Jim Daly

Can We Talk? Communication Advice for Husbands and Wives

Dr. David Clarke says most guys are clams. Clams bury themselves in the sand and are quite content to hide there. Guys like to hide relationally. They’re naturally much better at tasks that require strength, confidence, and leadership. Those are key skills in business and sports, but they’re not especially useful when it comes to a relationship with a woman.

Women want closeness – connection, understanding, openness, and intimacy. That’s why when a woman’s husband clams up and hides, she tries to pry him open.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, couples, marriage

JDD Blog: A National Day of Mourning Recognizes 20 Million Lives Lost to Abortion in the African American Community

For today’s post, I want to turn the space over to my colleague and Daily Citizen writer, Brittany Raymer.

It’s likely that none of your mainstream news outlets covered an important event that occurred this past weekend. As such, this might be the first time you’re hearing about this – but I’m grateful for Brittany bringing us the story:

While most people spent Labor Day weekend with family and friends, enjoying the last vestiges of summer, others were gathered to mourn the millions of African American babies lost to abortion.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events

How to Help Your Young Adult be Brave

Public speaking. Heights. Spiders. Did you know that these are the top three fears for Americans? Fear is the belief that something has the potential to harm you. It’s rooted in a lack of control.

The word “fear” occurs over 300 times in the Bible. Clearly, fear is something that has gripped mankind since the fall. It takes away our ability to enjoy life’s best moments and our ability to connect with the people closest to us.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: book, broadcast, fear

Do Nice People Go to Heaven?

Is it really possible for nice people go to Hell?

To answer that question, we have to define the word “nice.”

Picture a spectrum of holiness. Abject evil to one extreme and pure holiness to the other. The Hitlers of the world would be closer to the pure evil side, while people like Mother Teresa would be to the other extreme. The rest of us probably fall somewhere in between and could rightly say, “I’m no saint, but I’m no mass murderer, either.”

With that worldview, our standard of “goodness” is reduced to shades of gray.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith

Trump Administration is Right: Recreational Marijuana Use is a Growing Epidemic

As a resident of Colorado, a state that legalized recreational marijuana use in 2012, you get accustomed to all the so-called “jokes” about the popularity of the drug in the Rocky Mountain State.

Popular culture has been trying to destigmatize marijuana for years, and it’s often the punch line in movies, television shows and music.

The reality, though, is that the recreational use of cannabis is no laughing matter, most especially for young people and pregnant women.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: current events

If You Want a Great Marriage, Do This

Hurdlers don’t usually stumble on the open stretch of track. Victory or defeat is mostly about clearing the obstacles.

It’s the same for marriage. Relationships don’t stumble when everything is calm, and life is rolling along smoothly. Problems tend to develop when couples encounter some kind of stress.

Those moments are an opportunity for husbands and wives to work together as a team.

My wife and I have gone through quite a few transition periods. We’ve faced challenges in our extended families, relocated to new cities, and raised two boys.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: book, broadcast, marriage, relationships

Andrew Luck’s Retirement Decision Has a Hidden Message (Even for Non-Athletes)

Are you a football fan?

I had the privilege earlier this week to contribute an essay to Fox News on the surprise retirement announcement from Indianapolis Colt’s franchise quarterback, Andrew Luck.

Here is in part what I wrote:

I suspect attitudes about money and happiness are at the heart of much of the public’s incredulity surrounding Luck’s retirement. While the NFL star has already earned nearly $100 million over the past seven seasons, he potentially stood to receive hundreds of millions more over the course of his remaining career.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: money, value

Radically Rediscovering Salvation

“Spirituality wrongly understood or pursued is a major source of human misery and rebellion against God.” – Dallas Willard

Christians use a lot of words like “salvation,” “grace,” and “faith.” How often do we stop and really think about what those words mean?

We’re hungry to the core of our soul for relationship. The degree to which that need goes unfulfilled is the degree to which we will lose ourselves in the pursuit of more. More everything.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, christianity, faith

Braving Middle School Like a Boss

At some point, almost every boy will struggle with the feeling that he doesn’t measure up.

My teenage feelings of inadequacy shot to the surface one day while I was in gym class, standing behind a muscular upper-classman named Glen and one of his buddies. They were talking about how guys grow bigger as they get older.

Without warning, Glen wheeled around and – Bam! – he socked me right in the chest. “See this guy?” he said.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, parenting

Avoiding a Midlife Crisis

The middle of life is supposed to be a great time for men. Their marriages are doing well. Their children have launched, or are ready to go. Their careers are rolling, and the future looks bright.

Or maybe it doesn’t.

Maybe you’ve hit mid-life, and your marriage isn’t what you thought it would be. Maybe your children are struggling to launch. And your career is … sigh … fine.

If your life hasn’t slipped into a comfortable rhythm, we have encouragement for you today on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Avoiding a Midlife Crisis.”

Mid-life is a transition point, but it doesn’t have to be a crisis.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, manhood, men