Daly Focus Blog
Did you get married to work a job? To do laundry? To pay bills?
Of course not. Yet, most of us wind up with marriages in exactly that kind of “ho-hum” condition. Sooner or later, the euphoria of the wedding ceremony fades away and life settles into a daily grind of often-mundane activity. Careers are chased, children are born, and ever-larger homes are purchased. Or newer and newer cars sit outside of garages filled to the roof with stuff we’ll never use.
The most important question we can ask ourselves about life is, “What do I really believe to be true?”
There’s one thing that’s ultimately true for any belief: it’s not a mental exercise. It’s an action.
You don’t simply believe truth. You live it.
That concept came naturally to Abdu Murray. He grew up Muslim in Detroit, Michigan. In that culture, even Muslims who don’t read the Quran, pray five times a day, or immerse themselves in the traditions of Islam consider their faith part of their identity.
If your marriage is in trouble, I have one question: Do you believe God can work a miracle in your relationship?
If your answer is no, I encourage you to tune into our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Strengthening Your Marriage Through Daily Choices” to hear the story of Ron and Jody Zappia.
It’s an understatement to say that they had a very shaky start to their marriage. Within the first six months, Jody was overcommitted in her career, and Ron had an affair with a co-worker.
In today’s world of smartphones and YouTube, it can feel impossible to keep pace with what our children are watching. Focus on the Family’s Plugged In website exists to help you and your children make informed media decisions.
If you have never visited the Plugged In website, I hope you will check it out.
If you are already familiar with Plugged In, you may have noticed that the website has a new look.
The new site is designed to make it easier to view the latest content and explore different categories.
Author Stephen Arterburn is our guest on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “The Crucial Role of Men Standing for Life.”
What I appreciate most about Steve is his willingness to be vulnerable with his audience about his shortcomings. On our program, he’s sharing about the abortion he compelled his girlfriend to have when they were both college students.
In the years since, Steve has had to come to grips with the fact that he wasn’t the man that baby and young woman needed him to be.
“I’m pregnant.”
Would you know what to do if your teenage daughter made that announcement? It’s not a pleasant situation to think about. But that’s why you should.
It’s the moment of truth for you as a parent. When you first hear the news, you’ll feel like the floor has dropped out from beneath your family. How you react sets the tone of your relationship with your child moving forward. It’s a scary, uncertain time for you and for your daughter.
Note: This article by Focus on the Family President Jim Daly appears in full on Fox News.
Once upon a time, the vast majority of Americans were affiliated with a particular faith community or tradition: Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, or Jewish, for example.
In recent years, though, secularism has been growing and a new wave of either atheism or agnosticism is rolling across the country. It may be true that a degree of “unbelief” has always existed, but with rising rates of people unaffiliated with any church or faith at all, the likelihood of interacting and being influenced by a person who believes in a higher power is similarly depressed.
Today, I’ve got a simple idea that will help you build a great marriage. It’s fun, too.
Laugh together.
Studies show that couples who laugh are healthier, happier, and more connected to each other. Even little giggles between you and your spouse can play a meaningful part in creating bonds that you’ll share forever.
That’s because laughter is a powerful connecter. In fact, at its heart, laughter is mostly about connection. It’s only partially about humor. Studies show that we laugh more when we’re with other people than when we’re alone.
The Depression-era generation used to say, “Use it up. Wear it out. Make do. Do without.”
There’s wisdom in that. But a lot us should throw some stuff out.
Did you know that there are more self-storage facilities in America than there are McDonald’s restaurants? At last count, there were 48,500 self-storage facilities in America compared to 14,350 McDonald’s.
We’re bursting at the seams with stuff. Our homes should be places of comfort and peace. Instead, we’re overwhelmed with clutter.
Sex is the one activity that differentiates marriage from every other relationship. You can have a great conversation with a friend. You can have lunch with a co-worker. You can go on vacation with a family member. But if you’re following God’s design for relationships, sex is only rightly expressed through marriage.
Milan and Kay Yerkovich say that dynamic is hugely consequential to a couple’s relationship when they can’t negotiate their sex life in healthy ways.
Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.
