According to the CDC (11/2020):

Stillbirth affects about 1 in 160 pregnancies.Each year, about 24,000 babies are stillborn.As many as 1 in 4 known pregnancies end in miscarriage.

No one wants to be represented in those statistics. Nothing can prepare a parent for the devastation of losing a child. The grief can seem insurmountable.

Those of us on the outside of that loss – families, friends, and the church community surrounding the parents – often don’t comprehend the depth of pain and sorrow that bereaved parents experience.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith January 19, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Ladies, when was the last time you stepped outside of your busy schedule and spent quality time with God? Has it been a while? It’s not easy to slow down when you’re running as fast as you can.

I know how busy my wife is, and I can only imagine that you can relate. Jean’s days are packed from beginning to end and finding time to connect with God can be tough. That’s why she recently took time to join a handful of girlfriends on a retreat in the mountains to relax and study the Word.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith January 14, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Something terrible happened at a nationally televised sporting event. At least, you’d think it was terrible given the stir it caused on social media.

Here’s what happened: During a break in the action, a camera caught two friends sitting together in the stands having a conversation.

That’s it.

No one argued. No one threw a punch.

Two people simply talked and enjoyed a football game together.

What created the social media firestorm was who the two friends were.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith January 11, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Christmastime brings family together, and that’s a good thing. 

As an old year closes and a new one opens, December celebrations hopefully leave us with rich and positive memories.  Yet sometimes all the family togetherness also leaves us with disappointment or a new burden to bear.

Maybe you are reveling in some positive holiday afterglow.  That’s good – soak it up.  Family is one of the greatest joys because good relationships can reflect a foretaste of the Divine.  At the same time, we aren’t in Heaven and therefore relational strain, “growth opportunities” and downright abusive situations must be faced.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith December 29, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

One day, well into her adult years, Florence Littauer’s dad invited her into a tiny back room of the little store he’d operated for decades, reached into a hiding place behind an upright piano against a back wall, and retrieved an old cigar box.

Inside were a handful of articles he had published in the local paper. Until then, Florence had no idea her father was a writer. He’d never discovered his true potential because no one had ever encouraged him.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith December 27, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Merry Christmas! I’m sure you’re looking forward to time with your family as you celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ tomorrow.

Today, we’re bringing you a special message by popular author and speaker Liz Curtis Higgs, sharing at one of our staff chapels about how the very first Christmas in Bethlehem changed the world forever. That’s a familiar story, of course, but with a blend of biblical truth and a great sense of humor, Liz provides a fresh perspective through the eyes of the first women to meet baby Jesus.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith December 24, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura