Daly Focus Blog
Integrity matters. It’s the bedrock of good character. Integrity is so important that we expect it from people we don’t even know.
That was proven true years ago on the television sitcom Friends, one of the most popular shows in the 1990s and early 2000s. Just how loyal fans of the show were became clear during season five. Lead character Chandler Bing falls in love with another lead character, Monica Geller. They eventually become engaged and got married.
Do you believe that God can save any marriage?
Patricia Ashley didn’t always think so. At one time, her marriage to Vernon was dead. She says, “I didn’t love my husband. I didn’t hate him. I wasn’t glad to see him come. I wasn’t glad to see him go. It didn’t make a difference what time he came in or if he came in at all. It was dead.”
They were so isolated from each other that they were divorced in almost every way – emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
Our culture is so divided that people place disagreement with others on the same level as intolerance or hatred.
In contrast to that attitude are two American forefathers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who demonstrated how to debate issues vigorously while treating one another with respect and civility.
Adams and Jefferson stood shoulder-to-shoulder through the American Revolution. But in the years following the signing of the Declaration of Independence, political differences made them bitter rivals. Yet, through it all, they decided they were Americans first and political opponents second.
Election Day is in eight days. Are you ready to vote? I hope so.
Voting someone into power who represents your values is a rare freedom in human history. And that freedom comes with significant responsibility: be clear what your values are and understand how they could be impacted on Election Day.
Keep in mind the following values that every American ought to vote to protect:
We want a society that believes every single human life has value and deserves respect and dignity.
How do you connect with God?
Is your faith inspired by beautiful art? Worship music? Serving others? Confronting evil in society? Some people love cathedrals or worshiping outside. Others prefer the comfort of their home church.
Although most of us have been taught one approach to spiritual growth – daily “quiet time,” Bible study, prayer, and weekly church attendance – we all have different personalities, likes and dislikes, and spiritual giftings, each of which bring a unique perspective to our understanding of the person of Jesus and the salvation He brings to the world.
My wife Jean and I have been married since 1986. One of the most important lessons about marriage I’ve learned in that time has been this: We’re different from one another, and that’s okay. But we’ve also learned that those differences have to be navigated carefully.
You and your spouse probably see the world through different eyes, too. You fall asleep to noise, but your spouse needs quiet. You’re a night owl, but your spouse enjoys mornings.
How big is your marriage’s “joy gap”?
Dr. Marcus Warner and Chris Coursey, authors of the book The 4 Habits of Joy-Filled Marriages, describe a “joy gap” as the length of time between moments of joy. If you apply that unit of measurement to your marriage, how long has it been? Days? Weeks? Months?
Your joy gap can be especially lengthy if you’re waiting for your circumstances to change on their own, for your spouse to make you joyful, or for God to zap you with joy.
God has vision. He sees not just who people are, but what they can become.
People looked at David and saw a shepherd boy; God saw a king. Peter denied the Lord three times, but Jesus called him a “rock” and used him to build His church.
Effective parenting also requires vision. Every child struggles to find his or her identity. Engaged parents look beyond where their child is right now and catch a vision for who he or she can become.
Dr. Bill Lile is known as the “Pro Life Doc.” He is an active OB/GYN in private practice and a national speaker who unveils both the horrors of abortion and the magnificence of preborn human life.
He is joining me on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly for an important and sobering conversation about the atrocity of abortion and why Christians should continue to stand strong for life.
Proverbs 31:8 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”The battle for life is as intense as ever because pro-abortion activists spin narratives that pro-life supporters protect preborn babies at the expense of women and girls.
Psychologist John Gottman says he can predict with 94% certainty whether a marriage will be successful.
Armed with over 20 years of research, Dr. Gottman observes a number of factors that predict the health and well-being of a marriage. He found:
Happy couples show affection toward one another.
They practice healthy conflict resolution.
They are respectful of each other’s needs and desires.
They show interest in what their spouse says – even when they share offhand comments about a sunset or a small moment from their day.
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.
