relationships Archives

How to Manage Life’s Distractions

Rachel lost two years of her life.

Maybe the first thought that comes to mind when you read that sentence is that Rachel suffered some sort of tragic accident that threw her into a coma – or she bonked her head and lost two years to amnesia.

But neither of those are accurate, and what happened to her can happen to any of us.

Her life was filled with distractions.

If our to-do lists are never-ending, and we’re always thinking ahead to the next thing, and the next thing, and the next thing, then we can easily miss out on the real life that’s happening right in front of us.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting, relationships, technology February 1, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Nine Attitudes that Will Strengthen Your Marriage

The Beatitudes are a beloved part of Matthew’s Gospel. They’re eight blessings Jesus offered to His audience – and to us – to remind us of the blessings we can enjoy when our lives are committed to God.

On today’s broadcast, you’ll hear a recorded message from popular speaker and pastor Mark Gungor, who used that framework as a catalyst for what he calls the nine “‘Be’ Attitudes” of marriage. These are specific attitudes that can help you and your spouse build a successful relationship.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage, relationships January 25, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Help Your Daughter Understand Romantic Relationships

Do you have a daughter who’s a “crushaholic”? That’s a term that describes a young lady who is constantly seeking affirmation from boys.

I don’t have daughters myself, but my boys Trent and Troy are 15 and 13, so Jean and I are seeing the upheaval of the teen years up close. The physical, mental, and emotional changes can be intense.

Did I mention the emotional changes?

They can be especially pronounced in girls who tend to be emotional creatures by nature, more so than boys.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, kids, parenting, relationships December 8, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Five Tips for Making This Thanksgiving One of the Best Ones Ever

Thanksgiving is one of the great American holidays, a time dedicated to the deliberate expression of gratitude to the Lord for this country and our many blessings.

If you’re like my wife, Jean, you’ve been shopping and preparing the last few days. Perhaps you’ve cleared your house of extra clutter, wiped the fingerprints off the fridge and aired out the stuffy guest room. The serving platters are out of storage and your overnight guests might even be on their way.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: events, faith, family, relationships November 25, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Forgive When It Seems Impossible

Forgiveness may be one of the hardest things God asks us to do.

Not so sure? Well, think about Jonah.

Jonah was a prophet of God. His life was devoted to serving the Lord and following His will. But then God said, “Forgive the Ninevites.”

Now, remember who the Ninevites were. They weren’t the innocent-looking people so often portrayed in Sunday school lessons. They were cruel and wicked and enemies of God’s people. It would be the equivalent of God saying to us, “I want you to go to the Middle East to forgive ISIS.”

I’m sure you remember Jonah’s initial response.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, family, relationships November 19, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What a Circle and Oval Can Teach Us About Culture

Picture two shapes: a circle and an oval. Did you know these basic geometric designs can teach us a lot about our culture?

Remember the name Ivan Pavlov? He was the Nobel Prize-winning physiologist, best known for his experiments involving ringing bells and salivating dogs. Well, it may not surprise you to learn that he conducted other scientific tests as well. One in particular, I believe, illustrates a significant challenge facing our culture.

The project went like this: Pavlov trained his dogs to distinguish between circles and ovals.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, relationships October 13, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Understand Your Personality Type

Imagine if you put lions, otters, beavers, and a few golden retrievers all in the same room. What do you think would happen?

Talk about crazy. It’d be like Wild Kingdom in there.

There’s no surprise why. They’re nothing alike. They each approach the world through their own unique perspective and don’t see eye-to-eye on much of anything.

By this point, if you’re not familiar with the concept or the terminology, I should tell you that the scenario I just described isn’t an actual zoo (although it can sure feel like one some days).

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, relationships August 17, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Why Is Modern Dating so Confusing for Christians?

What’s the worst date you’ve ever had?

Our own Lisa Anderson, who spearheads Boundless, Focus on the Family’s ministry to singles, has had some doozies. One guy showed up to their second date with a full PowerPoint presentation for how their relationship ought to move forward, complete with pivot tables and algorithms.

Experiences like that are just one reason many singles express so much confusion and frustration about the dating process and their hopes for marriage.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, relationships August 3, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Guest Post: We’re Qualified to Adopt Children But Not a Dog?

My wife, Julie, and I are privileged to be the parents of three young boys: Riley (9), Will (4) and Alex (3), all of whom we adopted at birth.

Like any parent, we walk the hall of our home at night and peer into their darkened rooms, listening for the easy breathing of children at peace. Our boys are busy and spirited, the kind of youngsters who melt your heart and at the same time can test your patience.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, relationships June 9, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Loneliness is a Strategy Against Our Souls

There may be no greater irony in our society than this.

Technology we could hardly have dreamed of thirty years ago is now at our fingertips. We can connect with almost anyone anywhere in the world within seconds in a dozen different ways – from the traditional phone call to email to social media to texting.

And, yet, more and more of us admit to feeling lonely.

How is that possible?

Maybe it’s because the “connection” we all believe we have is really an illusion.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, faith, relationships May 21, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura