family Archives

Forgiving the Past, Embracing the Future

Forgiveness is at the heart of the Christian message.

But that doesn’t make forgiveness easy.

Forgiveness is difficult because we often confuse “forgiving” with “excusing.” Forgiveness never excuses the wrongs against us or waters down the awful nature of an offense. It doesn’t pretend that something didn’t happen. Forgiveness acknowledges the ugliness of the sin, no matter how dark, then sets us free, not the other person. Forgiveness releases our heart, heals our pain, and allows us to move forward through life in peace.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family April 25, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

History is the Best Teacher

Two statues are erected outside the entrance to the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Though completely different, each one conveys wisdom about building a better future.

The first statue is titled “Past.” It’s a sculpture of an old man staring back through time. He’s holding a closed book, representing history. The past is over. It’s unchangeable. But carved into the statue’s base is a paraphrase from Confucius that reads, “Study the past.” That is, remember the past and learn from it.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family April 24, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Helping Your Child Develop Resilience

When it comes to instilling character in children, the most important characteristic we can model is resilience – overcoming struggles and difficulties.

As the apostle Paul writes, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor. 4:8-9).

Resilience is a mindset. It’s a process of adapting in the face of significant stress. With resilience, challenges become opportunities to learn and mature.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting April 23, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

War of the Words

What you say and what somebody hears are often two different things, which can lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding.

Your kids can learn that lesson and have a good time doing it if they’ll tune in to a special edition of our Focus on the Family Broadcast featuring an episode of Adventures in Odyssey called “War of the Words.”

If you’re new to Focus on the Family, Adventures in Odyssey is a radio drama for children (click here for more information).

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family April 19, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Engaging Hearts and Minds in a Broken Culture

In set 16 of the That the World May Know series, titled “Cultures in Conflict,” Bible teacher Ray Vander Laan leads viewers on a journey to where the Apostle Paul founded the church in Corinth and preached in Athens, Greece on Mars Hill. Ray highlights Paul’s tremendous ability to share God’s truth in a way the culture of his day could understand.

For example, at one of the most important structures in Corinth – a temple dedicated to Asclepius, the god of healing – Paul communicated God’s truth by taking advantage of a popular custom.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family April 18, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Capable of More

You and I have never met, but I already believe one thing about you is true: you’re capable of more than you think. I also believe this: you won’t discover how strong you are until you’re tested.

An unusual example of that is seven-year-old Chase Poust. On a weekend boating trip with his dad, he and his four-year-old sister, Abigail, jumped overboard for a swim. Dad had anchored off-shore at a slow point in the river, but the current was stronger than anyone realized.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family April 17, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Organizing the Chaos in Your Home

What’s your relationship with clutter Does it bring your comfort? Or fill you with anxiety?

We’re all a little different. Some of us don’t mind a little clutter, or see a good reason to pick up somebody’s else socks. Some of us feel a tidy home offers peace. We’re more calm if we’re not navigating scattered piles of things and activities.

Regardless of where you fall on the tidiness spectrum, there are ways to organize that increase the efficiency of your home, so you can maximize the time you devote to family and other priorities.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting April 12, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Operation for the Soul

Would you forgive someone who shattered your life?

On a beautiful summer afternoon in 2015, Bryan Kuck and his wife, Lynn, went for a motorcycle ride. On their way home, less than a mile from their house, they were run off the road by a drunk driver whose blood alcohol level was four times the legal limit. Lynn was killed instantly. Bryan was critically injured with two crushed hips, a broken pelvis, and a left leg that was amputated after being pinned under the wreckage.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family April 11, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Sniglets

Back in the 80s, comedian Rich Hall did a routine called Sniglets. A Sniglet was any word that should be in the dictionary but isn’t. Like the word “snackmosphere.” That’s what he called the huge pocket of air inside a potato chip bag when you first open it. Or “Pepsiluvium.” That’s the soda that bubbles through the plastic lid when you push your straw through.

Sniglets illustrate the limitations of language. English currently uses more than 170,000 words.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family April 10, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Walking with God Through Trials

We all think we have strong faith. Until our world gets rocked.

An adverse diagnosis.

A child who loses their way.

A divorce.

The storms of life leave us shaken, wondering if God is really there.

Psalm 34:18 assures us that He is: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

What a comfort that is!

God’s presence has anchored author Michelle Cushatt’s life through the upheaval of many trials and difficulties.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family April 9, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura