Daly Focus Blog
When my two sons, Trent and Troy, were born, I thought Jean andI would be able to raise them the same way. Boy, was I wrong. When it came to parenting, what worked for Trent didn’t always work for Troy.
Trent and Troy share a lot of the same interests, but spend an afternoon with each of them, and you’ll discover just how different they are. Trent is thoughtful and smart, but sometimes he struggled in school.
By: Jeff Johnston, The Daily Citizen
In June 1972, Campus Crusade for Christ sponsored Explo ’72, a music, evangelism and training event featuring the Rev. Billy Graham and Dr. Bill Bright. They brought together artists like Love Song, Andrae Crouch and the Disciples, Larry Norman, Children of the Day, Johnny and June Carter Cash and Kris Kristofferson.
Around 80,000 college and high school students came together at the Cotton Bowl stadium in Dallas, Texas. After training in evangelism, the students scattered across the city to spread the good news, before heading back home to share their faith in cities across the country.
David and Jason Benham’s childhood was filled with wonderful memories of baseball with their dad, who became a lifelong fan as a kid when his dad surprised him with tickets to a Yankees game.
Later, when David and Jason came along, he played catch with them and coached their Little League teams.
Then there was the stadium. Each time the Benham family drove through Shreveport, Louisiana, they passed by Fair Grounds Field, the stadium home for the San Francisco Giants’ Double-A affiliate, the Shreveport Captains.
As we approach Father’s Day this Sunday, a thought:
It’s been said that it’s easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father.
Sadly, that’s becoming more and more common.
There’s no test or final exam to qualify for fatherhood, though it would seem like a good idea if somehow there could be.
But some years ago, I developed what I call “Dad’s Report Card” for our boys, Trent and Troy – to evaluate me!
Over the course of a calendar year, nature experiences seasons. From winter to spring to summer and fall, each season presents nature with both challenges and opportunities for growth.
And so it is with marriage.
When winter sets in, a couple’s relationship becomes cold. They don’t communicate well. They argue. They disconnect. But if they endure, winter will give way to spring.
Spring is an exciting time. The couple is forward-thinking, has great plans for the future, and anticipate a happy relationship together.
Author Amy Carroll remembers the moment God’s love broke through her struggle with perfectionism.
She was one of several speakers at a women’s conference. To help attendees visualize God’s love, another speaker asked the women to participate in a mock wedding, complete with a veil, a bouquet of flowers, and aisle to walk down. Her groom, waiting for her at the altar, was Jesus.
One of the last women to participate was a 90-year-old woman who was barely able to shuffle down the aisle.
Ominous signs of the pending Supreme Court decision on the Dobbs’ Mississippi abortion case are everywhere.
Earlier today, a man was arrested in Maryland near the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. He was carrying a gun and proclaimed his desire/intent to kill the jurist.
I was in Washington, D.C., a few weeks ago, and increased police presence, along with eight-foot metal fencing around the High Court, make clear that officials are bracing for the potential of a violent reaction to the decision.
Have you ever considered raising your children as an act of worship to the Lord?
Author Gary Thomas calls that approach “sacred parenting.” It elevates parenting to something beyond raising children who do their homework, brush their teeth, and do their chores without being told.
Practical growth points like those are important, but they can also distract us from the bigger reasons God gave us children to raise, and from what He wants to accomplish in and through our families.
Howard and Danielle Taylor’s relationship is evidence that a biblical understanding of the purpose for marriage is the foundation for weathering the rough seasons of life … together.
Danielle grew up unchurched, and Howard was raised without a dad. Both adopted unhealthy cycles of relationship they’d learned from their parents. The result was not harmony and intimacy, but arguments, stress, and conflict.
Over time, they learned new patterns of relating and communicating with each other, all rooted in a biblical understanding of marriage.
If you’re a stepparent, you may have discovered that blending two families is harder than you thought it would be. You’ve tried “everything” to connect with your stepchildren, but nothing bears much fruit, and you’re discouraged.
We’re offering you hope on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Staying Connected with Your Child After Divorce.” We’ve invited Lauren Reitsma to be our guest. Lauren is Vice president of Strategy and Communications for The Center for Relationship Educationin Denver, CO.
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.
