Daly Focus Blog
How do you define success?
Everybody probably has a slightly different answer. The late Zig Ziglar once said that whatever else success may be, you can’t truly be successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.
Mark 8:36 says, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
We’re all pulled in different directions, and we can easily lose sight of what’s most important in life.
It’s been called “the success sequence.”
That’s the order young people should reach major life milestones if they want to increase their odds of financial stability and success.
Here what the success sequence looks like: Get at least a high school education, work full-time, get married, have children – in that order.
Sadly, a new analysis of federal data finds that that’s not the order many millennials are doing things – and they’re paying the price.
A few Focus colleagues and I spent some time in California last week at a conference put on by our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom, the religious liberty legal defense nonprofit organization that, just last month, won the most important religious liberty case at the Supreme Court in recent history.
You can imagine my surprise, then, when a couple of days later some news outlets were reporting that ADF is a “hate group.”
Here are the headlines of the articles I’m referring to:
ABC News: Jeff Sessions addresses ‘anti-LGBT hate group,’ but DOJ won’t release his remarks
NBC News: Jeff Sessions Tells ‘Hate Group’ DOJ Will Issue Religious Freedom Guidance
The Supreme Court’s 7-2 decision in the Trinity Lutheran case marked ADF’s seventh win in seven years at the nation’s highest court.
I like being busy and working hard. God gave us work for our benefit. It’s meant to enrich our lives while we’re providing for our families.
But too much of a good thing ain’t so good. If you’re not careful, you can miss the joys of life along the way.
Several years ago, when my now teenage boys were just little guys, I had an encounter with Trent and Troy that has become a cherished memory.
As soon as we announced that Vice President Mike Pence was planning to speak at our 40th anniversary chapel this coming Friday, reporters began asking why.
Focus on the Family has had a friendly relationship with Vice President Pence, who is an outspoken Christian, for years. His commitment to families and the preborn has been evident since his early days as an Indiana state representative, during his tenure as governor of the Hoosier State – and it’s remained steadfast in the White House.
Some people over fifty see the aging process as the glass being half empty.
Some see it as half full.
Then there’s the comedian I once heard who saw the glass as twice as big as it needed to be.
Stuart and Jill Briscoe use the glass analogy as a way to describe what they call their “realistic view of aging.” The top half is completely empty, and the bottom half is completely full.
Aging is an undeniable fact of life.
Would you give up a potential $2 million payday to see your daughter graduate from high school?
Professional golfer Phil Mickelson is doing just that.
Because the opening round of the U.S. Open falls on the same day as his oldest daughter’s high school graduation, Phil has announced plans to withdraw from this year’s event.
It’s not the first time Mickelson has chosen family over work.
Back in 1999, Mickelson was competing at the U.S. Open in North Carolina just as his wife, Amy, stayed in their home back in Arizona.
One million. It’s a big number. But on today of all days, that number takes on even greater value and significance.
That’s because today is Memorial Day, the day we remember over one million Americans who have died in war on behalf of us all.
That figure is astounding by itself. But it’s even more sobering when you reflect on this: behind every number is a name, and behind every name is a family whose entire world changed forever because that soldier didn’t come home.
No one has children because it’s easy.
Quite the contrary, really. Raising children – especially nowadays – is hard work. That’s probably why parents want to know if they’re doing an acceptable job.
And if we’re being honest, we would admit we want to be doing more than just “OK.” Most of us want to measure up to some sort of perceived ideal. We want to be the perfect parent and have the perfect family.
So we read books by all the “right” experts, and we try to follow a formula, and yes … we might even listen to the Focus on the Family Daily Broadcast.
In anticipation of Mother’s Day weekend, I want to share a sweet video with you that celebrates moms:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjWoRd4OMZw
You know, as Christians, we should all be living lives worth emulating, because our lives should reflect Jesus Christ.
But that reality – that others are watching us – is especially true for parents. Our children (yes, including the older ones) watch our every move and even tend to mimic our words and behaviors.
And that’s one reason why I thank the Lord for godly moms.
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.
