Family and Home Archives

Unsung Hero: How Our Mother Made a Difference

Joining me on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Unsung Hero: How Our Mother Made a Difference” are three siblings from the Smallbone family.

Rebecca St. James is a successful Christian solo artist who has recorded 10 studio albums, winning one Grammy Award and three Dove Awards. She also co-hosts our podcast called Practice Makes Parent, along with our Vice President of Parenting and Youth, Dr. Danny Huerta.

Also with us are Rebecca’s brothers Luke and Joel, who have won multiple Grammy and Dove Awards as the contemporary music group For King & Country.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith April 22, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

War of the Words

What you say and what somebody hears are often two different things, which can lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding.

Your kids can learn that lesson and have a good time doing it if they’ll tune in to a special edition of our Focus on the Family Broadcast featuring an episode of Adventures in Odyssey called “War of the Words.”

If you’re new to Focus on the Family, Adventures in Odyssey is a radio drama for children (click here for more information).

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family April 19, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Engaging Hearts and Minds in a Broken Culture

In set 16 of the That the World May Know series, titled “Cultures in Conflict,” Bible teacher Ray Vander Laan leads viewers on a journey to where the Apostle Paul founded the church in Corinth and preached in Athens, Greece on Mars Hill. Ray highlights Paul’s tremendous ability to share God’s truth in a way the culture of his day could understand.

For example, at one of the most important structures in Corinth – a temple dedicated to Asclepius, the god of healing – Paul communicated God’s truth by taking advantage of a popular custom.

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

Capable of More

You and I have never met, but I already believe one thing about you is true: you’re capable of more than you think. I also believe this: you won’t discover how strong you are until you’re tested.

An unusual example of that is seven-year-old Chase Poust. On a weekend boating trip with his dad, he and his four-year-old sister, Abigail, jumped overboard for a swim. Dad had anchored off-shore at a slow point in the river, but the current was stronger than anyone realized.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family April 17, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Loving Your Spouse Through the Seasons of Marriage

What “season” is it for your marriage? Is it summer because things between you and your spouse are sizzling? Or is it winter because things feel a bit chilly?

Like many couples, when Jean and I first got married, we enjoyed being together every chance we could. In those early years, it was easy for us to think, “We’ll always feel this way.”

However, we soon discovered that relationships are like the weather – they change.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage April 16, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Marriage with a Smile

There’s an old saying that “laughter is good for the soul.” It’s good for the soul of your marriage as well.

My wife Jean and I have certainly discovered that to be true. Some of our greatest memories involve laughing together. A few times, we’ve laughed so hard for so long that we forgot why we started laughing in the first place. We were laughing at each other’s laughing.

One thing that’s obvious after laughing yourself to tears with someone is how connected you feel afterward.

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

Organizing the Chaos in Your Home

What’s your relationship with clutter Does it bring your comfort? Or fill you with anxiety?

We’re all a little different. Some of us don’t mind a little clutter, or see a good reason to pick up somebody’s else socks. Some of us feel a tidy home offers peace. We’re more calm if we’re not navigating scattered piles of things and activities.

Regardless of where you fall on the tidiness spectrum, there are ways to organize that increase the efficiency of your home, so you can maximize the time you devote to family and other priorities.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting April 12, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Operation for the Soul

Would you forgive someone who shattered your life?

On a beautiful summer afternoon in 2015, Bryan Kuck and his wife, Lynn, went for a motorcycle ride. On their way home, less than a mile from their house, they were run off the road by a drunk driver whose blood alcohol level was four times the legal limit. Lynn was killed instantly. Bryan was critically injured with two crushed hips, a broken pelvis, and a left leg that was amputated after being pinned under the wreckage.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family April 11, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Sniglets

Back in the 80s, comedian Rich Hall did a routine called Sniglets. A Sniglet was any word that should be in the dictionary but isn’t. Like the word “snackmosphere.” That’s what he called the huge pocket of air inside a potato chip bag when you first open it. Or “Pepsiluvium.” That’s the soda that bubbles through the plastic lid when you push your straw through.

Sniglets illustrate the limitations of language. English currently uses more than 170,000 words.

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

Walking with God Through Trials

We all think we have strong faith. Until our world gets rocked.

An adverse diagnosis.

A child who loses their way.

A divorce.

The storms of life leave us shaken, wondering if God is really there.

Psalm 34:18 assures us that He is: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

What a comfort that is!

God’s presence has anchored author Michelle Cushatt’s life through the upheaval of many trials and difficulties.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family April 9, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura