Jim Daly

A Visit with Presidents Carter, Bush (41 & 43) and Clinton – And Kid Rock

Sometimes I just have to wonder: How does someone who is really just an average guy end up at an event with four living presidents?

Only in America.

I’ll tell you how it came to be.

Some of you are familiar with the Points of Light Institute, a bipartisan organization dedicated to encouraging and promoting volunteerism in America. The inspiration for its founding comes from President George H.W. Bush who, in 1991, offered the following challenge during his first State of the Union Address:

We can find meaning and reward by serving some higher purpose than ourselves, a shining purpose, the illumination of a thousand points of light… We all have something to give… What government can do alone is limited, but the potential of the American people knows no limits.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: news

Duggar House Rules

In yesterday’s post, I shared some behind-the-scenes video from the Duggar family’s recent visit to our campus. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have 19 children and star in a hit reality television show, 19 Kids and Counting. In case you missed the video, please click here.

So how do the Duggars maintain their balance given such a busy lifestyle? They strive to manage their home and raise their children with biblical principles. There is so much more to say, but the following list, which is attached to their (very large) refrigerator door, will give you a hint of the climate they aim for in their home.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: family

VIDEO: Behind the Scenes with the Duggars

Tens of thousands of families visit our campus each year, but few, if any, have as many members with them as the Duggars.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are the proud parents of 19 children, 10 boys and 9 girls. You might already be familiar with them from their hit reality television show, 19 Kids and Counting, which airs on TLC. They’re an inspiring bunch on so many levels, and we were honored to host them here at Focus last week.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment

Howard Stern’s Admission

I want to share a telling quote with you from the king of shock jocks, Howard Stern. In a wide-ranging interview with Rolling Stone’s Neil Strauss this week, the incredibly raunchy Stern admitted to being addicted to the approval of other people:

“The curse is I take it so seriously. I gotta know, do you think I did a good show and are you satisfied? That’s the neurosis and that’s the source of all problems for me.”

Stern’s bold admission reminds me of a powerful chapter from Dr.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment

How to Find a Great Summer Job

Do you have vivid memories of your first job?

When I was nine and living in Long Beach, California, a friend and I wandered into the local Goodyear Tire store. I approached the manager and boldly asked if he had any jobs for nine year olds. To our delight, he did! We were hired on the spot. My buddy and I were given flyers to distribute around the neighborhood.

A few years later, I was hired to wash windows at the nearby Dairy Queen.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: family, kids

The Myth of the 1950s Mother

Rahna Reiko Rizzuto teaches at Goodard College in Vermont. She’s also an author of several bestselling books and the recipient of numerous awards. In some ways, she’s lived the life of a typical artist – highly creative and energetic, climbing the ladder in a difficult industry, hoping to strike lightning and publish a bestseller. And by most every measure she’s done it. She recently wrote an article in Salon to talk about it, but from my perspective, what she had to say was extremely disturbing.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: wife

VIDEO: The Beauty of March Madness

With all the heartbreak and heartache in the world today, from the suffering in Japan to the war-torn Middle East to our domestic challenges, basketball might seem like a superfluous subject to write, or even think, about.

But maybe that’s the very reason why I’m inclined to do so.

The NCAA basketball tournament kicked off earlier this week. Upset wins by Richmond, Morehead State and Gonzaga last night ushered in what promises to be three weeks of great fun and excitement.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, events

There is Something About the Irish

With a name like Daly and on a day like this, would you expect me to say anything less?

According to the books, the Dalys hail from the High King Tara (AD 380 to 405). In later years they were found all over Ireland, especially in the counties Clare, Cork and Galway. Today there are over 30,000 of us in Ireland alone.

If there is something about the Irish, there’s also something fun about St. Patrick’s Day.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: church

The Last Survivor of World War I

When Army Corporal Frank Buckles returned from World War I in 1920, he was just another face in the crowd. Nobody stopped him to talk. He gave no interviews. He wasn’t invited to ride in any parades. He received no honors nor fanfare. In the icy cold of the January morning he simply stepped off the transport ship and slipped back into the quiet of civilian life.

What a difference 91 years can make.

Frank Buckles was laid to rest with full military honors yesterday at Arlington National Cemetery, the last surviving veteran of the “War to end all Wars.”

He was 110.

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

Parent / Lover Test

On today’s Focus on the Family radio program, we’re sitting down with two friends, Dr. Gary Smalley and Ted Cunningham, to discuss their excellent new book designed to help you with your marriage.

Gary and Ted are attempting to tackle a common problem. As you’ve likely discovered, raising children is rewarding but also time consuming. In the process, dedicated parents will often neglect their spouse. For many, their marriages suffer when children arrive. Could it be possible to find a healthy balance and enjoy both marriage and parenting simultaneously?

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: parenting