Jim Daly

Daly Focus Blog

The Respect for Marriage Act Actually Disrespects Marriage and its True Meaning

Last week’s vote in the House of Representatives to codify same-sex marriage under federal law in the event the Supreme Court reverses its Obergefell ruling of 2015 and someday sends the definition of marriage back to the states, is an election-year ploy and a political play that ignores what social science says about the multi-millennia institution.

It’s called H.R. 8404, or the “Respect for Marriage Act,” but like many other erroneously and incorrectly worded pieces of legislation (i.e., the “Women’s Health Protection Act”), it actually diminishes, undermines and disrespects the very thing it claims to protect. Its fate in the Senate remains an open question. 

Please call the Senate switchboard today and urge your senators to vote NO on H.R.

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Pass on Good Values

One of the most popular questions we get here at Focus on the Family is, “How do I pass my values on to my children?” Let me answer that question for you by sharing two important ideas.

First and foremost is family. You, mom and dad, are the most important influence in your kids’ lives. They’re watching you. Everything you say and do makes a profound impression on what your children say and do. So, model the values you hope your children will adopt as their own.

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Cutting Costs

Do you and your spouse run out of money before you run out of month? The problem may not be how much money you have but how much money has you.

If you’re having a hard time managing your bank account, the best place to start is by examining how you perceive money. The importance money has in your life will control how you use it.

So, first, be careful that your identity isn’t wrapped up in material possessions.

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A Safe Place for Girls to Grow Up as Women

Organizations like the Girl Scouts of America (GSA) used to come alongside parents in reinforcing time-honored values that gave girls and young women a solid moral foundation upon which to build their lives.

But in the 1990s, moral relativism started changing that. The word “God” was removed from the GSA’s oath. The curriculum stopped promoting traditional values. And GSA leadership began adopting a pro-homosexual political agenda.

In the midst of that turmoil, serving the GSA and the girls it represented was Patti Garibay, a local troop leader.

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Right In Your Neighborhood

Bad news from around the world is relentless, and there’s not much we can do to stop it. Which is a problem, considering that exposure to bad news can negatively affect people. Studies show that a steady diet of news featuring violence or tragedy elevate stress, anxiety, and sadness. Add to that the sheer amount of information we’re exposed to through newspapers, television, the Internet, and social media, and we’re virtually drowning in negativity.

What’s the remedy?

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We All Need a Friend

Nineteenth century author Henry Van Dyke said, “A friend is what the heart needs all the time.”

Fifteen-year-old Daniel Harrison from Nottingham, England, told his teacher he wanted a friend when she asked if he had any goals.  Daniel has autism.  He likes his teacher and loves his family, but he doesn’t really have any friends.  His parents wondered how well Daniel even understood the concept of friendship.  He had never expressed a desire before and seemed quite happy.

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Staying Close to God as a Busy Mom

Parenting is the toughest job in the world.

Why?

Well, for one thing, parenting is a job you can never truly master. By the time you figure out one stage of life, your child has already moved on to the next one, and you have to start all over.

For another thing, you can never quit. You will come to the end of yourself regularly and often, but somehow, someway, you have to keep going. That small person depends on you, and God has entrusted him or her to your care.

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All the Good You’ll Never See

I learned an important lesson about living a good life while playing golf at one of the most beautiful courses in the world, Augusta National in Georgia.

My friend and I were on the eleventh green when he hit the greatest putt of his life.  The ball had to travel up a slope, down the other side, and curve toward the hole, which was almost 50 feet away and out of view.  He hit the ball on just the right line with just the right speed and – bam!

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Laughter Really Is the Best Medicine

Could you use a positive perspective today? Despite your troubles?

We’re listening to Phil Callaway on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Laughter Really Is the Best Medicine.”

Phil, once called “the funniest Canadian alive,” is an award-winning author, speaker, and daddy of three, who makes it a habit to be joyful even though his life isn’t perfect. In his recorded message, Phil shares four secrets to life that he says are absolutely essential to living life with joy in turbulent, unpredictable times:

The world is full of cacti, but we don’t have to sit on one.Don’t jump from the train when you’re in a tunnel.Live so the preacher won’t have to lie at your funeral.Courage is fear that has said its prayers.

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Establishing Healthy Boundaries with Your In-Laws

I heard someone caution young women who are about to wed with this old saying: “Remember, when you marry your Prince, you inherit the king, the queen, and the whole court!”

That warning applies to every prince marrying his princess as well. And let me add – you may also get a “court jester” thrown in as well!

Jokes about the “meddling mother-in-law” and the “grumpy father-in-law” are funny because they’re true often enough that stereotypes develop.

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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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