Jim Daly

Oklahoma Sorrow

According to the National Weather Service, the deadly tornado outside of Oklahoma City touched down just before 3:00 p.m. Central Time this afternoon. The mile-wide twister traveled on the ground for over an hour and covered nearly 20 miles, flattening homes, tossing cars high into the sky – and killing scores of people in the process.

The video and pictures are devastating. Our hearts break at the sight of such tragedy, especially the images of the grieving and those trying to cope with such suffering and loss.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: faith, news

35 Steps to a Better Life

What I’m going to share with you today is a version of a popular email forward. The author is unknown. But because the advice is so simple and foundational, it’s probably worth reviewing again.

What strikes you will be dependent upon what’s going on in your life. I hope what sticks with you will be the thing you need to work on.

Simple Steps to a Good Life

Pray.
Go to bed on time.
Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

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

A Favorite Quote

“Christianity says that the trouble with men and women is in their heart, in their ultimate power of vision and understanding.It is not that they are partially wrong, they are all wrong; they are looking in the wrong direction, they are blinded at the most vital point. The organ that keeps them going is itself in trouble—the heart. So our Lord puts this great emphasis upon “first,” and “heart,” and “eye” and this is just a pictorial way of saying that what the human race needs is not just to be improved a little bit here and there … they need to be radically changed.”

– Dr.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith

Are You a Fan or a Follower?

Kyle Idleman is the teaching pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and the author of Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus. His words strike right at the heart of this issue:

We have all kinds of funny ways to measure our relationship with God and have things that we point to as evidence, like the fact that there is a fish on our bumper or people will talk about the fact that their grandparents went to church or that they have four Bibles in their house … Jesus doesn’t want fans; he wants completely committed followers.

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If You Want Your Kids to Pass Finals, Don’t Let Them Do This

We all can remember studying for our final exams. After all the hours sitting in class, after all the homework and pop quizzes and papers, the entire academic year comes down to a few last tests.Ace them and a carefree summer awaits. Choke and you could be facing the prospect of summer school.

Times may change, but the discipline of studying remains constant. It’s all about preparation and focus. I once heard about a teacher in a Christian school who led her classes in the same prayer before every final: “Lord,” she would say, “please help these kids remember what they studied.

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

How You Can Spot Body Image Issues in Your Teen

Have you heard about “thigh gap” yet? If not, it’s likely your teenage daughter or granddaughter has.

Thigh gap is a troubling – and potentially dangerous – new trend. It’s causing some girls to starve themselves in hopes of achieving a gap between their thighs when they stand with their knees together. Other girls exercise obsessively or resort to other self-destructive behavior, so they can become thin enough to accomplish the thigh gap and post pictures of their success on social networking sites like Tumblr.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting

No Glee in Guilt

The trial of abortionist Kermit Gosnell came to a conclusion today when the Philadelphia doctor was found guilty of first-degree murder. It took the seven-woman and five-man jury ten days to reach its verdict. The proceedings were filled with gruesome and horrific details, including charges that Mr. Gosnell murdered children born alive. The more I learned of what happened inside that clinic, the more my heart was rubbed raw.

To be clear, the guilty verdict elicits no glee.

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

Seven Great Quotes in Praise of Mothers

“I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians in England.” (John Wesley)

“All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” (Abraham Lincoln)

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” (Washington Irving)

“When I was a child my mother said to me, ‘If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: parenting

VIDEO: Life Doesn’t Come with a Manual – It Comes With a Mother

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: parenting

How Can I Best Oversee My Child’s Social Media Use?

It’s a question we get often from parents – and for good reason.

For many adults, going online and visiting social media sites is simply about checking in with our relatives a few states away, sharing some cute pictures of our own children or connecting with a childhood friend.

The impact of social media on our young people can be far greater, however. For many tweens and teens, sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram bring the stresses of school and peer pressure right to their smartphones and home computers.