Daly Focus Blog
The middle school years can be tough. And not just for the kids. They can be challenging for parents as well.
As your child enters adolescence, your parenting approach will likely have to shift gears. There’s a lot going on, after all. Not only is a whirlwind of puberty at your child’s doorstep, but his or her priorities are changing. Family often becomes an afterthought, while friends and independence become most important.
What’s a parent to do?
What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken today?
If you didn’t try something that scared you to death – or at least pushed you beyond your comfort zone – maybe you didn’t risk enough.
That’s how Major Brian Shul approached life. The renowned American fighter pilot flew 212 combat missions in Vietnam and almost died in a catastrophic crash near the Cambodian border. After his rescue from the jungle, he spent a year in the hospital and was told he’d never fly again.
When moms and dads ask me for parenting advice, I encourage them to pray for their children. Because sometimes prayer is all you have.
I’ll never forget the struggle my son Troy went through while he was being born. He somehow got his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and swallowed amniotic fluid. One moment everything was fine. The next moment we were facing one of the most dangerous birthing situations possible. And there was nothing Jean or I could do.
Gen Z is desperate for guidance and inspiration.
Jason Jimenez has been pastoring parents and students for over thirty years. He’s raised four Gen Z kids of his own. He says this current generation of children represents the most difficult parenting challenge in America’s history. The spread of secularism, violent school shootings, racial and political divides, and the influence of social media have radically altered the parenting landscape.
He once led a question-and-answer session with fifty students about the topic of government.
What’s the difference between a poorly dressed man on a tricycle and a well-dressed man on a bicycle?
Attire.
Get it?
Okay, so I’m not much of a comedian. Which is why you’ll enjoy our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Bringing Laughter to Everyday Life” with a real comedian, Tim Hawkins.
Our broadcast regularly deals with serious issues pertaining to marriage and parenting. Those programs are important. But sometimes it’s good to loosen up, sit back, and have a good laugh.
At a conference where she was speaking, author and speaker Deborah Pegues was approached by a woman who told her, “I lost my home after my husband died because I didn’t realize what a balloon payment was. When it came due, I didn’t have the money.”
More women than she can count have told her similar stories. Deborah is a certified public accountant with an MBA in business finance and has written more than 20 books.
If you’re having trouble getting life off the ground, take a cue from the Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville. Be open to change and new ideas.
The Wright brothers weren’t the first to experiment with flight, but they accomplished something no one else did. While other inventors barely got their designs off the ground (if they got them off the ground at all), the Wright brothers developed a system that kept the plane aloft and stable.
Author and speaker Lee Strobel says someone once came between him and his wife and almost destroyed their marriage. It wasn’t a co-worker or an old flame.
It was Jesus Christ.
A few years after getting married, Leslie became a Christian. Lee remained a staunch atheist. Their worldviews became so diametrically opposed to one another that their marriage was threatened.
The potential for disunity is why God gave us the wisdom found in 2 Corinthians 6:14, which says, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” Yokes are fitted over the necks of two animals of equal size.
Men are notorious for not expressing their feelings well.
A big reason for that is they were never taught how to do it as boys. No one tells them, “You’re gonna feel anger and grief, and here’s how you handle those emotions.” When boys get upset and shove their sister or backtalk their teacher, their behavior gets scolded, but no one teaches them how to harness their emotion and channel it in positive ways.
I once heard a professional football player say that he struggled to manage his emotions because he was expected to be aggressive in his job each day but then switch it off before he returned home each night.
Forty years ago, Dr. John Trent created the concept of LifeMapping as a way to help people break free from isolation, loneliness, and chaos and move into a place of connection, caring, and calmness.
I discussed this idea with Dr. Trent and his daughter, Kari Trent Stageberg, on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Finding Real Purpose in Your Life.” LifeMapping helps you reach your full potential by recognizing positive and negative life patterns.
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.
