Family and Home Archives

Help for Family Caregivers

Actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, best known for her 90s hit movie “Father of the Bride,” has written a book about her mother’s dementia.

Kimberly first noticed something was awry with her mom, Linda Williams, on her wedding day in 2003. (She married country singer Brad Paisley.) Her mom was acting irrationally that day, and uncharacteristically struggled through a reading during the ceremony.

Two years later, at age 61, Williams was diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of early-onset dementia called primary progressive aphasia.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, pro-life April 15, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Trusting God in the Barrenness of Life

Writing about a time of deep struggle in her life, Sara Hagerty described her experience this way:

“My awareness of my infertility was as variable as the rain. Some days it was a drizzle on the backdrop of my story. Other days it was a downpour altering my whole day.”

That captures so well the emotional upheaval that often accompanies life’s difficulties.

We all go through seasons where we’re overwhelmed, the answers to our problems are hard to come by, and our faith in God is tested.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith April 14, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Educational Options for Christian Families

As many Christians have observed, the impact from the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage last year will be felt for generations and across many aspects of our daily lives.

Our children’s education is one of those areas affected by the government’s legal recognition of same-sex marriage.

A few months ago here in the blog, Focus’ Education Analyst Candi Cushman helped us consider the impact the redefinition of marriage might have on public schools and students’ rights in those schools.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: events, kids, pop culture, religious liberty April 13, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Practical Ways Moms Can Build Friendships

Motherhood feels like the loneliest job on the planet for many women – especially for young moms who live far away from close family. They go through their days as a one-woman army, balancing work, children, and a never-ending list of responsibilities around the home.

Generations ago, it wasn’t often like that. Daily life for women happened largely in community. Female friends, neighbors, and moms and daughters used to quilt, cook, and do their laundry together.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, friendship, wives April 12, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Doorway to Happiness in Marriage

People get married for a lot of reasons.

They want someone to spend time with them. They want to feel appreciated. They want someone to love them. They want someone to serve them … at least occasionally (of course, no one likes to admit this one).

Do you notice what each of those ideas has in common? They’re all about what someone else can do for us.

But what if marriage isn’t primarily about any of those things?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage April 11, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Loving Others Without Sacrificing Conviction

“Christians hate gay people.”

That succinct message defined most of Caleb Kaltenbach’s childhood. He learned it from his lesbian mother … and from religious people whose behavior seemed to confirm her declaration.

While in elementary school, he marched with his mother in a gay pride parade. Along the route some protestors held up signs conveying hateful messages against homosexuals. They also sprayed water and urine on the marchers as they passed by.

When Caleb asked why people would do something like that, his mom said, “They’re Christians.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, homosexuality, pastors April 8, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Cultivating a Life of Character

Character has been on my mind a lot lately.

As a father of two teenage sons in the final stretch of my parenting journey, I wonder how I’m doing instilling my boys with character. Am I creating conversations that teach them what’s important in life?

And as the president of a Christian ministry, I wonder how the Christian community is doing in communicating the need for character to a culture that operates largely without it.

To answer those questions, I sat down with David Brooks in Washington, D.C., for a conversation we aired a couple of days ago on our radio broadcast.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast April 7, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Mom’s Role in Preparing Her Sons for Manhood

Fathers and mothers both play a vital role in raising boys. Vicki Courtney and her husband can both attest to that. They worked hard together to steer their sons toward godly manhood.

But in every home, Mom and Dad each bring unique characteristics and qualities into their parenting. Although dads should serve as the primary role model in their sons’ lives, our broadcast yesterday zeroed in on the vitally important and irreplaceable role that moms play in their sons’ lives.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, parenting April 5, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Find Common Spiritual Ground with Your Spouse

You and your spouse could probably easily count any number of ways in which you’re different from one another.

Maybe they talk too much – or not enough. One of you feels hot while the other is shivering cold. Or maybe one can’t leave early because the other is always running late.

Those sorts of dissimilarities are common. But spiritual preferences are a key area where couples often differ.

Many husbands and wives tend to expect more spiritual compatibility from each other than they should.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, marriage April 1, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Untold Story of Abortion

When Pat decided to have an abortion, she was convinced it was the right thing to do.

Her first marriage had ended a few years before as a teenager when her husband, also a teen, abandoned her, leaving her with a newborn son. She tried to pick up the broken pieces of her life by enrolling in college despite the responsibilities she carried as a single mom. As a student, she wrote articles for the National Organization for Women and wholeheartedly supported abortion as a woman’s right to choose.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, pro-life March 31, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura