Sign Up for Dr. Dobson's Newsletter And More!

From Welcome to Our Table My mother was the glue that held our family together. If anything fun happened, it was because she was responsible for it. She was employed full-time, and yet she tried to make the holidays as special as she could for my brother and me. As for my dad, he was an absentee father who was rarely there for us. One of my favorite days of the year was Easter, when winter was behind us and spring had arrived at last. The flowers... Read More

Dear Moms (Dads can read along), We have chosen to devote our newsletter this month to mothers around the world. It features an article published with permission from Taste of the South magazine, and was written by Betty Terry. It caught the attention of our daughter, Danae Dobson, who is proud of our southern heritage and its culinary traditions. I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and grew up enjoying wonderful cooking by the women in our fami... Read More

Greetings, everyone, I want to retell a favorite story as I lived it in 1958. You might find it difficult to believe this account, but what you’re about to read is absolutely true. In April of that year, I turned 22 and graduated from college a month later. I was excited about the future and was anxious to get on with my life. I had been accepted as a graduate student at the University of Southern California and planned to begin working that fall... Read More

Dear Friend, Since my most recent letter to you, the culture has rolled on at a frantic pace. For example, President Joe Biden was thrown out of the presidential race, and Vice President Kamala Harris was named the Democratic party's presidential nominee. Harris chose the ultra-liberal governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, as her running mate. Together, they represent the most radicalized Left presidential ticket in American history,1 and the liberal ... Read More

Dear Friend, I am writing this letter days after our former president, Donald J. Trump, was the target of an attempted assassination. In God's divine providence, the bullets that were fired at President Trump narrowly missed their mark. Tragically, one bullet struck an attendee, Corey Comperatore, as he courageously shielded his wife and two daughters from the assassin's assault. He died heroically, protecting his loved ones. Two other bystanders... Read More

Dear Friend, In this month of May, it's appropriate that we turn our attention to what I believe is one of the most critical and tragic issues of our day—the degradation of women and the sacred calling of motherhood. You will recall in the letter last month, there was an emphasis on our urgent need to get back to the basics. Few things are more fundamentally important than God's remarkable design of a woman and the priceless role she holds as a m... Read More

Dear Friend, If you have followed our ministry for several years, you know that I have experienced problems with my voice. It has interfered with my radio broadcasts consistently. However, I have just had surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. That procedure was performed a few weeks ago, and so far, I am able to talk much more clearly. We praise the Lord for that success. Perhaps you will hear me on the Family Talk broadcast in the near... Read More

Dear Friends, It's February already, and it feels like we were just celebrating the Christmas season and the beginning of a new year. How does time fly so fast? We work at a breathless pace to prepare for these holidays, and we never seem to have enough time to fully enjoy them. I call this hectic way of living, "routine panic," and it is not only limited to the holiday season. For many of us, it's a pattern of everyday life. Can you and your fam... Read More

Dear Friends, Do you know why our organization and others call attention each year to the preciousness of human life during the month of January? It is because during this month in 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Roe v. Wade decision which legalized abortion, for any reason or no reason, through all nine months of pregnancy. That one ruling resulted in more than 60 million abortions during the almost 50 years of its existence. Meanwhile, ... Read More

Jim and Shirley celebrating their 63rd anniversary Dear Friends, On August 27, 2023, Shirley and I celebrated our 63rd wedding anniversary. To help us prepare for the occasion, I decided to give some thought to a topic I call "the thrill of the chase." There is nothing in human experience quite like the exhilaration of romantic passion when it first breaks into the senses. It is called being "smitten," and for good reason. The head spins, the hea... Read More

Dear Friend, Before I introduce the message of this month's newsletter, I want to share some personal news. Several weeks ago, I slipped and fell, tweaking my neck. I was hospitalized for four days, after which I received three weeks of rehabilitation. The good news is that I am on the road to recovery and beginning to get back into the swing of things. I am a blessed man, as Shirley has been a loving caregiver during this difficult season. We wo... Read More

Dear Friend, While there are many topics weighing on my heart right now, I am choosing one that means a great deal to me. It's the subject of fatherhood. I want to share with you a past letter I wrote for men—specifically for dads in which I drew from similar thoughts found in my book, Bringing Up Boys. A colleague recently told me that this is one of those letters he could read every year, and it would make him a better dad for it. As we pay hom... Read More

Dear Friend, I am writing you today to warn of an imminent and real threat to the sovereignty of our nation. Two of our founding fathers, President George Washington and President Thomas Jefferson, counseled America against forming misaligned alliances with foreign entities—especially those who do not share our allegiance to the principles that formed our republic. Yet, the Biden administration is on the verge of doing just that by turning our ke... Read More

Hello, Everyone, Welcome to the April edition of the JDFI newsletter. This month, I have collaborated with Joe Waresak, the new president of the James Dobson Family Institute. Joe and I share the same convictions, and many of the words in this letter capture his sentiment as well as mine. He is now handling the administrative responsibility of our ministry. I am chairman of the board and still very active. In addition, our team includes a wonderf... Read More

Dear Friends, Recently, a colleague sent me an article that described a retirement center where the residents spent most of their time playing cards, pickleball, shuffleboard, and drinking heavily at parties. For them, life was like being on a perpetual cruise ship, where leisure had become an obsession. Most of these people had retired early to capture what they perceived as "the good life." From my reading of Scripture, this is not biblical. Re... Read More

Dear Friends, Have you noticed that the fully discredited warnings about runaway human population from the 1960s is making a comeback in today's leftist media? For more than 20 years, it was widely predicted and believed that millions of people around the world would starve to death and suffer other catastrophes if immediate steps were not taken to severely limit the number of babies produced by the human family. I was in graduate school when Dr.... Read More

Dear Friends, As we enter a new year, the outcome of the midterm elections still weighs heavily on my heart. To sum up my gravest concerns, our country is abandoning our most sacred values of life and liberty. Even in the wake of overturning Roe v. Wade, the cultural mandate to equate the slaughter of unborn babies with the inherent rights of women seems to be embraced now more than ever. It is appalling to think that our politicians on the Left ... Read More

Greetings to you at this wonderful time of the year. To help us celebrate the Yuletide season, I want to tell you a Christmas story as I lived it in 1958. You might find it difficult to believe what you are about to read, but it is absolutely true. In April of that year, I turned 22 and graduated from college a month later. I was excited about the future and was anxious to be able to get on with my life. I had been accepted as a graduate student ... Read More

Dear Friends, We are at a critical moment in America. What happens on Election Day this November will have a profound impact on the future of our country. The sanctity of life, religious liberty, and our children's future are all at stake. In fact, truth itself is up for a vote. A close colleague shared this article (below) with me that was written by her pastor, Phil Congdon. He shepherds the New Braunfels Bible Church in Texas. His writing shed... Read More

