Family and Home Archives

Quitting Isn’t an Option: My Life as a Navy Seal

We’re commemorating Memorial Day on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Quitting Isn’t an Option: My Life as a Navy Seal.” We’re airing the testimony of Chad Williams, who was transformed from a college dropout to one of America’s most elite military operatives – a Navy SEAL.

Chad’s story illustrates the grueling process of becoming a SEAL, the dedication of our military men and women, and honors American heroes who have died for our freedoms, including his beloved SEAL training coach, Scott Helvenston, who died tragically after redeploying to Iraq.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith May 31, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Sharing Wisdom with the Next Generation

Rob Parsons is the founder and chairman of Care for the Family in the United Kingdom, a sister organization to Focus on the Family. In his study are two armchairs, one to the right of the fireplace and one to the left. One night, Rob imagined each of his grandchildren, not as the little ones they were, but as grown men and women in their 20s or 30s. They each sat in one of the armchairs after somebody had broken their heart or stepped all over their dreams.

Topics: Family and Home May 27, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Surviving a Family Tragedy

On Good Friday, April 9, 2004, tragedy struck the Bainter family. Brett was mowing the lawn on his riding mower, while his three-year-old son, Jake, played in the driveway.

At one point, Brett backed up, not realizing that Jake had run up behind him. A baby-sitter who was supervising Jake tried to stop the impending accident, but it was too late. Brett ran over Jake, and the young boy would end up losing his right leg.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, tragedy May 26, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Understanding Your Spouse’s Emotions

For a stronger marriage, ask yourself, “What’s my EQ?”

While your IQ is a measure of your intelligence, your EQ is a measure of your “emotional intelligence.”

That term was coined in 1995 by Daniel Goleman, who first applied the concept to businessmen and women. As he defined it, emotional intelligence is the degree to which you are able to make healthy relational choices based on your understanding of your emotions and those around you. The concept eventually spilled outside of the business world into other arenas.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage May 24, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Developing Your Leadership Skills as a Woman

Over the last few decades, our culture has seen a tremendous increase in the number of women leaders.

From the beginning, God instructed men and women to function as equal, interdependent partners. We can be fruitful only when we work together. Our differences are complementary, not conflicting.

Women’s leadership styles are often more transformative, participative, and inclusive than those of their male counterparts. Author Deborah Pegues shares the special innate qualities God has gifted women leaders:

On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Developing Your Leadership Skills as a Woman,” Deborah Pegues is with us to examine the special innate qualities God has given women and how those characteristics can be honed to make you an effective leader and woman of influence.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: leadership, women May 21, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Rebuilding Trust in Your Marriage After Infidelity

Infidelity is a mirage.

It promises fulfillment. It delivers heartache and tragedy. Not only is the rush of excitement short-lived, but it is quickly replaced by long-lasting and devastating consequences.

When an affair is exposed, the betrayal is often so deep that couples rush to divorce. But ending your marriage in the wake of infidelity isn’t the simple solution people assume. It often replaces one set of problems with another.

Reconciliation can create long-term resolution. Research shows us that couples who are willing to work through betrayal and pain with godly forgiveness can eventually rebuild their relationship.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage May 19, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Understanding Your Teen’s Behavior

“What were you thinking?”

If you’re a parent of teenagers, you’ve probably asked that question a few times. I know I have. More than once, Jean and I have looked at each other and asked about one of our boys: “What is going on in that brain of his?”

According to Dr. Jeramy and Jerusha Clark, our guests on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Understanding Your Teen’s Behavior,” there’s an avalanche of change happening inside a teenager’s body.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting, Teens May 17, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Cherishing Your Spouse Every Day

Author Gary Thomas thought he had a pretty good marriage. Then God reminded him of the pledge he’d made to his wife at their wedding, a pledge you probably made as well if you used traditional vows.

It’s this: “I promise to love and to cherish you until death do us part.” Gary now admits that the moment he said those words at the altar was the last time he considered the word “cherish” in terms of his marriage.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage May 14, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Understanding the Root of Your Child’s Misbehavior

Why do kids misbehave?

According to Dr. Kevin Leman, all misbehavior is a call for attention. If your children don’t get attention from you through positive actions, they’ll get it through negative actions.

He says the four goals of misbehavior are:

Once you understand the reasons behind your child’s misbehavior, the most important question still remains: what do you do about it?

Dr. Leman is our guest on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Understanding the Root of Your Child’s Misbehavior” to share how to uncover the root cause of whining, backtalking, and tantrums, and how to offer your children more love and acceptance without coddling them.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting May 12, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Foster Care: How Everyone Can Help

What is the goal of foster care?

That’s a big question with a multi-faceted answer. We’re not all called to do the same thing, but we’re all capable of doing something. The ultimate goal is for every believer to feel empowered with a sense of calling and direction about their role.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Cor.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: adoption, church, foster care May 10, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura