Today’s episode of Family Talk is a heartfelt tribute to Dr. James Dobson, a figure renowned for his unwavering integrity and dedication to family values. We hear from Ryan Dobson, who shares personal anecdotes that paint a vivid picture of Dr. Dobson not just as a public figure but as a devoted father and grandfather. These stories underscore the depth of his love for his family and his unyielding faith in Jesus Christ, which he passionately shared with those around him.
You’re listening to Family Talk, the radio broadcasting division of the James Dobson Family Institute. I am that James Dobson, and I’m so pleased that you’ve joined us today.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, welcome once again to Family Talk. I’m Roger Marsh. And on today’s broadcast, we are continuing our two-day presentation of highlights from the memorial service that was held for Dr. James Dobson on Saturday, October the 4th. Now, if you’re just joining us, you are in for something truly meaningful. Heartfelt tributes from those who knew Dr. Dobson best. On today’s program, you’re going to hear from Dr. Dobson’s son, Ryan. You’ll also hear a touching message from Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Gary Bauer, who worked alongside Dr. Dobson for more than four decades, starting with the Ronald Reagan White House and continuing on to his role today as Senior Vice President of Public Policy here at the James Dobson Family Institute. These tributes paint a beautiful picture of a man who lived with unwavering integrity, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a faithful friend. But most importantly, a man who pointed everyone he ever met to Jesus Christ. As we heard on our last broadcast, and we’ll hear again later today, authenticity and integrity were the hallmarks of Dr. James Dobson’s life. Next up, we’re going to hear from Ryan Dobson, Dr. Dobson’s son. Ryan’s tribute reminds us that Dr. Dobson wasn’t just a public figure. He was a dad who showed up again and again in moments that mattered the most. Here now is Ryan Dobson remembering his father on today’s edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk.
SPEAKER 04 :
How could I possibly encapsulate 55 years of my dad with words in a speech? There’s no possible way, but I will try to pull the curtain back a little bit on the relationship I had with my dad. I think the most common question I’ve ever been asked in my life is, what was it like having James Dobson as a dad? And my answer is, I don’t know. I’ve got nothing to compare it to. What’s it like having your dad? I knew he wrote books. I knew he traveled and he spoke to audiences. But that was his job. That was what he did. It wasn’t who he was. I didn’t know we were famous until the sixth grade. I was totally shocked. It still didn’t change who he was. Everybody got to see a piece of my dad. He got to see the piece at work or the piece on the film series, the pieces that he put in his books or his radio broadcasts. But to me, that wasn’t my dad. My dad was the one that taught me to shoot with a BB gun in the backyard. He was the one that took us on bike rides to Tacolita. Yeah. And when Danay could ride her bike, I would fall asleep in the seat on the back of his bike. And hikes in Wilderness Park. I remember my dad took me on my very first quail hunt. The very first time I got to carry a gun in the field and I was beside myself. I got to be amongst the men, hold a real gun. And finally a dog got on point to a hidden covey of quail. And my dad said, right, your turn. And I crept up holding my gun. And finally that dog flushed the covey and the covey flew up and I went, and I shot straight in the air. My dad laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed. We walked through hundreds and hundreds of fields together hunting quail and pheasant. I will never forget the hours we spoke and talked. One of the trips that stands out most, we were elk hunting outside of Herb’s Ranch in Jackson, Wyoming. And… We got up about two o’clock in the morning and we got on horseback, we rode for hours and hours in silence and cold and we got to a place where we were gonna set up and I overheard my dad whispering to the guide, He said, make sure Ryan gets the first shot. Whatever you do, put him in line for the first shot. I was stunned. I was old enough to know how much a guided hunting experience cost. And he was making sure at his expense that I would get an elk. I didn’t understand it then. It wasn’t until years later. when I had my own kids, that seeing their joy far eclipses any experience I could ever have. And that is a real dad. My dad was calm in a crisis. I know you think Herb and Roy are joking about my dad carrying a flashlight for grizzlies. That’s not a joke. My dad was hunting bear in Canada. He was up in a tree stand with a guide and all of a sudden it shifted and the guide went, oh. And he looked back and said, oh my goodness, doctor, this isn’t hooked up right. This is going to fall. You got to get down. And so my dad, being a safe hunter, went and unloaded all of his shells, threw them in a pocket, climbed down 18 feet. The guide climbed back up 18 feet. He’s up there ratcheting a stand back up. And my dad thinks, I ought to put a bullet in the gun, throws one in, turns around, and a bear walked out. He didn’t do what I would have done, or everybody here, which is this. Bang! You just shoot. He looked at it and said, is that bear big enough or are my friends going to make fun of me when I get back tonight? He let that bear walk towards him. They can’t see very well, so he stood perfectly still. And that bear’s doing this. As it’s getting closer and