Daly Focus Blog
Give her an opportunity, and Pamela Christian will gladly tell you about the day she died.
It all began during an afternoon of tennis with some girlfriends. She had been battling stomach problems all morning, a problem she dismissed as indigestion. But after just a few practice swings she realized she was feeling short of breath and light headed as well, too much for the amount of exertion her warmup should have required of her.
In only a matter of minutes, she knew she was in trouble.
Kaing Khek Ieu didn’t deserve God’s grace.
In the mid-1990s, he was a teacher living in Cambodia when he was invited by a friend to attend a Christian leadership training event held by Christopher LaPel, a pastor living in Los Angeles but born in Cambodia.
In the midst of the services, Kaing Khek Ieu approached LaPel and said, “I don’t have any hope. I’ve done too many horrible things. God can’t forgive me.”
Christopher had never met the man, but assured him that no one is beyond hope.
A colleague of mine was recently visiting some friends at an assisted living complex here in Colorado Springs. Sitting with men and women in the twilight of their lives, he asked them about their respective marriages. Many were now widowed but others were still married, some for fifty and sixty years.
What had marriage taught them about love and life?
What advice would they give to couples just starting out?
If they had to do it all over again, what would they do differently?
NOTE:
To view the first ever major pro-life conference for evangelicals in conjunction with the March for Life that’s taking place this Thursday and Friday, please click here.
These numbers are gut-wrenching to me:
The average age of children enslaved in the commercial sex industry in the United States is 13.
The human trafficking black market generates between 5 to 9 billion dollars every year in the United States.
There are an estimated 100,000 women and children each year who are entrapped in the commercial sex industry.
As the nation pauses today to celebrate the life and legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I’d like to share something very special with you.
Several years ago, the earliest recorded sermon of Dr. King was discovered. At the time he delivered it, February 28, 1954, he was still a seminary student. The site was the Second Baptist Church of Detroit. He titled it “Rediscovering Lost Values.”
It is a work of timeless oratorical genius.
It’s that time of year when we pause, reflect, regret, repent, and resolve to make some changes. I can’t say for certain, but I imagine losing weight and getting fit has to be at the top of the list for a few million people. Others desire to quit drinking or smoking, get out of debt, spend more time with family and friends, and read more books. If you are a person of faith, resolving to spend focused time reading the Bible might be a big one, too.
Joni Eareckson Tada is an overcomer. At 17, she dove into shallow water and surfaced a parapalegic. For nearly 50 years now, Christ has worked through her story and life to encourage others with disabilities similar to hers.
The late Louis Zamperini was an overcomer. As detailed in “Unbroken,” the book and Hollywood movie about his life, he was shot down in World War II and barely survived 40 days adrift at sea. He was “rescued” by the Japanese only to become a prisoner of war, then beaten and tortured mercilessly.
I think both parents and children would agree that one of the best things we’ve ever come up with here at Focus on the Family has been Adventures in Odyssey, the radio drama for children ages 8-12.
When it first began, a lot of people were skeptical the venture could be successful in the age of television, movies, and other visual entertainment. But our Adventures in Odyssey team members are some of the most talented and creative in the business, and this little radio program that could has been capturing the hearts of young and old alike for almost 30 years.
Today, we’re continuing with the “Best of” 2015 broadcasts. Over the next couple of days, we’ll be digging into the latest edition to the That the World May Know video series titled, Israel’s Mission: A Kingdom of Priests in a Prodigal World. God’s Word is always timely, but given the seismic shifts in culture in recent years the message for this film set is especially meaningful.
Using the parable of the prodigal son as the backdrop for his lessons, Ray Vander Laan explores God’s mission for His people to a lost and broken world.
Author and speaker J.John tells this story.
At the end of a long work day, an employee was leaving his factory, pushing a wheelbarrow through the gate to head home. Inside the wheelbarrow was a small box.
The security guard stopped the man and said, “What have you got in your wheelbarrow?”
“I’ve got a small box,” he said.
“I know you’ve got a small box,” the guard said. “What’s in the box?”
The worker replied, “The sawdust from the floor.
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.
