{"id":301598,"date":"2008-06-04T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2008-06-04T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/finding-a-new-life-in-christ\/"},"modified":"2008-06-04T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2008-06-04T15:00:00","slug":"finding-a-new-life-in-christ","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/finding-a-new-life-in-christ\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding a New Life in Christ"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On today&#8217;s broadcast, Dennis Rainey talks with Jim Daly, president and CEO of Focus on the Family and author of the book Finding Home, about the tragic events that shaped his life and his faith.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2008-06-04.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"12.52M","filesize_raw":"13126362","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822],"tags":[5004],"podcast_series":[7586],"cwp_profile":[9041],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-301598","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","tag-home-life","podcast_series-finding-home","cwp_profile-jim-daly","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/301598\/finding-a-new-life-in-christ","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/301598\/finding-a-new-life-in-christ","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"gSGTlMz8Zo\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/finding-a-new-life-in-christ\/\">Finding a New Life in Christ<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/finding-a-new-life-in-christ\/embed\/#?secret=gSGTlMz8Zo\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Finding a New Life in Christ&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"gSGTlMz8Zo\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"On today's broadcast, Dennis Rainey talks with Jim Daly, president and CEO of Focus on the Family and author of the book Finding Home, about the tragic events that shaped his life and his faith.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2008-06-04.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> People often assume that individuals in position of leadership in the Christian community probably grew up in a Christian home.\u00a0 Jim Daly, who is today the president of Focus on the Family never heard the Gospel, as far as he can remember, until he was a teenager.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> I can just remember my mom coming to the Lord before she died, and somebody mentioning that to me, and I didn't know what that mean.\u00a0 And nobody thought to stop and explain it to me.\u00a0 So we just bumbled along for another few years, and then Coach Paul Moro \u2013 I called him \"Coach Mo\" scholarshipped me and a couple of other guys to go to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp, and it was a Wednesday night, I remember, and that night, the Wednesday night I accepted the Lord and, again, it was just the grace of God.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This is FamilyLife Today for Wednesday, June 4th.\u00a0 Our host is the president of FamilyLife, Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine.\u00a0 Coach Mo wasn't the only one talking to Jim Daly that night \u2013 God was calling his name, too.\u00a0 Stay tuned.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to FamilyLife Today, thanks for joining us.\u00a0 You know, if things had gone a little differently, it could be that we'd be sitting here talking to a pro quarterback, you know that, don't you?\u00a0 I mean, it was \u2013 everything was lined up.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: A retired, Bob, retired.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> It's true\u2013 and over-the-hill, washed up \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> A tough crowd.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: Jim Daly, who is CEO and president of Focus on the Family joins us again \u2013 welcome \u2013 well, maybe it's Coach \u2013 it could be Coach \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> It could be Coach, yeah, it could be Coach.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: Coach Daly, now, welcome to the broadcast.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Great to be here.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: We were just with Coach Dungy.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> He's a good guy, I've met him.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: That could have been the deal, Bob.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> They could have swapped.\u00a0 He could be running Focus on the Family and you oculd be leading the Indianapolis Colts.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Not a bad trade, okay.\u00a0 Sounds good.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: He didn't choose the football or quarterback or coaching profession \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> But you would have been a pretty good quarterback, wouldn't you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Well, I mean, who knows?\u00a0 You're always better than you were.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter) \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut I think no \u2013 I mean \u2013 that was one of those experiences where the Lord \u2013 it's just like being your dad.\u00a0 I was there, I was being recruited out of high school by UNLV and TCU and some other colleges, and I remember praying before this game my senior year.\u00a0 I said, \"Lord, if you don't want me to play college football because it's going to take me in the wrong direction,\" which meant party style and all those things that college guys usually don't have good boundaries around, I said, \"Break a bone today but don't let it hurt.<br>\u00a0\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: You really prayed that?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> I really prayed that.\u00a0 It was Big Bear in Southern California, the third of the game, I'll never forget, second down, and someone got thrown out of the game for throwing a punch on our team, which never happened in the four years.\u00a0 And a sophomore kid, Parrish Robbins (sp).\u00a0 In the huddle, his eyes are as big as pancakes.\u00a0 This kid was so afraid to be hit.\u00a0 And we're in the huddle, a straight drop-back pass, and he asked, \"What do I do?\" and I told him, and this linebacker came running in, and he just missed the blocking assignment, and this linebacker drilled me.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: Creamed you, huh?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> I played quarterback, and I went down, and I'm in the huddle, and my right shoulder was separated already \u2013 I was playing with a separated shoulder, and I thought, \"That's okay, it's okay, and I reached in and under my left collarbone, my left side of my shoulder pads, I felt my collarbone, and it was broken.\u00a0 My left collarbone, but it didn't hurt.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter) \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd I\u2019m in the huddle saying, \"Hey, you guys, I think God's answering my prayer,\" and they're like, \"Time out, our quarterback's got a concussion.\"\u00a0 They thought I had lost it.\u00a0 But God had answered that prayer.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So you were out of the game.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Yup, that was it.\u00a0 The last time I put on a uniform.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> That was it for football for you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Yep, and I still play pickup games, I love that, but, you know, it was just one of those things where, again, I think, you put it out there, the Lord will demonstrate His faithfulness to you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> But wasn't there \u2013 later on that night, weren't you going, \"Lord, I was just kidding about the bone thing, and\" \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Break a bone, don't let it hurt, so \u2013 hey, it worked for me.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: You know, the Lord had a plan for you, and you've written about that plan in your book, \"Finding Home,\" and as we've talked about on earlier broadcasts, Jim, your life and, as I read it, I have to say, I just kind of cringed at points.\u00a0 I grieved for you, as a boy, as a teenager, young man growing up in a home that you experienced and intact family, a divorce, being raised by a single mom, being raised in a foster family that was more dysfunctional, as you said, than your real family was.\u00a0 And then being raised by your father, who had abandoned you and, again, by a single parent after your mom's death.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd so you experienced being an orphan \u2013 I mean, I just thought of all the things you've experienced, but it was Gospel, and it was confronting Jesus Christ that ultimately took your life and \u2013 well, it didn't turn it on a dime, but it was the pivotal point of your life.\u00a0 Take us back to that time in that FCA group when you met the Savior and tell us how it happened.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Sure, my football coach in high school, Coach Paul Moro, I called him \"Coach Mo,\" and Coach Mo scholarshipped me a couple of other guys to go to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Camp at Point Loma, California.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd it was a Wednesday night, I remember, and I can't remember exactly what the speaker was talking about.\u00a0 He was talking about being lonely and being on your own and not knowing what being a man is all about, and I felt like he was talking right to me.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: Now, had you had any kind of spiritual background?\u00a0 In your book, you described your family as a CEO?\u00a0 A CEO family?\u00a0 Explain that to our listeners.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Christmas Easter Only.\u00a0 That's when you go to church \u2013 Christmas and Easter only.\u00a0 And, it's true.\u00a0 I think my mom \u2013 my mom had a spiritual background.\u00a0 She came to the Lord just the day before she died, but she understood the Golden Rule and those kinds of spiritual dimensions, and she used to try to teach those to us \u2013 tell the truth, be kind toward others \u2013 but there was no basis for it.\u00a0 There wasn't a relationship with Jesus.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: Had you ever heard the Gospel?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Not directly, no.\u00a0 Not in that way.\u00a0 My older brothers and sisters went to church with the Hope family that led my mom to the Lord.\u00a0 I was too little, but they would take my siblings to Bible study at the church and things like that, but I never really heard it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And your older brother, Mike, had come to know Christ in the Navy.\u00a0 Did he communicate any of that back to you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Not really, because we were disconnected.\u00a0 So Mike was not engaged with the rest of the family at that time.\u00a0 He was off in Vietnam doing what they do, and I can just remember my mom coming to the Lord before she died, and somebody mentioning that to me, and that the Hopes had led her to the Lord.\u00a0 I didn't know what that meant, and nobody thought to stop and explain it to me\u2013 or the other kids, for that matter.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo we just bumbled along for another few years, and then Coach Mo took it upon himself as a schoolteacher, I just can't believe \u2013 and I know there are many good schoolteachers out there like this \u2013 Christians who are in the thick of it, in the battle, and he would invite me over to his house for dinner, he and his wife, Joyce.\u00a0 They talked about adopting me at one point, but I couldn't hurt my brother like that.\u00a0 I didn't feel like my brother, Dave, would appreciate that.\u00a0 So I just \u2013 I told him I couldn't do it, but I wanted to.\u00a0 Oh, I wanted to live at their house, because it was normal!\u00a0 I felt like this is it.\u00a0 This is what normal is.\u00a0 But he just would invite me over and took me to the FCA camp and was just my friend.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: So he took you to this camp \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> He took me to the camp.\u00a0 That night I \u2013 the Wednesday night I accepted the Lord and, yeah, it didn't turn on a dime.\u00a0 You know, I was living with my brother in high school.\u00a0 I mean, imagine that.\u00a0 My 20-year-old brother, and I'm 15.\u00a0 He's 22.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: No parents around.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> No parents, no boundaries.\u00a0 I mean, I'd come home when I wanted to come home.\u00a0 I'd be out, 1, 2, 3 in the morning on a Tuesday night.\u00a0 You know, Dave didn't care all that much.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: It had to be angels.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Yeah, it had to be.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: You have to believe in angels.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> And, yeah, so the \u2013 and the Lord just provided those boundaries.\u00a0 There was always that thing I felt like I couldn't step over that pit.\u00a0 I couldn't go that far.\u00a0 And I think, again, it was just the grace of God.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You know, some 15-year-olds will go to FCA camp, and they'll hear a message, and they'll go, you know, \"I need to pray and receive Christ,\" and they do that, and there may be something that goes on for a day or two or three, and then it's kind of back into the old patterns.\u00a0 Was that the case for you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> I think some of those old patterns \u2013 fortunately, at 15, you haven't shaped a lot of those bad habits yet.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> You're just learning what those bad habits are, and I think, for that reason, I didn't have a relapse because there was nothing to relapse to.\u00a0 But I think the Lord, again, I think he just strengthened the boundaries that I knew I think that my mom began to put began to put into me about saying it straight, owning your stuff, telling the truth, being kind toward others \u2013 those were things I grew up with.\u00a0 So I think it just reinforced those fundamentals.\u00a0 And I wobbled along.\u00a0 I mean, there were days that I didn't make the right decisions, and I did stupid things as a 17-year-old, as a 20-year-old.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut when I got back from Japan \u2013 I studied in Japan, and the Lord just provided a way through a scholarship to study at Waseda University.\u00a0 And when I got back from that experience, that's when I felt like the Lord got my heart and soul; that I understood it; that I really gave it all to Him at that moment.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: You know, Jim, growing up in a home like you came from, generally, that creates fear in a man's heart.\u00a0 First of all, men already struggle with intimacy and being honest with the opposite sex.\u00a0 What was your dating life like before you met your wife?\u00a0 Did you date a lot of girls or shy away from girls or \u2013 what was it like?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Hey, these are tough questions, now, what are you doing to me?\u00a0 Well, you know, that was a weakness for me in high school and college, again, without those boundaries.\u00a0 But I can remember the Lord speaking very directly to my heart saying, \"Stop dating, because you know what that leads to.\"\u00a0 And I, for about a year and a half, two years, I didn't date, and I thought I was going to go through life single.\u00a0 And I was determined to do that if that's what the Lord wanted me to do.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd I went to a Wednesday night service and Lake Arrowhead Christian Fellowship, and I went to that service.\u00a0 I didn't really know the pastor and didn't know many of the people there, and he \u2013 we still have this on tape \u2013 he came up to me.\u00a0 He said, \"I think I have a word from the Lord from you,\" which my first response was, \"That's odd.\"\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: Well, I think it's odd you taped it.\u00a0 How do you have this on tape?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> This is at the service, so the church had \u2013 the tape was running. So we've got a copy of this tape.\u00a0 And he said to me, \"You know, the Lord has your mate picked out for you, and she's going to have a heart for the things of God,\" and I'm sitting there going, \"What do you do with false prophets today?