Daly Focus Blog
Dr. Kevin Leman says strong-willed children are given a bad rap. We want to raise our kids to be strong-willed. When the world tells them, “Believe this,” or “Do that,” we want our children to know right from wrong and to have the strength of conviction to stand for it.
What we don’t want to raise, Dr. Leman says, is what he calls a “powerful child.” Powerful children have an agenda. They want to win, to control, and to dominate.
Previously published in the Washington Examiner:
Make no mistake – parents will play a major part in this year’s midterm elections, which may well upend current dynamics and potentially recast the direction and priorities of the nation.
Throughout our nation’s history, mothers and fathers have served as something of a bellwether in America. Political elites may jockey and joust with one another, often behind closed doors, but their policies are felt and then ultimately received or rejected by the families whom they affect.
“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me’” (Matt. 25:40).
When we act on behalf of “the least of these,” it’s the same as ministering to Christ himself. With this in mind, Christians have a clear command to care for children.
On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Unleashing the Possibilities for Children in Foster Care,” we’re recognizing November as National Adoption Month in the U.S.
You and I are up against a world full of lies that distort what’s really true.
That distortion is illustrated in the classic fairytale The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. In the story, the devil creates a magic mirror that distorts everything it reflects. One day, students of the devil attempt to carry the mirror into heaven so they can mock God and his angels. But the higher the students ascend, the more the mirror shakes … until, finally, they lose their grip.
Is happiness in marriage attainable?
A lot of couples don’t think so.
Author Kevin Thompson says, “Absolutely!”
The catch is that couples can’t make happiness the goal. Happiness is the byproduct of an even greater objective. Connecting at a soul level. “And the two shall become one flesh” (Matthew 19:5).
How?
By working through challenges together.
Kevin’s grandparents were happily married for 70 years. People often suggested that they were “lucky” to achieve that success.
Usually when someone asks, “Do you know who I am?” it’s an arrogant celebrity who’s had a run-in with authorities. But when that question comes from the heart of a loving mother or father, it can draw the parent and their child closer together.
The next time a conflict erupts between you and your child, ask them the question, “Do you know who I am?” You’ll probably get a confused look the first time you ask it, but it’s a good way to break through the tension and speak words that will strengthen your relationship.
In June 1944, just hours before the D-Day invasion, General Dwight Eisenhower wrote two speeches. The first was to be delivered to his troops if the invasion succeeded. The second, if it failed.
Fortunately, that second speech was never needed. The Allies prevailed, and Hitler’s Nazi regime soon toppled.
But Eisenhower’s handwritten words, preserved in his presidential library, offer a fascinating look at his humble leadership. After praising his troops’ bravery, Eisenhower took full responsibility for the invasion’s failure.
Dr. David Clarke estimates that 80% of women are lonely in their marriages because their relationships are plagued by disappointment, anger, monotony, and unmet expectations.
When couples are dating, many believe that their spouse will become their source of complete fulfillment after they’re married. But once they’re married, they discover that’s impossible.
Erin Smalley understands what it’s like when marriage expectations shatter. Early on in their marriage, she and her husband, Greg, fought frequently. Erin grew up without a positive male role model, so she expected Greg to satisfy her needs perfectly.
Picture this. You’re nine years old, and your mother just died. Your step-dad has abandoned you, so you’ve been taken to live with a family you’ve never met. You’re desperately hoping the man of the house will become the father you never had, but he’s, well, eccentric. Which is why his first assignment for you when you move into the family home is, “You gotta cut the head off a chicken.”
That bizarre scenario actually happened.
If you could change one thing to improve the world, would you focus on everybody else’s problems? Or would you look in the mirror?
The late philosopher G.K. Chesterton once received a letter from a man who asked, “What is wrong with the world?” The man expected to receive a brilliantly articulated reply. Instead, Chesterton wrote back and said, “Dear, sir. What is wrong with the world? I am.”
Chesterton understood that even if everything else in the world was perfect, he wasn’t.
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.
