Daly Focus Blog
Most people don’t get married planning to divorce, but the research suggests so much of what they do before they wed sadly leads them to that place.
Part of the reason might be that, as a culture, we’re often more enamored with the wedding than the actual marriage. A colleague of mine once worked in a church office. He regularly encountered heartbroken brides-to-be who made the mistake of booking the reception hall before the sanctuary, only to discover the church was already taken.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: husband, intimacy, marriage, sex, wife by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
Do you remember Elizabeth Smart? Her story certainly broke my heart. In 2002, she was kidnapped from her own bedroom in Utah and held captive for nine months. During that time, Smart, then 14, was repeatedly raped by her captor.
Smart was recently part of a panel at an event on human trafficking at Johns Hopkins University where she shared her story. When explaining why she didn’t try to escape, she said it went beyond fear, and shared this experience:
“I remember in school one time, I had a teacher who was talking about abstinence.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting, sex by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
A colleague recently shared with me about a medical situation her father once encountered. He suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA) – commonly known as a mini-stroke. Her parents live far away, and she was on a video call with her dad when it happened.
All of a sudden, Dad kept asking me what day and what year it was. He kept asking when my children were born. “Wait a second,” he’d say… “I’m confused.”
After a couple of minutes of this, I asked Dad to put Mom (who was in the other room) on the phone.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, husband, sex, wife by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
When it comes to the 14th of February, the one thing I don’t want to be referred to is this:
“That guy.”
You know who “That guy” is…
At worst, he’s the guy who forgets about Valentine’s Day altogether, at least until he gets to the office and is reminded when he sees all the red and the flowers and boxes of heart-shaped candy on the desks of his female colleagues.
He’s the guy who waits until 6 PM on Valentine’s night and stops off at the supermarket to try and fulfill his obligation.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: intimacy, sex, wife by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
Alex Eklund is a student at Baylor University and noticed a disturbing trend on Facebook both during and after the Victoria’s Secret fashion show which aired on CBS.
Female friends and acquaintances began to lament their body, with many suggesting it was time to go on a diet.
“There was an underlying sense of insecurity which I sensed throughout the entire thing,” he told World Magazine.
In response, Alex decided to offer some encouragement. He decided to update his own status and wrote:
“I’d rather have a Proverbs 31 woman than a Victoria’s Secret model.”
According to published reports, the post went viral, and hundreds of messages began to pour in.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, pop culture, sex by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
Is it more difficult to remain a virgin in New York City than elsewhere in America?
Some pundits and culture-watchers seem to think so, leading to speculation in Monday’s New York Times that New York Jet Tim Tebow is going to have a tough time remaining chaste in the Big Apple.
The writer of the piece spoke with Miki Reaume, a Christian and former Rockette at Radio City Music Hall. “When my friends found out I was planning on waiting until I was married, I got laughed at quite a bit,” she said.
Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, news, pop culture, relationships, sex by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
According to a recent article in The New York Times, more and more couples are bringing their friends and even their parents on their honeymoon. In fact, there’s even a newly coined term for the practice:
The Buddymoon.
To borrow Dave Barry’s famous phrase, “No, I’m not making this up.”
Interestingly, though, it’s the newly married couple who are instigating the extended celebration with family and friends.
With cohabitation on the rise, a special romantic getaway for the newlyweds doesn’t quite have the same draw.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: husband, intimacy, marriage, sex, wife by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
It was twelve short years ago that the doctor placed a tiny little boy in my arms, his eyes still closed and his skin soft and pink.
Trent and I became fast friends, my little buddy by my side, and I wondered if any father had ever loved a son as much as I loved mine.
Two years later that scene was repeated, and I quickly discovered that love multiplies.
I began to wonder again, this time if any father had ever loved his two sons as much I love ours.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting, sex by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
It was the comedian Jeff Foxworthy who once said that getting married for sex is like buying a 747 for the free peanuts.
He’s making a joke, of course, but he’s pointing to a serious issue.
Do you know many young people who rush into marriage in order to satisfy both a physical urge and a moral obligation?
It would be possible to identify such cases, but given, by some estimates, that over 80% of Christians who marry aren’t virgins, that’s certainly not the norm.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: intimacy, sex by Jim Daly with Paul Batura
Straight from the files of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World:
Writing in the American Prospect, Samhita Mukhopadhyay suggests that a growing number of people, especially women, are deciding to marry themselves. Here she quotes an individual named Sasha Cagan about such cases popping up around the country:
The choice to marry yourself takes the coming-of-age ritual to a new level. It’s not just about getting towels or diamond rings or attention. The common theme in most of the stories that I hear is a commitment to take care of oneself as one hopes or imagines that a lover would.
Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, husband, intimacy, sex, wife 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.