Daly Focus Blog
We’re inspired by love stories because of their happy endings. But, more often than not, before the “happily ever after,” fairy tale couples usually have to travel a lot of hard road.
That was certainly the case with Irene and Domingo Garcia. In fact, the beginning of their story was characterized by so much brokenness and conflict it was unlikely they could have ever had a happy ending.
Irene was 13 when she first met Domingo, a 16-year-old, street-wise tough guy who was already an alcoholic.
Election night 2015 brought victories for religious freedom and common sense.
Last night we saw many encouraging signs from around the country that voters are concerned with issues ranging from religious freedom to the expansion of recreational drug use to the safety and privacy concerns of women and children.
Here are some of the highlights:
First, Houston voters overwhelmingly rejected a controversial city ordinance that would have allowed men suffering from gender confusion to use women’s bathrooms and locker rooms around the city.
If a couple in your church was headed for divorce, would anyone be able to see it coming before it was too late?
Chances are less likely than you might think, according to a new study that Focus on the Family sponsored through LifeWay Research. The study found that in the three months leading up to divorce, churchgoing couples in troubled marriages show similar levels of involvement as those in healthy marriages in four areas:
Attend church once a week or more
Involvement in a small group
Serve in community ministries
Hold positions of responsibility at church
What’s even more astounding is that nearly one-third of churchgoers who divorced never told anyone in their congregation that they were experiencing marital problems.
Are the people around you struggling in some area of life? Maybe the real question is: Are you attentive enough that you would notice?
Let’s face it, we tend to have pretty shallow relationships with most of the people we cross paths with every day. We ask co-workers how they’re doing when we pass in the hall, but we expect a generic “fine, thank you,” rather than a genuine answer.
It could be that someone near us is having a rough go of it, but we’d never notice because we’re too wrapped up in our own daily routines.
Pinocchio had a big nose.
Of course, that’s because it grew when he told a lie.
But the old tale about a wooden puppet who wanted to become a real boy conveys a message much deeper than just the perils of lying.
It’s a cautionary tale about selfishness.
Pinocchio lied to feed his selfish nature, and selfishness only offers temporary happiness. In the end, it makes you less than what God created you to be.
The story begins with Gepetto, Pinocchio’s father, telling him the wise way to live.
If you made a list of all the things in your life you never thought would happen, situations you never could never have imagined yourself being in, what would you write down?
For some of you, picking up the broken pieces of your life and starting over again with a blended family might be at the top of that list.
This new chapter of life may have come about through death or divorce or some other circumstance, but the challenge is the same: how to overcome the difficulties common to blended families and to give this new part of your life its best chance to thrive.
Many Americans, especially children, eagerly await the arrival of Halloween this Saturday. I understand and respect that some of my readers choose not to participate in the tradition of the day. If that is you, I appreciate your convictions. However, I think equally devoted Christians can respond differently. My wife and I have opted to allow our sons to trick-or-treat over the years.
We do, though, impose one important caveat: We’ve chosen to stay away from any of the gore and horror of the holiday.
Kids sure come up with a lot of fun questions – like the little boy who asked his mom, “Was everything in black and white in the olden days?” Or the little girl who really wanted to know where the light goes when you turn off the switch.
But sometimes the questions children ask are tough and quite serious, like “Why does God allow bad things to happen?”, “Why do people get sick and die?”, or “Why are there things like war?”
Those kinds of inquiries aren’t easy to answer, and they usually come out of left field when parents least expect them.
Brad Lomenick is the longtime president of Catalyst. A charismatic and insightful thinker, I’ve appreciated Brad’s ability to bring together some of the brightest minds out there today to tackle and discuss many of the challenges facing the next generation. He’s been a guest on our radio program and has become a good friend.
“H3 Leadership: Be Humble. Stay Hungry. Always Hustle.,” is his latest book on leadership. In it, Brad offers practical and timely counsel.
I’m excited to welcome Ray Vander Laan to our studios as our guest on today’s and tomorrow’s broadcasts we’ve titled, “Exploring God’s Enduring Story.”
Focus on the Family has been working with Ray since 1995 to produce the That the World May Know video series. I think it’s some of the best Bible teaching available anywhere. If you’ve seen any of the episodes filmed on location in the land where the Scriptures took place, I’m sure you understand why I feel so strongly about it.
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.
