news Archives

Facebook Recognizes Preborn Life

Has it ever struck you as strange that when a pregnant woman is injured in an accident, journalists will routinely refer to the condition of her “baby” – but absent such an unfortunate incident, they’re more likely to reference that same child as a “fetus”?

According to a story out this week:

Facebook is now letting parents-to-be list their unborn children on their personal profiles.

Among options that include daughter, son, wife and husband, the “Friends and Family” section under “Edit Profile” now allows the option “Expected: Child.” Parents can add a due date and the baby’s name.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, kids, news, pop culture, pro-life August 4, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What Do You Think of Childless Restaurants?

Just two weeks ago McDain’s Restaurant and Golf Center in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, implemented a new rule that bans children under the age of six.

According to owner Mike Vuick, there’s “nothing wrong with babies, but the fact is you can’t control their volume.”

One occurrence is not a trend, but there seems to be evidence of a growing impatience or downright irritation with young children these days. Or at the very least, there appears to be an unwillingness to recognize a distinction between children who are well behaved and kids who wreak havoc in public places.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, news, pop culture August 2, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

VIDEO: Link Between the Debt Ceiling Impasse & Rupert Murdoch

What a world in which we live these days, though as Paul Harvey was keen on saying, “In times like these, it’s important to remember there have always been times like these.”

News out of Washington D.C. continues to strike a dramatic strain about a coming financial Armageddon should the White House and Congress fail to raise the debt ceiling by August 2nd. Across the Atlantic, all eyes are on Rupert Murdoch and his news empire, which has come under fire for hacking into personal phone accounts, all in search of gossip and a juicy story.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news, pop culture July 20, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Surprise!

I just returned to the office today from a wonderful week of vacation. Over lunch, after only a few hours back in the saddle, some of my kind teammates surprised me (literally) with a cake and a card in anticipation of my upcoming birthday on July 22nd.

Thoughts on the privilege of turning fifty to come…

Topics: Family and Home Tags: friendship, news July 18, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

TOMS Shoes Controversy

In anticipation of a week out of the office to do some family camping, Jim Daly prepared several commentaries to run in his absence. However, in light of the developing TOMS Shoes controversy, we wanted to alert Jim’s readers and provide some background links on the issue as well as the ministry’s reaction to the story:

This Christianity Today Blog provides good background.

Also, as you’ll see from this exclusive video, this was by no means a politically motivated event.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news, pop culture July 11, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Guest Blog: FOTF Featured in Christianity Today

As a reader of this blog, you’ll probably recognize the face on the cover of this month’s Christianity Today. It’s none other than the guy who usually writes in this space – Focus on the Family President Jim Daly. Jim’s been gracious enough to turn this platform over to me – the PR guy – today so I can urge you to give the accompanying article in CT a look. It is by far the most in-depth examination of our ministry’s passions and priorities as we move into what I like to call “Focus 2.0” – the next generation of helping families thrive.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, news, pop culture, staff July 8, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

TOMS Shoes Discount

As I shared in a post a couple of weeks ago, Focus on the Family is very pleased to be hosting a special event with TOMS Shoes in Irvine, California, this Thursday, June 30th. The gathering is called, “Style Your Sole,” and participants will be given an opportunity to purchase and decorate a pair of shoes at a discount. And according to TOMS tradition, another pair of shoes will be given to a needy child.

For those unfamiliar with TOMS, the company gives away one pair of shoes to a needy child around the world for every pair purchased.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, pop culture June 28, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What I Learned at the Racetrack

There’s an old saying that “almost” only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. If JR Hildebrand and Dale Earnhardt Jr. ever doubted such wisdom, this past weekend has likely cured them of their disbelief.

By now, if you’re a racing fan or even a casual news watcher, you know that Dan Wheldon won Sunday’s famed Indianapolis 500 and Kevin Harvick emerged the victor in Charlotte’s Coca-Cola 600. Both men are highly talented drivers and well deserving of their titles.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news June 3, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

New Test Tells How Long You’ll Live

There’s news out of Great Britain this morning that scientists have devised and perfected a blood test that proposes to predict how long you can expect to live.

It’s scheduled to be available by the end of the year.

By almost every account, this is not medical quackery, but instead a highly technical development that’s been years in the making.

Scientists believe a person’s “biological age” can be measured by examining the length of their telomeres, which is another word for the tips of their chromosomes.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news, pop culture May 16, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Death of Osama Bin Laden

The news of Osama Bin Laden’s death last night came suddenly and without warning. After nearly ten long years, many had wondered if the world’s most wanted man would die of old age. Instead, he died as he lived, violently, shot and killed by highly trained special forces of the United States.

It is appointed once unto man to die, but few people actually know how or when their end will come. Still, Jesus’ warning in Gethsemane regularly rings true when it comes to despots, dictators and terrorists.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news May 2, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura