Daly Focus Blog
I’m sure you’ve wished you could change something about yourself. We all have. Taller. Shorter. Curly hair. Straight hair. We wish we were as athletic as someone else or could play an instrument.
Desiring strength in an area where we are weak is common, but it can cause us to lose sight of our greater purpose in Christ and fall into despair as a result. Especially children. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for 10-to-14-year-olds.
Infidelity is one of the top reasons why marriages end in divorce. That should come as no surprise. It’s hard to repair the gaping wounds that an affair rips into a relationship. Many couples choose to walk away. Even Christians often view infidelity as a “get out of jail free card.”
Josh and Katie Walters know firsthand the betrayal and devastation of infidelity. They now serve on staff at Seacoast Church, a multi-campus ministry in South Carolina, but six years into their marriage, Katie confessed that she was having an affair with one of Josh’s best friends.
Is pursuing a healthy lifestyle something we can actually enjoy?
Author Gary Thomas says, “Yes.”
I trust Gary, but I’m skeptical. If you’re anything like me, your lazy side frequently wins out over your desire to take health and fitness seriously. We know our health is important, but it’s hard to be consistent.
I’m talking with Gary on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly about pursuing and maintaining strong, physical health, so we can be fit and effective in serving God’s kingdom.
Some parents believe you develop a child’s self-confidence by protecting them from adversity. That strategy seems reasonable, but it’s actually counter-productive. Children need love and support, but they also need challenges. Effective parenting isn’t about making children comfortable right where they are. It’s about encouraging them toward something even greater.
Let me give you a personal example: My father figures were difficult to respect. My biological father died from alcohol. My step dad abandoned me and my siblings the day of my mother’s funeral.
Parenting can be frustrating!
Authors Amber Lia and Wendy Speake thought they were the only moms who believed that. Then they interviewed other women and discovered that many struggle.
Anger catches many moms off guard. Stress slowly builds until something finally pushes them over the edge and then – boom! – an outburst. Shame quickly follows, which immediately translates into isolation and feelings of inadequacy.
For every brave mom who acknowledges a problem with anger, hundreds more wonder if they’re the only ones who struggle with it.
Jade Warshaw serves as a debt elimination expert, financial coach, and co-host of The Ramsey Show. But she wasn’t always so savvy about financial matters.
Perhaps her lowest moment came while standing in line at a Publix grocery store with $45 worth of food, fearful that her card would be declined. Overspending on credit cards was a common practice for Jade and her husband back then, eventually racking up $460,000 in debt.
Inspired to make a change, they worked hard for seven and a half years to pay it off.
As a Denver Broncos fan, I don’t usually root for the Kansas City Chiefs. But I’ll make an exception for the Chiefs’ kicker, Harrison Butker, who came under fire after a commencement speech at Benedictine College went viral. Detractors said his comments were disrespectful to women.
But were they really? If you give his speech a fair hearing, I believe the answer is clearly no. Butker celebrated his wife. He praised her tireless dedication to their marriage and to their children.
Many marriages are like the community of Beebe Plain, Vermont. They’re divided.
The international border between Canada and the United States runs right down the middle of Beebe Plain, Vermont. It splits the main road through town in half. It also cuts right through the middle of a building on the east side of town called the Haskell Free Library and Opera House. Inside, there’s even a black line painted on the floor that marks where one country ends and another begins.
Do you ever wonder:
Is there a Creator?
If God is real, why do people suffer?
What does Easter have to do with the existence of God?
If God exists, why does He seem hidden or distant?
Can we deduce anything about God from scientific evidence?
Does our DNA reveal anything about God as a designer?
Can God be personally experienced?
On Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, I’m talking with former atheist, Lee Strobel.
Do you remember all those times when your parents told you to “play fair”? Well, what if I told you – when it comes to marriage – don’t?
“Playing fair” is one of the worst things you can do to a relationship. It’s a big reason so many couples struggle to forgive their spouse when they make a mistake. “Fair” is all about keeping things even between two people – which sounds good in theory but doesn’t work so well in practice.
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.