Dear Friends, I often hear people say, "I don't recognize America anymore." Millions of Americans apparently feel like strangers in our own country. Recently, U.S. Marine Carl Spurlin Dekel, a WWII veteran who celebrated his 100th birthday, shared the same view. "People don't realize what they have. The things we did and the things we fought for and the boys that died for it, it's all gone down the drain." 1 How absolutely tragic. Everywhere we t... Read More

Dear Friends, I am writing to you this month about a most troubling concern. It focuses on the battle being waged for this country and especially for the hearts and minds of its children. We are losing both at an alarming rate. To understand the great peril America faces, we need to examine what Marxists and the far-Left are up to. They set out decades ago to destroy our democratic system of government by tearing down its institutions, its tradit... Read More

Dear Friends, Before I begin the subject of this letter, I want to take a moment to focus on the amazing gift of motherhood, which we will celebrate this May. I can only imagine what my life would have been like without the profound loving care and godly wisdom that my mother poured into me. I want to uplift and thank every woman out there who is doing the job of a mom—whether your sons and daughters were birthed or adopted, you are undertaking o... Read More

Hello, Everyone, As I sit down to write this letter, I continue to have a heavy heart about the multiple tragedies occurring to the gentle people of Ukraine. Images of their plight are ever on my mind. How can I write about anything else? Recently, Fox News showed a heart-wrenching video of a man carrying a baby wrapped in a blanket. The child, perhaps one-year-old, had been hit in the head by shrapnel from a Russian bomb. Behind them was the bab... Read More

Dear Friends, We join millions of Americans today in sadness and outrage in response to Russia's unprovoked assault on the peace-loving people of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin, the thug and former KGB head of the Soviet secret police, reportedly murdered countless enemies of the State in his day. Now, as President of Russia, he has rained down terror on innocent Ukrainian men, women, and children, who are desperately trying to defend their beloved home... Read More

Dear Friends, Many of you are familiar with the work of my colleague, Dr. Tim Clinton, who is co-host with me on the Family Talk radio broadcast. He and I share a deep commitment to the preservation of the institution of the family. Dr. Clinton is a licensed marriage and family therapist and is a recognized authority on mental health and relationship issues. He recently published a book entitled Focus on the Future. It addresses many important fa... Read More

Happy New Year, dear friends. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas season as believers around the world celebrated the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I never grow weary of hearing traditional hymns and reading scriptural accounts of His messianic mission. His coming brought hope, meaning, and salvation to mankind. I want to turn our attention now to the sanctity of human life, which is celebrated each year during the month of January. A March... Read More

Dear Friends, Approximately 20 years ago, I collaborated with several authors to prepare a book entitled, A Family Christmas. It consisted of nine classic short stories that will warm your heart. They were illustrated throughout with prints of wonderful paintings by acclaimed artist, and my friend, the late Gerald Harvey. A Family Christmas is no longer in print, which I regret because it captured the soul of the yuletide season. Thus, I have cho... Read More

Greetings everyone, from our ministry to your home. I want to depart today from the heaviness of national policy that has distressed us profoundly in the past year. I have had enough discouragement during this time, haven't you? I'm weary of it, but I will not stop fighting tooth and nail for our country. Still, we need a moment every now and then to breathe and to remember first truths. Today, I want to go back to basics and write specifically a... Read More

Dear Friends, I must share with you what is gnawing at my spirit today. It is obvious that the mainstream media has decided to "move on" from the tragedy of Afghanistan. They apparently believe it undermines their narrative of what happened and why. Thus, it is likely that there will be no accountability for the mistakes that resulted in the needless deaths of 13 U.S. service members and more than 180 desperate Afghans who perished on a street in... Read More

Dear Friends, As I pen these words, I have great concern that many people of faith and millions of conservative citizens do not understand the full meaning of what is called Critical Race Theory. What is CRT? In short, it is a movement that has infiltrated every dimension of America's public life, including its institutions, government, military, public education, the economy, thousands of Christian churches, and a generation of children. CRT has... Read More

Dear Friends, As most of you know, our country is embroiled in a state of conflict and chaos. The current administration, along with Leftist media, Big Tech, LGBTQ, the entertainment industry, and public education, are seeking to transform our nation from a democratic federal republic, governed by and for the people, to a socialist oligarchy with control over every dimension of national life. To accomplish this objective, they have to destroy the... Read More

Dear Friends, I know many of you are deeply concerned about our country today, as I am. It is rocking and reeling like a ship on a stormy sea. Everything we have cherished about America is under assault, encompassing the entire Judeo-Christian ethic. Where do we start to preserve what we can't afford to lose? Specifically, what should be our highest priority in the battle to save our crumbling culture? It is my conviction that above all else, we ... Read More

Dear Friends, Though this letter will come to you a few weeks after the fact, its message is timeless. I am writing on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021, after we and other Christians around the world have celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That event, occurring approximately 2000 years ago, was the pivotal point in the entire history of mankind. Because of it, believers in Him have been given salvation and the promise o... Read More

Dear Friends, Let me speak candidly to conservative Christians. I sense that many believers are struggling at this time. A spirit of fear and apprehension has gripped us as our nation has swerved to the far Left. Not since the Civil War has there been such consternation about who we are as a people and where the culture appears to be headed. America has been guided since the days of our founders by the Judeo-Christian system of values that was ro... Read More

Dear Friends, In my recent letters, I shared my profound concern for the soul of America. I stated that our future was hanging in the balance and our Republic was teetering near the point of no return. Well, the freefall has begun. The few remaining voices of reason and truth in the public square are being censored by big tech, expelled by corporate thought police, and twisted by the fake media. It is dizzying to watch. Tragically, from his first... Read More

Dear Friends, These are momentous and dangerous days for our country and its people. When I last wrote to you in late December, this was my opening statement: "America faces the possibility of catastrophic change. By the time you receive this letter, you will know what I can only speculate about today. Everything depends on two legal developments: first, whether or not the US Supreme Court addresses the legitimacy of the presidential election on ... Read More

Dear Friends, As I write in late December 2020, America faces the possibility of catastrophic change. By the time you receive this letter, you will know what I can only speculate about today. Everything depends on two legal developments. The first is whether or not the U.S. Supreme Court addresses the contested presidential election in the next few weeks. The second depends on the outcome of two senatorial runoff elections in Georgia, scheduled f... Read More

Commentary written several days after the November 3rd election: Dear Friends, There is a heaviness within my spirit today on behalf of our beloved nation. I’m sure I share that sentiment with many of you. In a sense, Shirley and I are also grieving over the potential passing of an era, during which I believe God gave America a spiritual reprieve. President Donald Trump was partially responsible for this crucial change of trajectory. He isn’t a p... Read More

Dear Friends, This will be my final letter before Americans cast our ballots on November 3rd. It is a breathtaking moment in the history of the United States. Perhaps I will be permitted to repeat a brief comment I made in my August letter because of its relevance to today. Many political commentators have stated that this election is the most significant since 1864, when Abraham Lincoln vied for a second term against Democratic nominee, George M... Read More