\u00a0 Do you stone them or what do you?\"\u00a0 Honestly, that's what's going on in the back of my mind.\u00a0 That was a Wednesday night.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, I've not dated for two years, almost two years.\u00a0 Saturday I go to a wedding, I'm the best man at my friend's wedding, Dan Videtto (sp), and I meet Jean three days later.\u00a0 And when she was walking out of the wedding, I said, \"I think that's the woman I'm going to marry.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Now, had you spoken to her, or was this just looking across the room going \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> No, we had a little talk, but Dan and Tina, the married couple, they, from that point forward, were trying to get us together.\u00a0 And it took them nine months because, ironically, Jean was not dating, either, and the last attempt on their part to try to get us together was an Amy Grant concert, and they said, \"We're going to try one more time,\" and we said, \"Okay, we'll go out, but we'll go out as friends because I'm not dating,\" and Jean said the same thing, we're not \u2013 \"Don't let him buy my ticket because I'm not dating.\"\u00a0 We're very proud of the fact that we weren't dating.\u00a0 So we went out.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You know, as you tell that story, I think of something, and I've never forgotten this, but our friend, Tommy Nelson, one time was talking to singles, and he said, \"If you're single,\" he said, \"your assignment is to run and as fast toward Jesus as you can, and if you're doing that and out of the corner of your eye you see somebody running in the same direction at the same speed, take a second look.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter) \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd that's what happened that night.\u00a0 You both took a second look, didn't you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> I did, and it's been great.\u00a0 I mean, the Lord, like everything, Dennis, just provided even my wife.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: Well, how long did you date before you proposed?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Thirteen months.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: Okay.\u00a0 How did you propose?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Under a tree \u2013 a big, big oak tree in Santa Barbara.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: Oh, that's a great spot.\u00a0 There are some magnificent oaks there.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Yeah, for me, it just represented everything good and strong and sturdy.\u00a0 So we drove up for the day from Southern California, and in the evening, about 5:00, I knelt down, and I said, \"Jean, I'd like to marry you.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: Did she have any idea what she was getting in terms of your background?\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Yeah, we had talked about it, we had talked about it, but she was fearless.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: She came from what kind of background?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> She's actually stable.\u00a0 She's got a mom and dad still living, and six brothers and sisters, and \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: \u2026 compared to you, kind of \"Leave it to Beaver.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Leave it to Beaver, but there's a lot of news, weather, and sports in that family, and I love them, but, you know, I think they've had their issues, as well, over the years.\u00a0 But Jean and I, as we were \u2013 you know, we got married, we're both bringing \u2013 like everyone \u2013 bringing baggage into that relationship.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI can remember one night, our third year of being married, and I was brushing my teeth, and I came into the bedroom, and she's sobbing in the bed.\u00a0 And I said, \"What's the matter?\"\u00a0 I mean, and I was just kind of happy-go-lucky, \"What's wrong, Jean?\"\u00a0 And she said, \"I just don't think I should stay married to you.\u00a0 I don't feel good enough to be your wife.\"\u00a0 Which shocked me.\u00a0 What does that mean?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd she said, \"I just don't feel like I'm adequate, that I'm good enough.\"\u00a0 And I remember laying in bed together, we were crying, and I just said, \"Jean, there's only two ways that we're going to do this.\u00a0 We're going to stay married because divorce is not an option, so we're either going to it happily or unhappily.\u00a0 And with everything that's gone on in my life, I would really prefer to do this happily.\"\u00a0 And I think that set a foundation for our relationship that we rely on to this day.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: What had happened in her life?\u00a0 What wall had she hit that something crumbled and broke, and she saw through to what reality was, and what she was going to have to face herself?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> I think, for Jean, like so many women, a, she's a beautiful girl, but I think there was just such an utter lack of self-esteem, and that whole image, body image thing, and depression \u2013 her family does suffer from some depression, and Jean does, as well.\u00a0 It's something she and I have had to cope with.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut just feeling inadequate, feeling like she doesn't measure up and all those things.\u00a0 It would be great to have her with us at some point to talk about that, but, you know, we've both come along in that journey, and the Lord \u2013 the things that she's learning have a lot to do with her own sense of worth.\u00a0 And so many women today don't have that \u2013 you know that here at FamilyLife, with the mail and the response that you get.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThere is something happening in women today that is very destructive, and that is just, \"I don't measure up.\u00a0 I'm not good enough.\u00a0 I'm not Brittney Spears.\"\u00a0 So what?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: There are so many of those images.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Jim, when your journey ultimately led you to join up with Focus on the Family, that had to be one of those little cognitive dissonance, you know, \"Do I belong here?\u00a0 Is there really a place for a guy like me and my background here,\" or was it more of a, you know, for such a time as this, maybe my background was all about me being here?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> No, I think \u2013 I worked in business.\u00a0 I graduated with a business degree, and that was my goal.\u00a0 I was just going to try the best I could in the business world and provide for my family, and we set off on that course.\u00a0 And then just out of the blue I was on the phone with someone that worked on Campus Crusade years before, Ron Wilson, and he had moved to Focus on the Family, and he said, \"Have you thought about working in nonprofit?\"\u00a0 I said, \"Not really.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter) \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut he said, \"Let me give you a call, because there's a position that should come open here at Focus.\"\u00a0 Well, 10 months went by, and I didn't hear from him.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: How old were you at this point?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> I'm 28, 29, working with International Paper.\u00a0 And there I was, and I was excited about it.\u00a0 I thought it would be great for the reasons that you described, Bob.\u00a0 It was more about, \"That's something I could give my life to \u2013 helping families be stronger,\" given everything I had experienced.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: I would think, yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> You know, that's a call.\u00a0 That's something I could get behind.\u00a0 And I can remember being excited about that.\u00a0 Well, 10 months went, I never heard from Ron at all.\u00a0 I remember saying to the Lord, \"Lord, I don't want to make something happen just in case it's not your will.\u00a0 So I'm going to just get my nose back into my work, and if you want to make it happen, can you make it happen?\"\u00a0 And 10 months later, I went out \u2013 this is amazing \u2013 I went out with the plant manager, Tom Schwam (sp), and he said, \"Jim, we're going to give you a promotion.\"\u00a0 I was 28, and it was going to be to head up the sales, the whole sales group in the Western part of the U.S. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI remember driving back from that dinner saying, \"Okay, Lord, now I understand what you had in mind.\u00a0 It's this promotion, Jean and I will be able to buy the house we wanted to buy,\" and I get home that night and on the message machine was Ron Wilson \u2013 10 months later saying, \"Jim, that position is available now.\u00a0 Do you still want to apply for it.\"\u00a0 And I called him the next day, and I said, \"It's got to be now.\" \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI went down, interviewed and Focus, you know, it's history.\u00a0 I got there in 1989.\u00a0 So it's just another indication of how the Lord was looking after us, and we were just wanting to be faithful.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: I think what's cool about that story is you were tested, and your call, you cause, your mission, and you stepped out in faith and obeyed.\u00a0 I think there's a lot of people, Jim, who come to the fork in the road right there, and they waver, and they can't step out \u2013 I'm not saying all people need to move in the direction of going to work for a ministry.\u00a0 Some are, I believe, called to the corporate community, and that's their ministry, and that's where they need to make it matter.\u00a0 Focus on the Family and FamilyLife are dependent upon people who are out there in the thick of things there to keep ministries like ours going, but I applaud your faith at that point to be willing at a time when your career path could have taken off and take a step of faith.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI've got one last assignment for you, and this may be the toughest question and assignment I've given you in the three times we've talked to here on FamilyLife Today.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Hang on, before you spring that on him, can I let our listeners know how they can get a copy of his book?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: I'll let you do that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> All right, the book is called \"Finding Home,\" and we have it in our FamilyLife Resource Center.\u00a0 Probably the easiest way to get a copy is to go to our website, FamilyLife.com.\u00a0 On the right side of the home page, you will see a button that says \"Today's Broadcast,\" and in there is a button that says \"Learn More.\"\u00a0 If you click there, it will take you to area of the site where there is more information about our program, transcripts of today's broadcast are available.\u00a0 In fact, you can leave comments, interact with what you've heard today, get in touch with us at FamilyLife Today, and you can also request a copy of the book, \"Finding Home\" by Jim Daly.