Jim Daly

What’s Your Marriage Worth?

One of my favorite movies is the Princess Bride. At one point in this playful story, Westley, a.k.a. “Farm boy” and the “Dread Pirate Robert” looks the lovely Princess Buttercup in the eye and offers this sobering bit of insight: “Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.”

Westley was right. Life on this side of the Garden of Eden is filled with pain. Anybody dealing with a terrible two-year-old knows this. Anybody suffering in a bad relationship knows this.

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

The Faith of a CEO

I grew up in a home where faith in God didn’t play much of a role. Neither of my parents claimed any sort of a religious preference. I’d say at best, we were a CEO-family: that’s code for Christmas and Easter Only churchgoers. We’d show up in church for the really big events. Like good CEO’s, we attended different churches around town just to cover our bases.

We might pick a Presbyterian church for Christmas and select a Baptist variety for Easter.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith

Monkey Business

He’s written sixteen books. He starred in some 75 movies. He was a speechwriter for President Nixon and President Ford. And, he was awarded seven Emmys for a game show on Comedy Central. I’m referring to actor, author, columnist, lawyer, and movie producer Ben Stein.

Last week, while attending the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Nashville, I learned that Ben Stein (yes, the same guy from Win Ben Stein’s Money) was on hand for a screening of his new film called EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: events, faith

Lessons From A Mud Hole

My plane touched down halfway around the world. As we taxied to the airport, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I was exhausted after what had been a grueling twelve-hour flight. Which was understandable considering this was Day 19 on a 21-day international trip. Frankly, I wasn’t looking forward to making my way through customs. I knew from previous experience that some agents in foreign countries attempt to con incoming passengers out of their cash.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith

Cut Yourself Some Slack

If this has happened once, it’s happened dozens of times. Whether I’ve been introduced to a new couple or I’m visiting with old friends, eventually I like to bring the conversation around to their children. I’ll ask, “So, how are your kids doing these days?”

With broad smiles and glowing faces, they’re eager to report the good things going on with several of their kids. So-and-so is “doing great in school” . . . “made honors English” .

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

83 Years of Love

I wish I had met John and Amelia Rocchio.

The Guinness Book of Records honored the couple as holding the world record for staying married the longest – 83 years. If given the chance to visit with them, I would have asked what they did to fuel the flames of romance for eight decades. Did they go on regular dates? Did they take trips to exotic places? Or, did they incorporate simple pleasures like candle light dinners at home, or hold hands on regular walks through their Rhode Island neighborhood?

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

Life on the Edge

If Robert Ripley, creator of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!, was still alive, he’d probably have his doubts about the story I’m about to share with you. And, yes, I’ve checked this out on several hoax-buster websites. In a moment, you’ll understand why I felt the need to verify the story’s truthfulness.

According to police reports, on December 30, 2006, a pickup truck was speeding eastward on State Route 59 just outside of Hurricane, Utah.

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

Going Global

Here’s a piece of trivia you may not know.

In March of 1977, Dr. Dobson aired his first radio broadcast called, “Let’s Get Acquainted.” Unlike the daily 30-minute format we syndicate today, Dr. Dobson’s original broadcast was a snappy, 15 minute weekly family advice show. Today, thirty-one years later, the Focus on the Family broadcast is heard in 155 countries with an estimated global audience of 220 million listeners.

What’s more, we broadcast in 26 different languages: Albanian, Arabic, Afrikaans, Armenian, Cantonese, Croatian, English, Finnish, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Mongolian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Tamil, Telugu, and Zulu.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast

I Wouldn’t Want it Any Other Way

Two years ago I was speaking in Glendale, Arizona. For Pastor Steve Hubler, one of the guests, that night would forever change his life . . . and the life of his church.

You see, Steve carried with him a burden that taxed his spirit for ten years. Steve has graciously agreed for me to share portions of this letter I just received with you:

I’m one of them, one of the thousands who cannot participate in one of life’s most basic endeavors, the conception of another life.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: adoption, family

Celebrate This Heartbeat

When I wrote my first book, Finding Home, I collaborated with Bob DeMoss. Bob and I have a friendship that goes back some twenty years. Last week, Bob’s world was turned upside-down with a family medical emergency. Yesterday he sent me an email with the details. He’s agreed with my request to share the story with you.

The phone rang unusually early for a Monday morning. My sister Becky called from Philly to inform me that my brother Steve (age 49) woke up feeling numbness throughout his right arm and leg.

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