Jim Daly

It’s a (potential) Major Award!

Gabriel Heatter, the old radio newsman of the World War II era, used to begin his broadcast with the same opening line: “Good evening, everyone. There is good news tonight!”

Well, our local paper, the Colorado Springs Gazette, has a “good news” type of story today that might be of some interest to listeners and supporters of Focus on the Family.

This encouraging development is attributable to God’s grace, the generous support of millions of listeners and viewers and the hard work of an incredible team here at the ministry.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: entertainment, events, news

When I Am Weak

As promised, here is the first chapter of my new book, Stronger: Trading Brokenness for Unbreakable Strength.

Thanks for reading along!

Chapter 1: When I Am Weak

This isn’t how it works in the movies.

On a chilly Sunday morning in December, David Works and his family—his wife, Marie, and daughters Stephanie, Laurie, Rachel, and Grace—finish worshipping at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

As usual, they stay after the service to enjoy conversation with friends.

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

An Interesting Way to Pray

“Writing a book is an adventure,” wrote Winston Churchill.

“To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement; then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster, and fling him out to the public.”

Leave it to Sir Winston Churchill to paint a colorful picture with words.

On a related note, the mistress crack notwithstanding, today is September 1st, the official release date of my new book, written with Jim Lund, from Cook Communications, Stronger: Trading Brokenness for Unbreakable Strength.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: events, family

Praying for Persecution?

“Writing a book is an adventure,” wrote Winston Churchill.

Leave it to Winston Churchill to paint a colorful picture with words.

But on a related note, the mistress crack notwithstanding, today is September 1st, the official release date of my new book from Cook Communications, Stronger: Trading Brokenness for Unbreakable Strength.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family

Holding Your Child Back

What parent wants to deliberately hold his or her child back?

According to an essay in this past Friday’s Wall Street Journal, quite a few.

Writing on the Opinion page of the Weekend Journal, Bostonian Jennifer Graham points to a growing trend of parents who are deciding to keep their child back a year or two, for all kinds of reasons. Some do so because they think their children aren’t quite ready, be it academically, emotionally or even athletically.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting

Snoozing and Losing

Have you ever overslept? Who hasn’t?

But when was the last time doing so potentially caused you to miss out on a $10 million paycheck?

Professional golfer Jim Furyk overslept yesterday and missed his tee time at a pro-am event in New Jersey. He said he had set his alarm on his cell phone but didn’t realize its battery was low. The phone died overnight. Mr. Furyk woke up 7 minutes before he was scheduled to begin play.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: faith, news

If I Were a Teacher…

The calendar still suggests summer, but in certain parts of the country, there is a touch of fall in the air. Here in Colorado Springs, we had our first 40 degree night in months just yesterday.

There is another sign of the coming change: in our family, the boys have headed back to school. Trent is now in the 4th grade and his younger brother, Troy, started 2nd.

I am grateful, of course, to see our boys grow and mature.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting

My New Book

Just an FYI: I have a new book coming out September 1st.

It’s called Stronger: Trading Brokenness for Unbreakable Strength.

The content comes straight from my heart, dealing with the challenges associated with embracing the hardships of life in order to learn what God would teach us through tough times.

The book is filled with incredible stories of people who have faced some very difficult hurdles. I’ll be sharing some of it in this space, but it’ll be available through Focus on the Family or wherever books are sold.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: events, faith, staff

Never Give Up On Life

Derek Redmond is a retired British track and field star. His career was plagued by injuries. Ironically, he’s probably best remembered and beloved for a race he didn’t win at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

The following video may have been shot 18 years ago, but could this be a message and reminder you need to see today?

Never give up on life!

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, pop culture

Until We Meet Again

My good friend and colleague, Bart Phillips, died last Thursday night. He was buried yesterday under a warm and cloudless Colorado summer sky. At just 41 years-old, Bart was in love with life. As husband to Suzi and father to three boys, ages 12, 9 and 8, he had a lot for which to be grateful.

His personal email even reflected one of his great passions; bringingupboys@_______.

When word came to me that Bart had collapsed inside his home on Thursday night and had been rushed to the ER, I joined several of Bart’s other close friends from Focus at the local hospital to pray.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: friendship