closer. And finally he said, well, I guess if it gets that much closer, I’m going to have to shoot it. It got within 10 feet of him before he took that bear. He was shocked. He was also not a snowplow parent. I got to hand it to my dad. He let me crash. He let the actions of my life and the consequences of those actions teach me some of the hardest lessons I learned. I was reckless growing up. I got my first set of stitches at three from running across the backyard with my eyes closed. I got 13 stitches over my left eye. That was the first of about 50 trips to the ER. I was a very reckless kid. I was also a very sick kid. And I’m telling you, my dad never complained one time. I was in the ER all the time. He never scolded me for injuring myself. He never tried to suppress that streak in me. He knew that was my temperament. He never made me feel weak or small for being sick. And he was there every time. I wish that’s the part that you could see. I wish you could see the true dad, the comforter, the one that was there every single time. When Laura’s mom suddenly passed away, I was halfway into the drive to California. I didn’t know what to do. So I called my dad. I didn’t know if I should drive back to Colorado Springs and try to get a flight or drive to Salt Lake or just keep driving. I didn’t know what to do. And he said, I think you should keep driving. I said, okay, I’m going to keep driving. And I took off driving. My parents beat me to California. That’s the kind of parents they are. Laura said she looked up and my parents were there. I hadn’t even arrived yet. When we were early married, I was out of town when Laura went into a miscarriage. My dad was first on the scene. He drove her to the ER. He held her hand. He stood with her. He stayed with her every step of the way. He took command of the ER. He wanted to ensure she would never spend one second alone when I was out of town. He was there for the good times too. The night Lincoln was born, my mom and dad were speaking in Nashville. And the second he was born, the nurses put him in my arms and he was just screaming his head off. And I called my dad. This is the theme of my life. I called my dad. Security handed him the phone and he goes, who is this? Who’s crying? What’s going on? Who is this? I said, Dad, you’re a grandpa. And he goes, what? Who’s crying? I said, Dad, it’s Lincoln. You’re a grandpa. And all I heard was shouting in the background, I’m a grandpa. I’m a grandpa. I’m told he was literally walking on stage when they handed him the phone. He handed the phone back to Joe, walked out on stage and said, I just found out I’m a grandpa. Grandpa. And the whole crowd went crazy and he said, so I’m going to have to cut this short. You guys have a great night. And he walked off stage. The first photo I have with Lincoln and my parents, my dad is in a full suit and tie. My mom’s in a business suit because they didn’t go home. They flew straight to the airport and drove straight to the hospital to be there for us. He was over the moon when he found out Lucy was coming. My parents used to dress up and take my kids trick-or-treating with us. One year early on, Laura’s chasing Lincoln. My dad and mom were dressed up as chefs. Hats, jackets, pot with a spoon in it and an electric beater. You should see the looks on my neighbors’ faces when they’re looking at themselves as they’re handing candy out going, is that James Dobson? Dressed like a chef holding a ladybug? and he’s saying, it’s nice to meet you. He was just a dad and a grandpa. I will say this, for 55 years, I’ve seen my dad driven. There was never a time in my life where he did not have a project, a book, or something he was deeply passionate about and working on. A couple of years ago, I asked him how he was feeling, and he said, Ryan, there is so much left to do, and I have so little time to accomplish it. That was my dad. I will say this, for the last three weeks of his life, I got to see a different man. I got to see him at peace. We played the Gaithers for him every morning. He loved it. We read the Psalms. He was happy. The kids got to come and say goodbye. He was thrilled to see them. He constantly said how proud of them he was. It felt like he was finally at rest. I would do a disservice if I didn’t talk about what my dad cared about most in life. He would often say, my goal is to introduce people to Jesus. My vehicle is the family. And he knew Jesus was the answer to everything, and he wanted everyone to know it. Last year, Laura got diagnosed with cancer for the fourth time. After the surgery she developed an antibiotic resistant staph infection that wouldn’t go away. We were in the hospital for nine months, six ER trips, 20 nights in the hospital, 120 doctors visits. It took a toll on all of us and my dad knew it. I remember he called me one night and there was passion in his voice. And there was so much care and so much concern. And he didn’t know how to say it. And he finally got it out. He was so afraid I was going to become bitter at God. That after watching my wife suffer for this long, I just couldn’t take it one more second. And I would become bitter and angry with God. And he was pleading with me. And I was so hurt and I was grieving so much. But in that moment, I was so grateful to say, oh, I reached the end of my rope months ago. I let go. I got nothing but God. I have relied solely on him for every second of my life. And I could hear the relief in his voice because he had done his job. He modeled the behavior that says turn to Jesus in every situation. That was his legacy, and I am proud to carry it on. God bless you all, and thank you for being here today.
