Kahului Union Church Maui, Hawaii -- A Christian, Purpose Driven, Bible Believing, Evangelical Church on Maui, Hawaii

Dr. James Dobson, Ph.D.
Founder & Chairman
Focus On The Family

International

This daily program consists of interviews, panel discussions and phone call-in formats and offers practical advice on a wide variety of subjects of interest to the family. Listen online to recent Focus On The Family International radio broadcasts by clicking on the corresponding links below.

How Weight Affects Your Child
Wednesday, July 23, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family In just the last three decades, cases of childhood obesity in the U.S. have tripled. Kids have traded outdoor physical activity for video games, TV and the Web. To make matters worse, this sedentary lifestyle is often combined with plenty of high calorie fast food. Dr. James Dobson discusses America's childhood obesity epidemic with Dr. Robert Eckel, a physician who formerly served as president of the American Heart Association. Listen in as Dr. Eckel talks to parents who are concerned about their children's weight, describing how they can develop a plan to help their children become fit and healthy.
"Can we solve the childhood obesity problem by simply modifying vending machine choices in schools? I don't think so." - Dr. Robert Eckel

What Parents Should Know About Teens, 2
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family If you're one of those parents who just can't fathom why their teenagers act the way they do, Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa Rice are here to help. While researching their book For Parents Only, the co-authors gained insight on how teens are emotionally and relationally wired by conducting a national survey and interviewing more than 1,000 kids. In part two of this broadcast, Feldhahn and Rice continue to share the results of their research, offering advice and encouragement to parents who are struggling to navigate the teen years successfully.
"Believe it or not, [kids feel] much more secure if a parent was willing to admit they were wrong. I mean, we might think they feel more secure if we don't, if we act like we have it all together. [But] they know better!" - Shaunti Feldhahn

What Parents Should Know About Teens, 1
Monday, July 21, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family Why does your daughter, who once wanted to be your best friend, now ask to be dropped off two blocks away from the shopping mall? Why does your son - once a happy, outgoing little boy - now sulk around and spend hours alone in his bedroom? Many parents struggle to understand how their good-natured children transformed into moody, self-absorbed teenagers. Authors Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa Rice offer parents a glimpse inside the thoughts and emotions that fuel a teenager's behavior. Our guests discuss the results of the research for their book For Parents Only: Getting Inside the Head of Your Kid.
"One kid basically said, 'When I got this freedom, like driving or my cell phone, I felt suddenly like a real person.' Imagine, once a kid feels that way, they [think], 'I can't imagine living without that.' That is the reason why parents see some of these things as rebellion ... [but the kids] were simply terrified [their parents] were going to take that freedom away." - Shaunti Feldhahn

Lord, Keep Us Free, 2
Friday, July 18, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family Having lived under the tyrannical rule of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, it took Maria (Hansi) Hirschmann a while to get used to the freedom of living in America. When she asked her neighbor how to obtain permission for moving to another state, her neighbor replied, "You don't need anyone's permission. Just pack your things and go where you want!" Hirschmann explains what she's learned about freedom from her life in the United States. She also invites listeners to experience the spiritual freedom that is available to everyone through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
"The Americans are precious people. They are neighborly and kind and helpful, but sometimes ... they take freedom for granted." - Maria Hirschmann

Lord, Keep Us Free, 1
Thursday, July 17, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family Today's guest knows firsthand the truth of Proverbs 14:12: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." As a Nazi youth leader, Maria (Hansi) Hirschmann thought God had chosen Adolf Hitler to be the world's savior. But she realized she had been brainwashed when she witnessed the death and destruction that accompanied the German dictator's rule. Hirschmann shares the compelling story of her World War II experiences - including her flight from a Communist labor camp - and describes how she eventually found a true savior in Jesus Christ.
"All I could think was, 'If I die right now, why was a I born? Why was I alive? And where am I going?' And it suddenly hit me - I had no answers." - Maria Hirschmann

Living With Messy Kids
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family "Clean up your room!" "Pick your clothes off the floor!" "Wipe your feet before coming in!" Sometimes it seems like the battle to keep a clean, neat home will never end, but today's broadcast guest offers hope. Sandra Felton, author of The Messies Manual, describes how parents can maintain an organized household and teach children responsibility - and accomplish both by working less and managing more.
"I struggled and fought the battle against clutter and mess all my life, really - and lost. Until one day ... I said, 'You know, I can't continue to live this way.'" - Sandra Felton

What You Need to Know About Strokes, 2
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family These days, medical professionals often refer to a stroke as a "brain attack" because they want strokes to share the same level of public awareness as heart attacks. How at risk are you for suffering a brain attack? Dr. Mark Hinrichs and Dr. Steve Spillers talk about non-controllable risk factors (genetic make-up, age) and those that can be managed (cholesterol level, weight). The physicians explain the risks and benefits of the blood-thinning, clot-dissolving drug tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), and offer hope for stroke victims as they describe improvements in treatment and rehabilitation.
"It's a good conversation between a husband and wife before the stroke to say ... 'What would you [want me to do] in case we ever got into that situation?' ... You're always going to make a wiser choice [beforehand] than when you're stuck in the middle of an emergency." - Dr. Mark Hinrichs

