Daly Focus Blog
Many women have an identity problem. When they introduce themselves, they say, “I’m just a mom.”
Just a mom? The reason mothers often hold such a low view of themselves is misguided but understandable. At first blush, there’s nothing significant about chasing kids around the house, fixing meal after meal, and stepping on toys scattered down the hallway.
But that view grossly underestimates the importance of a mother’s role in the lives of their children. Moms are modern day superheroes.
One of the greatest gifts you can give your child isn’t something you buy at the store. It’s the words you speak.
Encouraging statements such as, “I’m proud of you,” “You can do it,” and “Great job!” are powerful building blocks for your child’s identity. Even the smallest encouragement can tip your child’s heart toward confidence and hope instead of fear and despair.
Even better, children store positivity in their hearts like money in a savings account.
Do you want to raise healthy, successful children? Then help them discover their potential.
Wilbur and Orville Wright’s father did that. When his boys were young, he amazed them with a toy helicopter made of thin Balsa wood and a rubber band. The fragile toy soared across the room and opened a door to their imaginations. Years later, Wilbur and Orville identified that moment as the primary influence that sparked their interest in flight.
When Thomas Edison was young, he developed a hearing problem that caused him trouble at school.
It’s a bittersweet moment when children become old enough to move out. Not only do they no longer live at home, but their relationship with their parents changes forever.
For most of us, parenting is more than a responsibility, it’s an identity. Which is why it feels like a part of us goes with our child when they leave home. Some moms and dads cope with that sense of emptiness by continuing to actively parent their child, in some cases for years afterward.
Popular evangelist J.John has a unique way of describing just about everything. Of marriage, he says, “In the swimming pool of marriage, there is no shallow end. You’re in the deep end from the moment you start.”
Many couples get married believing that the early days of marriage will be easy. In reality, they can be some of the most difficult and important days of your marriage. Once the wedding and honeymoon are over, life settles into a daily routine.
Author Lee Strobel says, “The question of whether God is real is the most consequential issue of all because so much hangs on the answer.”
Not only does Lee believe that as a renowned Christian apologist, but he also believes it from personal experience. Lee’s parents were Christian, but as he neared his teenage years, he started to ask tough questions, like, “How do we know that God exists?” and “If God is good, why do people suffer?”
No one wanted to engage his questions.
Rich Griffith is a single Dad of three teenage sons, all of whom he adopted. He soon realized that despite ministering to teenagers for many years, he didn’t know how to disciple his children as a parent.
Neither do a lot of parents. Many leave discipleship of their children to the church. But it’s best for parents to be intentional about discipling their children at home. Young children learn by watching and copying their parents. Modeling your faith at home is important because discipleship happens daily as you go through life together as a family.
As Christians, we orient our lives according to the Bible. We believe that God exists (Romans 1:20) and that He commands a host of angels who do His will (Luke 2:13-14) and who worship Him without ceasing (Revelation 4:8).
Yet, when it comes to spiritual warfare, we’re often double-minded. We believe that the devil and his angels exist (Matthew 25:41), but we rarely acknowledge their influence in our daily affairs.
Sooner or later, every couple gets bored with their marriage. Once the wedding and honeymoon are over, life settles into a daily routine. Careers are chased. Children are born. And there’s always a pile of laundry to wash and bills to pay. It’s inevitable that romance will fade.
The question is, what can you do about it? Left unchecked, a mild case of the yawns can become two people living separate lives. Before long, you’re thinking your best years of marriage are behind you.
Childhood adversity and childhood trauma are different.
Every child faces adversity. It’s part of being human in an imperfect, fallen world. Trauma, on the other hand, is a profoundly distressing experience that impacts a child’s sense of safety, trust, and control.
I experienced a lot of both as a kid. My parents divorced when I was five. My dad was in and out of my life for years afterward until he died addicted to alcohol, broken and alone.
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.
