Jim Daly

Is McDonald’s Harming Children?

The McDonald’s “Happy Meal” is a predictable if not overly nutritious treat of childhood.

You know what you’re going to get: a kid-approved meal and a toy.

But a recent push by a daughter-father team is turning the traditionally mundane product into a political football.

No Such Thing As Girl or Boy Toys?

Slate’s recent blog post, “McDonald’s Gave Me the ‘Girl’s Toy’ With My Happy Meal. So I Went to the CEO,” outlines how, back in 2008, high schooler Antonia Ayres-Brown grew frustrated when McDonald’s asked her family if they wanted a “girl toy” or a “boy toy” with their Happy Meal.

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

WATCH: Tim Keller Talks About Suffering

I’m in New York right now on a whirlwind trip. In a matter of a few days, I’m meeting with representatives of the media, giving interviews on Focus’ new movie, “Irreplaceable,” (out May 6) and my newly released book, “The Good Dad.” (Watch for me on Fox News Channel’s “Huckabee” this Saturday and Sunday.)

I’m also here to interview two important thought leaders for the Focus on the Family daily broadcast: my conversation with author Dr.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith

5 Factors That Make Married Sex Fulfilling

The New York Times recently ran an article that explored the premise that couples in egalitarian marriages had sex less frequently.

So how is a union defined as “egalitarian?”

According to “Does a More Equal Marriage Mean Less Sex?” it’s where husbands and wives “share the housework and child care, communicate openly and prioritize each other’s careers.”

Researchers found that couples in these types of marriages have sex 1.5 fewer times a month than those who subscribe to more traditional gender roles.

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

WATCH: Men and Women Are Different

It’s a minute-long video that shares a reality some would want to deny.

In a clip from “Irreplaceable,” Focus on the Family’s first movie debuting in a one-night event on May 6, host Tim Sisarich talks with Dr. Anne Moir, a neuropsychologist.

And yet, there are some professionals who claim that “saying there are differences in male and female brains is just not true.” These voices believe the differences between men and women are learned and shaped through culture.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: events, husband, marriage, wife

Jesus, the Lamb of God

“He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith

Did You Hear What Happened in Denver Last Night?

It’s not every day that you find a high-ranking Catholic prelate standing with a bullhorn on the steps of a state capital building, leading the public in prayer for the defense and protection of pre-born life.

But that’s exactly what happened earlier this week as Denver’s Archbishop Samuel Aquila rallied the faithful and denounced Senate Bill 175.

The bill would have enshrined abortion in law and prohibited any incremental pro-life laws from being passed in the state of Colorado.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: kids, news, parenting, policy, pro-life

This is Not Why Jesus Died

The New York Times ran an interesting opinion piece this weekend: “Raising a Moral Child.” It was a good piece filled with interesting advice. The principles the author gleaned from various studies easily translated into practical action items parentscould implement in their homes:

Praise the character behind the action.
Teach children to feel guilt, not shame, when they misbehave.
Model good behavior.

And yet, something felt… incomplete. Not with the article itself, mind you – but for us as believers.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, faith, kids, parenting

WATCH: Elderly Couple Demonstrates Marital Joy

A couple of months ago I blogged about marriage and joy. In that post, I encouraged Christian couples to live out a marriage that exemplified the goodness of God’s design by enjoying each other and having fun together. One sentence summed up the crux of that post:

“It does the culture and the Church a world of good when Christians mix joy and pleasure into the message of commitment and sacrifice in marriage.”

Today I want to introduce you to a husband and wife who can show us all a thing or two about applying that simple truth.

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

WATCH: Help Your Family Thrive for 3 Generations

Toss a pebble into a lake, and the resulting ripple impacts the entire body. In the same way, you have the ability to positively influence your family by taking small steps that create big impact.

I know I’ve seen this principle in my own life.

My childhood story is not a pretty one. It involves divorce, death, and a lot of dysfunction.

I was only 5 when my father, who was an alcoholic, abandoned the family.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: events, faith, kids, marriage, parenting

Can Our Film “Irreplaceable” Rise Above Censorship Efforts?

It started in December, when Focus on the Family first began running “Irreplaceable” trailers in cinemas across the nation.

The trailer was benign, a collection of clips with a voiceover of host Tim Sisarich asking what happened to the belief in traditional family. What happened to the view that a man and woman should marry, raise children and remain committed for a lifetime?

During the trailer, Sisarich rightly points out that the culture is now seemingly at odds with that simple and natural design formula.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: events, marriage, parenting, pop culture, religious liberty