Jim Daly

Daly Focus Blog

See Past the Prison

Life can be beautiful. It can also be really ugly. The difference often lies in your perspective.

Most people consider San Francisco Bay one of the most stunning views in California. The Golden Gate Bridge. Mountains. Bike trails. The sparkling bay waters. Everywhere you look, you’re surrounded by the beauty of nature.

Unless you’re a prisoner on Alcatraz Island just a mile off shore.

For three decades, Alcatraz was home to one of the most notorious penitentiaries in American history, housing infamous gangsters like Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly.

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My Search for a Father’s Love

On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “My Search for a Father’s Love,” we’re sharing my conversation with Lynsi Snyder, the owner and president of the In-N-Out Burger chain of restaurants located in the western part of the United States.

Although her family’s wealth made life appear like a fairy tale to outsiders, Lynsi has had a difficult and, at times, heart breaking journey. Her father died when she was 17 years old, which led her into a downward spiral of drug and alcohol abuse and promiscuous relationships in search of love.

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Andy Stanley, Pope Francis, and the Idolization of Evangelism

Believing the spirit of the Christian calls for us to assume the best intentions of fellow believers, I was intrigued when I first learned that North Point Community Church in Atlanta planned to host a conference late last month for parents of LGBT children and ministry leaders looking for more effective ways to serve those impacted by the heavy and increasingly controversial issue.

In fact, the outreach brought back memories of a similarly themed conference that my organization, Focus on the Family, hosted for several years well over a decade ago.

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Navigating the Middle School Years

The middle school years can be tough. And not just for the kids. They can be challenging for parents as well.

As your child enters adolescence, your parenting approach will likely have to shift gears. There’s a lot going on, after all. Not only is a whirlwind of puberty at your child’s doorstep, but his or her priorities are changing. Family often becomes an afterthought, while friends and independence become most important.

What’s a parent to do?

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Risk Everything

What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken today?

If you didn’t try something that scared you to death – or at least pushed you beyond your comfort zone – maybe you didn’t risk enough.

That’s how Major Brian Shul approached life. The renowned American fighter pilot flew 212 combat missions in Vietnam and almost died in a catastrophic crash near the Cambodian border. After his rescue from the jungle, he spent a year in the hospital and was told he’d never fly again.

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Above All, Pray!

When moms and dads ask me for parenting advice, I encourage them to pray for their children. Because sometimes prayer is all you have.

I’ll never forget the struggle my son Troy went through while he was being born. He somehow got his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and swallowed amniotic fluid. One moment everything was fine. The next moment we were facing one of the most dangerous birthing situations possible. And there was nothing Jean or I could do.

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Not as Smart as We Think

We modern people think we’re pretty smart. We live in an age that put men on the moon, landed rovers on Mars, and fired a telescope into space that can see 13 billion lightyears into the past. We’ve created supercomputers that perform a quintillion calculations per second and electron microscopes that observe the world at an atomic level.

And yet, despite our intelligence, we can still be pretty ignorant. Our technology fools us into thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to.

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Raising Up Gen Z to Follow Christ

Gen Z is desperate for guidance and inspiration.

Jason Jimenez has been pastoring parents and students for over thirty years. He’s raised four Gen Z kids of his own. He says this current generation of children represents the most difficult parenting challenge in America’s history. The spread of secularism, violent school shootings, racial and political divides, and the influence of social media have radically altered the parenting landscape.

He once led a question-and-answer session with fifty students about the topic of government.

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Bringing Laughter to Everyday Life

What’s the difference between a poorly dressed man on a tricycle and a well-dressed man on a bicycle?

Attire.

Get it?

Okay, so I’m not much of a comedian. Which is why you’ll enjoy our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Bringing Laughter to Everyday Life” with a real comedian, Tim Hawkins.

Our broadcast regularly deals with serious issues pertaining to marriage and parenting. Those programs are important. But sometimes it’s good to loosen up, sit back, and have a good laugh.

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Jim Daly’s Statement on Saturday’s Terror Attack on Israel

The savage terrorist attack on Israel by the Hamas terrorist organization has rocked an already uneven world, spiraling the Middle East into violent chaos. Our hearts break for our Israeli friends, as well as for the unknown number of innocent victims and families from other countries, including the United States, who are caught in the crosshairs of this unprecedented slaughter and war.

The scale and scope of the brutality are not yet fully known, but we do know that hundreds of lives have been lost, families have been disrupted, hostages have been taken, and women and girls have been raped, beaten, and killed.

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Daly Focus

Jim-Daly 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.

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