Dear Friends, On June 21, 2016, Shirley and I were in New York City to attend a gathering of more than 1,000 evangelical pastors and conservative Catholics at the Marriott Hotel. We were there to evaluate and consider the Republican candidate for President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, who was scheduled to attend. Initially, most of us were skeptical because of what we had read and heard about this thrice-married billionaire. I had campa... Read More

Dear Friends, As I write this newsletter, voters across this nation are only a few short months away from the next general election. What an ominous time this is for our 244-year-old republic. Its future hangs in the balance. The choices we make on November 3rd will send this nation down one of two dramatically different paths. The wrong decision will be catastrophic. I agree with former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, who said recently that... Read More

Dear fellow believers, I am writing today about something that is heavy on my heart. As we celebrate the 244th anniversary of our founding, America is divided into opposing camps. On the one hand, it is noble and beautiful, generous to a fault, and remains a shining light set on a hill. I love her dearly and pray for her safety because she has many enemies whose passion is to destroy her. The "other America" is driven by a popular culture that re... Read More

Dear Friends, As you know, June 21st has been designated as Father's Day, which is a celebration of fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. I thank God for this annual tribute to dads and their families. Men need all the support they can get. Politically correct voices throughout the culture vehemently ridicule everything that is traditionally masculine. Since the 1960s when the women's liberation movement declared wa... Read More

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us. Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities Dear Friends, It feels in many ways as though the entire human family h... Read More

Hello dear friends, I am writing to you this month to express compassion and hope to those among my readers who are deeply troubled today by the uncertainty of our times. While our nation and our world have reason to be concerned by the coronavirus that stalks the human family, we must also exercise sound judgment and shine the light of hope. I don't intend to heighten your apprehension, but want to point all of us to the Great Physician who told... Read More

Dear Friends, I have been a consummate football fan since my days as a student at USC, and I typically experience a kind of "withdrawal" each year during the off season. I get most excited about college football but have also followed the pros for years. However, my enthusiasm for the National Football League turned sour last month. That is an understatement. I am thoroughly disgusted with the NFL since its recent Super Bowl telecast. The game it... Read More

Dear Friends, Those of you who have followed my work through the years know that what I care about most, after my love for Jesus Christ and my family, is the welfare of children—yours and mine. I have been fascinated since my early twenties by kids at every stage from birth through adolescence. I still find it compelling to consider the marvelous way God created them. Every child on the face of the earth is unique, distinct, and precious. It was ... Read More

Notice to my readers: The following monthly letter contains a story that I believe you will not forget. It is the edited transcript of a recent Family Talk radio interview with Rachael Denhollander. She was a victim of child abuse as a little girl, and then suffered repeated assaults as a teenager. In this interview, she names prominent people, one of them a sitting governor who refused to prosecute the perpetrators. But Rachael would not be sile... Read More

Dear friends, As I write, Christmas is right around the corner and we have been contemplating how we will celebrate Christ's glorious birth this year. In addition to the spiritual meaning of the season, December has become a time of nostalgia in our home, as we look back on the happy times when our children were young and our parents and other loved ones were with us. How quickly those precious occasions came and went. To help us recapture the jo... Read More

Dear Friends, During a recent interview on Family Talk radio, my guest asked me a provocative question. He wanted to know why people on the Far Left seem to hate God. I gave him a preliminary reply and later wrote a more thoughtful answer, which appears below. This may surprise you, but the hatred of left-wing activists isn't primarily aimed at God. In the first place, most of them don't believe He exists, and even if He does, they wish He would ... Read More

Dear Friends, On Monday, September 23, 2019, President Donald Trump delivered a historic address at the United Nations on the issue of religious freedom. Because his message was largely ignored by the mainstream—and Christian!—media, I am posting an excerpt below. I think you will feel the passion of the President's words and intent. What you will read here is administration policy. The United States is founded on the principle that our rights do... Read More

Dear Friends, The horrible massacre of 31 innocent people a few weeks ago in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, was staggering for Americans. Once again, we witnessed ghastly multiple murders. It is happening regularly, with no end in sight. Though it is heart-wrenching to recall, we must not forget the slaughter of 20 precious kindergartners and 6 adult staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School, or the killing of 12 teenagers and 1 faculty me... Read More

Ladies and Gentlemen, I write you today to express my profound concern for our nation and for everything cherished by people of faith. "Love of country" as we have known it is in serious jeopardy. Those who are determined to "fundamentally change" America have forged a virulent and growing political movement that recognizes no allegiance to the U.S. Constitution. They think they have a better idea. People like that despise the Declaration of Inde... Read More

Dear Friends, Several weeks ago, I was invited by White House staff to visit our southern border at McAllen, Texas, where federal agents are struggling to deal with a massive influx of poor and destitute human beings. They come in never-ending waves. Please believe me when I tell you that the media and leftist politicians have not been truthful about what is going on there. It is a human tragedy. I promised the exhausted U.S. Custom and Border Pa... Read More

Dear Friends, In October 2010, Shirley and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary by taking a long overdue trip to Europe. After visiting London and Paris for a few days, we boarded a train for Normandy, France, where a massive military invasion had occurred on June 6, 1944. Visiting that hallowed place was one of the most emotional experiences of our lives. This month, June 6, 2019, marks the 75th anniversary of the life and death struggle kn... Read More

Dear Friends, You might be aware that our organization, the James Dobson Family Institute (JDFI), has been embroiled in a life-or-death legal battle with the federal government since the heyday of the Obama administration. Here's the background: During a speech given to a joint session of Congress on September 9, 2009, President Obama assured the legislators that no federal dollars would be spent to fund abortion within the Affordable Health Care... Read More

Dear Friends, As we celebrate the Easter season and Jesus' resurrection from the grave on April 21st, I want to devote my letter to the experience of hardship and persecution that often accompanies the Christian life. We are taught in Scripture to adopt a certain mental toughness that is designed to protect us when trouble shows up unannounced. The Apostle Peter referred to that mindset when he wrote, "Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body... Read More

Dear Friends, This month, my message focuses on the passing of a member of our family, and an old, arthritic black labrador retriever that had her own "ministry" to sick, dying patients. I believe you will find this letter touching. On December 2, 2006, my wife's aunt collapsed in her home. I will call her "Alice" to protect her privacy and her memory. She was 90 years-old and legally blind, but managed to care for herself independently since the... Read More

Dear Friends, February 14th is a day set aside each year to celebrate love. Traditionally, it occurs when a man pauses to express his love and appreciation for the woman he cherishes romantically. Today, I want to focus on Valentine's Day and expand it to consider the institution of marriage itself, and what it means for the well-being of our culture. Marriage is one of the Creator's most marvelous and enduring gifts to humankind. This divine pla... Read More

Dear Friends, Most Americans know that the 41st president of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush, died on November 30, 2018, after a lengthy illness. He was 94 years old. Millions of viewers were captivated by his televised funeral in Washington, D.C., that occurred several days later. It was one of the most emotional and flawlessly executed services I have seen. Despite what you may have heard recently, the news media bludgeoned Bush 4... Read More