SPEAKER 01 :
Truly powerful words from James Ryan Dobson, the son of Dr. James C. Dobson Jr. His tribute captures the essence of his father, a man who was driven by purpose, yet always made time for what mattered most, and maybe more importantly, who mattered most. Next up on today’s edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, let’s hear from Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who credits Dr. Dobson’s ministry with shaping his own life and the lives of countless others.
SPEAKER 02 :
Hi, friends. This is Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. I so wish that I could be there with you in person to join in honoring the immeasurable life and legacy of Dr. James Dobson. Dr. Dobson was a personal hero of mine, as he was to so many of us, a singular figure in my life and in the lives of so many other people that I know. I was extraordinarily fortunate to have been a recipient and benefactor of his ministry from as long as I can remember. From the time I was a young boy, my parents would read his books to me and my siblings, and they used his insights as a model to help guide our upbringing and shape us into the men and women that we are today. That was carried forward to my young adulthood when I had the opportunity to actually work under Dr. Dobson. I was one of the first attorneys at ADF and it was such a great blessing in my life to do that. He has been an inspiration to me throughout my career and I can tell you so many of my colleagues in Congress would say the same thing if they were there with you tonight. Dr. Dobson was a pioneer who did more for our causes than arguably anyone else in generations. For more than five decades, he was one of the most important Christian leaders in our country. And that voice goes on through eternity. He started to focus on the family in 1977, which birthed the family policy councils around the country, which have had such a huge impact. He was a founding member of ADF, of course, which provided the legal and intellectual muscle to advance our causes in the public policy arena. And he spread the gospel to millions of people, spanning multiple continents and multiple generations. His footprint, his impact, and his legacy just simply cannot be overstated. And I know we all understand that. I will miss Dr. Dobson’s wisdom and his friendship, but his legacy and his impact and his example will live on well beyond any of us. I send my love and prayers to Ms. Shirley and the Dobson children and thank all of you for coming together to memorialize someone who meant so much to so many people. God bless you.
SPEAKER 01 :
That was Speaker of the House Mike Johnson expressing gratitude for Dr. James Dobson’s immeasurable impact on faith, family, and freedom in America. You’re listening to a special edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk. We’re sharing with you some of the audio highlights of Dr. Dobson’s private family memorial service, which took place on October the 4th. By the way, if you’d like to watch all of the video as well as listen to the audio from that service, go to drjamesdobson.org and click the link on the banner at the top of the broadcast page. Our final tribute on today’s edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk comes from Gary Bauer. Gary served alongside Dr. Dobson for 35 years plus and currently handles our public policy here at the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. Let’s hear now from Gary Bauer remembering his friend Jim Dobson on today’s edition of Family Talk.
