Jim Daly

Why a Rock Star’s Death Reminds Us of Children Who Suffer in Silence

Although the music of the Stone Temple Pilots isn’t on my iPod, the death last week of its lead singer, Scott Weiland, caught my attention. The 48 year-old was found dead on his tour bus in Minnesota of a suspected drug overdose.

Sadly, the ascent and ultimate demise of Scott Weiland strikes an all too familiar ring. From Elvis Presley to Whitney Houston, drug abuse and celebrity excesses often lead to dark places. Of course, the rest of us aren’t immune to the scourge of modern-day vices either.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: family, kids, news, parenting, pop culture

How to Help Your Daughter Understand Romantic Relationships

Do you have a daughter who’s a “crushaholic”? That’s a term that describes a young lady who is constantly seeking affirmation from boys.

I don’t have daughters myself, but my boys Trent and Troy are 15 and 13, so Jean and I are seeing the upheaval of the teen years up close. The physical, mental, and emotional changes can be intense.

Did I mention the emotional changes?

They can be especially pronounced in girls who tend to be emotional creatures by nature, more so than boys.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, kids, parenting, relationships

How to Train Sons to Be Confident, Capable Men

It’s been said it’s “easier to build a boy than to mend a man.”

I agree.

But a startling number of boys today are alone, left to figure out for themselves what it means to be a man. They don’t have a father in the home who will engage them.

Oh, dad may be there. But he isn’t present.

There are a lot of great dads out there, but too many men are disengaged. They don’t see manhood as a quality they intentionally bestow upon their son.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, kids, parenting

To Honor Officer Swasey & Other Victims of Violence, We Must Pursue a Culture of Life

Our hearts have been heavy this past week with the tragic news of shootings in both California and Colorado. As I write, details of the rampage in San Bernardino are still coming in. We’ll be processing and evaluating the news in the coming days.

Garrett Swasey, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs police officer who was murdered last week outside a local Planned Parenthood clinic, will be memorialized on Friday afternoon, just up the road from our ministry’s headquarters.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: church, faith, news, pro-life

How to Help Your Child Succeed in School

Here’s the scenario. Does it sound familiar?

It’s a weeknight, and your child has spent most of the evening on the same school assignment. It’s pretty clear he doesn’t understand the information. To top it off, he’s brought home a note from the teacher warning you about a failing grade.

Now what do you do?

Many parents immediately assume the worst. They think their child has a behavior problem, has difficulty learning, or is just plain lazy.

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Listen to the 14 Most Popular Programs of the Year

Each December and January we re-air a selection of our best-loved broadcasts of the year. It gives our listeners a second chance to listen and benefit from the God-centered, practical marriage and family advice that has become a hallmark of the Focus on the Family broadcast. It also gives our friends an opportunity to recommend a favorite program to a friend.

The next few weeks will be busy for everyone. In order to make things easy for you, I wanted to list the upcoming broadcast schedule.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, faith, family, marriage, parenting

How to Transform Your Marriage

Wonder Woman.

Batgirl.

Supergirl.

The Invisible Woman.

Wives.

What do all of these women have in common?

They can be strong and fierce in character. They’re capable of having bold convictions and standing firmly behind their decisions.

Really, the comparisons could go on and on, and I think it’s important that a woman’s strengths be celebrated.

There’s just one catch: Fictional superheroines are esteemed because they stand on their own and lead their lives independent of men.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, husband, marriage, wife

Liz Curtis Higgs and The Women of Christmas

Has it ever occurred to you that so many traditions of Christmas are actually sterilized versions of historical truth?

There are the lights and decorations; the smell of cookies, pies, and freshly cut Christmas trees; the music of choirs and carolers. The air is filled with the joy of the season.

It’s beautiful imagery that, in almost every way, stands in stark contrast to the dark, difficult circumstances surrounding the very first Christmas.

Case in point, let’s consider the lives of three women who lived it:

Mary, Elizabeth, and Anna.

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

Response to Tragedy at Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood Facility

Focus on the Family president Jim Daly issued the following statement today in response to the shooting at the Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“Today’s violence at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood facility, just miles from our ministry headquarters, is tragic and deplorable. It is to be condemned.

“Our hearts break for the families of the three individuals killed, a University of Colorado police officer and two civilians. As a community, we share in their sorrow and in their grief.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: news

Helpful Ways to Cope with Family Holiday Stress

This time of year is supposed to be the most joyous, but it’s often the most stressful.

A big reason for that is the amount of expectation we pour into the holidays.

Think about it.

We put expectations on ourselves and our family members, and they have expectations for how they want things to go as well. It’s a special time of year, and we want the house to be perfect, the gifts to be perfect, the meals to be perfect.