Jim Daly

Focus on the Family Welcomes Vice President Mike Pence to the Ministry!

Against the dramatic backdrop of freshly snow-capped mountains and an azure blue Colorado sky, Vice President of the United States Mike Pence arrived at Focus on the Family today, his second visit to the ministry in the last three years.

A long-time friend of the organization, Mr. Pence and his wife Karen, who will celebrate 35 years of marriage this year, raised their three children on much of the ministry’s content, especially Adventures in Odyssey.

Settling into the studio today, the Vice President remarked, “I actually can’t come to Colorado Springs without coming by Focus on the Family.” We’re grateful he feels so welcome.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: current events, government

How God Redeemed My Teen Pregnancy

“I’m pregnant.”

Would you know what to do if your teenage daughter made that announcement? It’s not a pleasant situation to think about. But that’s why you should.

It’s the moment of truth for you as a parent. When you first hear the news, you’ll feel like the floor has dropped out from beneath your family. How you react sets the tone of your relationship with your child moving forward. It’s a scary, uncertain time for you and for your daughter.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, pregnancy

How to Teach Your Kids About God

Note: This article by Focus on the Family President Jim Daly appears in full on Fox News.

Once upon a time, the vast majority of Americans were affiliated with a particular faith community or tradition: Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, or Jewish, for example.

In recent years, though, secularism has been growing and a new wave of either atheism or agnosticism is rolling across the country. It may be true that a degree of “unbelief” has always existed, but with rising rates of people unaffiliated with any church or faith at all, the likelihood of interacting and being influenced by a person who believes in a higher power is similarly depressed.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: children, faith, parenting

Bringing Laughter to Your Marriage

Today, I’ve got a simple idea that will help you build a great marriage. It’s fun, too.

Laugh together.

Studies show that couples who laugh are healthier, happier, and more connected to each other. Even little giggles between you and your spouse can play a meaningful part in creating bonds that you’ll share forever.

That’s because laughter is a powerful connecter. In fact, at its heart, laughter is mostly about connection. It’s only partially about humor. Studies show that we laugh more when we’re with other people than when we’re alone.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage, relationships

Getting Rid of the Clutter in Your Home

The Depression-era generation used to say, “Use it up. Wear it out. Make do. Do without.”

There’s wisdom in that. But a lot us should throw some stuff out.

Did you know that there are more self-storage facilities in America than there are McDonald’s restaurants? At last count, there were 48,500 self-storage facilities in America compared to 14,350 McDonald’s.

We’re bursting at the seams with stuff. Our homes should be places of comfort and peace. Instead, we’re overwhelmed with clutter.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast

How to Have a Better Sex Life by Understanding Your Love Styles

Sex is the one activity that differentiates marriage from every other relationship. You can have a great conversation with a friend. You can have lunch with a co-worker. You can go on vacation with a family member. But if you’re following God’s design for relationships, sex is only rightly expressed through marriage.

Milan and Kay Yerkovich say that dynamic is hugely consequential to a couple’s relationship when they can’t negotiate their sex life in healthy ways.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, love, marriage

Embracing Your Imperfections as a Parent

A + B = C.

For some of you, that’s basic Algebra.

For some of you, that’s an approach to parenting.

You see raising children as a formula. If you apply the right ideas in just the right ways, you believe you’ll get the right outcome. Every time! Your goal isn’t to be a good parent, or even a great one. Your goal is to be perfect.

On the surface, perfection appears to be an admirable goal.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, parenting

Trump and Pelosi, Time to Turn the Other Cheek

Note: This article by Focus on the Family President Jim Daly originally appeared on CNN.

Inside the Washington, DC Hilton’s International Ballroom on Thursday, it was a scene straight from a script of a highly dramatic film.

Fresh off his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial and seated at the head table before an overflow crowd for the 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast was President Donald J. Trump. Seated several seats over was Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi — the very woman who led the House of Representative’s impeachment proceedings against him.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: current events, faith, prayer

Becoming a Messenger for Life

We live in a culture of contradictions.

When it comes to issues of race and sexual orientation, society shouts the virtues of human dignity from the rooftops. But when it comes to preborn babies, the terminally ill, or the severely disabled, society’s tone changes. Suddenly, ideas like “choice” and “quality of life” trump human dignity.

The Bible says we were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). We all have tremendous worth and value to God from the moment of conception to natural death.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, pro-life

Guest Post: Teen Raises $10K to Install Safe Haven Baby Box, Newborn Saved Just One Year Later

By: Zachary Mettler

If you pay attention to the daily headlines, you’ll probably agree with me that there’s always plenty of negative, depressing news going around. In fact, I think the constant drumbeat of negative headlines can be quite toxic for us and our faith.

That’s why for this post, I’m turning over the reigns to our team at The Daily Citizen who covered a newly breaking positive story:

After a teenager raised $10,000 to install a Safe Haven Baby Box for the Seymour Fire Department in Indiana, the box has saved the life of a baby just a year later.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: babies, news, pro-life