On this Veterans Day, I would like to pay tribute to a dear friend, a former longtime Focus on the Family board member, and a remarkable man who embodies the motto of the Marine Corps, Semper Fidelis – “Always faithful.”

Tony Wauterlek, now 85, served for five years as a captain in the United States Marine Corps. A pilot with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, he flew jet fighters between 1960 and 1965. 

It might surprise you to learn that until Tony signed up to serve following his graduation from the University of Illinois, he had never flown in an airplane.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith November 10, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Most self-help advice focuses on the future – on what will be. Set goals. Plan ahead. Dream of where you wish you were instead of where you are.

Those are great ideas but let me share just one word of caution: don’t focus so intently on your future that you forget to be engaged right here, right now. This moment may never come again.

The importance of appreciating the moment is illustrated in the life of Wally Pipp, a man you probably won’t recognize unless you’re a major league baseball historian.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith November 10, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was one of the largest disasters in American history. In popular accounts from the time, Catherine O’Leary’s cow kicked over a lantern in a barn. The small flame became an inferno that destroyed miles of homes and burned Chicago’s business district to the ground.

More recently, in 2018, the Ranch Fire in California became the largest wildfire in the state’s history, killing a firefighter and burning over 410,000 acres. It was caused by a single spark from a hammer that someone was using to drive a metal stake into the ground.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith November 3, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

You and I are up against a world full of lies that distort what’s really true.

That distortion is illustrated in the classic fairytale The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. In the story, the devil creates a magic mirror that distorts everything it reflects. One day, students of the devil attempt to carry the mirror into heaven so they can mock God and his angels. But the higher the students ascend, the more the mirror shakes … until, finally, they lose their grip.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith November 1, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Usually when someone asks, “Do you know who I am?” it’s an arrogant celebrity who’s had a run-in with authorities. But when that question comes from the heart of a loving mother or father, it can draw the parent and their child closer together.

The next time a conflict erupts between you and your child, ask them the question, “Do you know who I am?” You’ll probably get a confused look the first time you ask it, but it’s a good way to break through the tension and speak words that will strengthen your relationship.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith October 31, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

In June 1944, just hours before the D-Day invasion, General Dwight Eisenhower wrote two speeches. The first was to be delivered to his troops if the invasion succeeded. The second, if it failed.

Fortunately, that second speech was never needed. The Allies prevailed, and Hitler’s Nazi regime soon toppled.

But Eisenhower’s handwritten words, preserved in his presidential library, offer a fascinating look at his humble leadership. After praising his troops’ bravery, Eisenhower took full responsibility for the invasion’s failure.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith October 27, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Dr. David Clarke estimates that 80% of women are lonely in their marriages because their relationships are plagued by disappointment, anger, monotony, and unmet expectations.

When couples are dating, many believe that their spouse will become their source of complete fulfillment after they’re married. But once they’re married, they discover that’s impossible.

Erin Smalley understands what it’s like when marriage expectations shatter. Early on in their marriage, she and her husband, Greg, fought frequently. Erin grew up without a positive male role model, so she expected Greg to satisfy her needs perfectly.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith October 27, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

There’s a popular belief among Christians that “God won’t give us more than we can handle.” That phrase is intended to encourage, but it’s not biblical, nor is it true. We can’t handle the pain of life all on our own.

That’s never truer than when discussing trauma.

Most people define trauma in extreme terms, like enduring the battlefield or a school shooting. But we can also experience trauma in everyday life, like facing a serious illness, physical injury, or abuse.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith October 24, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Although Halloween is still ahead of us, Christmas music may already be playing at your local stores. Some say October is too early, but I love it … because, for me, the music of Christmas conveys the message of Christmas.

Christmas is about hope – something we’re all searching for. C.S. Lewis turned Christmas into a powerful metaphor in his classic novel, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In the story, a little girl named Lucy stumbles into the wintry land of Narnia through a magic wardrobe.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith October 20, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura