Jim Daly

It’s called “Natural Decrease” – the term used to describe what happens when more people die than are born.

Since European settlers arrived in Jamestown in 1610, the population of North America has seen a meteoric climb. From the 300 or so people who first settled in Virginia, the United States Census Bureau currently projects our population at just over 341 million people.

But all is not well when it comes to fertility and mortality across the country.

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Could you use a simple tip to improve your marriage?

How about 100 simple tips?

Matt and Lisa Jacobson, my guests on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, actually have them for you.

After 25 years of marriage, Matt and Lisa looked at each other and decided, “Let’s each write down one hundred things that we’ve done to create a loving marriage.” When they compared notes, they realized that big decisions are important, but most of the magic in a relationship is the result of small decisions that stack up over time.

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I think about kindness a lot because I believe it lies at the heart of the Gospel. I’ve never heard of anyone becoming a Christian as a result of judgment, condemnation, or ridicule.

It occurs to me that Scripture never tells us to be “nice” but to be “kind.” Nice is usually a thin veneer of kindness with nothing of substance underneath.

One of my favorite verses is Romans 2:4: “Or do you … not know that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” It is God’s kindness that opens people’s hearts to God’s message.

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I’m sure you’ve wished you could change something about yourself. We all have. Taller. Shorter. Curly hair. Straight hair. We wish we were as athletic as someone else or could play an instrument.

Desiring strength in an area where we are weak is common, but it can cause us to lose sight of our greater purpose in Christ and fall into despair as a result. Especially children. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for 10-to-14-year-olds.

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Infidelity is one of the top reasons why marriages end in divorce. That should come as no surprise. It’s hard to repair the gaping wounds that an affair rips into a relationship. Many couples choose to walk away. Even Christians often view infidelity as a “get out of jail free card.”

Josh and Katie Walters know firsthand the betrayal and devastation of infidelity. They now serve on staff at Seacoast Church, a multi-campus ministry in South Carolina, but six years into their marriage, Katie confessed that she was having an affair with one of Josh’s best friends.

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