Daly Focus Blog
Amy Rienow says she and her husband Rob got married … then dated for 10 years.
It was just a few months from first their first date to their wedding, which meant the years that followed were filled with surprises. They both loved the Lord, but they were clueless about the purpose of marriage and family.
Their crisis moment came 10 years into their marriage. Rob was a dedicated youth pastor. His number one passion was passing his faith to other people’s children.
There’s no one way to raise children. Discipline that works magic with one child may be completely ineffective with another.
At the bottom of every effective parenting strategy lies a universal foundation to good parenting: relationship.
Author Josh McDowell says, “Rules without relationship leads to rebellion.” That means your child’s primary concern in life is not your rules.
What matters most to your teen or young adult is knowing that you love them.
That sense of intimate connection won’t come through your instruction, lectures, or rules.
We don’t like to think about getting older. We especially don’t like to think about death.
Maybe that’s why studies show only a third of us prepare for the inevitable with advanced directives. It’s also why a growing number of people are finding themselves ill-equipped for the rigors and responsibilities of caring for an aging loved one.
Taking on the care of an aging parent or family member is a big job that rarely comes about at a convenient time for the caregiver.
By: Linsey Driskill
When a project I poured my heart and soul into was rejected, it stung. Badly.
While these painful moments happen to all of us, it’s easy to feel alone – thinking we’re the only ones.
But, even C.S. Lewis experienced rejection. Dr. Seuss’ first book was rejected twenty-seven times. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. In 1919, Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because his editor said he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Elvis was told he’d be better off driving trucks than singing.
I remember taking our boys to Disneyland when they were around 6 and 8. One of them was determined to get his way and had a meltdown. My attempted solution was to threaten, “Control yourself, or you will never come here again.”
It was a silly parenting strategy on my part because at the time, Jean and I enjoyed taking the boys to Disneyland and creating memories. In other words, I wasn’t really willing to follow through on the consequences I threatened.
Darryl and Tracy Strawberry are living proof that with God’s help, any couple can overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable and build a happy marriage. Their life together has been a difficult but rewarding journey.
They met each other in recovery. At the time, neither one was living for the Lord, and they were both broken people.
Darryl was $3 million in debt. He had been a power hitting, eight-time Major League All-Star who earned four World Series championships in 17 seasons with teams like the New York Mets and the New York Yankees.
The secret to winning in a team sport is no secret at all. Teammates have to share a common goal and know how to work together to achieve it. When you wear the same uniform, it’s not about “me,” it’s about “we.”
That commitment to unity is what makes a marriage work, too. But working together as a team isn’t always easy.
Just ask Joshua and Christi Straub. Their teamwork isn’t so great sometimes, either. And that’s saying something.
I still remember when a small airplane crashed across the street from where I lived when I was 14 years old. I heard the crash, then called 911 and ran to the plane. I was able to help two 20-somethings get out of the burning wreckage.
At first, I thought the young men were the only two in the plane. I soon realized two other men had been in the front – the young men’s fathers.
Author Shauna Pilgreen says, “A life of comfort is a win for the enemy. When you’re comfortable, you’re usually leaning on your own strength, which means you’re leaning less on God’s strength.”
Shauna and her husband have learned to rely on God in uncomfortable circumstances, and they’re actively passing that faith on to their children.
It started in earnest when God led the Pilgreens from their cozy suburban life in Missouri to plant a church in San Francisco, where their lives are anything but comfortable.
Dr. David Clarke says most guys are clams. Clams bury themselves in the sand and are quite content to hide there. Guys like to hide relationally. They’re naturally much better at tasks that require strength, confidence, and leadership. Those are key skills in business and sports, but they’re not especially useful when it comes to a relationship with a woman.
Women want closeness – connection, understanding, openness, and intimacy. That’s why when a woman’s husband clams up and hides, she tries to pry him open.
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.