Greetings, dear friends, The blessed season has rolled around again when we celebrate the birth of the Savior. Would you take a brief moment to contemplate with us the lyrics of one of our favorite Christmas carols? You have heard it often, but seeing these words in writing might help us comprehend better their poetry and meaning. The lyrics were penned in 1865 by an Episcopal priest named Phillip Brooks. Can you "feel" the incredible truth and b... Read More

Dear Friends, As I write, we are still several days away from national elections here in the United States. We clearly don't know the outcome at this juncture, but by the time you receive this letter, it will have been decided. These "midterms" have been said to be among the most important in our nation's history. At stake is the direction this country will move, for good or ill, for decades to come. If progressives win and capture the majority i... Read More

Dear Fellow Citizens, As I sit down to write my monthly letter this morning, many important topics are running through my mind. Only one, however, rises to the top. Powerful social movements and passions are "blowing in the wind," and most of them have dangerous implications for the institution of the family, religious liberty, our children and unborn babies, and the country at large. The Ship of State, on which we all are passengers, is steaming... Read More

Dear Friends, I sent a passionate letter to my constituency during the month of August, which I'm told has been read by millions of people. One of the responders was a man who lives in Paris, and he read a French translation of my letter. Now I am writing again this month to convey another deeply felt message, as follows. Some months ago, my guest on Family Talk was George Barna, author and national researcher. He has been hailed as the most quot... Read More

Dear Friends, I would like to tell you about an experience Shirley and I had while visiting the cultural centers of Europe about 20 years ago. One of the cities that we toured was Berlin, Germany. I have been fascinated since I was a child with World War II and what made the adults around me so fearful. I have wondered in the ensuing years how highly educated and intelligent Germans could have been so corrupted and deceived by the propaganda that... Read More

Dear Friends, This year on July 4th, we commemorated the 242nd anniversary of the signing of America's Declaration of Independence. Many of you celebrated the occasion with picnics, barbecues, concerts, and fireworks. We cherish our freedoms and benefits as citizens of the United States and are grateful for God's goodness and blessing on our country. However, we must be ever vigilant to honor and obey the God of our fathers as we raise our childr... Read More

Dear Friends, Last month my letter was dedicated to a celebration of Mother's Day on May 13. I hope you had a chance to read it. This being June, we'll swing to the other half of the equation to take a look at Father's Day. I want to deal with what is happening to men within the culture at large. Have you noticed that the "women's movement," as it is now called, has again declared all-out war on men? It is pervasive and comes in the form of ridic... Read More

Dear Moms (Dads can read along), We have chosen to devote our newsletter this month to mothers around the world. It features an article published with permission from Taste of the South magazine, and was written by Betty Terry. It caught the attention of our daughter, Danae Dobson, who is proud of our southern heritage and its culinary traditions. I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and grew up enjoying wonderful cooking by the women in our fami... Read More

Dear Friends, Greetings as we enjoy the season of new growth—blooming flowers, tender shoots of grass blowing in the wind, and birds singing in the trees! This month I'd like to share a passage from my book, Bringing Up Boys. This particular chapter, titled "Staying Close," addresses the need for parents to build strong, healthy relationships with their children. That might sound like a no-brainer, but it's not always easy to do. After all, our c... Read More

Dear Friends, Soon you and I will celebrate the most important holiday (literally, "holy day") on the Christian calendar. Easter is not primarily a secular observance designed to usher in the warmth of spring. Nor is it simply a day for children to hide eggs and overindulge eating chocolate bunnies. Despite modern culture's attempts to reinvent this day of celebration, Easter is, at its heart, the Christian commemoration of Christ's death, and, t... Read More

Dear Friends, I'm sure many of you have heard about the new movie entitled, Darkest Hour, nominated for both Best Picture and Best Actor at this year's Academy Awards. It depicts the account of Winston Churchill's improbable selection as the British Prime Minister at the beginning of World War II. This was a time when the world, including the American people, literally held their breath. The movie provides a deeply moving dramatization of this pe... Read More

Dear Friends, A new year has begun, and with it comes a national remembrance marked by sorrow and shame. On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court handed down two rulings that would change our country, and the world, forever. I’ll never forget that day. At that time, I was a professor at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, and I had spent the day on campus. I was driving home and listening to the radio when I heard a tragic ann... Read More

Merry Christmas, Everyone. Shirley and I want to wish you and your family a very blessed season as believers around the world celebrate the birth of our Savior. Since I was a child, I have cherished this time of the year when nearly everything I loved was uppermost, including togetherness with my family and friends, sacred choral performances, the giving of gifts, decorated trees and lights, wonderful food from marvelous southern cooks, and the s... Read More

Dear Friends, It is with excitement that I announce a significant expansion of the ministry known as Family Talk. Let me tell you why our board of directors has taken this dramatic step. As you know, the institution of the family is under assault throughout the culture. Infidelity, sexual addiction, and divorce are at an all time high, both in the church and in the general population. This breakdown in marital commitments has led to an alarming i... Read More

Dear Friends, This month it’s my pleasure to share with you a portion of one of my favorite books, entitled Bringing Up Boys. It has sold more than 2 million copies since first published. The reason for this popularity, especially among women, appears to be because the behavior and temperament of their boys is often beyond their comprehension. Moms remember clearly what it was like to be feminine little girls, but they have only a vague notion of... Read More

Dear Friends, The topic for my letter this month is one that strikes terror into the hearts of the nation’s parents. The issue is suicide among teens and young adults. Self-destruction is at an epidemic proportion in this country. Colorado Springs, the home of Family Talk, leads the nation per capita in the incidence of this tragedy, and there is more alarming news. According to new data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the suicide... Read More

Dear Friends, As the summer rolls to a close, I want to share a thought with those of you who are struggling with your faith at this time. Some have encountered life-altering physical illnesses. Others have offered prayers that were seemingly unanswered. Still others have suffered financial setbacks and frustrations. As your troubles accumulated, you have wondered if God is really there and if He cares about you and your family. If that has been ... Read More

Dear Friends, I am Jenanne Jenkins, one of the vice presidents of Family Talk. Dr. Dobson asked me to write you on his behalf this month while he is scurrying around the country doing interesting things. One of these occurred in Washington, D.C., on June 10, when he was honored with the Winston Churchill Lifetime Achievement award, given by the Faith and Freedom Coalition. The primary speaker that night was Vice President Mike Pence, with whom Dr... Read More

Dear Friends, I have a special gift to help you celebrate Father’s Day, June 18. As a father, it comes from my heart and is addressed to both dads and moms. The monthly letter that follows is a little “serendipity” that appears in my book, Bringing Up Girls. Listed below are some selected short proverbs reprinted with permission from a friend named Harry Harrison. They are excerpted from his book, entitled, Father to Daughter: Life Lessons on Rai... Read More

Dear friends, Mother’s Day this year is on May 14, and I hope you are beginning to think about it. I want to begin my letter this month with a true story that will be familiar to some of you. It’s about the horrendous fires that ravaged Yellowstone National Park in June 1988. Birds and ground creatures fled for their lives as flames raced through the forest. One of those birds was a little mother who had laid her eggs in a bush at the base of a t... Read More

Dear Friends, While most of us Americans were thinking about something else, a decades long struggle has been going on within the leadership of our Armed Forces and the political decision makers to whom they are accountable. You should know about it if you don’t already. It concerns an effort to redesign and reshape our military and has far ranging implications for the security of this country. Since the early 1990s, each branch has been under un... Read More

I want to get back to the basics this month about one of the subjects I care about most. It is children. For parents everywhere who are still dealing with one (or more) tough-as-nails strong-willed child, and for grandparents whose grown children have now given them a couple of difficult grandkids, it might be time for a brief refresher course. Specifically, let’s talk about how to understand and handle mischievous little rascals whose greatest p... Read More

Dear Friends, May I make a suggestion to everyone reading along with me today? We all know that America has been through an extremely stressful and contentious political year. Two thousand sixteen put the entire nation on edge and divided us down the middle. But now, the presidential election is over, a new Congress is in place, and President Donald J. Trump has been inaugurated. Maybe it’s time to put hardscrabble politics behind us for a while ... Read More

Dear Friends, This month I would like to discuss the unlikely victory of Donald J. Trump over Hillary Clinton in the presidential election of 2016 and explore its remarkable meaning. Virtually every pundit and news organization told the nation incessantly that Mrs. Clinton would be a certain winner on November 8. As we all know, they were shockingly wrong. Now that the ballots have been counted and even recounted, the media are making another mis... Read More

Dear Friends, It’s Christmastime again, and to help us get into the spirit of the season, I want to share something that will warm your heart. It has been my tradition for many years to send a carefully chosen story to all our friends and supporters, and this year’s selection is one of the best. It can be found in Joe Wheeler’s superb anthology, Christmas in My Heart: Volume 2. It is titled “Delayed Delivery,” and was written by Cathy Miller. The... Read More

Dear Friends, If I have calculated properly, you will receive this letter a few days after the U.S. elections are over and the winners have been declared. Undoubtedly, you know the results by now. I am writing you a few weeks before November 8th, which will allow me to address the issues and their implications without violating the IRS code for non-profit organizations. Obviously, my purpose is not to influence the election but to speculate about... Read More

Dear Friends, Last month, Shirley and I flew to Dover, Delaware, to attend and video tape Franklin Graham’s 42nd Decision America Tour. As of that time, he had only eight more states to visit on his nationwide campaign. This event, like all the others, was held on the State capitol grounds in front of a large and passionate crowd. The average attendance at the rallies has been 4,200 people. On this occasion, they stood praying together for the we... Read More

Dear Friends, Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tim Clinton. I have tremendous admiration and respect for Dr. James Dobson—the man, the Christian leader, the marriage and parenting expert, and the unwavering advocate for the family. His books and broadcasts were seminal in my own education and choice of career as I pursued my doctorate in professional counseling. Then I followed in Dr. Dobson’s footsteps to become an author, a university p... Read More

Dear Friends, This is the first opportunity I’ve had to tell you about my consequential trip to New York City on June 21st. I went there to meet with GOP presidential candidate (and now nominee) Donald Trump. There were 1,000 Christian leaders at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel that day, where most of us stayed. Our purpose was not to endorse Mr. Trump, but to have a candid “conversation” with him. We wanted to ask the candidate specific ques... Read More

Dear Friends, When I was in the third grade, I raised my hand one day and asked the teacher for permission to “go to the bathroom.” She nodded, and I hurried down the hall to the door designated “Boys.” After I had relieved myself, I headed back in the direction of my homeroom. As bad luck would have it, the doors in the hallway all looked alike, and I opened the wrong one. Two second-grade girls were standing there with their mouths open in disb... Read More

Dear Friends, Twenty-two years ago, I conducted an interview with Dr. Phillip Johnson, a respected professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He had just written a book titled Darwin On Trial. Dr. Johnson is retired now, but he devoted many years to debunking the theory of evolution on campuses across North America. He debated scientists in the most hostile academic environments. I admire him for having the courage to espouse politicall... Read More

Dear Friends, Almost every month since I left academia in 1977, I have written a letter to our listeners and supporters. Each of those letters dealt with a different topic of relevance to the family. They number more than 420 to date, and all of them are filed here at Family Talk. They chronicle the 33 years I spent at Focus on the Family, and now 6 years at Family Talk. Never in those four decades have I devoted a letter specifically to my marve... Read More

NOTE: The following letter was completed two weeks ago and deals with the upcoming presidential election as it relates the U.S. Supreme Court. It addresses a subject of extreme importance to the future of this great nation. Family Talk would have gone to print with this letter and mailed or emailed it immediately to several hundred thousand people on our list of constituents. However, America lost one of its most articulate voices three days afte... Read More

Dear Friends, Some of you are aware that I have been writing books for married couples and their children for more than 45 years, beginning with Dare to Discipline in 1970. Writing for families has been a love of my life, which, I hope, has not yet run its course. Many radio and television hosts have asked me a particular question during interviews. They wanted to know, “Which of your 30 books is your favorite?” I have rarely tried to answer that... Read More

Dear Friends, The year was 1968, and I was shopping for a Christmas gift that I hoped my godly father would enjoy. He was an avid reader, and I was searching for a book that sounded interesting. I settled on a runaway best seller titled, The Population Bomb, by Dr. Paul Ehrlich.(i) Everyone seemed to be talking about it. The theme of this alarming publication was that there were far too many people in the world, and the problem was getting worse ... Read More

Dear Friends, A warm Christmas greeting to you! If your family is anything like ours, you would probably enjoy taking time out during this busy season of the year to make some hot cocoa and popcorn, throw a log on the fire and watch a movie that has become synonymous with the Christmas season. I’m talking about Frank Capra’s 1946 classic starring Jimmy Stewart, and titled, It’s a Wonderful Life. If you’re one of the few people who hasn’t seen thi... Read More

Dear Friends, It’s November and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Christmas will be here before we know it. Have you noticed that the holidays tend to get busier every year? At the very moment that we should be slowing down and reflecting on the true meaning of the spiritual seasons, our already frantic pace of living seems to escalate tenfold! It is particularly prevalent during the holidays, but also happens throughout the year. Does thi... Read More

I have written you several times in recent months about the tragic assault on the institution of the family, emanating from the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that legalized same-sex marriage. The repercussions of that decision and the inevitable fallout from it are staggering. This month, however, I won’t discuss the collapse of traditional marriage further. Instead, I want to address the marvelous institution itself. Who can comprehend the my... Read More

Those of you who received and read my monthly letter from July may remember that I said the Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage had vast implications beyond the issue itself. It was, in fact, about everything else. The focal point was actually about winning the culture war with one fell swoop. It also constituted a devastating broadside against the Christian faith. Let me explain what I meant. I have said for more than 30 years ... Read More

