Jim Daly

Regis Philbin’s Secret

By now, if you care or pay attention to such things, you know Regis Philbin has announced his retirement from morning television.

In the interest of full disclosure, as I’ve mentioned before, I don’t watch much television, including Regis, but I find elements of his life instructive and thought you might as well.

When most people think of Regis Philbin, they see success. He is one of television’s good guys, quick-witted and kindly humored. But Regis’ life has not been a one-act play whose star always shined strong and bright.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: entertainment, pop culture

Are Babies Better than Abortion?

Writing in today’s Wall Street Journal, William McGurn asks a serious question:

Are babies better than abortion?

Mr. McGurn is responding to a sobering new study recently released from the Chiaroscuro Foundation, a private nonprofit organization. He writes:

After crunching the latest statistics from New York City’s Health Department, the foundation reported that 41% of pregnancies (excluding miscarriage) in New York ended in abortion. That’s double the national rate.

As a society, does this figure say anything about the choice between a baby and abortion?

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

Do Something Now!

I’ve never been one to lament that the future of the Christian church rests in the hands of those from Generation X, Y or now Z.

Maybe that’s because I’ve always believed there are great leaders and bright lights in every age and stage of life – you just need to know where to look!

Esther Fleece, Focus on the Family’s Director of Millennial Relations, is one such leader, and she’s helped Focus partner with many like-minded ministries dedicated, as we are, to reaching the next generation.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: events, faith, kids

Imago Dei

The beliefs of Dr. Peter Singer, an ethics professor at Princeton University, are anathema to those of us who believe in the sanctity of human life. Yet, unlike some in the abortion movement, Dr. Singer is, though offensive in speech and philosophy, honest and straightforward about what he believes and why he believes it.

When articulating his support for legalized abortion, Peter Singer admits his valuation of human life is based on a person’s capacities instead of it being measured on the Christian belief that life is made in God’s image, and thus worthy of protection.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: events, kids, policy, pro-life

Satisfaction

There was an interesting blurb in last Thursday’s USA Today’s “Snapshots” (Life Section, p. D1).

The Pew Research Center asked the following question:

Who is most satisfied with family life?

Married people reported the highest degree of satisfaction, followed by the widowed. Next came those who live with a partner.

In other words, those who are cohabitating are less happy than those who have lost a spouse to death.

Why?

There is a power and beauty (and satisfaction) in the act of commitment.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: family, kids, marriage, parenting

The Arizona Shooting

Mourners will gather tonight in Tucson, Arizona for a Memorial Mass at St. Odilia’s Church for victims of Saturday’s tragic shooting.

Amidst the unspeakable sadness and act of remembrance, there is a beautiful poignancy to the purpose of such ritual. As part of the Catholic rite of the Mass, communion will be shared. While there are distinctives regarding communion among various traditions, it remains a vital part of Christian worship for believers the world over. To reenact Christ’s Last Supper is to be reminded not just of Jesus’ sacrificial death, but the hope His rising from the dead brings to those of the Christian faith.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: events, news

Looking for a Saturday TV Movie?

Tomorrow, Saturday, January 8th, Fox will air a movie on adoption, “Change of Plans” at (8pm ET, 7pm CT), as part of Wal-Mart and P&G’s Family Movie Night series.

What’s the movie all about?

Synopsis:

Up to this point, Sally Danville’s life has played out just as she hoped it would. A beautiful and free-spirited musician, she and her fighter-pilot husband, Jason, live life on the go, free of domestic responsibilities. But with a single phone call from Child & Family Services case worker, Dorothy (Phylicia Rashad, The Cosby Show), she learns that things don’t always go according to plan.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: entertainment, family, kids, staff

The Key to Satisfaction

The subject of cohabitation has been in the news quite a bit lately. According to the United States Census Bureau, between 2009 and 2010, the number of opposite-sex cohabitating couples increased by 13 percent, from 6.7 million to 7.5 million.

New York’s newly elected governor, Andrew Cuomo, and his girlfriend, TV Chef Sandra Lee, are one of them.

According to the New York Times:

With 23 cookbooks and 2 television shows, Ms. Lee is arguably far more famous outside of political circles than the man she is dating.

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

Does Apple Think Christianity is Offensive?

I am one of the nearly 500,000 proud signers of the Manhattan Declaration, a document and movement spearheaded by my friends Chuck Colson and Dr. Robert George. As drafted, the piece and its adherents proudly and unapologetically affirm support for the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty.

For the last few months, the organizers behind the Declaration have been trying to get Apple to reinstate an app for its iPhone users. Apple had originally approved the app, but pulled it after a small but well organized group of homosexual activists voiced their objections.

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

Funny Things Kids Say

Happy New Year!

A colleague recently tacked up a sign above his door here at Focus that serves as a good motto for 2011:

Live Well (Philippians 1:27-28), Love Much (John 13:34-35), Laugh Often (Proverbs 17:22)

There is so much to say about each of these, but if laughter is truly good medicine, I thought I’d start the year by sharing something sweet – and comical, with you.

Riley is five years old. His father is on our team here at Focus, and he and his wife have made a habit of recording some of the more memorable comments the little tyke makes, especially at bedtime.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: family, kids