Daly Focus Blog
You’ve likely seen the nostalgia-laced posts comparing life as a kid “back then” to life today, from school to the playground and everywhere in between.
For example, a recent list contrasted a 1970s school lunch with the typical fare of a child in 2014:
1970s: “Spread yellow mustard on bread. Slap baloney on bread. Unwrap American cheese slices and put on top of baloney. Put top on sandwich and wrap sandwich in tin foil or wax paper.
Does it surprise you that, in a recent poll, Christian women voted Fifty Shades of Grey to be their favorite book of the year?
In some ways, we shouldn’t be shocked, after all, we have an Enemy who is determined to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). Because his desires are rooted in his hatred for the image of God, he attacks our most intimate and meaningful relationships with fierce intensity. After all, the union of husband and wife potentially produces more human life created in God’s image.
If you’ve had an eye on the news lately, you’ve no doubt heard reports about the terrorist group ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), more recently known as “The Islamic State.”
They’re a well-armed Muslim extremist group sweeping throughout Iraq, exercising both military and political control over the regions they conquer.
Just the other day we saw grisly images of the beheading of the American journalist, James Foley. ISIS claimed responsibility for his murder.
Beyond the political complications usually addressed on the nightly news are disturbing accounts that hit much closer to home for all of us who profess the name of Christ.
Like many of you, I’ve been fascinated this past week by the rise of Little Leaguer Mo’ne Davis, the 13-year-old female pitcher for the Taney Dragons of Philadelphia. At 5-foot-4 inches, the eighth-grader became the first girl to ever throw a shutout in the Little League World Series.
For her accomplishment, she was also featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week, another first for any Little League player.
Pitching last night, though, Mo’ne proved mortal.
As I was driving home from work the other day, I heard a disturbing news story on the radio that instantly grabbed my attention.
A new and life-threatening social-media trend has gone viral among teens.
It’s called the “fire challenge.”
In short, teens are daring one another to use flammable liquids to set themselves on fire, quickly douse the flames and then post a video of the entire incident on YouTube or Facebook.
As this story reports, the trend has become so popular that it has resulted in tens of thousands of horrifying “fire challenge” videos appearing online—in addition to emergency room visits across the country.
The death of comedian Robin Williams has reignited something of a nationwide conversation about suicide and mental health. After all, most know someone whose life has been touched or severely impacted by depression. My own wife, Jean, lost a brother to suicide and Jean herself has shared that she struggled with bouts of depression earlier in our marriage.
Here at Focus on the Family our counselors talk with severely depressed people every day. In fact, suicide-related calls have skyrocketed in the past few years.
Standing up for religious freedom and God’s design for human sexuality these days comes at a price, as one Christian college president recently learned.
Meet D. Michael Lindsay, President of Gordon College, a Christian liberal arts institution located in Wenham, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1889 as a missionary training school.
President Lindsay, a scholar in his own right as well as a Pulitzer-nominated author, stirred up an unexpected tempest for his school by signing on to a July 1 open letter to President Obama, along with other religious leaders from various churches, organizations and social relief agencies.
Here’s just a friendly reminder for you to tune in to today’s Focus on the Family radio broadcast to hear Part 2 of my interview with Dr. Ben Carson.
He recently joined us in the studio to talk about his faith, his distinguished career as a neurosurgeon, and his views on several current issues impacting our nation and our world. It was an enlightening, invigorating discussion that you won’t want to miss!
And if you missed Part 1 of the conversation last Friday, you can catch up using the link above.
Is it just me, or have you noticed a real increase in downright meanness online these days?
While cruel and hateful words can rear their heads just about anywhere, unkindness is especially intense in the social media world. It seems the gloves can come off and a verbal free-for-all can explode at almost any time. Sadly, this is too often the approach of professing believers and non-believers alike. It can be sparked by even what may at first seem to be the most innocent of topics.
By now, you’ve probably heard about the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on June 30th, which upheld the protection of religious liberties. At issue was one facet of the Affordable Care Act which would have forced many business owners to violate their religious principles by requiring them to fund possible abortion-causing drugs in their company health plans.
As the dust settles from this case, moms and dads all over the country who are busy at work and at home are wondering, “What difference does all this make to me?
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.
