Daly Focus Blog
Give her an opportunity, and Pamela Christian will gladly tell you about the day she died.
It all began during an afternoon of tennis with some girlfriends. She had been battling stomach problems all morning, a problem she dismissed as indigestion. But after just a few practice swings she realized she was feeling short of breath and light headed as well, too much for the amount of exertion her warmup should have required of her.
In only a matter of minutes, she knew she was in trouble.
There’s a war waging over your marriage … and a lot of days you probably don’t even recognize it.
The epic war movie “Saving Private Ryan” opens with one of the most riveting battle scenes in film history. It depicts in graphic detail the D-Day invasion of Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. It’s a vivid reminder of the tremendous sacrifice asked of our soldiers and their heroic bravery.
But I think it also illustrates the intensity of the spiritual battle that’s waging for your marriage and mine.
Dr. John Townsend hits a parent’s struggle during the teen years right on the head when he says it’s “because we’re needed the most and wanted the least.”
Our teenagers need us as much as ever in their final years at home before they venture into adulthood, but they don’t exactly want us interfering in their lives.
Remember when your teen was a 10-year-old? They were more likely to say, “Mom and dad, can you help me with this?” Teenagers, on the other hand, say, “I’m a grownup; I don’t need your help.”
The unofficial mantra of teenagers everywhere is “Come close.
Kaing Khek Ieu didn’t deserve God’s grace.
In the mid-1990s, he was a teacher living in Cambodia when he was invited by a friend to attend a Christian leadership training event held by Christopher LaPel, a pastor living in Los Angeles but born in Cambodia.
In the midst of the services, Kaing Khek Ieu approached LaPel and said, “I don’t have any hope. I’ve done too many horrible things. God can’t forgive me.”
Christopher had never met the man, but assured him that no one is beyond hope.
A colleague of mine was recently visiting some friends at an assisted living complex here in Colorado Springs. Sitting with men and women in the twilight of their lives, he asked them about their respective marriages. Many were now widowed but others were still married, some for fifty and sixty years.
What had marriage taught them about love and life?
What advice would they give to couples just starting out?
If they had to do it all over again, what would they do differently?
Rachel lost two years of her life.
Maybe the first thought that comes to mind when you read that sentence is that Rachel suffered some sort of tragic accident that threw her into a coma – or she bonked her head and lost two years to amnesia.
But neither of those are accurate, and what happened to her can happen to any of us.
Her life was filled with distractions.
If our to-do lists are never-ending, and we’re always thinking ahead to the next thing, and the next thing, and the next thing, then we can easily miss out on the real life that’s happening right in front of us.
I remember my son Trent’s first science project when he was in fourth grade. Jean and I agreed that we needed to let him do the project on his own. After all, the whole point was for him to learn, right?
Well, at the end of the semester, we discovered not every parent shared that view.
The school had an open house, so the parents could see the work the kids had done. It was pretty obvious whose mom and dad had been involved in their child’s schoolwork – like the rocket ship that had been built from scratch by an actual astronaut!
The Beatitudes are a beloved part of Matthew’s Gospel. They’re eight blessings Jesus offered to His audience – and to us – to remind us of the blessings we can enjoy when our lives are committed to God.
On today’s broadcast, you’ll hear a recorded message from popular speaker and pastor Mark Gungor, who used that framework as a catalyst for what he calls the nine “‘Be’ Attitudes” of marriage. These are specific attitudes that can help you and your spouse build a successful relationship.
Have you ever had a listening, seeing person in your life?
Before you answer, let me describe what that really means.
Think of a movie that brings you to tears or a song that sweeps you back to your childhood. Ever wonder why that happens?
We often connect with art at an emotional level. A painting can’t be reduced to mere brush strokes or a book to text on a page. Works of creativity are not things we look at, but through.
I started my blog a few days ago with this comment: “Every life is precious. Young and old, weak or strong, planned or unplanned.”
It’s true, and I believe every word of it.
But to be perfectly candid, I worry that statements like that get tossed about too easily.
Yes, all life is precious, and we should proclaim that boldly from the rooftops. But the flip side of that boldness is the humility that compels us to roll up our sleeves and come alongside the weak, the elderly, and special needs children and the families who care for them.
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.
