family Archives

How to Win at Family Dinners in the Midst of Crazy Schedules

Over the past couple of decades, more studies than you can count have been done to pinpoint the most crucial factors for raising emotionally strong, well-balanced kids. Almost all of them have arrived at the same conclusion: Eating together as a family is one of the most significant influences in fostering healthy child development.

A mountain of research indicates that the more families eat together the less likely a child will engage in drug use, suffer from depression, develop an eating disorder, or succumb to a host of other behavioral problems.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, kids, parenting May 5, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How You Can Change a Child’s Life

A lot of you know my story. My mom died when I was nine years old, and my dad wasn’t around, so I spent a year in foster care.

That time could have been a bright moment in an otherwise dismal period of my life, but things didn’t turn out so well for me. Instead of support and compassion, I mostly remember feeling lonely, afraid, and desperate.

My past is one of the reasons I’m so passionate about God’s call on believers to care for “orphans and widows” (James 1:27).

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, kids, parenting May 2, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Good Parenting Usually Isn’t Efficient

Does this routine sound familiar? Fold the laundry, change the diaper, buy the things for that science fair project, make dinner, walk the dog. It never seems to end!

When you’re in the middle of a long to-do list it’s easy to fall into the temptation of measuring a day’s success by how many of those items you manage to cross off. That’s why in this post, I’m not going to share tips with you on how to get it all done.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, husband, wife May 1, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Pro-Life Analysis of President Trump’s First 100 Days

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will reach the first 100 days milestone of their administration this Saturday, and according to the President’s personal Twitter account, he’ll be celebrating the benchmark with a “BIG rally in Pennsylvania.”

The first 100 days have held special significance in American politics since Franklin D. Roosevelt signed 15 major pieces of legislation early in his presidency. That inspired pundits and the media to use the timeframe to measure the President, because it occurs during the “honeymoon period” when a new administration’s influence is likely at its greatest.

Topics: Current Events Tags: family, news, policy, pro-life April 26, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Powerful Influence of a Grandparent

I never knew my grandparents, but family friends – Mr. and Mrs. Hope – became something like surrogate grandparents to me. They led my mother to the Lord, and treated her, my siblings, and me as part of their family.

Some of my fondest childhood memories are visiting with “Grandpa Hope,” as we called him. He would sit in a big recliner in his garden atrium, play checkers with us kids and – like any good grandfather – lose on purpose often enough to build our self-confidence.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family April 20, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

He Minimized His ‘Stuff’ and Maximized His Life

“How much is enough?”

Somebody asked John D. Rockefeller that once. His answer?

“Just a little bit more.”

I wonder if most of us secretly agree with him. We try to be content, but it’s hard with so many shiny things to choose from and advertisers convincing us of needs we didn’t know we even had. We’re easily lulled into believing that we could be happy if we had just a little bit more.

But how much is enough?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, family April 10, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Four Things You Can Do To Increase the Chances of Raising Kids Who Keep the Faith

Ask a 20-something a few generations back what their religious affiliation was, and chances were the answer would fall within predictable lines: Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, or Jewish, for example.

Ask the same question of today’s young adults, otherwise known as “Millennials,” and you might hear something new.

“I’m spiritual,” they might say, or “I believe in a higher power, but I’m not religious.”

That’s because Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) are more comfortable than any other generation in identifying their religious affiliation as “none of the above.”

In fact, about 35 percent of adult Millennials are religiously unaffiliated, according to Pew Research Center.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, family, parenting April 5, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Happy 40th Anniversary, Focus on the Family!

Exactly 40 years ago yesterday, on March 26, 1977, the first Focus on the Family broadcast aired – and a global, Christian family-help ministry was born.

The entire Focus staff gathered this morning to commemorate this milestone anniversary and celebrate God’s goodness over the years. Our time of reminiscing and worship ended with a rousing, heartfelt rendition of “Great is Thy Faithfulness” – because when we look back on these 40 years, God’s faithfulness is precisely what we see.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: family, news March 27, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Things You Might Want to Know Before You Become a Parent

Some of you have just discovered you’re pregnant with your first baby. To that I say, “Congratulations!” You’re about to embark on one of the most sacred journeys a human being can undertake.

But it’s also one of the most challenging. Some big changes will be here before you know it. That precious new little one you’ll soon bring home will dramatically alter your entire way of life. From sleeping patterns to schedule changes, the demands on new parents can be rigorous.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, parenting March 10, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Teen Suicide Clusters: What Parents Need to Know

Southern Colorado has been rocked by teen suicides recently, and it’s been devastating.

Our sons go to school in a district that has faced three student suicides in the past two weeks. During the last 13 months, there have been nine deaths in the district, between two schools located only a mile apart. And in nearby Pueblo, there were five student suicides last month. These recent deaths follow 29 student suicides that occurred in El Paso County (Focus’ home) between 2013 and 2015.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, news, parenting March 1, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura