Daly Focus Blog
I was in Hawaii last week. Hawaiian Island Ministries (HIM) graciously hosted us for several meetings and I enjoyed learning more about their outreach. HIM has been serving and showing the love of Jesus to people in the area for nearly 30 years. The Lord has clearly blessed their work and I’m proud to call them my friends.
Given where we are culturally and with the election looming just weeks away, I was struck by a few thoughts the other day.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: events, faith by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
His name was John Joseph Hughes, and he may have been one of the most important men in American history, if not the entire world.
An Irish immigrant gardener eventually ordained to the Catholic priesthood, “Dagger John,” as he was called due to the habit of punctuating his signature with a dagger-like cross and behaving with a similarly aggressive flair, became the first archbishop of the archdiocese of New York. He served between 1842 and 1864, a time of explosive Irish-Catholic growth in America.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, news, staff by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
It’s with a heavy heart that I share the news that Barbara Hodel went to be with the Lord at 10:30 mountain time last night after battling significant health struggles following her fall and subsequent paralysis five years ago.
Barbara was the wife of Don Hodel, who served as the interim president and CEO of Focus on the Family from May 2003 until February 2005. Don also was a member of the Board for more than 10 years, beginning in 1995.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, news by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
New York City police detective Peter Keszthelyi is assigned to an unusual detail.
When an individual climbs out on a ledge or scales a bridge threatening to commit suicide, Detective Keszthelyi and a partner are called in to try and talk the person out of it.
There are 300 officers assigned to this highly specialized unit in New York City. Unfortunately, they’re busier than they want to be, but often very successful, too. Every situation is unique, of course, but the officers are skilled at trying to get the people to talk and see things from a new and hope-filled point of view.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, friendship by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
There are five things that comprise a wise, godly life. They function both as means to becoming wise and godly as well as signs that you are growing into such a life:
1. Put your heart’s deepest trust in God and his grace. Every day remind yourself of his unconditioned, covenantal love for you. Do not instead put your hopes in idols or in your own performance.
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, faith, pastors, relationships by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
Last Wednesday I shared with you the touching story of Michigan’s Whitney Kropp. Miss Kropp is the 16-year-old high school student whose classmates attempted to embarrass her by nominating the sophomore to the school’s homecoming court.
Instead, the so-called “prank” turned her into something of a national celebrity.
Miss Kropp’s community rallied to her side. A Facebook page created to express support generated over 125,000 “likes.” The cost of her dress, shoes and flowers were covered by local merchants.
Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, kids, news, pop culture by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
When you review history, it’s remarkable how many things have been decided by the slimmest of margins:
Who can forget the presidential election of 2000? You’ll recall that George W. Bush defeated Vice President Al Gore by just 537 votes in Florida.
A race for the Alaskan House of Representatives in 2008 came down to a single vote.
That same year, Al Franken defeated Minnesota’s U.S. Senator Norm Coleman in a hotly contested election. Only 225 votes separated the two men.
Topics: Current Events Tags: events, faith, news, policy by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
Sometimes we might do what’s right—but for the wrong (usually selfish) reason.
I’m reminded of the story of the philosopher Diogenes.
He was once seen sitting on a curb eating lentils and bread, a meager meal by any standard. A fellow philosopher, Aristippus, a man who lived well because he flattered the king, approached him and mocked his circumstance.
“If you would learn to be subservient to the king,” he snarled, “you would not have to live on lentils.”
Diogenes looked up with a smile, tilted his head, and replied, “Learn to live on lentils, and you will not have to cultivate the king.”
Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, faith, relationships by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
You’ve heard of the Ryder Cup and might even know a little bit about the storied golf tournament, but do you know anything about the man behind the trophy?
In this age of negotiating naming rights and corporate sponsorships, a youngster recently suggested the Ryder Cup was named after the Ryder Truck Company.
Not quite.
Because many of you are interested in golf and since Focus on the Family will be sponsoring a special event (more on this in a moment) in conjunction with this year’s tournament in Medinah, Illinois, I thought it would be fun to share five things you probably don’t know about the history of the Ryder Cup.
Topics: Focus Events Tags: events, faith, family by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
Over sixty years ago, Earl Nightingale, a former United States Marine who had been one of only twelve survivors of the bombing of the U.S.S. Arizona at Pearl Harbor, struck upon an idea.
At the time of his epiphany, he was an announcer at the legendary Chicago radio station WGN. Residents of the Windy City were drawn to his soothing, sonorous voice. But it was off the air, while reading a book by Napoleon Hill, a well-known motivational writer and speaker of that era, that Nightingale’s revelation came to him, like “a bolt out of the blue,” he said.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, faith, relationships by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
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.Home
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