marriage Archives

I Want My Marriage to Thrive

When I was a teenager, I remember sitting in world history class dreaming of football when the teacher started talking about a weather condition known as “the doldrums.” The doldrums occur when the prevailing winds stop blowing and a extended calm settles upon the open sea—which is a serious problem if you’re a sailor relying upon wind power to get you to where you’re going.

Thousands of years ago, European sailors on a quest to reach new lands would sometimes encounter the doldrums during a voyage across the equatorial region of the Atlantic ocean.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: events, marriage, promos December 15, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Why Sign the Manhattan Declaration?

It’s been several short weeks since the unveiling of the Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience, which initially had about 120 co-signers. I’m thrilled to report more than 275,500 have added their signature to this important document. If you’re unfamiliar with the Manhattan Declaration, let me encourage you to read the entire proclamation and then consider lending your support, too.

In short the Manhattan Declaration is both a celebration of, and a commitment to, preserving life, marriage, and religious liberty in America.

Topics: Current Events Tags: marriage, policy, religious liberty December 9, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Tiger Woods

A little more than a week removed from his now-infamous one-car crash on Thanksgiving night, golf legend Tiger Woods remains front page news, but for all the wrong and sad reasons.

Like most of you, I’m not one to follow the latest Hollywood gossip or eagerly peel through the pages of People Magazine. But it’s hard to miss hearing about the sordid details and accusations surrounding the alleged infidelity of the golfing great. Earlier this week, in an attempt to quell the rumors, Tiger released a statement acknowledging personal “transgressions” but didn’t elaborate and pleaded for privacy.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, marriage, pop culture December 7, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Great Vin Scully

Although football has always been my passion, I also love the game of baseball. The late Bart Giamatti, Major League baseball’s former commissioner and a clear romantic of the sport, did too. He once lamented the end of the season in near-poetic terms. Here is what he wrote:

It [baseball] breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: divorce, faith, marriage November 13, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Top 5 Ingredients of a Great Marriage

Ask a hundred people, “How do you make a great banana split?” and they’d probably list the same core ingredients—vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream nestled between the two halves of a banana, drizzled with chocolate syrup, crushed pineapple, whipped cream and topped off with one or more maraschino cherries. Depending on personal preference, some might lobby for a few spoons of wet walnut topping.

Ask a hundred people who loved to cook, “How do you make a great Alfredo sauce?” and I imagine their recipes would easily be boiled down to four or five core ingredients—sweet butter, heavy cream, shredded parmesan cheese, and a pinch of white pepper and garlic salt.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: husband, marriage, wife October 12, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Considering the Case for Early Marriage

Dr. Mark Regnerus, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Texas, published an interesting and provocative essay in the August edition of Christianity Today entitled, “The Case for Early Marriage.” It’s a thoughtful and challenging piece of work that’s likely to raise the ire on all sides of the ideological and theological spectrum within Christendom. Back in April, Dr. Regnerus lit up the secular blogosphere when he penned a similar column in the online edition of the Washington Post.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage July 29, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Definition of Marriage Upheld

Are you ready for some good news?

For the last decade California has been a battleground state in the debate whether to redefine the meaning of “marriage” to include same-sex couples. Last November, 7 million Californians—roughly 53% of those voting—voted in favor of Proposition 8 which amended the state constitution with these fourteen words: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

The people spoke. Case closed. Right?

Not so fast.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, homosexuality, marriage, policy May 27, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Beauty Treatment

When Miss California was asked her views about same-sex marriage during the recent Miss USA contest, Carrie Prejean said, “I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman—no offense to anybody out there—but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be, between a man and a woman.” Carrie’s comment has sparked a character assassination unlike anything I’ve witnessed in years. She’s getting smeared just for voicing an opinion.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, homosexuality, marriage, pop culture May 12, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Miss USA Judge: A Case of Religious Persecution

When celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton—an intolerant Miss USA pageant judge with an ax to grind—asked Miss California about her views on same-sex marriage, Carrie Prejean didn’t back down or compromise her beliefs. Even though she knew her response might just cost her the crown, she did the right thing. Her answer came from a place of deep conviction . . . and just happens to represent the prevailing viewpoint of the Californians she represents.

Perez asked the politically-charged question, “Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: events, homosexuality, marriage, pop culture April 30, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

He Finished Well

Here’s a conversation stopper: try talking about the topic of death with dinner guests. See how long it takes before someone wants to change the subject. Death and dying makes us uncomfortable, doesn’t it? Even Christians, who have the promise of spending eternity with Jesus, don’t necessarily like to linger on the reality that death is a very real part of life.

They’re two sides of the coin.

As the saying goes, none of us gets out of here alive.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, marriage March 31, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura