Jim Daly

Halloween: Trick or Treat or Abstain?

Fans of comedian Jerry Seinfeld might remember his humorous recollection of Halloween. Growing up in Massapequa, Long Island, he remembers being admonished to never accept candy from a stranger. Although contrary to the “Get candy! Get Candy!” mantra running through his little brain, the warnings made sense, he said, until he was suddenly introduced to the October 31st holiday.

“You mean everyone we know is just giving away candy?” he asked incredulously. “What’s wrong with them?”

Many Christians, maybe even some of my readers, might ask the same question.

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Discovering the Difference between Sorrow and Despair

Is there anything more painful to endure than the death of a child?

Having been orphaned and abandoned as a young boy, I’ve been exposed to my share of sorrow. But, so have you. Nobody on earth can escape the human condition. Troubles roll like the relentless tides of the sea. Or, to quote William Shakespeare, “Troubles come not as single spies—but in battalions!”

If your life is happy and currently free of worry, rejoice—but brace yourself.

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Don’t Go Easy On Trent!

Last Tuesday, Jean and I attended a special dinner engagement here in Colorado Springs. It was one of those gala events that required us to leave our boys with a sitter for the evening. Like most parents, we have a touch of apprehension about leaving our high-energy boys for several hours in the care of another person. And yet, taking comfort from the fact they were in good hands with this particular sitter, we kissed them goodbye and headed out the door.

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Sharpening My Saw

Have you heard the story about Luther and Jerry?

As the story goes, these two good old boys had a major disagreement which they couldn’t resolve. They figured the best way to settle the dispute was with a chainsaw—the winner would be the guy who fell the greatest number of trees on Jerry’s farm in eight hours. Given the fact that the heavily treed piece of property needed to be thinned out, the contest was a win-win situation in their minds.

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The Top 5 Ingredients of a Great Marriage

Ask a hundred people, “How do you make a great banana split?” and they’d probably list the same core ingredients—vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream nestled between the two halves of a banana, drizzled with chocolate syrup, crushed pineapple, whipped cream and topped off with one or more maraschino cherries. Depending on personal preference, some might lobby for a few spoons of wet walnut topping.

Ask a hundred people who loved to cook, “How do you make a great Alfredo sauce?” and I imagine their recipes would easily be boiled down to four or five core ingredients—sweet butter, heavy cream, shredded parmesan cheese, and a pinch of white pepper and garlic salt.

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A Swing in the Favor of Life

There was some new research out last week that is good news for those committed to the preservation of life.

According to the Pew Research Center, Americans are now evenly divided on whether or not abortion should be legal “in all or most circumstances.” A year ago, abortion advocates outnumbered pro-lifers by a margin of 54-41 percent. Today, that gap has narrowed to 47-45 percent, a difference within the poll’s margin of error.

In May, Gallup released similar findings, indicating that 51% of Americans identified themselves as “pro-life.” Some media reports have attempted to downplay this latest round of news, suggesting that historical data reflects a stronger or steadier level of support for legalized abortion.

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A High School Flashback

Several months ago, Jeff Shook, a good friend from my Yucca Valley High School days back in California, stopped by for a visit. Seeing him brought back a flood of memories—mostly good. The good times had to do with the countless hours Jeff and I spent playing football, basketball, and baseball for our school. Jeff was one of those natural athletes you just knew had the talent to go on to bigger and better things after graduation.

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Two Tributes to Dr. James Dobson

Many of you are familiar with the excellent work of Michael Farris and the Home School Legal Defense Association [HSLDA]. Back in March of 1983 when Michael and his colleague, Michael Smith, founded the fledgling organization, homeschooling was pretty much a foreign concept to most Americans.

The history books are full of wildly successful people who have received their formal education at home (John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Agatha Christie, to name just a few), nor is it uncommon today to hear about a high-profile individual whose parents have opted to educate them outside of the traditional system, many for religious reasons.

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Baby Talk

Boomers and fans of the classic 1970’s television family sitcom, The Brady Bunch, might still laugh at memories of the show’s corny but wholesome themes. In one particular episode, a pig-tailed Cindy, lisping because of a lost tooth, is mercilessly lampooned by the school bully, tough guy Buddy Hinton. “Baby talk, baby talk,” he croons, “it’s a wonder you can walk.” In a shining example of sweet and ironic fictional justice, Cindy’s good-natured brother, Peter, winds up slugging old Buddy.

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Screwtape and the Art of War

The Art of War is considered by many to be the seminal work on war tactics and strategies. Attributed to Sun Tzu, a sixth century BC military commander, this ancient Chinese military treatise divides the various aspects of warfare into thirteen chapters: Laying Plans, Waging War, Tactical Dispositions, The Nine Battlegrounds, and the Use of Spies among others.

Beyond the obvious military applications of Sun Tzu’s wisdom, his principles have implications for other disciplines. I don’t think it’s a stretch, for example, to apply his lectures on how to win at war to the Christian who desires to overcome his battles in the spiritual realm with the devil.

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