Family and Home Archives

Children are a Blessing – Not a Burden

The columnist Don Feder recently highlighted a Michigan State University poll that concluded, “1 in 5 adults in the Wolverine State do not want children and therefore are child free.”

Feder pointed out that even using the term “child free” connotates something akin to a disease.

Findings from the Pew Research Center paint an even darker picture when it comes to couples’ desire for children. Over 44% of people between the ages of 18 and 49 who don’t have children said it was “not too or not at all likely” they would ever have children – an increase of 7% since 2018.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family August 17, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Aim in the Same Direction

The well-known poet Maya Angelou once said, “In diversity, there is beauty and there is strength.”

She’s right. Sort of. Her statement is only half correct. There is beauty and strength in diversity … but only when people aim in the same direction.

The American military is a good example. Our servicemen and women come from a variety of diverse backgrounds and beliefs. They all have different skill sets, talents, and life experiences. But they all point their weapons in the same direction and fight toward a common goal.

Topics: Family and Home August 17, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Slow Burn of Romance

Ladies, how do you know when your marriage is romantic enough? Does your husband have to chase you to your gate at the airport? Does he have to throw rocks at your bedroom window and serenade you? How about a long kiss on the beach while waves tumble over you?

Guys, what about you? Do you imagine yourself as the hero, a valiant knight who sweeps your wife off her feet and carries her – literally and figuratively – into the future?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage August 16, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Overcoming the Heartaches of Life

When Sheri Rose Shepherd was crowned Mrs. United States in 1994, the achievement felt the culmination of a long, hard journey.

People throughout her life stripped her of self-worth, driving their hate through her like a spike through her soul.

Her English teacher once told her, “Sheri Rose, you will never amount to anything in life.”

Another time, she received a gift in the mail from her mother. When Sheri Rose opened it, her birth certificate was inside with a sticky note that read, “I wish you had never been born.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith August 16, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Equipping Your Kids to Resist Pornography

The stats on pornography use are alarming. Sixty-seven percent of young males view pornography on a regular basis. Porn use for this generation is no longer the exception – it’s the norm.

Many parents do the bare minimum when it comes to talking to their children about sex. They have “the talk” and encourage their children to pursue abstinence, but otherwise they sit back and hope that their kids stay pure for as long as possible.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting August 15, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

If You Only Knew

There were a lot of guys in my high school who didn’t get along with their dads. Every day they’d complain about their fathers being strict and overbearing. And all I could do was think, “If you guys only knew how good you have it.”

At the time, I lived with my older brother Dave. He was a good brother, but he was no father figure. He didn’t set boundaries or establish any rules. And a curfew?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family August 12, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Redeemed Through Apocalypse

If an area of your life hasn’t become what you’d hoped, you need an apocalypse.

The word “apocalypse” usually brings to mind catastrophic end-of-the-world scenarios. Earthquakes, toppled buildings, destruction everywhere. But the Greek word for “apocalypse” doesn’t mean “destruction.” It means “to uncover or to reveal.”

An apocalypse is what happens in a court of law. Everything is exposed and measured against truth. There are no secrets. Nothing is off limits because it’s embarrassing … or worse yet, incriminating.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith August 11, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Raising Kids with Healthy Boundaries

When my son Trent was assigned his first science project in fourth grade, Jean and I agreed to let him do the project all on his own. After all, the whole point was for him to learn, right?

Apparently, not every parent shared that view.

At the end of the semester, the school held an open house, so the children could show off their work. It was pretty obvious which parents had been too involved in their child’s schoolwork.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting August 11, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

More Than a Bag of Bones

There’s no easy way for doctors to tell patients they’re going to die, but some ways are better than others. At the very least, I’m sure that you’d prefer a doctor take the time to meet with you in person, explain your condition, and answer your questions.

So, you can probably imagine what Ernest Quintana must have felt when he received bad news about his health. He was in his hospital bed anxiously awaiting his diagnosis when the door opened.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith August 10, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Scratches, Cuts, and Lacerations

Married couples often think about conflict with each other in black and white terms. Solving problems is all or nothing – meaning every issue, no matter how small or insignificant, is argued over – or they go to the other extreme, no issue ever gets resolved, no matter how destructive it is to the relationship.

There’s a better way. Counselor and author Dr. Randy Schroeder encourages couples to view marital conflict in terms of scratches, cuts, and lacerations:

Scratches are superficial wounds caused by things like misunderstandings or thoughtless words.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage August 9, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura