Family and Home Archives

The Hound of Heaven

English poet Francis Thompson lived a short, painful life. After attending college to study medicine, Francis figured he’d try his hand at writing poetry and essays rather than follow his training as a doctor. But Francis soon learned that the writing life is a tough business. Forced to live as a vagrant with few options to provide for his needs, Francis settled on selling newspapers and matches while working on his craft.

For years success evaded him.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith August 6, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Man Sues Zondervan for $60 million

Last month a Michigan man named Bradley Fowler initiated a $10 million dollar lawsuit against Nashville-based Christian publisher Thomas Nelson. This month he extended his legal action by suing Zondervan, based in Grand Rapids, for $60 million. When someone seeks a combined $70 million in damages, that has a way of grabbing my attention.

At first I wondered what provoked such an aggressive lawsuit. You know, was he an ex-employee who experienced discrimination? Did he suffer a job-related accident?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, homosexuality, news, religious liberty July 31, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Aborting Canada’s Future

I don’t wish to be the ugly American, so please read my comments understanding that I am fully aware of America’s culpability with respect to abortion. This is only an observation regarding a news story involving our neighbor to the north.

In 1969, when Dr. Henry Morgentaler opened his first abortion clinic in Montreal, Canada, abortion was illegal. In that respect he was violating Canadian law. Or, put another way, Dr. Morgentaler was a law breaker and remained so for the better part of twenty years.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news, pro-life July 29, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Monster in Your Modem

I heard a story that still breaks my heart. Joann Condie is a state-licensed counselor and member of our staff who speaks with those who call us with various needs. She shared the story of a mother whose eleven-year-old boy had been using porn on the home internet for quite some time. When this mom found out, she wisely and carefully dug a little deeper.

That’s when she learned that an eleven-year-old neighbor friend had introduced her boy to pornography on the computer.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, kids, parenting July 24, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Camping With Bears

Jean and I love to camp with our boys. Last week we pitched our tent, hiked, played ball, cooked dinner in the fire pit, and then hit the sack for what was to be a restful night. After all, we had perfect sleeping weather—the kind of Rocky Mountain cool air that produces a refreshingly deep rest. One problem. A rather hungry black bear decided to hunt around for a midnight snack just one campsite over from our tent.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, kids, wife July 21, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Field of Dreams

Last week I had the chance to do something I’ve wanted to do ever since I was a kid. Sorry if I gush just a bit. You see, I got to watch a baseball game at Boston’s legendary Fenway Park. What a thrill to sit just five rows behind the home team’s dugout. So many great baseball players made history on the field that stretched out in front of me–including Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, and Carl Yastrzemski.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, friendship July 21, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Hog Wild on the Trail to Vail

For years fitness experts have been urging Americans to eat right, get plenty of exercise, drink enough water to quench the thirst of a camel, and sleep at least seven hours a night. Why? To maintain a healthy lifestyle. While I totally agree those things are key, there’s another part of the equation that’s easy to overlook: Having fun with a hobby.

There’s something about enjoying a recreational activity–be it scrap booking, fishing on Saturday morning, wood working, or playing Monopoly with the kids–that does wonders for the human spirit.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, faith, friendship July 17, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Going Ape Over Human Rights

Here’s a headline that caught my eye a couple of days ago:

Great Apes Should Have Human Rights, Say Spanish MPs

My immediate reaction was to double-check the calendar. You know, if it were April 1st, I could dismiss the whole thing as a reporter just monkeying around with a catchy headline. But the article wasn’t a joke. According to the report, a number of the members of parliament (MPs) in Spain have been lobbying the government to adopt something called the “Great Ape Project” (GAP).

Topics: Family and Home Tags: policy, pro-life July 12, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Children ‘Bad for Planet’

Believe it or not, that’s an actual newspaper headline. The article, which ran last year but which I only now just caught wind of, cites the work of an organization called Optimum Population Trust (OPT). John Guillebaud, co-chairman of OPT, believes couples should weigh the impact of children on the planet in their family planning. Which is why this green think tank is suggesting that you and I cut down on our carbon dioxide (CO2) output by having smaller families.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, kids, pro-life June 19, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Steven Curtis Chapman’s Daughter Dies

I have some very sad news to report.

Ten days ago, Maria Sue Chapman, the youngest child of Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, was blowing out five candles on her birthday cake. Last night, Maria died in a tragic auto accident in Franklin, Tennessee. What makes this loss especially difficult is the fact that she was accidentally killed by an older brother driving one of the family vehicles in the Chapman’s driveway.

At the time, the entire family was home celebrating the recent engagement of their oldest daughter Emily as well as the high school graduation of son Caleb.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: adoption, faith, kids May 22, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura