Daly Focus Blog
Perfect families don’t exist. But fortunately, the goal isn’t perfection. It’s a family that is healthy and strong. But how do we achieve that?
Dr. Gary Chapman teaches families to think like a banker. Bankers don’t learn to spot counterfeit bills. They become so familiar with the real thing that they can easily spot a counterfeit. Becoming a healthy family begins by understanding what a healthy family looks like.
To that end, I’m airing a recorded message by Dr.
In what may qualify as a quintessential example of religious bias and discrimination, University of Oklahoma junior Samantha Fulnecky was given a zero on an assignment – all because she cited the Bible and put forward a Christian worldview in her essay.
As part of her “Lifespan Development” class, Fulnecky was asked to offer her opinion and thoughts on an academic article titled, “Relations Among Gender Typicality, Peer Relations, and Mental Health During Early Adolescence.”
In shirt-sleeve English, the Sooner student was asked to offer her opinion “of some aspect of the article.” Fulnecky chose to respond to the claim that “gender-atypical” children are more prone to bullying and mental health problems due to the teasing.
Plenty of things cause anxiety. Political, social and financial unrest. Wars. Rumors of wars. Every new day offers something else to fear.
It’s a big reason anxiety has become the number one diagnosis in our country for mental health issues. One in five adults and one in four teenagers suffer from anxiety.
But how does anxiety manifest itself?
Headaches.
Sleep disturbances.
Our appetite seems off.
Panic attacks.
A bad feeling we can’t shake.
On Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, I’m airing a conversation that I had with the late Dr.
The holiday season can be one of the most joyful times of the year. It can also be one of the most stressful.
Spending time with family during Thanksgiving and Christmas sounds enjoyable when you’re making plans in July and August. But once November and December arrive, you remember what it’s like to be in a house filled with people who have different interests, different traditions, even differing political and spiritual viewpoints.
Which begs the question: how can we navigate the holidays in a way that honors our families in a Christlike way?
Do you reach out to strangers in the name of Jesus?
Many Christians don’t because they struggle with hospitality, which is all about learning to love others with God’s love and grace.
Author Annie McCune, an expert in hospitality, says, “Throughout the course of my life, I have had the privilege of loving many strangers through opening the door to my home and my heart. In return, I have been radically loved when I was a stranger in need of hospitality.”
On a trip to Israel led by Ray Vander Laan, Annnie’s group was on a trek through a remote location when they arrived at a desert community of tents and families.
Thanksgiving is still more than a week out, but Christmas music is already playing in some local stores. It’s too early, some say, but I love it. For me, the music of Christmas conveys the message of Christmas.
Christmas is about hope – something we’re all searching for.
C.S. Lewis turned Christmas into a powerful metaphor in his classic novel, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. A little girl named Lucy stumbles into the wintry land of Narnia through a magic wardrobe.
I encourage couples to think of their marriage as a business. I know that sounds rather sterile, but it’s more romantic than you think.
Successful businesses don’t leave success to chance. They set goals and execute plans to move forward and create results. In the same way, you can be purposeful about moving your relationship in the right direction and building a strong marriage. Values like commitment, sacrifice, and unconditional love are practical ideas that can transform a marriage.
A study by Josh McDowell revealed:
Seventy-nine percent of men in the evangelical church use pornography at least once a month.
Fifty-five percent of marriages are negatively impacted by pornography.
That’s astonishing data considering that pornography:
Breeds disconnection rather than intimacy.
Deepens secrecy.
Creates distrust.
Destroys marriages.
Many women are suffering because their husband uses pornography. They feel isolated, ashamed, hopeless, and helpless. They’ve tried everything they can think of to fight for their marriage – like being more sexual with him; being more patient, forgiving, or gracious; or creating a more loving environment – all to no avail.
Ryan and Kayla North are co-founders of One Big Happy Home, an organization that offers practical strategies, guidance, and resources for caregivers whose adoptive children are dealing with trauma, behavior challenges and attachment issues.
Over the past 10 years, the Norths have fostered nearly 30 children. They currently have six kids – two biological and four adopted – ages 22 to 13. But foster parenting wasn’t part of the Norths’ original intent for their family. They assumed they’d follow a more traditional path.
What does the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and the saying “if you cross your eyes, they’ll get stuck that way” all have in common?
They’re all lies that most of us have believed at some point. Fortunately, these untruths and others like them, are mostly harmless.
But many other lies prevent us from flourishing in some area of our lives. It’s important to examine lies through the lens of Scripture.
To do that, Gary Thomas is joining me on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly to help you dismantle the prominent lies of this age and discover true freedom in Christ.
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.
