family Archives

Restoring Hope to Your Marriage

Ron and Opal Erickson call themselves “musicianaires.” Ron is an accomplished steel guitarist, and Opal is an accomplished vocalist. They’ve made beautiful music together for over 40 years, not only as musicians but as a couple.

They’ve also walked through the rubble of a marriage that seemed irreparably broken. Through God’s grace and wisdom, they survived adultery, rejection, and betrayal and created a new marriage forged in trust, love, and grace.

God has done such a remarkable work in their marriage that I wanted to share their story on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Restoring Hope to Your Marriage.”

Opal shares how she stayed true to God in the wake of Ron’s affair, and how He taught her to love her husband in a new way.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage April 5, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Are You Afraid to Live?

Sooner or later, we lose the people we love.

That’s a very uncomfortable thought, but it’s true. Which begs an important question: “How do we live in the shadow of absolute loss and still enjoy a happy, fulfilled life?”

I like what legendary college basketball coach John Wooden had to say about that idea. He was 99 years old when a reporter asked if he was afraid to die. Coach Wooden didn’t have to stop and ponder his answer.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family April 4, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Fight it Out

As the president of an organization called Focus on the Family, you might expect me to say something like, “Never argue with your spouse.” The truth is I believe that even the most healthy, well-rounded couples need to hash things out from time to time. The key is to disagree in ways that move your relationship forward.

To do that, first recognize that avoiding conflict doesn’t strengthen your marriage – it weakens it. That sounds counterintuitive, but it’s true. Unresolved conflict doesn’t magically disappear. It festers beneath the surface, deepening resentment and eroding emotional intimacy.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, marriage April 3, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Evidence for the Existence of God

Do you ever wonder:

Is there a Creator?

If God is real, why do people suffer?

What does Easter have to do with the existence of God?

If God exists, why does He seem hidden or distant?

Can we deduce anything about God from scientific evidence?

Does our DNA reveal anything about God as a designer?

Can God be personally experienced?

On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Evidence for the Existence of God,” we’re talking with former atheist, Lee Strobel.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family April 2, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Loving Your Teen Daughter Well

Author Kari Kampakis says teen girls have it tough. Every day is a renewed battle against anxiety, toxic friendships, cyberbullying and pressures associated with social media.

Which is why teen girls need strong women in their lives to protect, encourage, and guide them – to support them in confronting adversity, so they learn to handle life with confidence on their own.

That’s why Kara encourages mothers to be strong parents instead of “buddy parents.” Though your daughter won’t often show it, she cares deeply about your opinions.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, parenting April 1, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Building Strong Father-Son Relationships

A father’s love is imprinted on the heart of a son.

As a father of two boys, that sentiment stops me in my tracks. I didn’t have a good role model for fatherhood growing up. My dad died an alcoholic, and my stepdad walked out on my siblings and me the day of my mother’s funeral. After that, I went into foster care for almost two years.

Maybe your dad didn’t leave a positive imprint on your heart, either.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting March 28, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Communication is a Two-Way Street

Sometimes what you say and what other people hear can be two very different things.

Maybe you can relate to a young mother from Ohio who wanted her family to be a beacon of hope during the COVID lockdown. She handed chalk to her two boys – ages six and eight – and asked them to write messages on the driveway. She wanted delivery drivers and passersby to be greeted with encouragement and good cheer. Later, when she checked on her kids’ progress, she discovered boys had covered the driveway and sidewalks with messages like, “Stay away!” “Do not enter!” and “Get lost!”

Misunderstandings like that happen a lot in marriage, too.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting March 27, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Establishing Clear Boundaries in Your Life

Driving is a great illustration for life.

First, what makes driving safe? That line painted down the middle of the road. It’s a boundary that tells you what lane is yours and what lane is mine.

Second, in driving and in life, we encounter people and circumstances wherever we go that force us to respond quickly and make good decisions that protect our family and ourselves.

And third, to get to where we want to go, we have to be in the correct lane.

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

Bringing Laughter to Your Marriage

Today, I’ve got a simple idea to help you build a great marriage. It’s fun, too.

Laugh together.

Proverbs says, “A joyful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22). Jean and I have great memories of laughing together in the car or around the dinner table. A few times we’ve laughed so hard for so long that we started laughing at each other laughing.

Laughter is often more about connection than it is humor. Studies show that couples who laugh are healthier, happier and more connected.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage March 22, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How Dare Pornhub Decry Protections for Kids

It’s always a good day when pornographers are upset and unable to distribute or share their dangerous content, especially to children.

Pornhub, the fourteenth most popular website in the world, is not happy – and that should bring some measure of relief to many. That’s because the leading purveyor of pornographic material has decided to suspend access to their site in Texas – a protest move designed to express their objection to new age verification laws in the Lone Star State.

Topics: Current Events Tags: family, news March 21, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura