Daly Focus Blog
Jeff and Cheryl Scruggs were married for ten years … the first time.
Their life together started perfectly. They moved to Los Angeles in their mid-twenties and were living the California lifestyle. They were successful at their jobs, they made a lot of money, and they even had an ocean-front home with all of the right stuff to fill it.
But for Cheryl, marriage was empty.
She thought the lack of intimacy between her and Jeff would eventually correct itself.
I used to believe there was such a thing as perfect families. It started with The Brady Bunch. Mike and Carol were loving parents, the kids always seemed happy, and the family’s problems were not only minimal but easy to solve.
As I grew older, I wondered if everybody else around me had a perfect family, too. That’s how they all looked from the outside, anyway.
I’ve been ministering to families for nearly three decades, and I can tell you that a lot of parents feel intense pressure to be perfect.
One day, well into her adult years, Florence Littauer’s dad invited her into a tiny back room of the little store he had operated for decades. Against one wall was an upright piano. Her dad reached behind it and pulled an old cigar box from its hiding place.
Inside were articles he had published in the local paper. Florence was surprised. She had no idea her father was a writer. He’d never discovered his true potential because no one had ever encouraged him.
I wake up every day with a desire to serve the Lord. I want other people to see Christ in me when I’m confronted with challenges. I want them to say, “Wow! I would’ve reacted entirely differently in that situation. What do you have that I don’t?”
But then someone cuts me off in traffic.
…Or my boys don’t behave the way I’ve told them to a dozen times.
…Or I’m exhausted after a long flight and an unexpected delay complicates my plans.
“She felt like she had given me the most precious, delicate part of who she was, and I had thrown it in the trash.”
That’s Jonathan Daugherty speaking there, and the she he’s referring to is his wife. He’d just confessed to her that he was addicted to pornography and had had multiple affairs. The revelation left her devastated and curled up in a fetal position. The shame of his behavior left Jonathan suicidal.
Fallout like that is not unique.
Wives, when you were dating, it was probably easy to see the best in your husband. But at some point after you said, “I do,” did you discover yourself taking him for granted?
It happens. But you can make choices that will get your relationship moving in the right direction more quickly.
I think you’ll be inspired and encouraged toward a stronger marriage with our radio program today, “How to Have a Happier Husband,” featuring a conversation with popular guest Kathi Lipp.
Elementary school kids give their dads a sweet surprise in a Father’s Day commercial by Kleenex, “My Dad My Hero.”
Police officers, a fire fighter, a banker, a rocket scientist – all of the fathers come in prepared to tell the young students about their jobs.
However, during their presentations, the kids’ teacher steps in and says, “We actually brought you in for another reason.”
And that other reason is sure to bring a smile to your face:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctBjAtQl_vk
What a great reminder that being a dad is, in the words of one of the boys, the “best job ever.”
So to all of you dads out there – I hope you have a happy Father’s Day this Sunday.
For Ernie Johnson, Sr. – legendary baseball player and sports broadcaster – life’s most special moments were symbolized by a blackberry bush at one of his 8-year-old son’s Little League games.
The game was momentarily postponed when two of the outfielders got sidetracked. While looking for a ball that had gone over the fence, they discovered a blackberry bush and immediately forgot all about the ball, their teammates, and the game that was in progress.
Ernie loved baseball.
I know you’ll want to join us for our broadcast tomorrow for a special conversation I had with former President George W. Bush. We’ll discuss his appreciation for our military and his efforts to support wounded warriors.
The former president holds our men and women in uniform in such high regard that he vowed to help veterans for the rest of his life after he left office in 2009. He does that through the George W.
It’s quite a challenge to raise your children in front of a national audience. It’s even more of an accomplishment when parents everywhere admire you for how respectful and in love with God your children are.
That’s one of the most frequent responses Korie Robertson has gotten in the years since her family’s television show, A&E’s “Duck Dynasty,” first aired. She and her husband, Willie, have six children, three of whom they’ve adopted.
If you’ve seen the show, you’ve probably noticed that the couple’s children always answer adults with a “Yes, ma’am” or a “No, sir.” Fans often ask her how she teaches her kids to be respectful and to have a deep faith 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.
