I used to think successful people achieved great things because they faced less adversity than those who fail. But when I became an adult, I realized everybody encounters challenges of one kind or another. What matters is how we respond to the obstacles we face.

Probably no one communicates the truth of that concept better than best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell, our guest on today and tomorrow’s programs we’ve titled, “Battling Giants in Everyday Life.” His latest works tell the stories of people who not only overcame adversity, but in many ways those challenges became the catalyst for their success.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, faith September 14, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The doctor simply said, “Michele, it’s not good.”

In that moment, at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 19, 2010, Michele Cushatt’s life changed forever. She went from being, as she described herself, a “confident, somewhat assured Christian woman” to “being absolutely undone.”

There is something about the word “cancer” that can turn what we thought was cement under our feet into sand.

Suffering is like that. It’s a difficult topic to even discuss. There’s no way to put a positive spin on pain.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, faith September 10, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

One of the most well-known characters in classic literature is Dracula, the ghoulish vampire created by Bram Stoker in 1897. Since then, thanks to countless movies and cartoons, vampires have become synonymous with black capes and sharp teeth. But there’s another characteristic often featured in these dark tales: a vampire’s reflection is never seen in the mirror.

On the surface, it might not seem like that obscure quality would have any practical application to marriages. But let me ask you: on an emotional level, do you see your reflection in the mirror?

Topics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, faith August 31, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What do you see when you look in the mirror?

Maybe you notice a wrinkle you’re convinced wasn’t there yesterday, or you wonder if you’ve put on a few extra pounds since the last time you really looked.

Or … maybe you don’t see any of those things.

Somehow we learn how to look at our reflections without seeing the things we don’t like about ourselves, don’t we?

But our selective blindness doesn’t end there.

We often don’t pause and examine our lives long enough to see our own negative behavior.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, faith August 7, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura