Daly Focus Blog
Video games are in the news more and more – and usually, it’s not for good reasons.
Gaming is sometimes blamed in the growing trend where young men are finding it increasingly difficult to achieve major life milestones like moving out of their parents’ house, going to college, getting married and starting a family. Some of these men are stuck in a prolonged adolescence; one stat says 18-to- 34-year-old men spend more time playing video games than 12-to- 17-year-old boys.
May is full of graduations – for so many students, it’s a time of transition to a new era looming with possibility.
This year, the University of Texas at Austin welcomed alumnus Admiral William H. McRaven of the U.S. Navy to deliver the keynote address. He is the man who commanded the U.S. Special Operations Command responsible for organizing and carrying out the raid against Osama bin Laden.
During his speech, McRaven reflected back on the lessons he learned during his Navy Seal training.
Since the self-titled debut of Casting Crowns‘ first album was released in 2003, the band has enjoyed great popularity among Christian audiences – but not for reasons you’d might expect.
Instead of light-hearted songs that only scratch the surface of our faith, Casting Crowns specializes in delivering hard-hitting hits meant to challenge listeners – and the larger Christian community – in our walks. The band regularly explores themes of holiness, relationships, witness and vulnerability in a way that encourages self-reflection.
The Bible may be the best selling book in America, but that doesn’t mean we read and retain its content.
Consider:
At least 12 percent of adults believe Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife.
A survey of graduating high school seniors revealed that more than 50 percent thought that Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife.
A considerable number of respondents to one poll indicated that the Sermon on the Mount was preached by Billy Graham.
Tomorrow Focus on the Family’s first movie, “Irreplaceable,” will debut in more than 700 cinemas across the country. Seats are filling up fast (with some theaters already sold out) – despite attempts to censor our documentary.
Just in time for tomorrow’s premiere, we’ve released a powerful new trailer for the film. Check it out below:
As you can see, “Irreplaceable” is far from just your average documentary. Yes, you will leave the theater empowered and equipped better to defend your Bible-based views.
The McDonald’s “Happy Meal” is a predictable if not overly nutritious treat of childhood.
You know what you’re going to get: a kid-approved meal and a toy.
But a recent push by a daughter-father team is turning the traditionally mundane product into a political football.
No Such Thing As Girl or Boy Toys?
Slate’s recent blog post, “McDonald’s Gave Me the ‘Girl’s Toy’ With My Happy Meal. So I Went to the CEO,” outlines how, back in 2008, high schooler Antonia Ayres-Brown grew frustrated when McDonald’s asked her family if they wanted a “girl toy” or a “boy toy” with their Happy Meal.
It started in December, when Focus on the Family first began running “Irreplaceable” trailers in cinemas across the nation.
The trailer was benign, a collection of clips with a voiceover of host Tim Sisarich asking what happened to the belief in traditional family. What happened to the view that a man and woman should marry, raise children and remain committed for a lifetime?
During the trailer, Sisarich rightly points out that the culture is now seemingly at odds with that simple and natural design formula.
It was the late Ingmar Bergman, arguably one of the world’s most accomplished Hollywood directors in history, who once suggested that “No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls.”
He was right.
Film is an incredible medium that shapes us individually, and as such, shapes culture. This Sunday’s Academy Awards celebrated this power and, in doing so, highlighted priorities and passions of a world-famous industry for both good and bad.
This past weekend at the National Religious Broadcasters event in Nashville, I had the pleasure of meeting with a wide array of Christian leaders, executives and creatives, all looking to help spread the Good News.
Among those I met with were two very good friends, Mark Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey, who we’ve had the opportunity to work with on various occasions. These committed Christians were behind last year’s hit miniseries, “The Bible,” which helped make faith part of the national conversation and compelled many people to dust off their Bibles and read them again.
The Disney Channel recently introduced a subplot involving a lesbian couple to its popular children’s show, “Good Luck Charlie.” The storyline involved Charlie’s parents trying to remember the name of their daughter’s friend’s mom. The father remembered the mom’s name as Cheryl, and the mother remembered the name as Susan.
Turns out they were both right, because the little girl coming over to play had twomommies. (You can watch the minute-long scene online.)
The Disney Channel is immensely popular with its target demographic, children.
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.
