Young girls seem to be maturing physically earlier than past generations. In fact, some counselors warn that if you haven’t discussed puberty and sexual development with your child by age 8 or 9, somebody else likely already has. If that’s alarming to you, tune in to our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Guiding Your Daughter … Continue reading Guiding Your Daughter into Womanhood →

Are you ready to take on the ultimate holiday movie challenge? It’s easy and, best of all, it will bring you together as a family. Here it is. Between now and Christmas, sit down together as a family and watch as many Christmas movies as you can. I don’t usually recommend families spend more time … Continue reading Holiday Movie Challenge →

The tingles can get you married. They can also get you divorced. Dr. Gary Chapman has heard a lot of couples in premarital counseling talk about “the tingles” – that emotional flutter we feel when we’re attracted to each other. “The tingles” play an important role in forming romantic relationships. They turn a simple hello … Continue reading Staying True to Your Marriage →

A Colorado rancher once shared an insight with me that illustrates the balance between discipline and love in parenting. He said he employed two strategies for guiding his cattle to where he wanted them on his ranch. The first was a well. Cattle roam miles of grassland when they’re grazing, but they usually stay close … Continue reading Barbed Wire and a Well →

On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Laying Your Life on the Line for Christ,” I’m speaking with Virginia Prodan, who grew up behind the Iron Curtain in Romania, terrorized by dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Although he promised U.S. authorities that he would respect human and religious rights in order to gain most-favored-nation status and be … Continue reading Laying Your Life on the Line for Christ →

When Dr. Tony Evans served as a chaplain for the National Football League, he got the opportunity to speak to players on the eve of the Super Bowl. What he remembers most about that moment was the intense focus he saw in their eyes. Each player was locked in on the task at hand: winning … Continue reading What’s Your Lombardi? →

I love Thanksgiving. There’s great food – thank you, Jean – and plenty of football. Most important of all, Thanksgiving is a time for thanking God for His incredible blessings. I’m thankful for my wife and two boys and for the help we’ve been able to provide families through foster care. I’m also thankful for … Continue reading Celebrating God’s Blessings on Thanksgiving →

Many moms feel overwhelmed by the shopping, cooking, and high expectations of the holiday season. But making memories doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. One of author Jessica Smartt’s best memories is taking her first communion class. She doesn’t remember a lot of theology, but she does remember her mother taking her through a … Continue reading Building Lasting Memories in Your Family →

In 1969, The Brady Bunch became the first sitcom in television history to depict what was then a new trend in America: a blended family. Mike and Carol Brady, who both had three children from previous relationships, strived hard each week to – as the theme song said – “somehow form a family.” Most of … Continue reading Somehow Form a Family →

Before having children, author Heidi St. John’s confidence in God felt unshakable. A few years and a few children later, Heidi felt so discouraged that she could barely get out of bed. She remembers waking one cold January morning and hearing her children arguing in another room. The day hadn’t even begun, and she was … Continue reading Fueling Motherhood Through Spiritual Discipline →