Daly Focus Blog
Being a parent is the most natural thing in the world in many ways. But there’s a lot to learn as well. At Focus on the Family, we routinely hear from parents who struggle with how and when to discipline their child. If you have questions in that area, keep a few basics in mind.
First, make sure your child understands the rules before you discipline him. If Junior hasn’t been told ahead of time a particular behavior is wrong, cut him some slack.
Forgiveness is at the heart of the Christian message.
But that doesn’t make forgiveness easy.
Forgiveness is difficult because we often confuse “forgiving” with “excusing.” Forgiveness never excuses the wrongs against us or waters down the awful nature of an offense. It doesn’t pretend that something didn’t happen. Forgiveness acknowledges the ugliness of the sin, no matter how dark, then sets us free, not the other person. Forgiveness releases our heart, heals our pain, and allows us to move forward through life in peace.
Two statues are erected outside the entrance to the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Though completely different, each one conveys wisdom about building a better future.
The first statue is titled “Past.” It’s a sculpture of an old man staring back through time. He’s holding a closed book, representing history. The past is over. It’s unchangeable. But carved into the statue’s base is a paraphrase from Confucius that reads, “Study the past.” That is, remember the past and learn from it.
When it comes to instilling character in children, the most important characteristic we can model is resilience – overcoming struggles and difficulties.
As the apostle Paul writes, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor. 4:8-9).
Resilience is a mindset. It’s a process of adapting in the face of significant stress. With resilience, challenges become opportunities to learn and mature.
What you say and what somebody hears are often two different things, which can lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding.
Your kids can learn that lesson and have a good time doing it if they’ll tune in to a special edition of our Focus on the Family Broadcast featuring an episode of Adventures in Odyssey called “War of the Words.”
If you’re new to Focus on the Family, Adventures in Odyssey is a radio drama for children (click here for more information).
In set 16 of the That the World May Know series, titled “Cultures in Conflict,” Bible teacher Ray Vander Laan leads viewers on a journey to where the Apostle Paul founded the church in Corinth and preached in Athens, Greece on Mars Hill. Ray highlights Paul’s tremendous ability to share God’s truth in a way the culture of his day could understand.
For example, at one of the most important structures in Corinth – a temple dedicated to Asclepius, the god of healing – Paul communicated God’s truth by taking advantage of a popular custom.
You and I have never met, but I already believe one thing about you is true: you’re capable of more than you think. I also believe this: you won’t discover how strong you are until you’re tested.
An unusual example of that is seven-year-old Chase Poust. On a weekend boating trip with his dad, he and his four-year-old sister, Abigail, jumped overboard for a swim. Dad had anchored off-shore at a slow point in the river, but the current was stronger than anyone realized.
What’s your relationship with clutter Does it bring your comfort? Or fill you with anxiety?
We’re all a little different. Some of us don’t mind a little clutter, or see a good reason to pick up somebody’s else socks. Some of us feel a tidy home offers peace. We’re more calm if we’re not navigating scattered piles of things and activities.
Regardless of where you fall on the tidiness spectrum, there are ways to organize that increase the efficiency of your home, so you can maximize the time you devote to family and other priorities.
Would you forgive someone who shattered your life?
On a beautiful summer afternoon in 2015, Bryan Kuck and his wife, Lynn, went for a motorcycle ride. On their way home, less than a mile from their house, they were run off the road by a drunk driver whose blood alcohol level was four times the legal limit. Lynn was killed instantly. Bryan was critically injured with two crushed hips, a broken pelvis, and a left leg that was amputated after being pinned under the wreckage.
Back in the 80s, comedian Rich Hall did a routine called Sniglets. A Sniglet was any word that should be in the dictionary but isn’t. Like the word “snackmosphere.” That’s what he called the huge pocket of air inside a potato chip bag when you first open it. Or “Pepsiluvium.” That’s the soda that bubbles through the plastic lid when you push your straw through.
Sniglets illustrate the limitations of language. English currently uses more than 170,000 words.
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.
