Daly Focus Blog
Kaing Khek Ieu didn’t deserve God’s grace.
In the mid-1990s, he was a teacher living in Cambodia when he was invited by a friend to attend a Christian leadership training event held by Christopher LaPel, a pastor living in Los Angeles but born in Cambodia.
In the midst of the services, Kaing Khek Ieu approached LaPel and said, “I don’t have any hope. I’ve done too many horrible things. God can’t forgive me.”
Christopher had never met the man, but assured him that no one is beyond hope.
A colleague of mine was recently visiting some friends at an assisted living complex here in Colorado Springs. Sitting with men and women in the twilight of their lives, he asked them about their respective marriages. Many were now widowed but others were still married, some for fifty and sixty years.
What had marriage taught them about love and life?
What advice would they give to couples just starting out?
If they had to do it all over again, what would they do differently?
Rachel lost two years of her life.
Maybe the first thought that comes to mind when you read that sentence is that Rachel suffered some sort of tragic accident that threw her into a coma – or she bonked her head and lost two years to amnesia.
But neither of those are accurate, and what happened to her can happen to any of us.
Her life was filled with distractions.
If our to-do lists are never-ending, and we’re always thinking ahead to the next thing, and the next thing, and the next thing, then we can easily miss out on the real life that’s happening right in front of us.
I remember my son Trent’s first science project when he was in fourth grade. Jean and I agreed that we needed to let him do the project on his own. After all, the whole point was for him to learn, right?
Well, at the end of the semester, we discovered not every parent shared that view.
The school had an open house, so the parents could see the work the kids had done. It was pretty obvious whose mom and dad had been involved in their child’s schoolwork – like the rocket ship that had been built from scratch by an actual astronaut!
The Beatitudes are a beloved part of Matthew’s Gospel. They’re eight blessings Jesus offered to His audience – and to us – to remind us of the blessings we can enjoy when our lives are committed to God.
On today’s broadcast, you’ll hear a recorded message from popular speaker and pastor Mark Gungor, who used that framework as a catalyst for what he calls the nine “‘Be’ Attitudes” of marriage. These are specific attitudes that can help you and your spouse build a successful relationship.
Have you ever had a listening, seeing person in your life?
Before you answer, let me describe what that really means.
Think of a movie that brings you to tears or a song that sweeps you back to your childhood. Ever wonder why that happens?
We often connect with art at an emotional level. A painting can’t be reduced to mere brush strokes or a book to text on a page. Works of creativity are not things we look at, but through.
I started my blog a few days ago with this comment: “Every life is precious. Young and old, weak or strong, planned or unplanned.”
It’s true, and I believe every word of it.
But to be perfectly candid, I worry that statements like that get tossed about too easily.
Yes, all life is precious, and we should proclaim that boldly from the rooftops. But the flip side of that boldness is the humility that compels us to roll up our sleeves and come alongside the weak, the elderly, and special needs children and the families who care for them.
Every life is precious. Young and old, weak or strong, planned or unplanned.
Every January here at Focus on the Family, we observe Sanctity of Human Life Month. The idea that God has woven His image into the very fabric of every human life is a fundamental teaching of the Bible and is core to who Focus on the Family is as an organization.
In fact, one of our foundational principles reads: “We believe that human life is created by God in His image.
As the nation pauses today to celebrate the life and legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I’d like to share something very special with you.
Several years ago, the earliest recorded sermon of Dr. King was discovered. At the time he delivered it, February 28, 1954, he was still a seminary student. The site was the Second Baptist Church of Detroit. He titled it “Rediscovering Lost Values.”
It is a work of timeless oratorical genius.
Are you a football fan?
Well, whether you like the game or not, two of the NFL playoff games this past weekend provided both the young and old with some lessons about life.
One good. One bad.
First, the bad.
Saturday night’s AFC Wild Card contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals set a few records, but not the kind you want.
More fans were arrested during the game than ever before, including one guy for urinating on someone.
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.
