Daly Focus Blog
A great Thanksgiving-related story out of Phoenix this week, where an accidental text message from a grandma to a young man who wasn’t her grandson resulted in an unlikely inter-generational friendship.
The viral tale reminded me of another story some might call happenstance… but I know was God’s providence. I first shared this entry in 2013… and I think it’s worth reposting today. Hope you enjoy… -J.D.
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She first saw the elderly gentleman at a cemetery on Thanksgiving morning.
They say the eyes are a window to the soul.
If that’s true, husbands, then what are the eyes of your wife telling you?
Do they seem alive and vibrant? Or are they tired and withdrawn? The difference could lie in how she sees herself in your eyes.
God’s Word couldn’t be more clear about the incalculable worth of women. Genesis 2:18 says, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him’” (ESV).
If you’re a parent and missed yesterday’s edition of our radio program, I encourage you to grab your iPad to take some notes and get near a radio for part two today (then go back and catch part one online or via our free phone app).
Conversations about parenting often lean toward the philosophical, the “why” of raising children.
Not today.
We’re talking with Todd Cartmell, a child psychologist, about his book 8 Simple Tools for Raising Great Kids.
We all know what heroism looks like. It’s a soldier risking his life to save his buddy’s. It’s the police officer and fireman running toward the danger, not away from it. And I’d add to that: It’s loving families who are willing to open their homes and their hearts to children who need both.
A few weeks ago, Jean and I, and about 60 others, were in Israel with Ray Vander Laan, the host and teacher of Focus on the Family’s That the World May Know series.
Have you noticed that children often possess profound sensibility? Amidst their innocence there can be a purity and clarity of thought, an ability to see through the competing forces of propaganda that can corrupt and distort reality.
They see what many more “enlightened” people miss.
Such was the case when a 12-year-old daughter of a Focus on the Family staff member asked her mom last week about Colorado voting to approve doctor-assisted suicide.
For context, the passage of Proposition 106 made Colorado the sixth state in the country to allow doctors to prescribe lethal drugs for some patients for end their lives by suicide.
Can you believe that Thanksgiving is just a week from this Thursday?
Since it’s always a good idea to reflect on the virtue of gratitude – or to talk with your children about the meaning behind the holiday – Focus on the Family’s parenting team has put together a free resource that will help your family prepare for our national day of thanks.
The “7 Days of Gratitude” week-long devotional is designed to help children (and their parents!) develop “an attitude of gratitude.” Because the reality is, creating a thankful heart takes practice.
“It’s just like an American to think you invented the family.”
That’s what Dr. Lilian Wahomey, a psychologist in Kenya, jokingly said to me over lunch one day. I met with her almost 25 years ago to explore ways Focus on the Family could come alongside families in Africa.
“Do you think our focus on marriage and parenting will be relevant in this part of the world?” I had asked.
With a friendly smile, she reminded me that the core needs of marriages and families transcend language, culture, nationality, and socio-economic status.
“I always say that the loneliest place I’ve ever been in my life is not Afghanistan but in my own bed … with my wife’s back turned to me.”
That comment from veteran Chad Robichaux resonates with a lot of military couples, who sacrifice and endure demands on their marriages most civilians don’t understand.
After 9/11, Chad’s special ops unit did eight tours of duty in Afghanistan. Survival in the war-torn Middle East requires good training and high degrees of adrenaline and emotional intensity.
There will be a special guest at Focus’ Wait No More event in Shepherdsville, Kentucky on Nov. 12.
Linkin’ Bridge, the vocal group who made it to the finals in America’s Got Talent’s 11th season earlier this year, will be performing for the 800 attendees looking to learn more about – and possibly start – the process from adoption from foster care.
If you’re not familiar with the group, watch their America’s Got Talent audition:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5-I28L4MUk
Foster care is certainly an issue that touches the band directly, as singer Shon China Lacy spent time in the system when he was 7 years old and his mother was in prison.
The unprecedented presidential election of 2016 has ended and we have witnessed a watershed moment in American political history. The most optimistic of assessments were exceeded for the Republican Party, and as a result America will have a GOP-dominated White House, House and Senate, and the majority of state houses and governorships as well.
We congratulate and offer our heartfelt prayers for President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence and all the winners. We pray for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and all those who were defeated.
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.
