family Archives

A Child’s Ten Commandments to Parents

1. My hands are small; please don’t expect perfection whenever I make a bed, draw a picture, or throw a ball. My legs are short; please slow down so that I can keep up with you.

2. My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; please let me explore safely: don’t restrict me unnecessarily.

3. Housework will always be there. I’m only little such a short time—please take time to explain things to me about this wonderful world, and do so willingly.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, kids, parenting September 9, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Urban Meyer’s Contract with His Family

Urban Meyer will take the field on Saturday for his first game as head football coach of Ohio State.

In many ways, the 48-year-old will be coming full circle, both personally and professionally.

Born in Toledo, Meyer met his wife, Shelley, while attending the University of Cincinnati. He was hired as an assistant coach at Ohio State in 1986 and earned a master’s degree at the school prior to his departure for another coaching position with Illinois State.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, kids, marriage, parenting August 29, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Dad Reflects on the First Day of School

Today I want to share with you a poignant reflection from my friend and colleague, James Anderson. If you have children, I know you’ll relate to his words.

A Morning I Will Never Forget

My wife and I walked our first-born daughter, Charlie Mae, to kindergarten the other day. The kids were decked out in new sneakers, sparkly clothes and backpacks so new they were stiff. The scene was full of parents with cameras in hand and tears in their eyes.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, family, kids, parenting, religious liberty August 16, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Five Things This Hero Taught Us About Fighting Evil

Nellie Grey, “the mother of the March for Life” each year in Washington, D.C., has died. She was 88.

Miss Nell devoted the last 39 years of her life to overturning the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision that legalized abortion. That Roe still lives on in law and Nellie Grey is dead will cause some critics and cynics to suggest she failed in her greatest pursuit.

Don’t believe it.

The story of Miss Grey’s life is a tremendous testimony to the power and significance of a single soul consumed by a magnificent obsession.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, family, policy, pro-life August 14, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Dear Stay-at-Home Mom

You’ll never convince me that anybody works harder than a mother. Parenting is a joy-filled experience, of course, but it also requires a tremendous amount of effort. The legendary writer, John Steinbeck, once put it quite succinctly. “It takes courage,” he wrote, “to raise children.”

On the lighter side, the comedian Bill Cosby has always been deft at reminding us to not take ourselves too seriously. “No matter how calmly you try to referee,” he once said, “parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I’m not talking about the kids.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, kids, parenting August 8, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What One Mom Has Learned from the Olympics

The London Games continue to serve up hours and hours of spirited fun for millions around the world. For parents, the Olympics also provide all kinds of “teachable moments” for our kids, from talking about the dedication required in training to how to handle disappointment when a medal is just beyond reach.

For one mom, the delayed broadcast of the Games has also served to give her some much needed perspective. Christy Cabe is a talented writer who chronicles life with a mother’s heart because, well, she’s a happy mom who is busily raising three young children.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, family, kids, parenting, pop culture August 2, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Tell Me About Your Time at Chick-fil-A Yesterday

As most of you know, yesterday was “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day,” organized by our friend, former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee. Because they’re a privately owned corporation, Chick-fil-A isn’t expected to release sales figures from yesterday’s events, but from what I’ve seen and heard, it was a record-setting day for the organization.

Don’t you like it when good folks do well?

I visited one of the Chick-fil-A restaurants near Focus yesterday morning and bought 20 sandwiches for some members of my team.

Topics: Current Events Tags: family, marriage, policy August 2, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What You Might Not Know About Olympian Missy Franklin

Missy Franklin has good timing – no pun intended.

At a moment when the country is hungry for some good news, for a hero to root for and an uplifting story about a star who will make you smile, the 17-year-old Coloradoan’s performance at the Summer Olympics seems to be just what the doctor ordered.

Have you been watching the games?

The family and I have been following the Olympics each night, especially the swimming, and we’re really getting into it.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, kids, parenting August 1, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Would You Give Away Your Entire Salary?

If you felt God leading you to give away all of your income to help the poor, would you do it? That’s exactly what Traceway Baptist Church in Clinton, Mississippi, did between April 2010 and April 2011.

John Richardson is the pastor of the small congregation, which usually hosts about 50 people each Sunday.

“Everything that was given to our church in the offering plates,” said Pastor Richardson, “was given away to abused mothers that got out of bad situations basically with the clothes on their backs, or people that were trying to break free from addiction, or people that had lost jobs or facing foreclosures, or had extreme medical bills, or anything like that.”

In total, the church distributed approximately $60,000 throughout the 12-month period.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, relationships July 23, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Family is a Social Justice Issue

I want to share an article with you written by my colleague, Glenn Stanton. It was originally posted over at ChristianityToday.com and makes the case how strong marriages and families are a community’s most important social justice driver.

It’s an important article for all students of the family, making a tight, reasoned and diversely-documented case that marital status matters more significantly than other assumptive factors when it comes to lifting women and children out of poverty and protecting them from it.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, family, pop culture July 19, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura