Daly Focus Blog
Pinocchio had a big nose.
Of course, that’s because it grew when he told a lie.
But the old tale about a wooden puppet who wanted to become a real boy conveys a message much deeper than just the perils of lying.
It’s a cautionary tale about selfishness.
Pinocchio lied to feed his selfish nature, and selfishness only offers temporary happiness. In the end, it makes you less than what God created you to be.
The story begins with Gepetto, Pinocchio’s father, telling him the wise way to live.
Many Americans, especially children, eagerly await the arrival of Halloween this Saturday. I understand and respect that some of my readers choose not to participate in the tradition of the day. If that is you, I appreciate your convictions. However, I think equally devoted Christians can respond differently. My wife and I have opted to allow our sons to trick-or-treat over the years.
We do, though, impose one important caveat: We’ve chosen to stay away from any of the gore and horror of the holiday.
Kids sure come up with a lot of fun questions – like the little boy who asked his mom, “Was everything in black and white in the olden days?” Or the little girl who really wanted to know where the light goes when you turn off the switch.
But sometimes the questions children ask are tough and quite serious, like “Why does God allow bad things to happen?”, “Why do people get sick and die?”, or “Why are there things like war?”
Those kinds of inquiries aren’t easy to answer, and they usually come out of left field when parents least expect them.
I’m excited to welcome Ray Vander Laan to our studios as our guest on today’s and tomorrow’s broadcasts we’ve titled, “Exploring God’s Enduring Story.”
Focus on the Family has been working with Ray since 1995 to produce the That the World May Know video series. I think it’s some of the best Bible teaching available anywhere. If you’ve seen any of the episodes filmed on location in the land where the Scriptures took place, I’m sure you understand why I feel so strongly about it.
Is there something missing from your life, but you can’t put your finger on what it is? Have you searched high and low for answers, for purpose, for truth, but come up empty?
On yesterday’s and today’s broadcast, we have a recorded message from a man who’s been there. In his young adult years, Lon Solomon did it all and tried it all in his search for life’s ultimate meaning.
He grew up in a Jewish home.
When a beloved friend or family member is battling a terminal illness, sometimes the littlest ones can get lost in the shuffle. Yet, even 3-year-olds can experience fear and confusion when it comes to prolonged sickness and death.
That’s why today I want to share with you four points from Focus on the Family counselors to help parents navigate issues associated with the illness and death of a loved one with their preschoolers and children in early elementary school.
Picture two shapes: a circle and an oval. Did you know these basic geometric designs can teach us a lot about our culture?
Remember the name Ivan Pavlov? He was the Nobel Prize-winning physiologist, best known for his experiments involving ringing bells and salivating dogs. Well, it may not surprise you to learn that he conducted other scientific tests as well. One in particular, I believe, illustrates a significant challenge facing our culture.
The project went like this: Pavlov trained his dogs to distinguish between circles and ovals.
It’s Monday.
For a lot of us, that means a new week filled with possibilities for all that we can go out into the world and achieve.
But some people don’t see opportunity for what they can do. Their primary focus is all about what other people can do for them.
They live their lives with a sense of entitlement. They seem to think they deserve something for nothing from the people around them simply because they exist and live on this planet.
Have you ever had a shirt with a loose thread? It seems like such a small thing, doesn’t it? But all it takes is one quick tug for you to realize that thread is part of a much larger problem. The next thing you know, your clothing is unraveling right before your eyes.
A marriage can have loose threads, too. A husband and wife don’t see eye-to-eye, or they’re not communicating very well, or little resentments start to crop up here and there.
When we launched “Bring Your Bible to School Day” last year as a way to empower and encourage public school students from kindergarten to college to express their faith freely, we had no idea God was going to do so much with the event in such a little time.
An estimated 8,000 students celebrated their religious freedom and shared God’s hope in the program’s inaugural year. Tomorrow, we’re expecting an estimated 100,000 to participate!
Students all across the nation have already signed up to take part in “Bring Your Bible to School Day.” On our Facebook page, we’re reading story after story of excited students getting ready to stand unashamed for their faith.
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.
