Daly Focus Blog
Are you a “Dead Sea” or a “babbling brook”? Those odd labels describe different communication styles that often exist between husbands and wives.
Dr. Gary Chapman says some spouses communicate like the Dead Sea in Israel. The Jordan River flows into it, but nothing flows out. A Dead Sea spouse takes in the world around them, but he or she is perfectly happy not to talk about any of it.
Babbling brooks, on the other hand, are a constant flow of water.
Many single men and women don’t know how to pursue marriage with purpose.
When asked what they’re looking for in a spouse, most will say something about good looks. While physical attraction is not unimportant, for a marriage that stands the test of time couples must rise beyond that initial connection point. They must keep character top of mind, understanding that marriage is a relationship with a whole person, not just a body.
A second idea for single men and women to consider is the length of their engagement period.
If your marriage is in trouble, I have one question: Do you believe God can work a miracle in your relationship?
Even if your answer is no, I encourage you to tune in to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly to hear the story of Ron and Jody Zappia. To say that they had a shaky start to their marriage is an understatement. Within the first six months, Jody was overcommitted in her career and Ron had an affair with a co-worker.
The late Steve Farrar believed Psalm 23 was the most dangerous Psalm in the Bible – dangerous because we know it so well that it loses its deep meaning and significance. The Psalm is only six verses long, but each one is potent and pregnant with meaning.
David, who wrote Psalm 23, was a shepherd as a youth and could have written from the perspective of the shepherd. Instead, he wrote it from the perspective of the sheep.
Never step in quicksand.
That bit of advice may seem obvious, but it’s not always easy to follow. In nature, quicksand is hard to spot. It looks like regular soil, but it behaves like a liquid. That’s why if you stand on it, you sink. And the further into it you go the harder it is to get out.
Quicksand is just as dangerous in modern society, only it takes the form of things like excessive gambling, drug and alcohol abuse, or pornography.
According to a recent Barna study, a lot of moms feel pressure:
95% of mothers said they want to do better in at least one area of their lives.
80% say they feel stressed.
62% say they are dissatisfied with their work/life balance.
56% say they are overcommitted.
Many moms feel riddled with guilt. Author Alli Worthington researched “mommy guilt” and found that the number one trigger was social media. Online influencers give tips on feeding children “properly,” keeping a home clean, being a fun mom, and fostering a thriving marriage and relationship with God.
Humorist Erma Bombeck once said, “There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain.”
Chonda Pierce has been tip-toeing that line for a long time. She’s been doing stand-up comedy for 30 years and has received more Gold and Platinum awards than any female comic in history. She has a unique ability to describe life’s most challenging moments all while making you laugh out loud with her humor.
Focus on the Family was privileged to have Chonda as a guest speaker at a chapel service here at the ministry.
So many young people are wrestling with their faith that there’s a term for it in the culture: deconstruction. Deconstruction basically means you strip your faith to the bone and see what – if anything – survives.
That process can be scary to watch if it’s your adult child who’s questioning every value they’ve been taught. It can also lead to confusing questions. What are the boundaries with someone who’s deconstructing? How do you come alongside your child while allowing him or her to struggle?
Today’s celebration of Juneteenth – referred to by some as “America’s second Independence Day”– has only been a federal holiday since 2021, but dates to 1865.
It was on June 19, 1865 when Union forces sailed into Galveston Bay in Texas to enforce the end of slavery.
At the time, there were 250,000 slaves in Texas – and none of them knew that nearly 4 million other American slaves had been emancipated when the Civil War ended two months earlier.
Every couple hopes for a good marriage, but wishful thinking isn’t enough to sustain a relationship when life gets hard. For that, you need a vow.
One of the most beautiful examples I’ve witnessed of a couple who honored their marriage vows is my friends, Don and Barbara Hodel. Don spent his career in Washington, D.C. alongside some of the most powerful people in the world, even serving for a time under President Ronald Reagan. Don and Barbara seemed to have it all.
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.