SPEAKER 03 :
I’m Gary Bauer. I’ve worked with or for Jim for probably 35 years and am currently handling public policy for the James Dobson Family Institute. I’m honored to be here today with all of you and particularly, Shirley, with you and your family as we celebrate Jim’s life. It is, I’m missing, I can’t imagine what you’re feeling. I’m going to try to to get some loose ends that maybe others didn’t mention. So the first thing I want to say was that Jim was an encourager, always an encourager. I had an opportunity on a number of occasions to go around the country giving speeches with him to the same events. And after I would speak, Jim would say to me later, Gary, that was the best speech I have ever heard you give. Wow. I mean, that was fantastic. But after the 20th speech… which after each one, he said to me, Gary, that was the best speech you’ve ever given. I finally caught on. Every speech couldn’t have been the best one. He was just trying to encourage me, and I encouraged him to keep doing it. It felt great. You know, there’s something else that I remember about Jim that’s not going to be mentioned all the time. He wrote these great monthly letters. They were unbelievable. He was also a patriot, of course. He loved God and he loved America. I guess today, you know, he’s a Christian nationalist, but we live in strange times. So Jim would periodically write about America, and he would do it really well. He had a couple of those letters, I think I might still have them, where he would write about Constitution Hall in 1776. The founders are there. They’re putting together this country, this unbelievable experiment in liberty under God. And when you were reading about it, you didn’t think you were peeking through the window. You felt like you were on the floor when Dr. Dobson was describing this. You felt like you could say, Mr. Jefferson, I have a suggestion. It was an amazing talent. And as I was thinking about those letters, and those were basically written during the prime of his life, when he had a lot of time to do this, and he took a lot of time. But I would like one more letter. with the postmark of heaven. I would love to get a firsthand description from Jim right now on what he’s experiencing. We know what it’s supposed to be, and I have no doubt that’s what it is, but he would be able to describe it after seeing it firsthand. And of course, Jim has seen Jesus. Jim has seen Jesus. You know, everybody in the Bible that saw Jesus saw a different Jesus. Mary looked down on her lap and saw her little baby, who an angel told her would be a king with a kingdom that would never end. The Pharisees looked at Jesus and they saw a threat, a blasphemer. The disciples walked with him all those years. They thought they were walking with the greatest rabbi that ever lived. And that’s true, but he was even bigger than that. Many of them didn’t get it until the very end. And even then, there were a couple of bumps in the road. The Roman Empire, they thought he was an insurrectionist. Well, he was a resurrectionist. The Roman Empire is gone. Jesus lives. Crowds in Jerusalem welcomed him as the king that they were waiting for, the earthly king. And then not long after, some of the same people would treat him like a common criminal. And even on the cross, with a thief on both sides, One mocked him and the other one asked for his mercy. Now we’re going to see Jesus too. And when we do, we’ll see Jim. And we will see all who we loved and all who loved us as long as they loved Christ too. What a reunion that is going to be. But while we wait for that day, we can honor Jim who put Christ at the center of everything he did. His family, his radio shows, those letters, his books, his speeches. We can honor him. By pledging with all of our strength and all of our love, we will fight to defend faith, family, and freedom. God bless all of you. God bless Jim. And let’s wait for that grand reunion. Thank you very much.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, amen to that. Gary Bauer’s words remind us of the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, the promise of a grand reunion with those we love. And that hope certainly sustained Dr. James Dobson throughout his life and his ministry. I’m Roger Marsh, and on today’s edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, you’ve been listening to part two of our special presentation, honoring Dr. James Dobson by featuring eulogies that were presented at his memorial service back on October the 4th. Today, we heard eulogies from his son, Ryan Dobson, as well as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and our own Gary Bauer, Senior Vice President of Public Policy here at the James Dobson Family Institute. If you’d like to watch the complete memorial service, by the way, go to drjamesdobson.org. Once you’re on our landing page, at the top of that page, you’ll find a banner right across the top that gives you the opportunity to click on that banner, and it’ll take you right to the memorial page. And believe me, this is one of the most remarkable memorial services I’ve ever been able to witness, and three hours just flies right by with all of the different remembrances of Dr. Dobson. the beautiful hymns that were played throughout and sung throughout as well. It really is a spectacular tribute to our founder and chairman, Dr. James Clayton Dobson Jr. And I encourage you to go to drjamesdobson.org and you can take a look at that service and revisit it one more time. Now, over the past 50 years, Dr. James Dobson has created a legacy ministry that has dealt with the issues that have been so important for us as Christians to deal with in the culture. Dr. Dobson was a firm believer of the fact that if you want to repair the culture, if you will, first of all you have to strengthen the family. And one of the many issues that Dr. Dobson has written about over the years is about forgiveness and how you can strengthen your most important relationships by using forgiveness. Take marriage, for example. We have a powerful email series taken from Dr. Dobson’s writings called Conflict in Marriage, and it gets to one of the biggest sources of resentment between husbands and wives, and that is the unsolved disagreement. You’ll discover why fights arise even when neither one of you wants to argue, or how to tell if your conflict is normal, or maybe it’s a sign of deeper issues, and what it means to disagree the right way in marriage. Now, to sign up for this free email series called Conflict in Marriage by Dr. James Dobson, go to drjamesdobson.org. That’s drjamesdobson.org. And for any of the other resources you hear about here on the broadcast, we encourage you to visit our website or call a member of our constituent care team. That number is 877-732-6825. That’s 877-732-6825. Well, I’m Roger Marsh, and on behalf of all of us here at the JDFI, thanks so much for listening today. Be sure to join us again next time right here for another edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, the voice you can still trust for the family you love. This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
