Daly Focus Blog
Bad news from around the world is relentless, and there’s not much we can do to stop it. Which is a problem, considering that exposure to bad news can negatively affect people. Studies show that a steady diet of news featuring violence or tragedy elevate stress, anxiety, and sadness. Add to that the sheer amount of information we’re exposed to through newspapers, television, the Internet, and social media, and we’re virtually drowning in negativity.
What’s the remedy?
Nineteenth century author Henry Van Dyke said, “A friend is what the heart needs all the time.”
Fifteen-year-old Daniel Harrison from Nottingham, England, told his teacher he wanted a friend when she asked if he had any goals. Daniel has autism. He likes his teacher and loves his family, but he doesn’t really have any friends. His parents wondered how well Daniel even understood the concept of friendship. He had never expressed a desire before and seemed quite happy.
Parenting is the toughest job in the world.
Why?
Well, for one thing, parenting is a job you can never truly master. By the time you figure out one stage of life, your child has already moved on to the next one, and you have to start all over.
For another thing, you can never quit. You will come to the end of yourself regularly and often, but somehow, someway, you have to keep going. That small person depends on you, and God has entrusted him or her to your care.
I learned an important lesson about living a good life while playing golf at one of the most beautiful courses in the world, Augusta National in Georgia.
My friend and I were on the eleventh green when he hit the greatest putt of his life. The ball had to travel up a slope, down the other side, and curve toward the hole, which was almost 50 feet away and out of view. He hit the ball on just the right line with just the right speed and – bam!
Could you use a positive perspective today? Despite your troubles?
We’re listening to Phil Callaway on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Laughter Really Is the Best Medicine.”
Phil, once called “the funniest Canadian alive,” is an award-winning author, speaker, and daddy of three, who makes it a habit to be joyful even though his life isn’t perfect. In his recorded message, Phil shares four secrets to life that he says are absolutely essential to living life with joy in turbulent, unpredictable times:
The world is full of cacti, but we don’t have to sit on one.Don’t jump from the train when you’re in a tunnel.Live so the preacher won’t have to lie at your funeral.Courage is fear that has said its prayers.
I heard someone caution young women who are about to wed with this old saying: “Remember, when you marry your Prince, you inherit the king, the queen, and the whole court!”
That warning applies to every prince marrying his princess as well. And let me add – you may also get a “court jester” thrown in as well!
Jokes about the “meddling mother-in-law” and the “grumpy father-in-law” are funny because they’re true often enough that stereotypes develop.
A lot of couples will want to “lean in” to my conversation with Dr. Juli Slattery on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Rethinking Godly Sexuality in Your Marriage.”
Dr. Slattery is a clinical psychologist and the president of Authentic Intimacy, a ministry devoted to reclaiming God’s design for sexuality. She’s written the book God, Sex, and Your Marriage, which will be the basis for our conversation today.
She says that too many married couples are not experiencing the intimacy that God intended for them. For many, sexual problems are a hidden, shameful secret because they don’t know how to navigate their pain and frustration or even communicate about it effectively.
If you’re a parent, then I know you’re busy. Your schedule is full from morning until night. Which raises an important question.
When life has you running, how do you make the most out of your time with your children?
I’ve always taken advantage of the opportunities in front of me. When my boys, Trent and Troy, were younger, I struck up thoughtful conversation every morning as I drove them to school. My relationship with them has been built largely on bike rides, four-wheeling excursions, and camping trips.
Parents often believe three common myths about discipling their children in the Christian faith:
“The perfect environment will guarantee that my child will become a Christian.”“The ultimate goal of my Christian life is to have children who follow the Lord.”“My child’s salvation is all up to me.”
The truth is discipling children isn’t like following a recipe where the right ingredients mixed together the right way guarantees success. Children have free will to embrace or reject wisdom.
Imagine this: You’re the lead detective on an important case. Your job is to search for clues that reveal who, what, where, when, and why a crime has been committed. What evidence would you look for?
What if the case was finding proof for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Is there evidence of that?
On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “The Proof You Need to Believe in Jesus Christ,” we’re putting you in that lead detective scenario.
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.
