Daly Focus Blog
Dementia is the general term for deterioration in memory and thinking, behavioral processing and the ability to perform everyday tasks for yourself. A dementia diagnosis is one of the most difficult issues a family can face. The statistics are staggering:
It’s estimated that one in three adults – 33% – will die with some form of dementia.
More than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease.
More than one in nine people aged 65 and older has some form of Alzheimer’s dementia.
The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was one of the largest disasters in American history. Popular accounts from the time report that Catherine O’Leary’s cow kicked over a lantern in a barn. The small flame erupted into an inferno that destroyed miles of homes and burned Chicago’s business district to the ground.
So much destruction from a single spark.
That’s why the book of Proverbs urge us to be careful with our words. “Death and Life are in the power of the tongue” it says (18:21).
Do you need help?
It’s okay to admit it, if you do. Sooner or later, all of us need help. Even Moses.
Exodus chapter 17 tells about Moses receiving help while the Israelites are engaged in battle against an enemy. In the story, Moses stands on a hill and raises his staff above his head. As long as his arms remain in the air, the Israelites prevail. But when he lowers them, they begin to lose.
Each of us owe our deepest gratitude to military servicemen and women who dedicated their lives to protecting our freedom. Today I want to honor American veterans on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly.
I’m talking with Chad Robichaux, who comes from a long line of military service members. His grandparents fought in World War II and Korea. His father served in Vietnam, and both of Chad’s sons served in the Marines. Chad was himself a force recon Marine who did eight deployments to Afghanistan, and who continues to serve and protect Americans all over the world, most recently in Ukraine.
When times are hard, it’s important to enjoy some laughter.
That’s what we have in store with Kenn Kington, our guest on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly.
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! They are watching.
Adoption is central to the heart of Christianity. Psalm 68:5 says God is a “father of the fatherless.” Through faith, we are adopted into His family.
Adoption is central to Dr. Laurel Shaler’s heart as well. She’s a counselor, author, and professor at Liberty University, and she and her husband have adopted three children – two in infancy and one through embryo adoption. A medical condition prevented her from conceiving, but her heart was to be a mother, even if she couldn’t be pregnant, give birth, or have biological children.
Integrity matters. It’s the bedrock of good character. Integrity is so important that we expect it from people we don’t even know.
That was proven true years ago on the television sitcom Friends, one of the most popular shows in the 1990s and early 2000s. Just how loyal fans of the show were became clear during season five. Lead character Chandler Bing falls in love with another lead character, Monica Geller. They eventually become engaged and got married.
Do you believe that God can save any marriage?
Patricia Ashley didn’t always think so. At one time, her marriage to Vernon was dead. She says, “I didn’t love my husband. I didn’t hate him. I wasn’t glad to see him come. I wasn’t glad to see him go. It didn’t make a difference what time he came in or if he came in at all. It was dead.”
They were so isolated from each other that they were divorced in almost every way – emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
Our culture is so divided that people place disagreement with others on the same level as intolerance or hatred.
In contrast to that attitude are two American forefathers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who demonstrated how to debate issues vigorously while treating one another with respect and civility.
Adams and Jefferson stood shoulder-to-shoulder through the American Revolution. But in the years following the signing of the Declaration of Independence, political differences made them bitter rivals. Yet, through it all, they decided they were Americans first and political opponents second.
Election Day is in eight days. Are you ready to vote? I hope so.
Voting someone into power who represents your values is a rare freedom in human history. And that freedom comes with significant responsibility: be clear what your values are and understand how they could be impacted on Election Day.
Keep in mind the following values that every American ought to vote to protect:
We want a society that believes every single human life has value and deserves respect and dignity.
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.