I expressed in a letter to our constituents last month that I continue to grieve over the U.S. Supreme Court decision handed down on June 26, 2015. This ruling, called Obergefell, redefined natural marriage and expanded the legal definition of this 5,000 year-old institution to include same-sex unions. We are convinced that this unconstitutional decision, issued by five unelected, unaccountable and imperious Justices, will ultimately prove to be ... Read More

Dear Friends, I have been in family ministry for nearly 38 years, and in that period of time I have seldom written an urgent letter in which I asked for contributions. During the early days at Focus on the Family, where I was to labor for 33 years, I promised the Lord that I would pour my life into the ministry without taking a salary. However, I asked Him not to require me to raise money. I hate it. I am not good at it, and it interferes with th... Read More

Dear Friends, I’m Dr. Meg Meeker, pediatrician and co-host of the Family Talk radio and Internet program. Here we are almost halfway through 2015, and there are many exciting things happening at Family Talk! I am grateful to write you this month and share what I believe to be one of the most important goals that we have here: to champion fathers. Several years ago, I wrote Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters because I wanted to tell stories of what ... Read More

Dear Friends, May I urge you to read this letter carefully? It has been written with a fervent prayer that you will recognize the urgency it conveys. It deals with a decision that is about to be announced by the U.S. Supreme Court, dealing with the definition of marriage. In late June or early July, the Justices will reveal their decision to either affirm the definition of marriage as being exclusively between one man and one woman, or it will re... Read More

Dear Friends, Warm greetings to you and your family as we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. Our Heavenly Father sent His Only Begotten Son to earth to live as a man and to die a cruel death so that we might be redeemed from the penalty of sin. His sacrifice was unprecedented, yet through it, He provided an avenue for all who believe in Him to be adopted into His family. It is called the Plan of Salvation. I want to wr... Read More

Dear Friends, You may have heard the Family Talk radio programs several weeks ago on the subject of Fifty Shades of Grey. It featured my colleague, Dr. Meg Meeker, and her guests, who were talking about the movie by the same name.[i] Though none of us at Family Talk has seen the movie, we know of its wretched theme and pornographic content from the reviews that flooded the news media in recent weeks. It is deeply disturbing to learn that the movi... Read More

February 2015 Newsletter Greetings, everyone. Now that the hubbub of Christmas and the New Year has passed, we come to a quieter February, which takes us to Valentine’s Day. I want to offer a few relevant comments about boys and girls, and men and women. These thoughts first appeared in my book, Bringing Up Girls, and included one of my favorite statements about child rearing. This chapter is called, “Teaching Girls to Be Ladies.” I hope you like... Read More

Dear Friends, As you know, a new Congress was installed on the 6th of this month, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Our congressmen and senators are up against a president who seems to lack accountability to anyone. He has overridden the U.S. Constitution repeatedly and in ways that his predecessors would never have dared. When he hasn’t achieved his purposes within the Congress, Obama said he would disregard it and rule with a “pen and a phone.... Read More

Dear Friends, ‘Tis the season for the celebration of Christ’s birth and many cherished family traditions. I have loved this time of year since I was a small child. One December my father took 8 mm black and white movies of our family gathering, which still exist today. Uncles and aunts, scads of cousins, and the matriarch of the family, “Little Mother,” are seen celebrating together. They look so happy, but the adults present on that day are all ... Read More

Dear Friends, Greetings, everyone. The Thanksgiving season is almost upon us when people of faith will again celebrate the blessings bestowed upon the Pilgrims by our Heavenly Father. He had brought them through a long, cold winter and helped them establish a bridgehead in a new land. This historical account is what led President George Washington to designate a day for Americans to remember a time of great deprivation and give praise to the Almi... Read More

Dear Friends, Perhaps you remember the story of Abraham’s nephew, Lot, who chose to take his family into the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The men living there had become desperately depraved, burning with lust for each other. Jehovah told Abraham that their sin was so grievous that the Lord decided to rain utter destruction upon them. Abraham pleaded with the Lord on behalf of the people, but the patriarch could not find even ten righteou... Read More

Dear Friends, Several years ago, I began working on the most ambitious and challenging project of my professional career, which has now spanned more than 44 years. After writing dozens of books and producing numerous films and videos to strengthen families, and after airing more than 8,000 radio broadcasts on subjects related to marriage, parenting, and righteousness, the Lord began leading me to give voice to what I believe to be the most import... Read More

Dear Friends, This summer has passed in a blur, as it does every year, and each family is preparing now for the busyness of fall. There are school clothes to buy and perhaps final occasions for short vacations, picnics or other leisure activities. Let me take this opportunity to talk briefly to moms and dads about their adolescent sons and daughters. They will be leaving the nest soon, and these last few years will be very important. We’ll call t... Read More

Greetings from the Family Talk ministry team. Dr. Dobson is currently out of town working on a new DVD project that I will explain in detail in a moment. He would appreciate your prayers as he completes this creative work on behalf of the family. As you’ve likely read in Dr. Dobson’s recent newsletter and email updates, our devoted ministry leader has been engaged in what may be the busiest and most productive year of his life. He continues to ho... Read More

You may have read one of the hundreds of blogs and articles that were critical of Shirley and me following the recent National Day of Prayer event in Washington, D.C. Most of the criticism was aimed at me, which I’ll address in a moment. Almost all of the angry editorials were written by liberal activists who were apparently looking for an excuse to damage the prayer event in the nation’s capital. They are hostile to any public display of religio... Read More

Dear Friends, Last year God blessed me with an extraordinary gift—my first grandchild. I had heard Dr. Dobson and other friends talk about the indescribable joy one gets looking at the face of your grandchild, but I couldn’t comprehend it until I laid eyes on my beautiful granddaughter last spring. You who are parents and grandparents also know what accompanies the elation—a sobering respect for the world in which our precious children and grandc... Read More

You may have said or heard your Christian friends say that our nation is in serious moral decline, and that it is sliding relentlessly away from biblical values. I have expressed those words myself with increasing regularity, because I believe them to be true. Since our Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, there has been a remarkable consensus about the Judeo-Christian system of values. Even though many citizens were not committed to C... Read More

Dear Friends, Before I get to the topic for this month’s letter, I need to tell you that contributions to Family Talk hit the skids in February. After an encouraging year-end, we just fell off a cliff. There is no explanation for it, but maintaining a staff and staying on course becomes difficult when necessary funding suddenly becomes insufficient. We don’t carry a large cash reserve, even if we could, because we believe money given should go st... Read More

I am a pediatrician, a mother of four grown children, and a grandmother to one amazing little girl. I have been married to my husband and medical partner, Walt, for almost 33 years. He is a pediatrician and an internist. I came to Family Talk in a most unusual way. One year ago I was invited to speak at a Family Talk conference in La Quinta, California, after being on the radio program with Dr. Dobson. He and I have a mutual passion for: • the in... Read More

Dear Friends, It is with great appreciation that I write today to thank those of you who contributed to the ministry of Family Talk in December. Your kindness will make it possible for us to continue the work God has called us to do. In my 36 years of advocacy for marriage, parenthood, the sanctity of human life, and righteousness in the culture, I have never experienced such exciting opportunities as those lying before us in 2014. That might sou... Read More

