family Archives

Overcoming the Betrayal of an Affair

Few things damage a marriage more than adultery.

Nevertheless, it is possible for couples who have experienced the devastation of an affair to find healing, forgiveness, and restoration.

Rick and Tiffany Bulman, founders of Mended Ministries, help conflicted couples strengthen and rebuild their marriages. They can attest to God’s ability to redeem relationships. They’ve seen it happen in countless marriages, including in their own.

Rick and Tiffany’s relationship looked good on the surface. They had four happy teenagers and were actively involved in the church where Rick served as senior pastor.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage February 1, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Be a Selfless Man

Guys, how selflessly do you love your wife? Do you have a bit too much me, myself, and I in the mix?

Here’s a quick test to find out. Imagine that you and your buddies plan a get together at your house to watch the Super Bowl. The night of the big game, everybody shows up with drinks, pretzels, and pizza. You’re just settling in for the kickoff … when the phone rings. Your wife is on the other end.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family January 10, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Applying the Love Languages in Families with Special Needs

Some of the most amazing people I have meet are those with special needs.

I think of Trevor Hendershot. He and his dad visited Focus on the Family a few years ago. Trevor is a vivacious young man with Down Syndrome who serves as a greeter for the Los Angeles Angels and the Anaheim Ducks.

Tyler Sexton is also a friend of our ministry. He has cerebral palsy and works as a physician specializing in pediatrics.

Topics: Current Events Tags: family January 10, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Greatest Joys

The family is under attack.

Two of the more disturbing examples are ideas that have gained acceptance more and more in recent years. The first is that dads don’t matter. The second is that kids get in the way of adult happiness. I’m here to tell you they’re both lies.

First of all, make no mistake, dads do matter. Every day at Focus, we hear from families all over the country. The stories they share confirm to me again and again just how crucial a father’s influence is in the lives of his children.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family January 9, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Plan for the Holidays

Family get-togethers are supposed to be a big part of the reason we experience joy during the holidays. But it often doesn’t work that way. Family dynamics often dredge up old wounds and, before you know it, we’re pulled right back into the roles we played in childhood.

Maybe you know what I mean. One moment the family is all together, and everything is fine. The house is filled with conversation and laughter. And then a family member says or does something that reopens an old emotional wound we’ve never healed.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family December 6, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Making Helpful Changes in Your Communication

You want people to like you. We all do. Disapproval from others is not comfortable, so most of us put our best foot forward in ways that we believe others will approve. The Bible also instructs us to guard against selfishness, to sacrifice our own desires on behalf of others.

But when do we cross the line between serving others and becoming a “people pleaser”? Discerning between what’s healthy and unhealthy is murky for many people, which is why we’ve invited our good friend Dr.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family November 21, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

History’s Most Expensive Turkey

This holiday season, give yourself a special gift: take a deep breath, relax, and laugh at yourself.

When I think of seeing the funny side of life, I think of Bill who wanted to cook his family the greatest Thanksgiving meal ever. Instead of a traditional dinner from the kitchen oven, he decided to cook the turkey on his new grill outside, a fancy built-in connected to the house’s gas line. He spent weeks planning the menu, and when the big day arrived, he executed it flawlessly.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family November 21, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Setting Boundaries in Your Most Difficult Relationships

Relationships are the most rewarding experiences this side of heaven. But any relationship can present challenges. And when they do, the best approach for restoring peace and harmony is boundaries.

God himself demonstrated why and how to create boundaries. He gave Adam and Eve just one: Don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). It communicated four important ideas about relationships:

Boundaries define and protect freedom. God’s boundary protected Adam and Eve for their own good.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family November 8, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

He Meant Well

Picture this. You’re nine years old, and your mother just died. Your step-dad has abandoned you, so you’ve been taken to live with a family you’ve never met. You’re desperately hoping the man of the house will become the father you never had, but he’s, well, eccentric. Which is why his first assignment for you when you move into the family home is, “You gotta cut the head off a chicken.”

That bizarre scenario actually happened.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family October 26, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Theme for Marriage

When my boys were growing up, my wife and I often talked to them about their goals. Trent and Troy usually focused on things like grades or what they hoped to achieve in sports. Jean and I supported those ambitions, but we also encouraged them to think outside the box, like considering what they could do to develop their character.

Which got my wife and me thinking about setting goals for our marriage. We began having conversations about our relationship in terms of themes, like forgiveness, grace, or patience.

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