Daly Focus Blog
I think stories are one of the best ways to communicate life lessons. Cold, hard logic speaks to our sense of reason, but stories engage us at a heart level. Reason may give us the “why” for something, but the heart gives us our “want to.”
It’s why Jesus often communicated through stories. “Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable” (Matthew 13:34).
Were you in one of the 12 states that held primaries or caucuses last night? If so, I’d love to hear your impressions. There is much that I could say about this campaign season, but for now, I think we can all agree that we need to be in deep prayer for our country.
For example, just today the Supreme Court will be hearing the most significant abortion case in nearly 25 years. The new case involves a 2013 Texas law that imposes modest requirements on abortion providers designed to protect the health and welfare of women.
Dave and Linda’s story is all too common, one that’s repeated again and again across thousands of marriages.
It works like this: They have a disagreement and erupt into conflict. They think they’re angry with each other about the specific issue they’re fighting about, but they’re not. There’s something much deeper at work.
It’s like the time Dave came home from work thirty minutes late. Linda was furious and gave him an earful the second he stepped inside the front door.
Happiness is serious business in America.
Our Declaration of Independence says it plainly: We all have the right to pursue happiness. And pursue it we do. We leave no stone unturned in our search for true happiness.
People marry because they’re happy and divorce because they’re not. Advertisers promise happiness to us if we’ll just buy their car, their beer, or their latest technological gadget.
But do we ever stop and ask ourselves – as believers who live in a land of abundance and opportunity, and who have virtually every material blessing right at our fingertips – why are so many of us miserable?
To go into debt, or not to go into debt?
That is the question – one many college students ask themselves as they think of how to afford a college education.
You hear horror stories about twenty-something college graduates leaving school with a four-year degree in one hand and a load of debt in the other they may spend the next couple of decades trying to repay.
Is it worth it?
And if it is, what’s the best way to keep the debt at a reasonable level relative to future earning potential?
Should Christians befriend members of the homosexual or transgendered community?
Should Christians engage in the political process?
If so, what hope should we place in the government for resolution to society’s problems?
Should Christians attend a friend’s same-sex wedding? What if the ceremony is for a parent’s son or daughter?
I frequently get questions like these when I travel and have an opportunity to meet you, friends of Focus on the Family. I appreciate hearing your perspective because it helps me keep a finger on the pulse of the family and the Christian community.
Have you seen the video of 106-year-old Virginia McLaurin dancing with joy when her dream of visiting the White House came true?
Mrs. McLaurin met President and Mrs. Obama as part of the administration’s Black History Month commemorations.
Here’s the video:
To be clear, I have strong objections to many of President Obama’s policies. It’s clear that we have a very different worldview on the most important issues of the day including, but not limited to, life, marriage and religious freedom.
Has the Holy Spirit ever prompted you to go outside your comfort zone?
It recently happened to one of our team members, Sue McFadden.
Sue is a fun lady with a witty personality. She’s a regular on Facebook where she entertains her friends with her love of the Broncos as well as bits and pieces of her life. This weekend, Sue penned a post about what started out as an ordinary, mundane trip to the grocery store… but ended with a divine appointment.
“I’ll never forget the day when I said to God, ‘I’ve done everything I know to do, and it’s not working.’”
You might expect to hear a comment like that from the average husband or wife trying to learn how to build a successful family. But would it surprise you to know that the person who said those words is now one of the most respected family experts in the world and has been married nearly 40 years?
Tragedy can strike suddenly – just ask Monty Williams, an assistant basketball coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
On Feb. 9, Ingrid, Monty’s wife of 20 years, died in a head-on car accident after another driver crossed the center lane and hit Ingrid at 78 miles per hour, nearly twice the speed limit.
In a split second Monty’s world was brutally shaken. What started out as an ordinary day ended as one that would forever change the Williams family.
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.
