Daly Focus Blog
Culture moves faster and faster. With jobs and kids and all that goes on in life, balance can be difficult to find. Today, I have a suggestion to make that endeavor a little easier.
Consider Carl. Like you and me, he’s busy. His work hours are hectic. He travels frequently. And even when he’s home, a never-ending to-do list vies for his time. He feels pulled in so many different directions that he struggles to give his wife and children his full attention.
Helping children navigate the ever-changing world of technology and social media can be overwhelming. Nevertheless, it’s an important part of today’s parenting agenda. Entertainment consumption shapes who we are, how we think and what we believe. That’s especially true of impressionable children.
On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Becoming a Screen Savvy Family,” we’re looking at what God’s word says about teaching children discernment in entertainment choices.
In studio with me are two members of our Plugged In staff.
Integrity is a paradox. It’s subtle enough that you don’t often think about it. Yet, it’s profound enough that trouble ensues when it’s missing.
Take, for example, the chess match between 33-year-old Magnus Carlsen, a grandmaster from Norway, and the 2,500th ranked player in the world from Kazakhstan. Carlsen was expected to defeat his lower-ranked opponent with ease. Instead, Carlsen was blown out in just 31 moves. How?
Carlsen says his problems started early in the match when he noticed his opponent was wearing a watch.
Guy and Amber Lia were convinced that they’d made a mistake as soon as they got married. Neither had communication skills to work through differences. Both reacted to each other instead of responding. Only a short time after their wedding, their relationship spiraled, and they considered throwing in the towel.
Every dating couple imagines marriage as a string of mountaintop experiences. We can’t fathom romance fading. We can’t foresee our conversations not stretching into the wee hours of the night.
It’s time for your checkup! Not a checkup for your body, your teeth, or your car, but for your marriage.
According to research, only 19% of couples take part in pre-marital counseling. Of those who get married, only a third seek counseling before getting divorced. And of those couples, many limp into a pastor or a counselor’s office for help only after ignoring their problems for years. Counseling is their last resort, a last ditch effort to rescue a marriage that, by that point, could be beyond saving.
I’ve always believed that a child’s first teachers are mom and dad. Most parents understand their role during their child’s preschool years. But once their child begins elementary school, many parents defer a lot of educational responsibilities to teachers and administrators. In short, they step back and let the professionals take over.
Tragically, that’s a dangerous thing to do these days. There is growing dissonance between parents and once-trusted public school systems. Traditional teaching curriculum have been replaced by alarming agendas of liberal politics, social justice, gender confusion and even sexual exploitation.
Are you where you’d thought you’d be at this point in your life? If not, take heart. The best may be yet to come.
Many reach their thirties, forties, or fifties, disheartened that they haven’t accomplished more. Some even fear that they’ve wasted too much time and will never achieve anything worthwhile. I say, no matter your age, don’t give up. Now may be the perfect time to move forward. Many notable figures achieved their greatest work late in life.
A friend of mine once dialed a wrong phone number and reached an elderly woman, who said, “I live alone and don’t have anyone to talk to. Can we chat for a few minutes?” My friend agreed, and they had a lovely conversation.
That woman was not unique. In the wake of COVID, nearly half of Americans say they struggle with feelings of isolation. Loneliness takes an enormous psychological, physical, and financial toll on millions of people.
More and more young people, especially girls, are experiencing gender confusion. Ten years ago, the prevalence of transgenderism in children was 0.1% in the US. Now it’s 2-3%. That’s an increase of 4000%. Why?
Here’s another important question to answer: Is medical gender transition necessary to prevent youth suicide?
To answer those questions and others, I’m talking to Dr. Meg Meeker and Laura Perry Smalts on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “God’s Amazing Grace in a Transgendered Person’s Life.”
Dr.
Successful marriages don’t thrive because of so-called “chemistry,” good luck, or wishful thinking. They thrive because the couple sacrifice their own interests for the sake of each other.
On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Embracing Your Role as a Spouse,” our guest, author Kevin Thompson, describes three roles of a spouse:
As friends, spouses play and laugh together.
As partners, spouses handle conflict and communicate well.
As lovers, spouses put sizzle into their relationship.
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.
