Daly Focus Blog
Winter can stir up sadness within the happiest of hearts. Depending on where you live, the weather can be dreary this time of year. The days are short, the air is cold, and clouds often hide the sun for weeks.
If you’re struggling to escape the winter blues, take heart – spring is coming! The days are growing longer, and in just a few weeks, the temperature will get warmer. Before long, you’ll see signs of new life – blue skies will appear and flowers and green grass will emerge.
In Colorado, we’re locked in the throes of winter. Cold. Snow. Ice.
I can’t wait for the return of summer because summer means camping for my family. We love getting outdoors. We love parking our fifth wheel in some remote location where the sounds of nature aren’t drowned out by cars and busyness.
When there’s a lake nearby, the first thing my boys do is grab rocks to throw into the water. The bigger the better.
Standing for what’s right isn’t always easy. But it pays off in the end.
A man named Joseph Lister is a good example of this. Believe it or not, until 1870, surgeries were conducted without sterilization. That’s right. Back then, doctors didn’t wash their hands before surgery. Neither did anyone sterilize the patient, the room, or the surgical instruments. Germ theory was just beginning to be discovered, and the medical profession didn’t believe that bacteria caused illness.
Chad Robichaux comes from a long line of military service members. His grandparents fought in World War II and Korea. His father served in Vietnam, and both of Chad’s sons served in the Marines. Chad was himself a force recon Marine who did eight deployments to Afghanistan.
Chad recalls when his vehicle was surrounded by Taliban armed with AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. His unit referred to dangerous situations like that as “being on the X” – the X representing the center of a target.
Every father I meet has the same goal: to be a good dad. But how do you know when you’ve been one? Parenting can be tough, and it’s easy for men to question how good of a job they’re doing. In times like those, men need a moment to hold onto.
Some time back, my son Trent and I were on a father/son retreat. One night, we all sat around the campfire, and the kids were given the chance to honor their fathers.
Has one of your children ever thrown a world-class fit in a store?
My son Trent did that once when he was little. I was out of town, and Jean was alone with him in the checkout aisle. Trent wanted a candy bar and had a meltdown when his mom told him no.
Jean was a new mom and was embarrassed that she couldn’t get Trent under control. Fortunately, a man dressed in a military uniform intervened and told Trent, “Son, you need to listen to your mother.”
I don’t know who that man was, but I say, “Thank you.”
Situations like that frequently happen to moms and dads, but it’s not always clear how to respond.
One of the biggest reasons marriages collapse is that couples expect love to be easy, which means they aren’t willing to stay committed to one another when things get tough.
Any of us can show love to our spouse when life is clicking along smoothly or when we feel our needs are being met. But to have a marriage that endures, love must go much deeper. Love only has the opportunity to show its true colors when it’s tested.
Hurdlers don’t usually stumble on the open stretch of track but when they’re attempting to clear the obstacles.
Likewise, marriages don’t stumble when everything is calm and life is rolling along smoothly. Problems tend to develop when couples encounter some kind of stress.
My wife, Jean, and I have gone through numerous transition periods. We have faced challenges in our extended families, relocated to new cities, and raised two boys. One of the biggest challenges to our marriage – ironically enough – was when I became the president of Focus on the Family.
Focus on the Family president Jim Daly writes:
Legendary football coach and NBC analyst Tony Dungy came under fire on Thursday night after word spread on social media that he had agreed to speak at today’s March for Life in Washington, D.C.
Dave Zirin, a radical Leftist and sports editor for The Nation, accused NBC of coddling Dungy’s “right-wing extremism” and called the soft-spoken coach, who believes the Bible is inerrant, “an anti-gay bigot.”
Whether as a player, a coach or a member of his church, Coach Dungy has modeled how to bring the Christian faith into the public square.
Have you ever wished that your life could be easier? Who hasn’t? Every generation has had battles they didn’t want to fight. Which is why we must learn, as they did, that we have an important part to play in making the world a better place, right now, in this generation.
In 1933, Winston Churchill warned his fellow countrymen against the rise of Nazi Germany. His message encouraged people not to shrink back from their troubles but to stand strong with courage.
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.