Dear Friends, “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at His birth.” Luke 1:14 Isn’t this a beautiful scripture to help us celebrate the meaning of Christmas? Although 2013 has been a tumultuous year in America and around the world, we can have “joy and gladness” because of the birth of the Christ Child. He brings hope and encouragement to all who believe in Him. As I often do at this time of the year, I want to share a special... Read More

Dear Friends, My letter this month will focus on the assassination of the 35th president of the United States. It was 50 years ago this month, November 22nd, 1963, that John Fitzgerald Kennedy was murdered while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. And America reeled in disbelief. I will never forget that tragic day. I was talking on the telephone with a mother whose high school son was failing in school and breaking all the rules. I was a 20-... Read More

Dear Friends, I know many of you share my concern about the stability of the family. The definition of marriage is under assault, our children are being exposed to depictions of immorality day after day, and people appear to be less committed to the Christian faith. I have addressed some of these cultural changes in my recent letters. But this month, I want to talk about what I consider to be the most serious aspect of family life now on the scen... Read More

Dear Family Talk Friends, Greetings from Colorado. My name is Michael Tomlinson, and I serve Family Talk as Chief Operating Officer. Dr. Dobson has been out of the office for several weeks while working on a new book. In the meantime, he asked me to bring you some good news that has our staff excited and energized. Over the last several months, many of you have written, called, emailed or visited our ministry headquarters. We love hearing from yo... Read More

Dear Friends, There is something that I simply must share with you this month. It concerns the moral collapse we are experiencing as a nation. It has many dimensions, but the aspect that troubles me most is the assault on Christianity and religious liberty, orchestrated by the Obama Administration and its associates on the Far Left. Our Founding Fathers would not have believed a day would come when American citizens would elect a government that ... Read More

Dear Friends, I am sure most of you are aware of the new policy within Boy Scouts of America that allows boys who are open and avowed homosexuals to be admitted as members. This was a resolution passed by 61 percent of 1,400 voting delegates on May 23rd. Here are some reactions from pro-family leaders that mirror my own views. First, let me share an editorial written by Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council: "After two decades of... Read More

Dear Friends, Are you aware that religious liberties, cherished by millions of Americans, are being attacked, viciously and relentlessly, by various departments of the federal government? These agencies are being led by appointees of President Obama, who gives them their marching orders. His policies are intended to implement what he refers to as the “transformation” of America. This is his word for it. We call it unconstitutional! Not only are o... Read More

Dear Friends, Are you tired of hearing about same sex marriage coming from President Obama, liberal Congressmen, media spokesmen, leftist commentators, activist judges, entertainment moguls and homosexual advocates? These and other powerful influencers have set about redefining marriage as it has been known for 5,000 years. The institution of the family has been staggered by relentless attacks. Many in the millennial generation appear to have “gi... Read More

Dear Friends, I am writing you this month about the institution of marriage, which is rocking and reeling like a ship on a stormy sea. Attacks on its stability and integrity are coming today from every major center of power. Each seems determined to redefine marriage and destroy its underpinnings. This 5,000-year-old institution, dating back to the dawn of humankind, is almost defenseless against the federal judiciary, the White House, the Congre... Read More

Dear Friends, In the past four years, our nation has witnessed a parade of governmental and judicial policies that have assaulted traditional moral and spiritual values. Almost every day, a disturbing new development comes to light. President Barack Obama promised during his first campaign to bring "change" and "transformation" to America, but he didn't tell us how he was going to do it. Now we know. His administration has marshaled grievous atta... Read More

Dear Friends, Night Light for Couples is a book Shirley and I wrote together, and is dedicated affectionately to married couples around the world. May the Lord grant you loving and caring relationships that will endure to the final moment of your lives together. It is our prayer that the following devotionals, just two from six months of daily features in our book, will help you achieve that worthy objective. God's blessings to you all. - Jim and... Read More

"Let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers JUST men who will rule in the fear of God…If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will so be corrupted...If government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws." —Noah Webster, History of the United States,... Read More

Dear Friends, Merry Christmas from Shirley and me and from the team at Family Talk! Join us as we celebrate God’s indescribably gracious gift to us, His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, who left His home in Heaven to become our Savior through His death on the cross and His glorious resurrection. There is no greater gift! May I take this opportunity to express my love and care for you, our nation and families around the world? You’ve heard me say m... Read More

Dear Friends of Family Talk, This letter is being written just before the national elections are held here in the United States, which will have occurred by the time you receive it. Shirley and I are praying that God’s people will turn out at the polls in record numbers, and that the outcome will be according to His divine plan. I can’t imagine what this country will be like if those supporting the international abortion agenda are given power, i... Read More

Dear Friends, I recently received an open letter from Pastor John Hagee that began with this alarming statement: I believe that the upcoming presidential election will be one of the most significant events in American history…. They [U.S. citizens] know something is seriously wrong but can't quite define it. The truth is America has been intentionally deceived and is racing toward economic and political destruction. If we don't change paths now, ... Read More

Dear Friends, Most of you have heard about the tragic deaths of 12 innocent people who were murdered in a movie theater a few weeks ago in Aurora, Colorado. The gunman also wounded 58 others in a random and vicious act of violence. One of the victims, Ashley Moser, was pregnant and hit twice in the abdomen. She remains paralyzed, and sadly, she miscarried the baby. Tragically, her six-year-old daughter, Veronica Moser Sullivan, was the youngest t... Read More

Dear Friends, You may know that of all the subjects that interest me, children are at the top of the list. I’ve devoted most of my professional life to their welfare, beginning as a professor of pediatrics in 1970 and continuing to this day here at Family Talk. In keeping with this lifelong fascination, let me share some excerpts this month from my New York Times bestseller, Bringing Up Boys. I hope you will find these comments relevant to the ch... Read More

I have selected a very insightful and passionate article to share with you this month. The piece was written by Peggy Noonan, who is one of my favorite social commentators and culture watchers. She regularly “sees” what others fail to notice, and then conveys her observations with the precision of a laser. In a recent column, Peggy described the depravity and moral decay that is seeping from the pores of our once-great nation. Read it and weep ov... Read More

Dr. Dobson Remembers Chuck Colson Dear friends, Thank you, once again, for allowing me to come into your home each month to share some thoughts from my heart. This is what is on my mind today. As you know, my close friend, Chuck Colson, went to be with the Lord a couple of weeks ago; which is a great loss to millions of Christians around the world. I wrote these words on the day he slipped away. The world has lost one of the most brilliant Christ... Read More

Dear Friends, I ask every one of my pro-life friends to read carefully what I have to share with you today. You and the American people have been deceived about matters of enormous significance. You may remember that on the night of September 9, 2009, President Barack Obama gave an address to a joint session of Congress, which was televised to the nation. His purpose was to urge the House and Senate to pass the Administration’s vaunted health car... Read More

