Family and Home Archives

Space Babies and “The Talk”

Continuing on yesterday’s theme of Super Bowl commercials, I wanted to highlight the larger issue brought up by Kia’s ad.

Do you remember it? It’s the one where a dad creates a fantastical story about “Babylandia” to answer his child’s question of “where do babies come from?”

While we laugh at the desire of the father in the commercial to side-step the birds and the bees conversation, the truth is there’s a tendency to not proactively talk to our kids about sex and as a result, they’ll often hear it from someone else.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news, pop culture February 5, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Super Bowl Ads a Contrast of Culture

For good or bad, advertisements are a reflection and extension of the culture.

So, what did the commercials during last night’s Super Bowl communicate?

Just two observations:

1. The most popular ads lifted up noble ideals: Charles Revson was the founder of Revlon cosmetics. He once reflected that his company may make lipstick in a factory – but it is hope that they sell in the drugstores. Super Bowl XLVII’s highest scoring spots struck a similar hope-filled chord:

A trainer and his horse were reunited (Anheuser-Busch)
Hard-working farmers were lauded and honored (Dodge)
The sacrifices and demands facing military families were recognized (Jeep)
The everyday challenges of parent-child communication were noted(Kia)

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news, pop culture February 4, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

These Parents are Guaranteed to Win the Super Bowl

This Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers is being dubbed the “Harbaugh Bowl” – or even better, the “Super Baugh.”

The designation stems from the fact that for the first time in the championship game’s history the teams are being coached by brothers. Jim Harbaugh is the head coach of San Francisco, and John is at the helm for Baltimore.

What are the odds of such a matchup between two brothers?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, news, parenting February 1, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Are You a Happy Warrior?

I’ve always liked the poem by William Wordsworth titled “Character of the Happy Warrior.” Though not so intended, it is an appropriate charge to Christians who seek God’s strength in their efforts to engage the culture winsomely. Space does not permit me to share it in its entirety, but here are a few poignant verses:

Who is the happy Warrior? Who is he

That every man in arms should wish to be? …

Whose high endeavours are an inward light

That makes the path before him always bright …

Who, doomed to go in company with Pain,

And Fear, and Bloodshed, miserable train!

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church January 31, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Another Reason I Love Chick-fil-A

How are friendships forged and formed?

There are many ways, of course, from the traditional to the unorthodox, but C.S. Lewis once put it this way:

Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another: “What! You too?”

Dan Cathy is the president of Chick-fil-A and the son of the company’s founder, Truett Cathy. Dan is also a friend of mine, and I was reminded again this week of how much I appreciate the man when I saw a column about him from a homosexual activist in the Huffington Post.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, faith, relationships January 30, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Are the Boy Scouts Endangering Boys?

To the shock and disappointment of many of us, the Boy Scouts of America released a statement yesterday indicating the possibility of changing its policy that prevents the participation of openly practicing homosexuals.

According to press reports, the 100-year-old organization’s board will meet next week at which time the matter will be debated and likely decided.

In an official statement, the Scouts stated:

This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: homosexuality, news, pop culture January 29, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Video: Why I Will Risk My Reputation

I had the pleasure of sitting down recently with my friend and colleague, Kim Trobee, to discuss the general principles that I wrote about in my latest book, REFOCUS: Living a Life that Reflects God’s Heart. That chat was actually broadcast live on our website. We fielded questions from Focus on the Family’s Facebook audience.

The entire interview, which lasted about 30 minutes, can be viewed here:

In the course of the conversation I mentioned to Kim that I was willing to risk my reputation in exchange for something very precious to me.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, staff January 28, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Plight of the Orphan: Emotional Video

Have you ever thought about adopting, about rescuing a child from a bad situation?

Today’s Focus on the Family broadcast, The Plight of the Modern Day Orphan, features a great discussion on the topic with my friends and colleagues, Paul McCusker and Kelly Rosati. They joined John and me to discuss the impact of Charles Dickens’s tale “Oliver Twist” during an age when orphans were largely disregarded, and reiterate today’s need for orphan protection and care.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, promos January 25, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

One of the Most Influential People You’ve Never Heard Of

At some point in our lives, most of us have wanted to achieve greatness and make a difference in the world. We dream about it as kids, and it’s a popular theme at almost every high school and college graduation.

But for every Billy Graham, William Shakespeare, or Abraham Lincoln, you need a Max Talmey.

My guess is Max Talmey (pictured left) isn’t a name you’re familiar with. Consider yourself in the majority. Most people don’t know he was an ophthalmologist and scientist in the early nineteen hundreds.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news January 24, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

These are the Heroes of Today

My colleagues and I were talking about heroes yesterday afternoon, about the positive impact a courageous and principled figure can make in the life of another person, especially a child.

As we chatted the sun was slipping behind the mountains, bathing my westward facing office in a warm, golden glow. Is that a fitting metaphor, that amid all the sordid news of culture, the heroic figure is like the fading light of a long day?

One surely hopes not.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: pop culture, pro-life January 23, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura