Jim Daly

The Hound of Heaven

English poet Francis Thompson lived a short, painful life. After attending college to study medicine, Francis figured he’d try his hand at writing poetry and essays rather than follow his training as a doctor. But Francis soon learned that the writing life is a tough business. Forced to live as a vagrant with few options to provide for his needs, Francis settled on selling newspapers and matches while working on his craft.

For years success evaded him.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith

Man Sues Zondervan for $60 million

Last month a Michigan man named Bradley Fowler initiated a $10 million dollar lawsuit against Nashville-based Christian publisher Thomas Nelson. This month he extended his legal action by suing Zondervan, based in Grand Rapids, for $60 million. When someone seeks a combined $70 million in damages, that has a way of grabbing my attention.

At first I wondered what provoked such an aggressive lawsuit. You know, was he an ex-employee who experienced discrimination? Did he suffer a job-related accident?

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith, homosexuality, news, religious liberty

Aborting Canada’s Future

I don’t wish to be the ugly American, so please read my comments understanding that I am fully aware of America’s culpability with respect to abortion. This is only an observation regarding a news story involving our neighbor to the north.

In 1969, when Dr. Henry Morgentaler opened his first abortion clinic in Montreal, Canada, abortion was illegal. In that respect he was violating Canadian law. Or, put another way, Dr. Morgentaler was a law breaker and remained so for the better part of twenty years.

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The Monster in Your Modem

I heard a story that still breaks my heart. Joann Condie is a state-licensed counselor and member of our staff who speaks with those who call us with various needs. She shared the story of a mother whose eleven-year-old boy had been using porn on the home internet for quite some time. When this mom found out, she wisely and carefully dug a little deeper.

That’s when she learned that an eleven-year-old neighbor friend had introduced her boy to pornography on the computer.

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

Camping With Bears

Jean and I love to camp with our boys. Last week we pitched our tent, hiked, played ball, cooked dinner in the fire pit, and then hit the sack for what was to be a restful night. After all, we had perfect sleeping weather—the kind of Rocky Mountain cool air that produces a refreshingly deep rest. One problem. A rather hungry black bear decided to hunt around for a midnight snack just one campsite over from our tent.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, kids, wife

Field of Dreams

Last week I had the chance to do something I’ve wanted to do ever since I was a kid. Sorry if I gush just a bit. You see, I got to watch a baseball game at Boston’s legendary Fenway Park. What a thrill to sit just five rows behind the home team’s dugout. So many great baseball players made history on the field that stretched out in front of me–including Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, and Carl Yastrzemski.

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Hog Wild on the Trail to Vail

For years fitness experts have been urging Americans to eat right, get plenty of exercise, drink enough water to quench the thirst of a camel, and sleep at least seven hours a night. Why? To maintain a healthy lifestyle. While I totally agree those things are key, there’s another part of the equation that’s easy to overlook: Having fun with a hobby.

There’s something about enjoying a recreational activity–be it scrap booking, fishing on Saturday morning, wood working, or playing Monopoly with the kids–that does wonders for the human spirit.

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Going Ape Over Human Rights

Here’s a headline that caught my eye a couple of days ago:

Great Apes Should Have Human Rights, Say Spanish MPs

My immediate reaction was to double-check the calendar. You know, if it were April 1st, I could dismiss the whole thing as a reporter just monkeying around with a catchy headline. But the article wasn’t a joke. According to the report, a number of the members of parliament (MPs) in Spain have been lobbying the government to adopt something called the “Great Ape Project” (GAP).

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: policy, pro-life

iPhone Fever

Today’s big news, at least in the cell phone industry, is the release of Apple’s much anticipated second generation iPhone. To say that enthusiasm was high for the new gadget would be an understatement. Take the hundreds of folks waiting in a line outside of a store on Fifth Avenue in New York for half the night. The line literally encircled the block.

Stories of iPhone fever abound. Eager to lay hands on Apple’s new and improved phone, buyers from Tokyo to Atlanta camped out overnight to be among the first to snap up the faster and more feature-packed device.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: church, events, pop culture, technology

Is Your Baby a Racist?

Jane Lane, a “racial equality advocate,” published a new book this week in which she suggests a link between a toddlers reaction to foreign foods and possible future racist attitudes. In Young Children and Racial Justice: Taking Action for Racial Equality in the Early Years, Jane believes society should pay closer attention to children “who react negatively to a culinary tradition other than their own by saying ‘yuck.’”

Why? Jane believes such nose-thumbing at ethnic food could be an early indicator that your baby is a racist.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: family, kids