Daly Focus Blog
I had the privilege of being at the United States Supreme Court yesterday during the two-and-half hours of oral arguments on the Obergefell v. Hodges marriage case.
Yesterday I gave my “first impressions,” and today I want to share in more detail with you what I saw and heard during this historic day.
As you can imagine, the scene outside the Court was filled with energy and emotion, with lots of individuals representing both sides of the debate.
Focus on the Family President Jim Daly was at the Supreme Court today listening to oral arguments on the historic marriage case, Obergefell v. Hodges.
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“Sadly, civil discourse in America has deteriorated over the past few years. Where once our nation produced a robust exchange of ideas, we now see attempts to silence people of faith and those who support traditional marriage. Yet that silencing can’t erase the fact that an overwhelming majority of those who have voted on the issue—more than 51 million Americans—have cast their vote to maintain one man, one woman marriage in their states.
When Dawn left home, her sexual abuse ended, and she thought, “It’s finally over.”
But it didn’t take long for her to discover the ugly truth – the aftermath of her abuse was just getting started.
Female sexual abuse can be an uncomfortable topic to discuss. But keeping it quietly hidden in the shadows so the rest of us can breathe a little easier is precisely the kind of secrecy that keeps so many victims trapped in their pain.
Is your parenting style different from your spouse’s?
That’s the case in the Daly household. Generally speaking, I’m laid-back and spontaneous. When things get tense, I tend to diffuse the situation with humor. I enjoy using car rides with my boys to have spontaneous devotions.
My wife, Jean, on the other hand, likes consistency, planning ahead and routines. She appreciates the benefits of a regular, dedicated time of family devotions.
Jean and I know first-hand it can be hard work to merge two distinct parenting styles.
Despite the perception one might get after browsing social media, the fact remains that millions of people in the U.S. support God’s design for marriage. After all, it’s common sense to understand that marriage serves an important purpose: to bring together the two halves of humanity — male and female — to form a family.
It can be frustrating, then, when it seems that our view is drowned out in the culture. But while Hollywood, academia and the media can try their best to muffle pleas for civil discourse on how we as a nation should define marriage, thanks to an amicus brief Focus on the Family and nearly 45 pro-family groups and scholars submitted to the U.S.
What comes to mind when you think of pleasure?
How about temptation? Or sin? Or guilt?
Ever notice how the idea of pleasure so easily sends our minds spiraling toward the negative? It’s as if pleasure were a creation of Satan with no other purpose than to distract us from God.
But if we’ll think back through Scripture, we’ll arrive at a different conclusion.
Numerous passages remind us of times when God commanded His people to celebrate with lavish feasts.
Dave Aldridge died unexpectedly just four days before Christmas in 2012. The happy husband and father of three was a strong believer who loved the Lord and poured himself into everything he did, from being a husband and father to going the extra mile for anyone who had a need. The Colorado Springs resident collapsed while running, the victim of a congenital heart defect. He was just 39 years of age.
The obituaries are full of stories of people like Dave, men and women whose lives on earth seem all too brief.
Marriages everywhere are at risk because of one of the most powerful drugs known to man: infatuation.
Maybe you don’t think of infatuation as a drug. But pastor and marriage expert Dave Carder, who has spent the past 30 years studying the causes of infidelity, says infatuation is as powerful as any substance out there.
Do you think that’s overstated?
Consider this: if you’ve ever known someone who walked away from their family for an affair, you probably asked yourself, “What were they thinking?” And that’s the point.
How to spiritually connect with your spouse may be one of the most misunderstood concepts in marriage.
Couples tend to think in terms of spiritual activities they ought to do together.
For example:
We know we should read our Bibles, pray and go to church together and memorize Scripture.
Without question, there are important spiritual disciplines, and they fit the personality of some couples especially well. These are men and women who are so structured they treat devotions almost like mini-church.
This month’s issue of First Things magazine features a powerful argument for upholding and proclaiming the truth and beauty of God’s design for marriage.
“The Two Shall Become One Flesh: Reclaiming Marriage” is a product of Evangelicals and Catholics Together, a group founded 20 years ago by one of my heroes, the late Chuck Colson, and another highly regarded statesman of the faith, the late Fr. Richard John Neuhaus.
Several prominent Evangelical and Catholic leaders have endorsed the statement.
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.
