Jim Daly

Do You Agree with These Parents’ Decision to “Cancel” Christmas?

When John and Lisa Henderson grew weary of the poor behavior of their three boys, ages 5, 8, and 11, the couple decided upon a radical remedy.

They decided to “cancel” Christmas.

No Santa. No stockings. No presents.

“We have not cancelled putting up decorations, celebrating the birth of our Savior, or any of our other heartwarming traditions,” Lisa explains in her recent blog post, which has gone viral and won the family an interview with “Good Morning America.”

But after months of working with their boys to help them curb a growing sense of entitlement and bad behavior, the parents decided to take the money they would have spent on presents and instead “put it towards service projects and giving gifts to others.”

Their goal?

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: parenting, pop culture

Why Marriage is Good for the Economy

I’ve blogged before about the many financial benefits marriage brings to couples, families and society. Along those lines, a recent article by the respected economist Lawrence Kudlow underscores the vital role of marriage in achieving a robust national economy.

In “Marriage Emerges as Key To Economic Growth,” Kudlow describes how the American economy has slowed from a previous average of 3.5 percent per year to a mere 1.8 percent annually – under both Republican and Democrat presidents and congresses.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: marriage, policy

What Kind of “Smart” is Your Child? Unlocking Their Potential

Each day on the daily radio broadcast, John and I have the privilege of interviewing a great variety of people – all of them uniquely gifted by God.

We’ve featured athletes and authors; singers and activists; theologians and politicians… and it’s wonderful to see how they contribute in their own areas, for the glory of God.

By now you might be asking yourself what this has to do with unlocking your child’s potential.

Here’s the link…

All of the luminaries we feature on our broadcast were, at one point in their lives, kids.

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

Listen to “The Best of 2014” Broadcasts

It’s “best of” time on the Focus on the Family daily broadcast! During the months of December through February, we’re going to be re-airing our best, most popular broadcasts of the year – the ones we heard back from our listeners the most on.

Here’s a rundown of the best of 2014 Focus broadcasts:

Dec 1-2 – Moving From Loneliness to Intimacy in Your Marriage I-II – Dr. David Clarke
Dec 3 – Serving God in Our Culture – Lecrae
Dec 4-5 – Overcoming the Obstacles of Cerebral Palsy I-II – Lisa Sexton and Dr.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast

Three Ways to Fight Childhood Obesity… at Home

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents over the past 30 years. Along with it comes an increase in all the health problems associated with obesity: tendencies towards heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and bone and joint problems.

So, what can be done about it?

It would seem patently obvious that the solution to obesity in children is to have them eat healthy and move around more.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting

Who’s the Better Christian?

Let’s try to guess which of these two men is doing more to expand the Kingdom of God.

We’ll call the first guy Kevin. Kevin gets up every morning at 5:30 a.m. and gets ready for a long commute into his downtown office where he works in middle management in the banking industry. He works hard because he has a family to support: a wife, three kids and a dog.

Calvin is our second guy – “Pastor C,” as the kids in youth group call him.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, church, faith, pop culture

The Spiritual Side of Dogs

Pick up any Christmas catalog this season, from L.L. Bean to Orvis, and you’re bound to see images of cute puppies and family dogs.

There sits a friendly retriever by the crackling fireplace, snuggled up on his tartan-plaid dog bed. Or there’s pajama-clad junior, hugging his new canine friend, a red bow around his collar.

There’s a reason the late Peanuts creator Charles Schulz once suggested that “Happiness is a warm puppy.”

Just see how many advertisements include a dog or a cat.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family

What Marriage and Volcanoes Have in Common

Mount Erebus in Antarctica is one of the most active volcanoes on earth.

The region averages fifty-eight degrees below zero in the winter and on an especially balmy summer day the temperature can nudge toward four below. Combine those frigid temperatures with hot gases escaping from ground vents around the volcano, and massive ice structures form, towering forty to fifty feet high.

They’re an oddly beautiful sight in such an unforgiving landscape.

And they exist because of opposite forces coming together.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, marriage

Gold Medalist Scott Hamilton, Wife Adopt Two Children

Gold-medal-winning Olympian Scott Hamilton and his wife, Tracie, recently doubled the number of children in their family. The couple, who already have two biological children, adopted a brother and sister from Haiti, reports The Today Show.

The Hamiltons first learned of Evelyne, 11, and Jean Paul, 13, two years ago in the wake of the devastating earthquake that hit the island nation through Tracie’s volunteer work. Tracie quickly fell in love with the pair after visiting one particular Hatian orphanage.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: adoption, faith, pop culture

Happy Thanksgiving!

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (I Chronicles 16:34)

It’s a wonderful thing to live in a nation that, once a year, sets aside an official day of thanksgiving. We certainly are a blessed people, and there is much to give thanks for. I hope you and your family are enjoying the day.

If you are looking for something to do with your family that will emphasize the themes of thanksgiving, forgiveness and friendship, may I suggest listening to today’s broadcast, “Squanto: A Thanksgiving Drama”?