Family and Home Archives

Speaking Your Adopted Child’s Love Language

Adoption is central to the heart of Christianity. Psalm 68:5 says God is a “father of the fatherless.” Through faith, we are adopted into His family.

Adoption is central to Dr. Laurel Shaler’s heart as well. She’s a counselor, author, and professor at Liberty University, and she and her husband have adopted three children – two in infancy and one through embryo adoption. A medical condition prevented her from conceiving, but her heart was to be a mother, even if she couldn’t be pregnant, give birth, or have biological children.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family November 1, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Integrity Matters

Integrity matters. It’s the bedrock of good character. Integrity is so important that we expect it from people we don’t even know.

That was proven true years ago on the television sitcom Friends, one of the most popular shows in the 1990s and early 2000s. Just how loyal fans of the show were became clear during season five. Lead character Chandler Bing falls in love with another lead character, Monica Geller. They eventually become engaged and got married.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family October 31, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Experiencing a Fulfilled Marriage

Do you believe that God can save any marriage?

Patricia Ashley didn’t always think so. At one time, her marriage to Vernon was dead. She says, “I didn’t love my husband. I didn’t hate him. I wasn’t glad to see him come. I wasn’t glad to see him go. It didn’t make a difference what time he came in or if he came in at all. It was dead.”

They were so isolated from each other that they were divorced in almost every way – emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family October 30, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Discovering Your Spiritual Temperament

How do you connect with God?

Is your faith inspired by beautiful art? Worship music? Serving others? Confronting evil in society? Some people love cathedrals or worshiping outside. Others prefer the comfort of their home church.

Although most of us have been taught one approach to spiritual growth – daily “quiet time,” Bible study, prayer, and weekly church attendance – we all have different personalities, likes and dislikes, and spiritual giftings, each of which bring a unique perspective to our understanding of the person of Jesus and the salvation He brings to the world.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family October 24, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Honesty and Respect

My wife Jean and I have been married since 1986. One of the most important lessons about marriage I’ve learned in that time has been this: We’re different from one another, and that’s okay. But we’ve also learned that those differences have to be navigated carefully.

You and your spouse probably see the world through different eyes, too. You fall asleep to noise, but your spouse needs quiet. You’re a night owl, but your spouse enjoys mornings.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage October 23, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Filling Your Marriage with Joy

How big is your marriage’s “joy gap”?

Dr. Marcus Warner and Chris Coursey, authors of the book The 4 Habits of Joy-Filled Marriages, describe a “joy gap” as the length of time between moments of joy. If you apply that unit of measurement to your marriage, how long has it been? Days? Weeks? Months?

Your joy gap can be especially lengthy if you’re waiting for your circumstances to change on their own, for your spouse to make you joyful, or for God to zap you with joy.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, marriage October 21, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Nurturing Your Child’s Purpose and Passion

God has vision. He sees not just who people are, but what they can become.

People looked at David and saw a shepherd boy; God saw a king. Peter denied the Lord three times, but Jesus called him a “rock” and used him to build His church.

Effective parenting also requires vision. Every child struggles to find his or her identity. Engaged parents look beyond where their child is right now and catch a vision for who he or she can become.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family October 18, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Create a ‘Certain’ Marriage

Psychologist John Gottman says he can predict with 94% certainty whether a marriage will be successful.

Armed with over 20 years of research, Dr. Gottman observes a number of factors that predict the health and well-being of a marriage. He found:

Happy couples show affection toward one another.

They practice healthy conflict resolution.

They are respectful of each other’s needs and desires.

They show interest in what their spouse says – even when they share offhand comments about a sunset or a small moment from their day.

Topics: Family and Home October 16, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Finding Hope for Your Desperate Marriage

You can’t change your spouse. So what do you do if your marriage is in a desperate place?

Many couples believe there are just two choices:

Stay and be miserable for the rest of your life.

Get out while you can and hope to find happiness somewhere down the line.

Dr. Gary Chapman says there’s a third option: With God’s help and with godly counsel from others, positively influence your marriage by creating possibilities for your spouse to change his or her behavior.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, marriage October 15, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Making Daily Choices to Love Your Spouse

Theresa had a stroke 18 years ago. She lost control over her hands. Which means for all these years she’s struggled to do simple things in life, like styling her own hair. That’s why when she goes to the beauty salon, she leaves with a smile. She feels beautiful.

The trouble is, as soon as she washes her hair it falls flat, and she can’t get it to look the way her stylist does. Which means, until her next hair appointment comes around, Theresa doesn’t smile as much.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage October 10, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura