Ron and Opal Erickson call themselves “musicianaires.” Ron is an accomplished steel guitarist, and Opal is an accomplished vocalist. They’ve made beautiful music together for over 40 years, not only as musicians but as a couple.

They’ve also walked through the rubble of a marriage that seemed irreparably broken. Through God’s grace and wisdom, they survived adultery, rejection, and betrayal and created a new marriage forged in trust, love, and grace.

God has done such a remarkable work in their marriage that I wanted to share their story on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Restoring Hope to Your Marriage.”

Opal shares how she stayed true to God in the wake of Ron’s affair, and how He taught her to love her husband in a new way.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage April 5, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Driving is a great illustration for life.

First, what makes driving safe? That line painted down the middle of the road. It’s a boundary that tells you what lane is yours and what lane is mine.

Second, in driving and in life, we encounter people and circumstances wherever we go that force us to respond quickly and make good decisions that protect our family and ourselves.

And third, to get to where we want to go, we have to be in the correct lane.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage March 25, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Today, I’ve got a simple idea to help you build a great marriage. It’s fun, too.

Laugh together.

Proverbs says, “A joyful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22). Jean and I have great memories of laughing together in the car or around the dinner table. A few times we’ve laughed so hard for so long that we started laughing at each other laughing.

Laughter is often more about connection than it is humor. Studies show that couples who laugh are healthier, happier and more connected.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage March 22, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Integrity is a paradox. It’s subtle enough that you don’t often think about it. Yet, it’s profound enough that trouble ensues when it’s missing.

Take, for example, the chess match between 33-year-old Magnus Carlsen, a grandmaster from Norway, and the 2,500th ranked player in the world from Kazakhstan. Carlsen was expected to defeat his lower-ranked opponent with ease. Instead, Carlsen was blown out in just 31 moves. How?

Carlsen says his problems started early in the match when he noticed his opponent was wearing a watch.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage March 14, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

It’s time for your checkup! Not a checkup for your body, your teeth, or your car, but for your marriage.

According to research, only 19% of couples take part in pre-marital counseling. Of those who get married, only a third seek counseling before getting divorced. And of those couples, many limp into a pastor or a counselor’s office for help only after ignoring their problems for years. Counseling is their last resort, a last ditch effort to rescue a marriage that, by that point, could be beyond saving.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage March 12, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Successful marriages don’t thrive because of so-called “chemistry,” good luck, or wishful thinking. They thrive because the couple sacrifice their own interests for the sake of each other.

On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Embracing Your Role as a Spouse,” our guest, author Kevin Thompson, describes three roles of a spouse:

As friends, spouses play and laugh together.

As partners, spouses handle conflict and communicate well.

As lovers, spouses put sizzle into their relationship.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage March 4, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura