Daly Focus Blog
Have you ever considered raising your children as an act of worship to the Lord?
Author Gary Thomas calls that approach “sacred parenting.” It elevates parenting to something beyond raising children who do their homework, brush their teeth, and do their chores without being told.
Practical growth points like those are important, but they can also distract us from the bigger reasons God gave us children to raise, and from what He wants to accomplish in and through our families.
Howard and Danielle Taylor’s relationship is evidence that a biblical understanding of the purpose for marriage is the foundation for weathering the rough seasons of life … together.
Danielle grew up unchurched, and Howard was raised without a dad. Both adopted unhealthy cycles of relationship they’d learned from their parents. The result was not harmony and intimacy, but arguments, stress, and conflict.
Over time, they learned new patterns of relating and communicating with each other, all rooted in a biblical understanding of marriage.
If you’re a stepparent, you may have discovered that blending two families is harder than you thought it would be. You’ve tried “everything” to connect with your stepchildren, but nothing bears much fruit, and you’re discouraged.
We’re offering you hope on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Staying Connected with Your Child After Divorce.” We’ve invited Lauren Reitsma to be our guest. Lauren is Vice president of Strategy and Communications for The Center for Relationship Educationin Denver, CO.
We all like to be liked.
But that raises questions.
Doesn’t the Bible instruct us to serve others by putting their needs before our own?
If so, where is the line between being a pleasant person and being a “people pleaser”?
The boundaries can be murky.
In high school, my wife Jean once said yes to three different boys who asked her for a date on the same night.
Dr. Mike Bechtle, a writer, public speaker, and communications expert, had trouble telling his children no because he wanted them to like him.
Have you ever noticed how often Jesus’ ministry was centered around meals?
Among others, there was the wedding at Cana, a dinner with the reviled Zaccheus, and the beautiful symbolism of the Last Supper. Jesus was even criticized for eating with “tax collectors and sinners” (Matt. 9:11).
As one scholar put it: “Jesus ate his way through the Gospels.”
For author Bri McKoy, Jesus’ ministry through meals became a model for creating community and sharing God’s love with people He brought into her life.
It’s easy to get numbed by numbers, especially when it comes to bad news. We hear so many, and all day long.
But it’s different when the numbers have names, isn’t it?
In their photographs, they’re smiling back at us – images caught from earlier days – cheerleading, basketball games, first communion, a party in the backyard. Kids being kids.
The heartbreak of their parents, loved ones and friends is unfathomable. Depthless. There are the teachers, Eva and Irma.
The idea for Deborah Pegues’ book 30 Days to Taming Your Tongue came to her after she didn’t control her tongue.
Deborah thought she was helping a friend when she told her something that she shouldn’t have. When her “help” backfired, Deborah discovered firsthand what happens when words aren’t used wisely.
In response, Deborah went on a “tongue fast.” For 30 days, she refused to speak negatively about anything – not the traffic, not the weather, nothing that she couldn’t directly and positively influence.
On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Finding God’s Healing After a Suicide Loss,” we’re talking with Rita Schulte, a licensed counselor who specializes in the treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders as well as grief, loss, and trauma. She’s also a member of Focus on the Family’s Christian Counselors Network.
Rita experienced God’s healing after losing her husband to suicide. My wife, Jean, who is also on our program, overcame the loss of her brother to suicide.
Our hearts break hearing the tragic news of yet another school massacre, this one claiming the lives of 19 children and two teachers in Texas.
As a citizen, I am sickened and saddened. As a father, I am enraged.
Please join us in praying for this horrific situation.
Lord, bring comfort to the grieving families. Please have mercy and bring peace to the chaos of our spiraling culture.
If you have a teenager, then you already know that the day is soon coming when your son or daughter will leave home. That moment for you will be the culmination of years of dedication, focus, and sacrifice. It will also be accompanied by a whirlwind of emotion – part accomplishment and relief, part loss and grief.
Some parents react to the struggle of letting go of their children by not letting go. They cling to their need to feel needed.
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.
