Jim Daly

A Mother’s Story of Loss and Redemption

Few parents have experienced the heartbreak of losing a child.

Fewer still have endured that suffering twice.

Lindsey Dennis and her husband, Kevin know the depths of that heartache. They also know how God’s comfort can bring beauty out of terrible circumstances.

Lindsey and Kevin are sharing their tragic and touching story with us on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “A Mother’s Story of Loss and Redemption.”

At what was supposed to be a routine prenatal visit, the couple was given shocking news: “We can’t find your baby’s skull.” Their baby was diagnosed with anencephaly.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, tragedy

A Poignant Day in the Daly Household

I’ll cut right to the point.

Jean and I are grieving a little bit this week – not over the death of a loved one or a dire medical diagnosis – but grieving nonetheless.

Our oldest, Trent, left for a nearby college earlier this week.

We couldn’t be happier for him, of course, especially seeing how he’s matured and grown over these last few years. We’ve been impressed with his choice of friends, his attitude and his overall goals and sense of direction.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: children, faith, parenting

Equipping Christians to Understand Sexuality

Take a look at these alarming statistics:

41% of practicing Christians believe that cohabitation is a good idea.60% of people on Christian dating websites say they have no moral inhibitions against sex before marriage.32% of Christian men ages 18 to 30 admit to having an addiction to pornography (not casual use, mind you, but an addiction).

How did we get so far away from God’s design for sexuality?

I’d love to read your thoughts in the comment section below.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith

Following God’s Pace Instead of Your Own

It’s easy for us as Christians to lose track of God’s timing in our lives. Our culture is driven, and we often fall prey to busyness. We work hard at our jobs. We volunteer at church. We have hobbies and responsibilities around the house. Some days there’s not much left of our time or our energy to keep our relationships in order.

That was true for Terry Looper. His goal was to become a wealthy businessman.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family

Heroic Moms Raising Godly Heroes

“We practiced an active shooter drill today.”

Those words from Lee Nienhuis’ grade-school aged son, Ryan, felt like a gut punch. She could barely hold herself together when he told her, “We pile up in the corner like puppies, and we hide.”

That wasn’t the only time Lee was confronted by the darkness her children face in this world. Another incident happened in church. The congregation was singing the hymn I Have Decided to Follow Jesus. Lee could hear her son Ryan singing when they reached the words: “The cross before me, the world behind me.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, parenting

‘The Hunt’ cancelation is welcome news – murdering political opponents isn’t entertaining or funny

As you may have recently heard, Universal Pictures announced Saturday it had canceled the planned September release of the film “The Hunt” about liberals hunting conservative “Deplorables” who fit the description of supporters of President Trump.

The cancelation was a victory for common sense and decency.

But as I wrote for Fox News, liberals have been – metaphorically speaking – “hunting” religious conservatives for years. They have been attempting to deconstruct our traditional values, as well as seeking to tear down all the institutions that so many of us hold dear.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: current events, movies

Growing Your Marriage in Times of Stress

Does your marriage stress you out? If not, there’s still a good chance that you’re bringing stress into your marriage.

Either way, how do you handle it?

The natural inclination for a lot of couples is to seek stress relief in non-relational ways that enable them to hide – things like drugs and alcohol, or even behaviors like shopping, gambling, excessive cleaning, or binge-watching television – all of which lead to addiction, unhealthy obsessions, or lashing out at other people.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, conflict, faith

Finding Grace in the Midst of Racial Division

Sometimes God calls us to do things that are bigger than us – so big that all we can do is rely on His strength to get us through.

Captain Ron Johnson experienced that truth in an inspiring way. He’s a retired African-American police officer who became well-known after the governor of Missouri assigned him to lead security efforts in Ferguson, Missouri after a young black male, Michael Brown, was killed by a white police officer.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, faith

Of Course Violent Video Games Desensitize Kids

As officials attempt to continue piecing together the motives behind last weekend’s horrific cold-blooded murder sprees in both El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, attention has turned once again to the role violent video games play in these types of attacks.

In remarks from the White House earlier this week, President Trump suggested they were likely one factor in a long list of many.

“We must stop the glorification of violence in our society,” he said.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: current events, entertainment, parenting

Redeeming a Marriage and Childhood Wounds

Grammy-award winning singer and songwriter Russ Taff grew up in church, but he was an adult the first time he was truly able to understand God’s love.

His dad was a pastor who preached what Russ calls a “hard Gospel.” That means there were rules about clothes, rules about hair, rules about attitude. Rules, rules, rules – so many that his father couldn’t live up to his own standards. His father relapsed with alcohol again and again for years and, ultimately, didn’t stop drinking until he died.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: Domestic abuse, faith, marriage