Daly Focus Blog
Men are usually held in high esteem for their strong will. “What a leader!” people say. “He’s bold and lives with conviction.”
But a woman with a strong will is often characterized quite differently. “She’s bossy, controlling, and too self-assured.” It’s as if a woman can only be virtuous if she’s quiet and meek.
I think women and men are identical in this sense – God doesn’t want to rid us of our personalities, He wants to direct it and use it for His purposes.
Do you know the difference between raising a “body-conscious” daughter and a “body-confident” daughter?
Recently, I had the privilege of talking with author and speaker Dannah Gresh on how mothers can help their daughters develop a positive body image.
Most moms of teenage girls know what it’s like to watch their daughter break down into tears in the middle of a department store because none of the jeans fit right. Dannah explains that at the core of every girl’s battle with body image are these questions: “Am I beautiful?” “Am I worthy?” “Am I noticeable?”
The trouble is, it’s easy to focus on outward modesty – the length of shorts, the depth of a neckline, and the thickness of eyeliner.
Christianity Today recently ran a piece with an attention-grabbing headline: “Our Priorities Are Off When Family Is More Important Than Church.”
The basic premise of the article is this: while God loves family, we also see some statements in the Bible that the author says are “anti-family,” such as Jesus’ words in the book of Luke: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple” (14:26).
Moms, the Lord is depending on your boys to be wolves.
In the first six weeks of a baby cub’s life, a wolf never leaves the den or his mother. She nurtures him and teaches him to take care of himself.
At six weeks of age, the cub leaves the den for the first time. Waiting for him outside is his dad who, day after day, takes the young wolf farther and farther away from the den.
Tomorrow millions of families around the world will tune in to watch the opening ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
There’s something special about the Olympics, isn’t there? Cheering on the United States – or whatever your “home” country is – adds a welcomed, unique layer to the thrill of sports.
It’s also interesting to “meet” the athletes and learn their amazing stories. So many of them have overcome seemingly impossible odds to compete in the Games.
Conflict over finances can be hard on a marriage. In fact, research shows that couples who argue about money are nearly twice as likely to divorce as those who don’t.
The answer to that dilemma should be easy then, right? Just manage your finances better.
But a lot of couples are surprised to learn that poor money habits are only one part of their trouble. The other part is usually the marriage itself.
Money puts stress on fractures that already exist in a marriage.
Lorain had a passion for helping couples thrive in their marriages.
For 52 years, she crisscrossed the state of Oklahoma with her husband, Homer, as he preached from church to church. Along the way she came up with a succinct formula for marital happiness. Here’s her recipe for a happy marriage:
1 cup consideration
1 cup courtesy
2 cups praise
2 cups flattery carefully concealed
2 cups milk of human kindness
1 gallon faith in God and each other
1 small pinch of in-laws
1 reasonable budget
1 cup contentment
A generous dash cooperation
2 children (at least)
1 cup confidence and encouragement (for each)
1 large or several small hobbies
1 cup blindness to the other’s faults
Flavor with frequent portions of recreation and a dash of happy memories.
“Here’s the story of a lovely lady, who was bringing up three very lovely girls…”
Most of you could probably finish that theme song from memory. The Brady Bunch was the quintessential television family of the early 1970’s, largely because of its wholesome, albeit simplistic, portrayal of blended families.
In the world of television sitcoms, problems are cleanly resolved by the end of each 30-minute episode. But let’s face it, rebuilding a family is rarely as simple as Mike and Carol Brady made it appear.
The only things certain in life are death and taxes.
Oh … and the fact that children are born selfish.
Straight from the womb, kids have no boundaries. They don’t care if their mom and dad are hungry, overworked, or haven’t slept in days. They’ll scream for food when they’re hungry and for a new diaper when the old one has, let’s say, fulfilled its purpose.
Fortunately, there’s nothing in that behavior for parents to worry about because that’s the means God has given infants to have their needs met and to survive.
The differences that nearly ended their marriage were woven into their DNA.
By his own admission, he grew up a pampered Hollywood child actor. She was from a hard-working middle class family in upstate New York and later became an actress herself.
The external pressures they faced were immense as well. No city can exploit a couple’s differences quite like Hollywood. So when actors Kirk and Chelsea Cameron married in 1991, they committed to building a life together in a place notorious for tearing them down.
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.
