Daly Focus Blog
Shelia Erwin is the mother of filmmaking duo the Erwin Brothers, known for the popular Christian films October Baby, Moms’ Night Out, and I Can Only Imagine. Her sons, Andrew and Jon, were always discovering new interests in junior high school, so Shelia wasn’t surprised when they became passionate about the visual arts.
She couldn’t foresee at the time how her boys’ newest hobby would someday blossom. Still, she and her husband Hank encouraged them however they could.
It’s easy to bless a child. It really is.
Not long ago, I asked my son, Troy, if he remembered the day almost ten years ago when I blessed him while we were out hiking on a camping trip. Somewhere along the trail, we stopped, I placed a hand on his shoulder, told him how important he was to me and his mother, and how much we – and God – loved him. Then I prayed over him.
When times are hard, it’s important to enjoy some laughter.
That’s what we have in store with our guest Kenn Kington, our guest on the Focus on the Family Broadcast “Kids: You Gotta Love Em.”
Kenn is a popular comedian and motivational speaker who has quite a knack for finding the humor in everyday moments with his wife and three kids.
I know you’ll enjoy his message. It’s fun. Yet it communicates an important point: Children mimic us!
Fear over the
coronavirus continues to grip people. I have a family member who calls my wife
every few days expressing her uncertainty about where our country goes from
here and how we protect ourselves. Her concerns are not unreasonable, but it’s
clear that her questions are driven by fear and anxiety.
Fear is
contagious, and children are especially susceptible. So are Christian moms and
dads who wish to instill their children with faith.
What can
you do?
The question we get from a lot of moms and dads as the spread of the coronavirus dominates the news is, “What’s the best way to do family devotions, practically speaking?”
Could it be that for all the uncertainty and fear associated with this pandemic, it also presents you with an opportunity to make the most of this unanticipated extra time together?
My wife Jean and I have done devotions with our boys all their lives.
The Bible encourages us to manage our emotions.
Proverbs 15:18 says, “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.”
Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.”
Identifying and managing emotions can be challenging for adults. How much more difficult is it for children?
Kids experience big feelings inside little bodies and can easily be overwhelmed and confused by their feelings.
Note: This article by Focus on the Family President Jim Daly appears in full on Fox News.
Once upon a time, the vast majority of Americans were affiliated with a particular faith community or tradition: Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, or Jewish, for example.
In recent years, though, secularism has been growing and a new wave of either atheism or agnosticism is rolling across the country. It may be true that a degree of “unbelief” has always existed, but with rising rates of people unaffiliated with any church or faith at all, the likelihood of interacting and being influenced by a person who believes in a higher power is similarly depressed.
There are a lot of things we can learn from children.
Often, we can become so busy with the hustle and bustle of life, that we forget to take time for what matters most. For Christians, spending time in prayer and reading Scripture can too quickly become an afterthought.
I was reminded of this recently when I came across a video of an adorable schoolboy leading his fellow classmates in prayer before breakfast.
The boy folded his hands, bowed his head, closed his eyes and, with furrowed eyebrows, devoutly prayed:
“Father God, we thank you for this food.
If God is good, why does He allow evil to exist?
Maybe your kids have asked you that to see how you answer. Have you ever asked your kids that question to see how they answer?
Or how about these?
Where did the universe come from?Do science and religion contradict each other?Do all religions worship the same God?How do we know God hears and answers prayer?
Natasha Crain didn’t know how to answer such important questions.
I know of a couple whose daughter disappeared from home in a fit of rebellion on her 18th birthday. Her parents were devastated. For years, they didn’t know if she was alive or dead.
Early on, her mother made a simple decision. Every night – all night – she would turn on the porch light. It was an unspoken message to her daughter: “You’re always welcome home.”
Many nights, tears streamed down that mother’s face as she locked the front door, switched on the light, and prayed for her daughter.
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.
