Daly Focus Blog
Do you have someone in your life who’s toxic? Someone who’s negative, even antagonistic toward you. Someone who tries to control your life. Someone who, no matter what you say or do to please them, it’s never enough.
What’s a good way to respond to a person like that?
Christians are especially likely to have relationships with toxic people. Coming alongside another person with the love of Christ in a time of need can be messy.
A father who came to psychologist Michael Anderson’s office for counseling illustrates the shift in thinking many moms and dads need to make.
The father said, “In the last 90 days, my daughter has completely changed. She’ll do anything her friends tell her to do. She’s smoking. She’s drinking. She’s shoplifting.”
Michael asked him, “What was she like 90 days ago?”
The father said, “She was an A-student. She was in the church youth group. She’d do anything we told her to do.”
That last phrase caught Michael’s ear.
My wife and I often discuss our relationship in terms of a theme. It could be “forgiveness,” or “grace,” or maybe “patience.” Then we try to weave that theme into every part of our marriage. Not only will we try to be more patient, for example, but we’ll make patience a part of our conversation with one another for that season of life.
Sometimes all it takes to infuse a marriage with more happiness is a few small changes.
Todd and Karen Ehman were convinced they were perfectly matched for one another … until they went to premarital counseling.
They underwent a battery of tests and expected their counselor to tell them, “Your relationship was made in heaven. You’re going places. You’re going to do great things for God.” Instead, he held Todd’s profile in one hand and Karen’s profile in the other. He said, “I have to be honest with you. I know you love each other, and you love the Lord.
The assassination of our 20th President, James Garfield, offers an important lesson for people struggling with bitterness and resentment.
Let’s start with when Garfield was assassinated. It’s hard to say exactly. He was shot on July 2nd, 1881, less than four months into his term. But he didn’t die until 79 days later, on September 19th.
It’s also difficult to say exactly who killed him. The man who shot President Garfield was named Charles Guiteau. But Garfield didn’t die from his gunshot wound.
Have you had “The Talk” with your child? You know, the one about sex?
If so, how did it go?
If not, why not? Maybe you feel nervous because you don’t know what to say.
I don’t blame you. The talk I had with one of my boys didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. I’d planned a weekend long father/son getaway. We had a good time, and I did my best to explain everything in a way he’d understand.
Amy Rienow says she and her husband Rob got married … then dated for 10 years.
It was just a few months from first their first date to their wedding, which meant the years that followed were filled with surprises. They both loved the Lord, but they were clueless about the purpose of marriage and family.
Their crisis moment came 10 years into their marriage. Rob was a dedicated youth pastor. His number one passion was passing his faith to other people’s children.
There’s no one way to raise children. Discipline that works magic with one child may be completely ineffective with another.
At the bottom of every effective parenting strategy lies a universal foundation to good parenting: relationship.
Author Josh McDowell says, “Rules without relationship leads to rebellion.” That means your child’s primary concern in life is not your rules.
What matters most to your teen or young adult is knowing that you love them.
That sense of intimate connection won’t come through your instruction, lectures, or rules.
We don’t like to think about getting older. We especially don’t like to think about death.
Maybe that’s why studies show only a third of us prepare for the inevitable with advanced directives. It’s also why a growing number of people are finding themselves ill-equipped for the rigors and responsibilities of caring for an aging loved one.
Taking on the care of an aging parent or family member is a big job that rarely comes about at a convenient time for the caregiver.
By: Linsey Driskill
When a project I poured my heart and soul into was rejected, it stung. Badly.
While these painful moments happen to all of us, it’s easy to feel alone – thinking we’re the only ones.
But, even C.S. Lewis experienced rejection. Dr. Seuss’ first book was rejected twenty-seven times. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. In 1919, Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because his editor said he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Elvis was told he’d be better off driving trucks than singing.
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.
