Daly Focus Blog
I’ve got a riddle for you. “You can spend it, but you can’t keep it. And once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.” Do you know what it is? Here’s a clue:
Let’s say you win a contest. The grand prize is $86,400 wired into your bank account each day at midnight. The money is yours to spend however you want. There’s just one catch. At the end of the day, every penny you don’t spend disappears from your account.
Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, recently celebrated 70 years of marriage, making them the longest-married presidential couple in U.S. history. Their marriage isn’t just long-lasting – by all accounts, it’s a happy union characterized by both love and friendship.
Of her marriage, Mrs. Bush has said:
“I think we grew together. I think that when you have a child die and you survive, and you’ve been through a war and you survive, and you build a business and you survive, you either grow apart or together.
A favorite from a few Christmases ago, this post features many interesting recipes in the comments section. I hope some of these will inspire your family to spend some time cooking up some new memories together this Christmas… and if you think of it, please consider adding your family’s favorite recipe, too! -JD
***
Food ranks high among the many wonderful traditions of Christmas. Depending upon your family’s heritage and where you were raised, you probably have your favorite holiday treats.
There is something special and nostalgic about Christmas. You may find yourself back in the church of your childhood, lifting a lighted candle and singing the familiar carols of the season, your own kids by your side. Perhaps your children are now grown, and far from home this year. It might be quieter than you want it to be. Or maybe you’re far from home yourself this year, forging new traditions and experiences. Whatever your circumstance, Christmas is coming and the world’s largest birthday celebration is almost here.
What’s your favorite Christmas memory?
Maybe your mind drifts back to childhood when you helped pick out the family Christmas tree. Or you think of that special gift your parents got you even though money was tight. It could even be a warm kitchen on a cold, snowy day as you baked cookies with your grandmother.
As simple as these and other memories may seem, they’re more significant than you might think. Christmas memories help shape our sense of identity.
Pick up any Christmas catalog this season, from L.L. Bean to Orvis, and you’re bound to see images of cute puppies and family dogs.
There sits a friendly retriever by the crackling fireplace, snuggled up on his tartan-plaid dog bed. Or there’s pajama-clad junior, hugging his new canine friend, a red bow around his collar.
There’s a reason the late Peanuts creator Charles Schulz once suggested that “Happiness is a warm puppy.”
Just see how many advertisements include a dog or a cat.
Imagine you’re out walking one night. The cold wind penetrates your coat and you can see your breath in the air.
As you step forward under the moonlight, you stumble on a newborn baby that has been abandoned, alone and vulnerable, in an alley.
What do you do?
The scenario I laid out might seem improbable, but it’s exactly what happened to Pastor Lee Jong-rak of Seoul, South Korea.
Pastor Lee scooped up the baby, and the baby – and that experience – changed his life.
By now you likely know that South Carolina’s Tim Scott has become the first African-American Republican from the South to be elected to the United States Senate since Reconstruction.
Logic dictates that he won the seat because more people voted for him than voted for his opponent.
But there’s more to the story.
Isn’t there always?
How Tim got to the night of November 4th is a tale almost too good to be true.
But it isn’t.
There are only 57 days until Christmas.
If your kids are like most, they’ve already given some thought to what they’d like to see under the tree.
But have they thought about what they’d like to give?
It’s an important question to ask. The natural tendency to focus on presents can make it challenging for kids to remember and understand that the season revolves around a Savior who said “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
VeggieTales’ “Beauty and the Beet” debuted last week, and Focus is coming alongside “Bob the Tomato” and “Larry the Cucumber” to help parents teach their kids a lesson in unconditional love.
Amidst the usual vegetable hijinks, jokes, and a new Silly Song, children will see how Mirabelle, the lead singer of her family’s up-and-coming band, chooses to show love and kindness to Mr. Beet, the grumpy manager of the run-down resort where they’re stuck.
Entertainment with a purpose
Since its start in 1993, VeggieTales has lived up to its theme song’s promise: “there’s never-ever-ever-ever-ever been a show like VeggieTales!” Not only do the fun stories appeal to both children and parents, they impart meaningful life lessons and Biblical values to viewers young and old alike.
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.
