Jim Daly

Summer Favorites

“I would maintain,” said the English writer, G.K. Chesterton, “that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” Like most parents we’ve tried to instill in our boys a spirit of gratitude. Since this is vacation week, and pivoting off yesterday’s discussion, I thought I’d ask them to share their favorite things about summer. As you can see, they tend to think alike!

Trent (10 7/8 yrs)

My birthday
Spending time with family
Seeing friends
Water fights
Camping

Troy (8 7/8 yrs)

My birthdayCamping
Hanging with Daddy
Shooting Airsoft guns
Water fights

Somebody once said that if a person isn’t grateful for what he already has, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: family, kids

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

We’re headed out of town this week, for a week in the woods with our trusty camper. The boys are especially excited to be going, as are Jean and I, of course. After our inaugural season with the fifth wheel last year, I’m starting to get a handle on it – I think! But if you happen to see smoke signals in the western sky, you’ll know we’re in need of some help.

Summer is that golden season, when routines change up a bit and schedules, hopefully, loosen somewhat, too.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: family, kids

TOMS Shoes Controversy

In anticipation of a week out of the office to do some family camping, Jim Daly prepared several commentaries to run in his absence. However, in light of the developing TOMS Shoes controversy, we wanted to alert Jim’s readers and provide some background links on the issue as well as the ministry’s reaction to the story:

This Christianity Today Blog provides good background.

Also, as you’ll see from this exclusive video, this was by no means a politically motivated event.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: news, pop culture

Guest Blog: FOTF Featured in Christianity Today

As a reader of this blog, you’ll probably recognize the face on the cover of this month’s Christianity Today. It’s none other than the guy who usually writes in this space – Focus on the Family President Jim Daly. Jim’s been gracious enough to turn this platform over to me – the PR guy – today so I can urge you to give the accompanying article in CT a look. It is by far the most in-depth examination of our ministry’s passions and priorities as we move into what I like to call “Focus 2.0” – the next generation of helping families thrive.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith, news, pop culture, staff

The Casey Anthony Verdict

Lost amidst the media frenzy surrounding the Casey Anthony trial and her surprising acquittal of first-degree murder is the obvious fact we all know to be true:

Three-year-old Caylee was innocent, as is every child who falls victim to abuse. The death of a child is always tragic beyond words, and the particulars surrounding this case are almost too difficult and inconceivable to digest.

When you look into those eyes, what do you see? I see the sweetness of a little girl whose life has only just begun, who has hopes and dreams and wants but one thing: to be as loved as she is loving.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: faith, family, parenting

How to Raise a Philanthropist

A recent edition of the Wall Street Journal featured an interesting essay on how to teach children about the importance of charitable giving. According the author of the piece, some notably wealthy parents are growing concerned that their kids, who stand to one day inherit their family’s sizable fortunes, are unprepared to be multi-millionaires.

Imagine having such worries!

All kidding aside, there is a telling twist in this story. Afraid their kids will either lose the incentive to work and recklessly manage the assets, high-net worth families are turning to philanthropy advisors for advice on how to properly instill in their child a spirit of charity.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: finances, parenting

Thoughts on Violent Video Games

Over twenty years ago the Dakin toy company, then a well-known maker of cuddly stuffed animals for kids, ran a controversial advertisement in magazines and newspapers all throughout the country. With images of bloody knives, pistols and hand grenades framing the page, the headline asked the following rhetorical question:

“Is it any wonder the prisons are full?”

Still another ad in the series proclaimed:

“We help children develop more than their trigger finger.”

Directly beneath that ad was a cute little girl squeezing a Dakin teddy bear.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: pop culture, technology

This is What Integrity Looks Like

Earlier this month Robert Adams of Arlington Heights, Illinois, was waiting to use an ATM machine when he discovered something you don’t often see: a clear plastic bag containing $20 and $100 bills resting beside the machine. He later learned that the sack contained a total of $17,000.

Following some research and a trip to a local Chase bank, it was determined that the bag belonged to the Loomis armored truck company.

Mr. Adams says he was never tempted to keep the lost treasure.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: finances, pop culture

TOMS Shoes Discount

As I shared in a post a couple of weeks ago, Focus on the Family is very pleased to be hosting a special event with TOMS Shoes in Irvine, California, this Thursday, June 30th. The gathering is called, “Style Your Sole,” and participants will be given an opportunity to purchase and decorate a pair of shoes at a discount. And according to TOMS tradition, another pair of shoes will be given to a needy child.

For those unfamiliar with TOMS, the company gives away one pair of shoes to a needy child around the world for every pair purchased.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: news, pop culture

Singing the Dodger Blues

There might not be any crying in baseball, at least according to Hollywood script writers, but fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers have recently shed tears of a different type.

Frank and Jamie McCourt met as freshmen at Georgetown University. Upon graduation they were married and embarked on an exciting life together, raising four sons and managing several successful business ventures. A life-long Red Sox fan, Frank attempted to purchase the famed Boston club, but he was outbid.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: husband, marriage, wife