Daly Focus Blog
When my two sons, Trent and Troy, were born, I thought they would be a lot alike. More to the point, I thought Jean and I would be able to raise them the same way.
Boy, was I wrong.
Trent and Troy share a lot of the same interests, but spend an afternoon with each of them, and you’ll find out just how different they are. Trent is thoughtful and super-smart. He may be the smartest one in the whole family.
The struggle against perfection begins the moment in childhood when you first recognize that other people expect you to achieve and to measure up. From your performance at school or at work to your performance at home as a parent and a spouse – almost everybody wants or needs something from you.
The pursuit of excellence can fill your life with a lot of great things. It can motivate you to work hard and to excel, for yourself and for others.
I recently had the opportunity to have lunch with Kirk Cameron. He’s a good friend to Focus and he’s currently promoting his new movie event, Kirk Cameron: CONNECT.
Those of you of a certain age will remember Kirk as the teen star of the Growing Pains TV series in the 1980s. More recently, he has starred in a number of successful faith-based films, including Left Behind and Fireproof.
CONNECT addresses a subject that is very important to all of us here at Focus, and if you’re a parent, it’s probably important to you as well.
Marriage is central to what we do here at Focus on the Family.
We believe that marriage is the foundation of the family. We also believe that God’s design for marriage is a relationship where both husband and wife are committed to loving and caring for one another for a lifetime.
The problem is, men and women are selfish creatures, and their selfishness comes out in all kinds of unhealthy ways. One of the most devastating aberrations is an affair.
Joshua Becker says, “I don’t know if the three most common words in American homes are, ‘I love you,’ or ‘Let’s go shopping.’”
The amount of stuff the average American owns is astounding. Our cabinets, crawl spaces, garages, and storage rooms are filled to capacity. Some people even rent additional space at a storage unit to hold even more stuff.
The statistics are unbelievable. American homes have tripled in size in the last 50 years, yet 10 percent of families rent offsite storage.
What’s your favorite song?
The reason it’s your favorite is probably because you enjoy the vocals of the lead singer. But perhaps more than you think about, you also enjoy the song because of a cast of characters who some would say are just as important as the lead: the backing singers.
Their chorus of voices harmonize with the lead and give the song a beauty, richness, and texture the main vocalist could never achieve alone.
Dr. Kevin Leman humorously says of children, “We have seen the enemy, and they are small. They’re unionized. The ‘ankle-biter battalion’ is on the move, so you better have a game plan.”
I’m sure many parents would heartily agree with that assessment. To that end, Dr. Leman is with us on our program “Game Plan for Raising Well-Behaved Children” to share a wealth of practical tips that can bring order to the chaos in your home more quickly than you might think possible.
Julie and Clay’s first baby was due any time. To celebrate and to enjoy one last date night – at least for a while – Julie planned a romantic dinner at their favorite restaurant.
That evening, Julie arrived before Clay, and waited.
And waited.
He was supposed to come there straight from work, but twenty minutes passed and still no Clay. She called his phone. No answer.
Thirty minutes passed.
Then an hour.
Clay and Julie lost their reservation, and Julie’s expectations for the night were ruined.
Week Ending January 12, 2018.
Enjoy!: The Gift of Sexual Pleasure for Women (by Cliff & Joyce Penner)
The Married Guy’s Guide to Great Sex (by Cliff & Joyce Penner)
Little Book of Great Dates (by Dr. Greg & Erin Smalley)
Kingdom Woman (by Tony Evans, Chrystal Evans Hurst)
Financial Peace Junior Kit (by Dave Ramsey)
Put the Disciple Into Discipline (by Erin MacPherson)
Joni and Ken: An Untold Love Story (Ken & Joni Eareckson Tada)
The Case for Life (by Scott Klusendorf)
The Kindness Challenge (by Shaunti Feldhahn)
NIrV Adventures in Odyssey Children’s Bible
Cherish (by Gary Thomas)
Martin Luther (by Eric Metaxas)
Openness Unhindered (by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield)
Honey, We Need to Talk (by David E.
You see somebody’s true character when they struggle.
That’s what’s so great about Jase and Missy Robertson, from the Duck Dynasty family. They’re the real deal. They’re as down home as they portray themselves to be. They also love Jesus and want you to know it.
The whole Robertson clan has a deep-seated faith in Christ. That was never more evident than when their daughter Mia was born with a cleft palate – a serious condition that required multiple cranial and facial surgeries, eight major procedures so far in the first 11 years of her life.
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.
