I see and hear.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: divorce, faith, family, parenting June 14, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Rest of the Story

Does this scene sound somewhat familiar?

A young, married, pregnant woman is admitted to a hospital. She is in pain, but not quite sure what is happening. Early labor? Perhaps. Complications associated with the pregnancy? Maybe. After some tests are conducted, the diagnosis is made: Appendicitis.

The frightened woman is relieved and treated. But at the end of the surgery the doctor advises that her baby is likely to be born with a disability. Why? A consequence of the treatment which had been necessary to save the pregnant woman’s life.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: pro-life June 11, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

John Wooden’s “Woodenisms”

I offered some reflections in yesterday’s blog on the life and legacy of the late John Wooden, college basketball’s most celebrated and successful coach. Today I’d like to share with you some of Coach Wooden’s most memorable and pithy sayings.

What I appreciate most about them, however, is that I know they’re not simply borne of clever or creative thinking. Rather, they’re the product of the coach’s daily Bible reading.

Each one of these is worthy of memorization.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, pop culture June 10, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

My Greatest Need

What’s your greatest need today? Is it finding a job? Avoiding foreclosure? Getting married? Identifying one friend who cares enough to listen? Hitting a deadline? Learning how to corral an incorrigible two-year-old? Loving a spouse who is emotionally distant? Perhaps having faith that God will return your prodigal son or daughter safely home?

There’s a fascinating story in the Bible about a man who was paralyzed who thought his greatest need was to be healed. As you’ll see in a moment, in a way his story is our story, too.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family June 8, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Tackle Tough Times

I recently heard a story that was pulled from the pages of Australia’s history books. It struck me as a good lesson on how to approach and handle modern-day struggles.

In the late 1790’s the common belief throughout the Australian colony was that the region beyond the imposing Blue Mountains was lush and fertile. As such, numerous explorers set out to try and to conquer the area. While planning their trips, as conventional wisdom would suggest, they steered clear of the steep ridges and deep gorges of the terrain.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith June 7, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Update on Ethan

If you’re new to my blog, let me point you to the touching and inspiring story of my nephew, Ethan. I blogged about Ethan earlier this year (see A Picture of Perseverance).

In short, our sweet little relative has endured far more than most adults. He’s undergone three open heart surgeries, all to reconstruct his entire coronary system. Throughout the long ordeal he has maintained an amazing attitude.

Since many of my readers were so kind to pray for Ethan, I thought I’d give an update on his condition as well as share some exciting news from within his family.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, kids, staff May 27, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Dan Was Right

In 1992, Murphy Brown was one of the hottest sitcoms on television. As you may recall, the show took its name after the lead character, a fictional forty-something TV news anchor. During its fourth season, the storyline took a controversial turn when Murphy—who was unmarried on the show—found herself “pregnant” and, rather than marrying the father, decided to raise the “baby” on her own.

That prompted then-Vice President Dan Quayle to take to task what he viewed as television’s glorification of single parenting as well as further evidence of the “poverty of values” plaguing America.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage, parenting, pop culture May 26, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Talking Smack with Teens

Yesterday I blogged about a new book by my friend and colleague Glenn Williams entitled, Talking Smack. I thought I’d add a few additional thoughts on this important topic. Not only is Glenn a psychologist and writer, he is also a substance abuse expert who offers solid advice on how to talk to your kids honestly and openly about drugs. Based upon years of training, Glenn can help you steer your youth toward making healthy decisions when temptation and peer pressure come knocking.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, parenting May 25, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura