Daly Focus Blog
You don’t have to know Chonda Pierce for long to believe that humor is wired into her DNA.
Like the night the film about her life, Laughing in the Dark, premiered in theaters. Chonda asked her son to accompany her. Halfway through the movie, she leaned over and chuckled into her son’s ear, “This is the saddest movie I have ever seen.”
Humor has carried Chonda through a lot of heartache:
Her suicidal father, who stood in the pulpit every Sunday but touched her inappropriately at home.
When actor and comedian Patton Oswalt suddenly lost his wife, Michelle, in April 2016, he went public with his grief.
“She hasn’t left a void. She’s left a blast crater,” the heartbroken widower wrote in an open letter, where he also talked about the impact his wife’s death has had on their 7-year-old daughter, Alice.
And his public, palpable grief may be why some people have reacted with surprise – and even criticism – when news broke of Patton’s recent engagement last week.
Last week was special. We celebrated four decades of God’s faithfulness to Focus on the Family, culminating in a very memorable 40th anniversary chapel service on Friday with special guests Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, and Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman – and some of the best parts were those that didn’t go as planned.
The day started early in the morning, as we prepared for the arrival of hundreds of ministry friends, staff, Secret Service agents, local law enforcement, members of the media, and even some protestors who set up camp across the street.
Last week I blogged about “13 Reasons Why,” the controversial television series from Netflix that, while rated TV-MA, targets the teen demographic.
As you may know, “13 Reasons Why” tells the story of a teen girl who commits suicide and blames others for what happened.
I explained that our parenting team and counselors here at Focus on the Family agreed with the experts who are concerned the show glamorizes suicide and might influence copycat behavior – and that our recommendation to parents is to not allow their kids to watch this series.
It’s a new series on Netflix that’s causing a lot of controversy – and if you have a teen in your life, you need to know why so many mental health professionals are concerned.
The series is called “13 Reasons Why,” and it tells the story of a 17-year-old girl, Hannah Baker, who commits suicide – and who blames others for what happened. The story unfolds through the cassette tapes Hannah posthumously leaves for the 13 people she blames for her decision to end her life.
If you haven’t already heard, in just a few days, Focus on the Family is officially re-launching Brio Magazine, our publication for teen girls. It’s a positive, godly alternative to most of the influences out there today for teenage girls.
Our “Brio girl” for the inaugural issue is Sadie Robertson. Many of you know her from the A&E reality show Duck Dynasty and from Dancing with the Stars a few seasons ago.
She’s just 19, but she’s an impressive young lady, and we’ve asked her to join us in the studio today to share how she is fearlessly living out her faith and using her public platform to be an excellent role model for girls.
I hope you’ll join us for our radio program tomorrow and Thursday when we’ll be talking to Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, about their journey with God and each other.
Through an award-winning career in music and the ups and downs of real life, Steven and Mary Beth say they feel “between heaven and the real world.” That phrase has become something of a caption to their lives. Pointing out God’s grace in the midst of a very troubled world is what Steven has tried to accomplish throughout his music career.
Humorist Erma Bombeck once said, “There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain.”
Chonda Pierce has been tip-toeing that line for a long time. She’s been doing stand-up comedy for 25 years and is the top-selling female comic in history. She has a unique ability to describe life’s most challenging moments all while making you laugh out loud with her humor.
Focus on the Family was privileged to have Chonda as a guest speaker at a recent chapel service here at the ministry.
I had the privilege of being with a unique group last week: Christian CEOs. They’re part of a ministry that began within the walls of Focus on the Family. They’re now an independent and self-sustaining fellowship, regularly meeting to pray together and encourage one another in both their faith and careers.
Corporate America can certainly be a challenge for Christians to navigate.
Of course, navigating a secular workplace isn’t unique to just Christian CEOs. Believers who strive to live out their faith at their places of employment must sometimes steer through choppy waters.
Tim Tebow liked it.
“Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines recommend it.
But blogger Tim Challies refuses to even see it.
I’m talking about “The Shack,” the film adaptation of the 2007 novel of the same name, which is reviving the controversy around William P. Young’s bestselling book about a grieving father who encounters the Holy Trinity … in human form.
The movie debuted in theaters across the nation last Friday, making a very respectable $16.1 million during its first weekend.
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.
