Daly Focus Blog
It’s Monday.
For a lot of us, that means a new week filled with possibilities for all that we can go out into the world and achieve.
But some people don’t see opportunity for what they can do. Their primary focus is all about what other people can do for them.
They live their lives with a sense of entitlement. They seem to think they deserve something for nothing from the people around them simply because they exist and live on this planet.
Have you ever had a shirt with a loose thread? It seems like such a small thing, doesn’t it? But all it takes is one quick tug for you to realize that thread is part of a much larger problem. The next thing you know, your clothing is unraveling right before your eyes.
A marriage can have loose threads, too. A husband and wife don’t see eye-to-eye, or they’re not communicating very well, or little resentments start to crop up here and there.
If you’ve just recently discovered our ministry, welcome to Focus on the Family.
As our longtime friends will agree, if you explore our websites, read our magazines, or listen to our radio programs, you’ll find a wealth of practical, everyday advice for parents – things like strategies for effective discipline and tips for helping kids thrive with their siblings or at school.
But there may be no more important wisdom we share with parents than the kind of topic we’ll be talking about on our broadcast today.
Do you like football?
Not everybody does, of course, a reality that can lead to frustrations in marriage.
My wife, Jean, isn’t a raving fan of the game, but she appreciates the enjoyment the boys and I get from both playing and watching it. That said, we’re not overly “plugged in” to a regimen of watching on television. Because we don’t watch regular TV at all, catching a Sunday afternoon game is a treat.
But what about the husband or wife (women make up 45 percent of the NFL fan base) for whom football is a major passion?
The line that separates the heights of success from the depths of despair is often razor thin.
Take our guests on today’s and tomorrow’s programs, for example.
Darryl Strawberry was a power hitting, eight-time All-Star outfielder who earned four World Series rings. In 17 seasons, he played for a number of Major League baseball teams, including the New York Mets and the New York Yankees.
But his career, and his life, were derailed by substance abuse, prison time, and dysfunctional family relationships that cost him two marriages and estranged him from his children.
Tracy was raised in an alcoholic home. Her story might have had the same tragic ending as so many who grow up in her circumstances.
But the Lord used a neighborhood family to intervene in her life.
When Tracy was little, she met a girl next door named Missy, who was her age. They became lifelong friends. Missy’s family was kind and welcomed Tracy into their home. The two girls would play all day and have sleepovers at Missy’s house.
Do you and your spouse fight “well”?
That’s not a trick question. There really is such a thing as “healthy conflict” in marriage.
Here at Focus, we find that couples fall into one of three beliefs about marital conflict. One is the group who enters marriage expecting an unrealistic level of agreement and perfection in their relationship. If they’re truly happy and meant for one another, they believe, there shouldn’t be any conflict. That’s not a very realistic view of human relationship.
Christians desire to serve God. We read His word and seek His will. Maybe we even pray, “God, break our hearts for the things that break Your heart. Give our hearts joy for the things that give Your heart joy.”
But our guest on today’s program, Pastor Eugene Cho, wonders, “Are we more in love with the idea of following Jesus than actually following the teachings of Jesus?”
That question isn’t some thoughtless accusation he levels against the church.
During a recent trip to Pennsylvania, I had the pleasure of meeting Amanda Pietrocola. Ms. Pietrocola and her family are friends of the ministry, and last summer she attended our Boundless conference. Amanda shared with me that she and her family had recently fostered two young girls. Their story provides a good snapshot of the realities associated with foster care. It’s rarely the neat and tidy Hollywood screenplay. While we enthusiastically champion foster care, we also think it’s important to paint an accurate picture of the challenges associated with the ministry.
Sometimes parents think of a child’s manners in the most basic of terms, like table etiquette or how polite they are when guests come to the house. But the benefits don’t end there. Manners actually equip your children for success in their adult life.
To that end, a few years back, my wife and I enrolled our boys, Trent and Troy, in something called Cotillion. It’s all about teaching manners and preparing kids to interact with others as maturing young men and women.
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.
