Family and Home Archives

Centering Your Marriage on Christ

Do you have a fierce marriage?

Authors Ryan and Selena Frederick describe a “fierce marriage” as radically pursuing each other in light of Christ’s relentless love.

They experienced the truth of that idea firsthand two years into their marriage. After taking jobs in Switzerland, Ryan developed a persistent cough he dismissed as the flu. Doctors gave him antibiotics and painkillers and told him to return for a checkup in a few days. His health soon took a terrible turn for the worst, and he was diagnosed with a congenital defect called endocarditis, a life-threatening inflammation of the inner lining of his heart chambers.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage February 22, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Help for Single Moms Raising Boys

Single moms face unique challenges when it comes to raising boys. A single mom is always interacting with her son because she’s the only parent, but that doesn’t mean she’s connecting with him in the way she wants or in the way he needs. Unlike a mother and a daughter, who both relate to the female experience, the gap between a mother and her son widens as he grows older.

How can a single mom step more deeply into her son’s world?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting February 20, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Helping Your Daughter Become a Confident Woman

I saw a video that powerfully illustrates the incredible influence that fathers have in the lives of their daughters. It captured a dad in his living room, watching a basketball game. He jumped and yelled in support of his favorite team.

Right beside him, his three-year-old daughter copied his every move. She jumped when he jumped. She clapped when he clapped. She even copied his expressions of excitement.

Then the mood changed. The dad started shouting at the television.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting February 16, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Choosing the Right Attitude

The phone company made me mad.

At least, I thought it was their fault. I couldn’t get them to understand that their customer service was terrible. They continually overcharged me and disconnected my boys’ phones even though I hadn’t asked them to do it. I had to call them repeatedly for months and had a terrible time getting my account straightened out.

I tried to stay patient, but I finally reached the end of my rope, and the poor customer service representative got the brunt of my attitude.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith February 15, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Beside, Not Behind

They say behind every great man is a great woman. But just as often, great women take the lead.

In 1865, Emily Roebling married her husband Washington. He was the chief engineer who oversaw construction of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. Two years into the project, he developed decompression sickness while he was working underwater. He was debilitated so severely that he lay bed-ridden for nearly a decade.

Meanwhile, there was still a bridge to be built.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith February 8, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Hope and Encouragement for Moms

Kirsten Watson’s husband, Benjamin, played for six NFL teams and won a super Bowl in 2005. Much of the time over those 15 years, she found herself on her own in a new city with no support and the responsibility for handling a household of seven children, including twins. At one point, her stress was so severe that she suffered from migraines and was told that her pain would continue unless she made some changes.

Maybe you can relate to the pressure Kirsten felt.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting February 8, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Better, Not Bitter

Bitterness will lie to you. It’ll trick you into believing that you build a better future by holding on to the past. The truth is the past eventually spills out.

That’s what happened between Stacy and Janet, who were friends from high school. They were so close for so long that Stacy asked Janet to be her maid of honor at her wedding.

On the big day, the ceremony was beautiful, and Stacy was all smiles … until the reception.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith February 6, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Living a Life of Bold Faith

Morality has rapidly declined in America in the past few years. Culture seems to be descending into chaos on many fronts. I’d describe it as a cultural tsunami in which tolerance no longer reflects a willingness to listen to different points of view. It now means joining a revolution that seeks dominance.

How do Christians reach out in the name of Christ to a culture that is drifting further and further from its biblical moorings?

Renowned theologian, popular public speaker, and award-winning author, Dr.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith February 6, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Balance for a Good Life

Most Americans believe that the secret to happiness is having more, going faster, or working harder. In reality, happiness is a byproduct of balance.

Balance is hard. Our natural tendency is to overreach, to go too far, and to want too much. It’s like the reporter who asked billionaire John D. Rockefeller who, when asked “How much money is enough?” answered, “Just a little bit more.”

We all answer, “Just a little bit more,” in some area of life.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith February 1, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Overcoming the Betrayal of an Affair

Few things damage a marriage more than adultery.

Nevertheless, it is possible for couples who have experienced the devastation of an affair to find healing, forgiveness, and restoration.

Rick and Tiffany Bulman, founders of Mended Ministries, help conflicted couples strengthen and rebuild their marriages. They can attest to God’s ability to redeem relationships. They’ve seen it happen in countless marriages, including in their own.

Rick and Tiffany’s relationship looked good on the surface. They had four happy teenagers and were actively involved in the church where Rick served as senior pastor.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage February 1, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura