Jim Daly Christian Blog and Commentary

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“Will You Marry Me, Mommy?”

  • Jim Daly Jim Daly is president and chief executive officer of Focus on the Family, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping families thrive.
  • Updated Dec 12, 2013

It’s an innocent question many moms have heard from their young sons: “Will you marry me, Mommy?”

It’s a question that usually inspires an “aww” and maybe a hidden smile. The mom’s heart swells with gratitude. She is loved by her son.

However, that question also underscores a fact – little boys are born knowing nothing about marriage. Rather, it’s up to their moms and dads to teach them everything about that sacred institution – including what God’s plan for marriage is.

That was the realization Sheri Rose Shepherd came to after her 3-year-old son, Jake, proposed marriage to her on a beach one idyllic day.

God used little Jake’s innocent question to stir up in Sheri a desire to teach her son God’s Word, and to equip Jake to one day be a great husband and father.

So after telling Jake that she wasn’t able to marry him, she then took a minute to pray with him for his future wife.

She didn’t stop there, though. She kept raising her son to be marriage-minded. Sheri even wrote a book on the topic – “Preparing Him for the Other Woman.”

Today and tomorrow we’ll be airing “Preparing Sons to be Great Husbands and Fathers,” a two-part broadcast we recorded with Sheri where we unpack the lessons found in her book.

We live in a time and age when many young people have been hurt by divorce and are now scared to get married. Many are choosing to cohabitate instead. Rather than be discouraged, let’s allow this trend to solidify our resolve to:

1. Raise children who want to get married and see the beauty in God’s design of marriage
2. Equip our children to carry out their God-given role in marriage.

Today’s broadcast – one of this year’s “best of” programming – will help you accomplish those twin goals. I hope you’ll tune in on your radio, listen online or check it out via our broadcast’s mobile app.


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