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAgain, the website is FamilyLife.com, click where it says \"Today's Broadcast\" on the right side of the screen, and you can request a copy of Jim's book from us online or, if it's easier, call 1-800-FLTODAY, that's 1-800-F-as-in-family, L-as-in-life, and then the word TODAY, 1-800-358-6329.\u00a0 When you call, just mention you'd like a copy of the book, \"Finding Home\" by Jim Daly, and someone on our team will make arrangements to have it sent out to you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd let me also mention that this month we are asking listeners to consider making a donation to the ministry of FamilyLife Today, and when you do, there is a CD we'd love to send you that features a message by our friend, Stu Weber.\u00a0 Stu is a former Army Ranger and a Green Beret.\u00a0 He served in Vietnam and today he is the pastor of a church in suburban Portland, Oregon, and Stu really understands what's at the heart of biblical masculinity.\u00a0 This message is called \"Applied Manhood,\" and in it Stu helps us understand, as guys, what it means to be a man, and how we can live in balance as a man.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, the CD is our way of saying thank you for your support of the ministry of FamilyLife Today when you make a donation of any amount, and you can do that online or by calling 1-800-FLTODAY to make a donation.\u00a0 If you're donating online, when you come to the keycode box on the donation form, we need you to type the word \"Stu\" in there \u2013 s-t-u \u2013 and that way we'll know to send you a copy of Stu Weber's CD.\u00a0 If you're calling to make your donation at 1-800-FLTODAY just mention that you'd like the CD on manhood, or the CD by Stu Weber.\u00a0 We'll know what you're talking about and, again, we're happy to send it out to you.\u00a0 We appreciate your partnership with us and, again, this is our way of saying thanks for helping us and keeping us on the air in this city and in other cities all across the country.\u00a0 Dennis?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis: Well, Jim Daly, it's been an honor to have you here at FamilyLife, and Focus on the Family are great partners.\u00a0 We're involved in a number of partnerships with you guys in collaborative efforts to strengthen the church and give the orphans a voice.\u00a0 And already this week we've heard the story that you talk about in your book, just the drama of the family you came from.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd we know that your mom wasn't perfect, and your dad wasn't perfect, but one of the things I've done from time to time just to show the power of honor and the power of the Fifth Commandment is to ask a guest to give their parents a tribute, a verbal tribute as we close the broadcast.\u00a0 And just a few moments ago you went back in my office, and I showed you the tribute I'd written to my mom before she died and then to my father after he was gone.\u00a0 And both of your parents are gone, but I was wondering if you would mind, right now, giving both your mom and your dad a tribute and, basically, what I'd like you to do is just picture them seated right across from you here in the studio and just honor them with a verbal tribute.\u00a0 Would you do that?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Jim:<\/strong> Absolutely.\u00a0 If my mom were here, I'd say, \"Mom, thank you for the lessons, thank you for the humor, thank you for your unyielding love, unconditional love that I felt from you and all those wonderful lessons that you provided.\u00a0 And thank you for lifting my spirits when I was down, even that time when I was seven and Dad didn't bring the mitt.\u00a0 I can remember you encouraging me and taking care of those things by bringing a different gift for me.\u00a0 So, Mom, I love you.\u00a0 Thank you, thank you for being my mom.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd, Dad, Dad, I know you love me.\u00a0 I want to say thank you for the times you ran your fingers through my hair and gave me a hug.\u00a0 But, Dad, those broken promises, know that I learned from them; that I'm not going to repeat that; that I love you even though so many times you let me down.\u00a0 But you're still my dad, and I care about you.\u00a0 I want to say thank you for bringing me into this world, for letting God do what He would do in my life by giving me physical life.\u00a0 And although you weren't there so many times, there were times that your hug and your smile and breakfast on Sunday made a world of difference to me.\u00a0 So thank you, thank you, Dad.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> FamilyLife Today is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas \u2013 help for today; hope for tomorrow.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t__________________________________________________________\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts for you. However, there is a cost to transcribe, create, and produce them for our website. If you've benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright \u00a9 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>www.FamilyLife.com<\/strong>\u00a0\n\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/301598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301598"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301598"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=301598"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=301598"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=301598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}