This month's letter is coming to you from the Board of Directors of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk. As the ministry celebrates its second anniversary, we want to share with you our bright vision for the future, as well as the challenges that are a part of this time in history. Those of us on the Board, and so many of you, have known and loved Dr. Dobson for decades. We feel as though he is a part of our family as he has helped raise our children ... Read More

Dear Friends, February 14th is a day set aside each year for the celebration of romantic love. We call it Valentine’s Day, when caring husbands and wives assure each other of their affection and commitment. It is a very big deal in my family, and it should also be significant for the men who are reading along with me. Women take this day very seriously. Believe me! Rather than devoting my letter this month to the ways of expressing romantic love,... Read More

Dear Friends, Greetings from all of us at Grounded and Family Talk. Our gratitude and appreciation are extended to each of you who made sacrificial contributions to these ministries as 2011 came to a close. We are continuing to do the work to which we are called, thanks to so many of you. Now the world has careened into a brand new year, with its hopes and dreams, anxieties and fears. The next 12 months promise to bring dramatic political and soc... Read More

Dear Friend, I have a little Christmas present for you. No, it isn’t wrapped with festive paper nor adorned with a bright-colored ribbon. But I believe you will enjoy this little remembrance. You are, in fact, holding my gift in your hand at this moment. It is a true Christmas story that will touch your soul during this blessed time of the year. Do you have time right now to read something simply for enjoyment? I doubt it. We are all so busy duri... Read More

Dear Friend, At the risk of telling you what you may have heard, I’ll start my letter this month by bringing you up to date regarding my recent injury. In short, I fell from a horse on September 10th while hosting a “friend raising” event at a ranch in Montana. I was wearing very wide walking shoes instead of boots (my error) and my foot slipped from the right stirrup when my hat blew off. While reaching back for it, I lost my balance and landed ... Read More

Dear Friends, It is time for a little "straight talk" to parents, as you prepare to send your children back to school. Whether they will attend government schools, private or Christian institutions, or leave home to enroll in colleges and universities, they will encounter morally corrupt influences at every turn. May I take this moment to remind mothers and fathers of your responsibilities before God to help your kids cope with these pressures? E... Read More

Dear Friends: Last month, I wrote you about the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York and elsewhere, and its implications for the institution of the family. It was a disturbing message but one that Americans need to hear. This month, however, I want to lighten the dialog and write you about a much more pleasant topic. The subject again is marriage, but this time we’ll talk about the meaning of romantic love – what it is and what it isn’t.... Read More

Dear Friends: Behold, the institution of marriage! It is one of the most marvelous and enduring gifts to humankind. This divine plan was revealed to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and then described succinctly in Genesis 2:24, where we read, "For this cause, a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh." With those 20 words, the Creator announced the ordination of the family, long before He estab... Read More

Dear Friends: The subject of my letter this month deals with the most important task in parenting. It addresses the responsibility of introducing our children to Jesus Christ, and teaching them His precepts and principles. Nothing even comes close to this assignment in significance and consequence. I have referred to it as “the ultimate priority.” My perspectives on this topic appear below and are excerpted from my book, Bringing Up Girls. What I... Read More

Dear Friends: As I write, the annual National Day of Prayer is right around the corner and will have occurred by the time most of you receive this letter. My wife, Shirley, and her NDP Task Force are busily preparing for this nationwide event that is expected to involve millions of Americans. If there ever was a time for prayer in this country and around the world, it is now. In a dramatic way, this year's prayer event is linked to a moment in hi... Read More

In the past 365 days, Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson has grown to over 700 outlets and has also added a daily 1:00 short feature. In addition to this activity, Dr. Dobson and his co-hosts, Ryan Dobson and LuAnne Crane, have been heard on numerous station interviews introducing the new ministry to listeners across the county. The anniversary on May 3, 2011 will be one more milestone in the efforts of Dr. Dobson and his team to reach the culture... Read More

Dear Friends, On February 27th, Family Talk will celebrate the first anniversary of its founding. What a year it has been. In early March, Shirley and I filed the necessary legal documents with the IRS and announced our intention to launch Family Talk at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville. It was such an exciting moment for us. Family Talk leased a beautiful little building in Colorado Springs a few weeks later and this m... Read More

Happy New Year, dear friends. I trust you and your family had a meaningful and joyful Christmas season, as you celebrated the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our family convened in Newport Beach, California, for a wonderful time together. On Christmas Eve, we attended a service at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church and heard a stirring message by the senior pastor, Dr. Richard Kannwischer. He is one of the most articulate and thought-pro... Read More

A Christmas Memory by David H. Yocum Christmases past are hard to remember. When I attempted my memory to wrack, Though fogginess shrouds the month of December, This recollection came back. When I was young, a lad, just a boy, I was taught regarding Santa to believe it, So whether ‘twas clothing or even a toy, It was from him that I would receive it. I grew up, for a while, in a two-story house With bedrooms on the second floor; Nothing like boyi... Read More

Dear Friends, By the time you receive this monthly newsletter, you will probably know the results of the national elections held on November 2nd. I am writing you three days prior to that day of decision, which means I can only guess at the outcome. So much is at stake at this moment in history, including federal funding for abortions, the well-being of the family, the imposition of many new confiscatory taxes, sky-high levels of unemployment and... Read More

Dear Friends, Greetings to you all. As you are aware, this country is only a few weeks away from one of the most important elections in our history. On November 2nd, candidates for Congress, governors, state representatives, and local officials will be chosen throughout the nation. Together, these men and women will have the power to promote the general welfare and protect the Constitution, or to damage them irreparably. At stake are policies tha... Read More

Warm greetings from Family Talk. May I take the liberty of sharing something very personal with you? It concerns four significant anniversaries that Shirley and I are celebrating in the month of August. Forgive me for writing such a self-serving letter, but I think you will see why I have done so in a moment. The first event that we are remembering this month is the 20th anniversary of my heart attack, which occurred on August 15th, 1990. I had b... Read More

Greetings from all of us here at Family Talk. These have been exciting days for us as our new broadcast lifted off the launch pad on May 3rd and roared into orbit. As you may know, we started this new ministry on what used to be called “a wing and a prayer.” Especially a prayer. Our hope was that we would begin airing our radio program on 200 stations, but even that seemed almost beyond reach. By the end of that first day, however, Family Talk ha... Read More

It is with excitement that I tell you that the ministry of Family Talk is coming together rapidly and that our first broadcast is scheduled to be heard beginning May 3rd. The best estimate at this time is that approximately 200 radio stations will carry the program at least once daily throughout the United States. The format will feature my two associates, Ryan Dobson and LuAnne Crane, and me in a 30-minute discussion about family-related topics,... Read More

Three decades ago, I was given a message and a mission. They continue to burn within me today, although God’s specific assignment is changing. As Solomon wrote “There is a time for all things under the sun.” For myself and Shirley, we’re convinced that there is still a “call” on our lives and we feel led to respond to it. That’s the reason for a new radio feature that will deal with a wide variety of family topics that impact our culture today. O... Read More