Jim Daly

Albert Einstein once said, “Only two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity … and I’m not sure about the universe.”

Einstein’s pessimism about humanity was well-founded. We see ourselves as sophisticated, intelligent, and basically good at heart. And yet the history of the world is a devastating indictment to the contrary. Humanity’s potential for brutality and evil is astonishing.

Secular thinkers explain our potential for evil as some ancient evolutionary mechanism we can’t shake.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith

One of the hardest things about life on this side of eternity is unexpected trauma. We can be blindsided by a terrible accident, a frightening diagnosis, or any number of unforeseen circumstances, experiences that can shake our faith.

All of us have pondered the question of why bad things happen to good people, including those of us who seek to serve a good God. Answers to that question and others are messy and difficult by definition.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith

Sometimes sheer determination is the only way to overcome tough circumstances.

After President John F. Kennedy died in November of 1963, Corporal Keith C. Clark, the Principal Bugler with the United States Army Band, was called upon to play Taps at the funeral.

At the end of the heartbreaking service, with the eyes and ears of the nation upon him, Clark steadied his trembling emotions and began. At first, his playing was flawless, each note perfectly intonated and reverent for the moment.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith

How far into the future do you believe good parenting influences children? A week? A year? What if I told you that the choices you make today will affect your family for generations to come?

I see a visual reminder of how influence works every time my family goes camping. Our boys are grown now, but they become like little kids again every time we pull up to a lake. The first thing they do is hop out of the truck, grab a handful of rocks, and see how far they can skip each one.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith

If you’re playing a game, it’s important to have a scorekeeper. It’s the only way to judge someone’s performance and determine a winner.

But in marriage, scorekeepers are destructive. When a relationship is defined by “winners” and “losers,” it’s only a matter of time before things fall apart.

Scorekeepers are easy to spot in a conflict. Their goal is to win. They don’t compromise, respect their spouse’s point of view, or resolve issues in a way that benefits the relationship.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith