Family and Home Archives

Trying to Determine When a Date is a Date

It’s not a trick question. When it comes to two single people of the opposite sex sharing a meal or a movie together, when does it become a “date” – as opposed to just two people of the opposite sex sharing a meal or a movie together?

A group of my colleagues and I were talking about this the other day. The consensus seemed to be centered on the matter of money.

If the guy pays, it’s probably a date.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: intimacy, marriage June 25, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Real War on Women

If you ingest a steady dose of daily news, it would be easy to grow weary of the din of the average day, the discordant sounds of a culture awash in controversy. An issue may startle and grab you, but just as soon as you begin to digest it, another wild and upsetting story comes along, like the rolling tide of a stormy sea.

I was thinking about this the other day, pondering how it’s possible that both the president of the United States and the House of Representatives support sex-selection abortion.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting, pop culture, pro-life June 24, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What Coke and Christianity Have in Common

I was struck by this full-page ad that ran in this past Sunday’s New York Times.

The advertisement was placed in response to the current debate about banning oversized soft drinks in New York City. Coke used the placement to remind consumers they offer a variety of package sizes, including a 7.5 ounce “portion-control” can.

In thinking about Coke’s main message, “everything in moderation, except fun,” I got to thinking there’s a parallel to our Christian faith.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, events June 22, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Bullied Bus Monitor Depicts Clash of Two Worlds

A heart-wrenching 10-minute video of 68-year-old bus monitor in upstate New York, Karen Klein, being bullied by middle school students has gone viral and is being played and replayed on cable news today.

In many ways, the video captures what is wrong with our culture. We see and hear students disrespecting an elder, hurling insults and horrible vulgarities. It is a microcosm of a broken system, of children running wild, at taxpayers’ expense, no less! We see Mrs.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news June 21, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Who’s Your Favorite TV Dad?

Although they’re fictitious characters, a good many people have been “raised” by fathers on TV, for good or bad. On the heels of Father’s Day this past Sunday, I thought it would be fun to ask you to share with me who your favorite television dad is – and why?

Here are some choices, in no particular order, but please feel free to write in a candidate of your choice:

Charles Ingalls (Michael Landon, Little House on the Prairie)
“Pa” was a man’s man, a rugged frontiersman who was as tender as he was tough.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, entertainment June 19, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Marco Rubio’s Great Lesson

Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s memoir, An American Son, was released this week. Born to Cuban refugees, his story is an inspiring and candid one. There is much to talk about concerning this rising star in the Republican party, but for now one specific reference in the book is worth noting.

Upon arriving in the Senate in 2010, Mr. Rubio forged a friendship with Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont. The elder Leahy counseled him on balancing his work with his family responsibilities.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news, religious liberty June 19, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

When it Comes to Immigration Reform, Numbers Have Names

Focus on the Family’s decision to endorse the National Association of Evangelical’s bipartisan proposal on immigration reform has ignited a spirited dialogue within Christendom. To be candid, this doesn’t surprise me.

Does it surprise you?

The issue is a complex one, especially when it comes to finding a practical solution to the stalemate over what to do with the 12 million plus individuals who are living without proper documentation within our country. It’s easy to reduce the issue to the numbers, but the numbers have names – and each name is a person created in the image and likeness of a loving God.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news, policy June 19, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Father’s Day Ads Through the Years

To see a vintage advertisement is to get a brief peek into the past:

Wrisley – Father’s Day, Wrisley Spruce for Dad (1945)

Recognized Hatter – Father’s Day, Straw Hat (1946)

Studebaker– Car Craftsmanship, Father/Son Photo (1946)

US Steel – Father/Son Gardening Theme (1946)

Inter Woven Socks – Father’s Day (1951)

Anaconda Copper – Father & Son Workshop Art (1951)

Thermos Products – Father’s Day (1959)

Shulton Old Spice – Fathers Day Sailboats (1960)

A very Happy Father’s Day to all the dads and grandpas!

Topics: Family and Home Tags: events, family June 14, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Gallup Reports Shift Toward Life

According to the Gallup polling organization more Americans are identifying themselves as “pro-life” and fewer as “pro-choice,” this year over last year.

As reported:

The 41% of Americans who now identify themselves as “pro-choice” is down from 47% last July and is one percentage point below the previous record low in Gallup trends, recorded in May 2009. Fifty percent now call themselves “pro-life,” one point shy of the record high, also from May 2009.

To be fair, these statistics have been bouncing around over the last decade, but when you consider that 56% of Americans qualified themselves as “pro-choice” in 1996, the trajectory toward a majority support of life is encouraging.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news June 14, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How Would You Spend One More Day with Your Dad?

Here’s the scenario:

If you could turn back the clock and spend one last day with your father, what would you do? If your dad is still living, what would be the ideal way to enjoy his company?

Father’s Day, which is this coming Sunday, doesn’t receive nearly the same degree of attention as Mother’s Day. Nevertheless, millions of dads will still be hailed as heroes, and rightly so.

Not everyone has a happy story or good memories of their upbringing.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family June 13, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura