Family and Home Archives

Restoring Hope to Your Marriage

Ron and Opal Erickson call themselves “musicianaires.” Ron is an accomplished steel guitarist, and Opal an accomplished vocalist. They’ve made beautiful music together for over 40 years.

They’ve also walked through the fires 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 a remarkable work in their marriage, and we are so excited to share their story with our listeners on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Restoring Hope to Your Marriage.” Listen on your local radio station, online, on iTunes, via Podcast, or on our free phone app.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, marriage, relationships September 21, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Special Message from Sadie Robertson: Don’t Let Fear Stop You From Expressing Your Faith

Sadie Robertson knows what it’s like to be afraid, especially as a student. “I went through a season in my late teens when the fear became extreme, and that’s when I realized things had to change,” she shares in her new book, Live Fearless. After overcoming that mindset through immersion in God’s Word, Sadie now has a heart for empowering thousands of other young people to boldly live out their love for Jesus in the public square.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith September 19, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Ending the Pursuit of the Perfect Life

A study at Hewlett-Packard examined how qualified people felt they needed to be before they applied for jobs. They found that many won’t apply for a job unless their qualifications line up with the job description 100 percent. Others applied for jobs even if they were only 60 percent qualified.

Those statistics made authors Kathi Lipp and Cheri Gregory wonder how many good opportunities people miss out on because they’re hesitant to step out until their circumstances are perfect.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith September 18, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Leading Your Child Through Emotional Milestones

According to pediatricians, babies should be lifting their heads when they’re around 4 months old and rolling over by 5 or 6 months old. They should be taking their first steps around 9 to 12 months and walking unassisted between 14 and 15 months, probably no later than 18 months.

Most parents know their children should be feeding themselves by a certain age, talking by a certain age, and hitting the right height and weight markers by certain ages.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, family, kids September 17, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Being God’s Light in the World

Do you ever feel small and insignificant – like the lowly plankton, tiny organisms that drift aimlessly in the ocean with no obvious sense of purpose?

If so, Sadie Robertson of the Duck Dynasty family has an encouraging word for you. She wants you to know that even plankton is significant to God. Did you know that plankton is crucial to the world’s ecosystem? Not only are they important to the ocean’s food chain, they also produce 50 percent of the world’s oxygen.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith September 14, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Practical Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage

A door-to-door salesman from a local cable company stopped by Dave and Ashley Willis’ house and gave them his best pitch. At first, his offer sounded amazing. He promised his company would take good care of Dave and Ashley by giving them the best package at the best price.

The deal went south when Dave asked the salesman, “So how long is this package and price valid for?”

“Twelve months,” the salesman said.

“What happens after that?” Dave asked.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage September 13, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Is the Affirmation You Give Your Kids Hurting or Helping Them?

My friend and new Focus on the Family colleague, Dr. Meg Meeker, is a highly acclaimed pediatrician who has spent the past 30 years treating children, helping parents, and writing, teaching and speaking on numerous issues that impact the family. One of the best things I appreciate about Dr. Meg is that she’s practical and regularly addresses the issues parents and children are facing.

Today, I pose a question to her that I think every parent has asked or pondered:

Is the affirmation you give your kids hurting or helping them?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, kids September 12, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Seeing God’s Image in All Men

Racism is a problem in America.

That much is obvious. What isn’t so obvious is what to do about it. Nothing society has dreamed up has eradicated it. In fact, one could argue that certain movements seeking positive change have deepened the cultural divide rather than bridged it.

Inadvertently or intentionally, the underlying cultural message has often been “choose your side.” Stand against the black community or stand for the black community. Stand against the white community or stand for the white community.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith September 10, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Did You Know This Influences the Success of Your Marriage?

When you ask couples which household issues influence the success of a marriage, things like kids and finances usually rise to the top. But did you know that chores rank third on that list?!

How can something as simple as housework fuel conflict in a marriage? Rather easily it turns out. As we all know, life gets busy. Not long after the “I do’s,” couples tend to get focused on (or maybe I should say, “distracted by”) the household tasks they care about, while forgetting the burdens their spouse is carrying.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, marriage September 7, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Finding Family as a Single Adult

The Bible begins with marriage and ends with marriage.

That ought to tell us something about the importance God places on it. He’s infused it with profound meaning, both as a cultural institution and as one of the most significant relationships we can experience. It’s the bedrock of God’s design for families.

So where does that leave singles?

Throughout the Bible we’re reminded that God created us for community. No one is meant to be alone.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, family, marriage, relationships September 6, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura