Daly Focus Blog
I like being busy and working hard. God gave us work for our benefit. It’s meant to enrich our lives while we’re providing for our families.
But too much of a good thing ain’t so good. If you’re not careful, you can miss the joys of life along the way.
Several years ago, when my now teenage boys were just little guys, I had an encounter with Trent and Troy that has become a cherished memory.
Jeff and Cheryl Scruggs were married for ten years … the first time.
Their life together started perfectly. They moved to Los Angeles in their mid-twenties and were living the California lifestyle. They were successful at their jobs, they made a lot of money, and they even had an ocean-front home with all of the right stuff to fill it.
But for Cheryl, marriage was empty.
She thought the lack of intimacy between her and Jeff would eventually correct itself.
Last week was special. We celebrated four decades of God’s faithfulness to Focus on the Family, culminating in a very memorable 40th anniversary chapel service on Friday with special guests Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, and Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman – and some of the best parts were those that didn’t go as planned.
The day started early in the morning, as we prepared for the arrival of hundreds of ministry friends, staff, Secret Service agents, local law enforcement, members of the media, and even some protestors who set up camp across the street.
I used to believe there was such a thing as perfect families. It started with The Brady Bunch. Mike and Carol were loving parents, the kids always seemed happy, and the family’s problems were not only minimal but easy to solve.
As I grew older, I wondered if everybody else around me had a perfect family, too. That’s how they all looked from the outside, anyway.
I’ve been ministering to families for nearly three decades, and I can tell you that a lot of parents feel intense pressure to be perfect.
Here’s the media statement our public relations team sent to reporters concerning today. You can learn more about the case from our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom by visiting www.adflegal.org/the-playground-case. – J.D.
_____
For Immediate Release
June 26, 2017
Focus on the Family President Reacts to SCOTUS Trinity Lutheran Decision:
‘A win for all Americans’
Colorado Springs, Colo. – Focus on the Family President Jim Daly issued this statement today reacting to the Supreme Court’s 7-2 decision in the Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v.
One day, well into her adult years, Florence Littauer’s dad invited her into a tiny back room of the little store he had operated for decades. Against one wall was an upright piano. Her dad reached behind it and pulled an old cigar box from its hiding place.
Inside were articles he had published in the local paper. Florence was surprised. She had no idea her father was a writer. He’d never discovered his true potential because no one had ever encouraged him.
Vice President Mike Pence will be joining Focus on the Family staff and friends today in celebrating 40 years of helping families thrive.
In addition to Vice President Pence’s participation as our featured speaker, award-winning Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman will also be at the special chapel service. He will be leading us in a time of worship.
We wanted to open this special event up to our friends who faithfully support and pray for our ministry, as well as the families we love and serve.
I wake up every day with a desire to serve the Lord. I want other people to see Christ in me when I’m confronted with challenges. I want them to say, “Wow! I would’ve reacted entirely differently in that situation. What do you have that I don’t?”
But then someone cuts me off in traffic.
…Or my boys don’t behave the way I’ve told them to a dozen times.
…Or I’m exhausted after a long flight and an unexpected delay complicates my plans.
As soon as we announced that Vice President Mike Pence was planning to speak at our 40th anniversary chapel this coming Friday, reporters began asking why.
Focus on the Family has had a friendly relationship with Vice President Pence, who is an outspoken Christian, for years. His commitment to families and the preborn has been evident since his early days as an Indiana state representative, during his tenure as governor of the Hoosier State – and it’s remained steadfast in the White House.
“She felt like she had given me the most precious, delicate part of who she was, and I had thrown it in the trash.”
That’s Jonathan Daugherty speaking there, and the she he’s referring to is his wife. He’d just confessed to her that he was addicted to pornography and had had multiple affairs. The revelation left her devastated and curled up in a fetal position. The shame of his behavior left Jonathan suicidal.
Fallout like that is not unique.
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.