What You Need to Know About Strokes, 1
Monday, July 14, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family When it comes to a stroke, the doctors on today's broadcast say, "Time is brain matter." In other words, when someone suffers a stroke - an obstruction in blood flow to the brain - brain injury begins immediately, and the longer it continues, the greater the damage. That's why time is of the essence in getting medical help. Dr. James Dobson - a stroke survivor - talks with two physicians about risk factors, causes, symptoms and treatment. Don't miss the important health information Dr. Mark Hinrichs and Dr. Steve Spillers have for you and your loved ones.
"As a cause of death, [stroke] is number three behind heart disease and cancer. As a cause of disability, it's number one." - Dr. Steve Spillers

Art Linkletter: My Life and Times, 3
Friday, July 11, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family Enjoy a good laugh as Dr. James Dobson presents two very gifted humorists back-to-back. Entertainer Art Linkletter and comedian Dennis Swanberg will have a little something to say about living well?and getting the most out of life, with a smile.

Art Linkletter: My Life and Times, 2
Thursday, July 10, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family Art Linkletter's book Kids Say the Darndest Things is one of the best-selling titles of all time, and his interviews with young children have entertained millions. Linkletter shares more of the hilarious things kids said on his hit TV show "House Party." The program then takes a serious turn as Linkletter talks about his daughter's suicide and describes how that tragic event helped take his life and personal ministry in a different direction.
"Living a happy, productive, long life calls for the ability to laugh at yourself a little ... If you can laugh at the world and laugh at yourself, it [helps take] away the hurts." - Art Linkletter

Art Linkletter: My Life and Times, 1
Wednesday, July 9, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family Art Linkletter is well-known for his amusing interactions with kids; it became a regular feature of his long-running 1950s TV series House Party, and was the subject of his book Kids Say the Darndest Things - one of the best-selling books in American publishing history. In part one of this three-day broadcast, the 95-year-old entertainment icon talks about his fascinating career, his family and his faith. Linkletter shares humorous stories laced with nuggets of inspirational wisdom garnered from his long, full life.
"That's what living is all about - it's growing and being curious and having an attitude of enthusiasm about your life." - Art Linkletter

How to Raise Respectful Kids, 2
Tuesday, July 8, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family On yesterday's broadcast, author Jill Rigby offered practical advice to parents from her book Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World. Today's discussion takes a different turn as the founder of Manners of the Heart recounts the emotional devastation she and her young children suffered when her husband divorced her. Rigby describes how God sustained her during the darkest hours of her life and encourages listeners to cling to God's grace during the tough times.
"We really hurt the witness we can be to our children when we show disrespect to our [former] spouse ... It is a beautiful teaching for our children to see that, even in the face of pain and disappointment ... we can still remain respectful." - Jill Rigby

How to Raise Respectful Kids, 1
Monday, July 7, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family When your children act impolitely and behave disrespectfully, do you ignore the situation, or do you get irritated and scold them? Today's guest suggests a different approach. Author Jill Rigby offers practical advice from her book Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World. Rigby discusses how parents can teach their children to respect others, to become more selfless and to exercise good manners with heartfelt sincerity.
"Manners really do come from the heart ... It's not memorizing a set of rules - that's etiquette. I think of etiquette as the rules, but manners is really why you do what you do; it's the reason behind the action." - Jill Rigby

Managing Your Home and Time
Friday, July 4, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family Whether your house is overrun with clutter or simply in need of a spring cleaning, Emilie Barnes is here to help. The home-and-office organization expert offers helpful advice and encouragement for managing your domestic responsibilities. Barnes addresses topics like filing paperwork, pre-planning family meals, and training children to help around the house.
"If we would just do one thing toward cleaning or organizing something, we're gonna feel so much better." - Emilie Barnes

She Calls Me Daddy
Thursday, July 3, 2008 Host: Focus on the Family A battery is able to function properly because it has a positive and a negative terminal working together. Author Robert Wolgemuth says fathering works in a similar way: Dad displays his positive side with his love and affection, but when he needs to discipline his children, it can feel very negative - to both him and the kids. Yet the positive and negative must work together to raise healthy, responsible, God-fearing children. How does a father find a good balance between the positive and negative, especially when it comes to raising a daughter? Wolgemuth offers encouragement and advice from his book She Calls Me Daddy: Seven Things Every Dad Must Know About Building a Complete Daughter. Joining them are Mr. Wolgemuth's wife, Bobbie, and their two grown daughters Julie and Missy.
"You want your daughter to always like her daddy, but the truth is, if you exercise your responsibility, there will be times when you will come in dead last in the 'Dad Sweepstakes of the Year.'" - Robert Wolgemuth