The Man in The Mirror Again!

Do you want to be a man of renoun? A man of virtue and valor? A man of Godly influence and deed? Then it will take some real self examination and introspection. In other words you're going to have to look at yourself in a painfully truthful way. aknowledgeing things for what they are.........crap. It may help if you think of it in construction terms. You are a remodeling project, and you need to go through the house and take inventory of what state of disrepair this dump is in to start with. The next tough thing to swallow, is that you're the general contractor who built this mess. Oh don't bother pointing out the good parts of the place. Even an outhouse can have a comfortable seat and a nice view, but it's still an outhouse. And I also realize that other factors and "subcontractors" have contributed to the state of disrepair of your house, but no excuses matter. Because you're the general contractor who "signed off" on it all. So the fault is on the man in the mirror. The first place to start is on the foundation. any other repair you might make will be pointless unless you have a sound foundation. What kind of fool fixes a roof when the whole place is sinking in sand. Well, the self help drivel you can get from the world is just that....drivel. I don't care what Oprah may have told you about being a good person or being a spiritual person. She should shut her piehole and examine her own cracked foundation. The foundation you need is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Now don't try to tell me about the church you belong to or that you "have church at home by yourself" or about your men's prayer bla bla bla. You can drop that mess in the construction dumpster we had hauled in out front. If Jesus isn't your Lord then stop there. No amount of clever parables will really help fix your mess. Don't let your pride continue to keep you from greatness. Only God can make a truly great man out of you and His way is through a yielded life through Christ.

Your Primal Roots

Did you ever stop to think and wonder why we, as men like competition and action so much? Why men dare and push each other to do stupid things? Why do we test ourselves against each other to see who can run faster or longer, or who can throw a ball or rock the farthest? Sometimes we’ll see who’s the better wrestler? Or who dares to do something dangerous or embarrassing? My crew has been known to take turns throwing an 85 lb. log, judging success on distance, rotation and groin pulls. One cold camping season in February, one of our men thought it would be fun to start a polar bear club. So he stripped down to his BVD’s (stands for; Butt Very Dangerous) and jumped into the lake at our camp. I don’t know the exact temperature of the water but there was ice on my truck that day, so swimming wasn’t the first thing on a list of “things you’d like to do today”. Well if you knew my crew, you wouldn’t be surprised to see that one by one they’d strip down and jump in, not wanting to be left out or counted as a weenie. (That’s my boys!) Even the young kids (10 year olds) got in and risked hypothermia. So why are we like this?...... It’s just how we’re programed. Gods’ Word says; Proverbs 27:17 N IV. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. In other words, that’s how we are supposed to be. It’s good and healthy to challenge your friends to honorable competition once in a while. We’re meant to push each other to greater heights of physical and mental capabilities. I believe that the most civilized man you can imagine, is only one catastrophic event away from becoming the warrior/protector/hunter he is predisposed and able to be. That’s why I sometime rant about the modern day image of a man and the effect it has on our society…The liberal emasculation of our kind has caused leaderless families, socially inept youth, women who don’t know how to choose a good man and moral decay throughout our population. Godly men are the cure for this onslaught of cultural decay. And healthy men push each other to betterment. It’s Gods’ way. So when the moment’s right, feel free to dare your bud to a bug eating contest or hurt yourself while speed climbing a tree. Or maybe pull a groin trying to out throw your friend in a log throwing contest. It will make you a better man physically and mentally.

Teachable

What does it mean to be teachable or correctable? I’m sure that everyone thinks that they’re teachable. But can you hear, hard to hear things about yourself without getting defensive or angry? To be sure, not everyone should have the right to point out things for correction in your life. Only trusted, wise friends with no agenda or ulterior motives, whom only have your betterment in mind, should get through your anti-idiot protection bubble. Pride has a funny way of overbuilding your good qualities and discounting your bad ones. (Don’t sweat it, everyone is like that.) Most men can admit to some bad qualities but they are usually limited in scope. The sense of self-preservation and aggrandizement we all have (Otherwise known as ego.) can keep us from a path of self-improvement. So I'll ask once again. Do you have trusted people in your life, whom can tell you hard to hear things about yourself and if so, can you hear them without losing your wig? Misplaced confidence in your good traits, talents and abilities is a good place to turn over and rotor-till the hard ground of your ego. That’s right. The places you think are all right and good, many times are bastions of personal pride. Are you a talented singer or musician? Big deal, I just saw three brothers 8, 12, and 13 years of age, on YouTube play like musical ninjas. (So much for that.) How about my ability to make money as a business man? I bet that the bad economy helped you with that point of pride. Some people are prideful about their intelligence or wit. Get over it. There’s always somebody smarter and sharper. Or what about your physical fitness, athletic abilities or stunning go looks? (Old age will eventually crush all that.) So with all that said. Are you correctable? It takes a real healthy striping down of ones ego and regular personal inventory and evaluation to be able to fully say yes. It also takes those earlier mentioned relationships that have license to speak into your life. The Spirit of God is the most gentile Councilor. He will show us our inner strongholds of pride and He will confirm the corrections we need as men, in our own spirits, by His Word and by our trusted friends. Hey it sounds like another good reason to have a tribe.

A Father to the Fatherless

It has come to my spirit, that the issue of fatherless men is one subject we can't address too lightly. The number one attack on families is in the line of fathers. Liberal society has demeaned and diminished the roll of a father in home to the detriment of all children raised in those homes. The men in pop culture who are considered good parents are more "mom-like" than fatherly. Why is that? Well, it's because of the aversion that popular culture has to all things manly, and modern society has made the emasculation of the head of the house excepted and fashionable. The roll of a father in a home is distinct from that of a mother. I'll give a few examples. When you get a cut on your arm a mom will usually make a big deal out of it, clean and bandage it and check on your emotions to make sure you're alright. A father will look at it to be sure it doesn't need stitches, then tell you to wrap a paper towel around it so that you don't get blood on the floor. He usally won't make a big deal about it because it's no big deal! "Everyone gets cut once in a while." The truth is, both parenting attributes are good and right, but either kind on it's own is insuficient. Another example of parenting differences would be evident in the case of bullying. A mother would usally be inclined to call the school and/or parents and solve the problem for the child. A fathers will be more apt to help the child solve the problem themselves by means of brains or braun. (my father told me to $&@# in' drop them.) well so much for brains and diplomacy. Again the point is, both kinds of parenting have value to a child's development. One of the other benefits of having a functional father in the home is security. One thing my dad did best was make me feel protected. I knew when I was young that Hell had no fury like my dads protective rath. And I thank God that this has transferred to me for my family. (Thanks Dad.) I know growing up that, that feeling of protection and security provided a psychological cocoon for me to develop in. And in turn I hope that I have done the same for my children. That's the point! The unbroken chain of fatherhood is passed from father to son and on and on. But the world has broken down the line for many men. And that's where we as men of God come in. We are to be stand in earthly fathers for son's (and daughters) without functional fathers. We are called to help fellow fathers with Godly advices and support. We need to rebuild the lines of Godly fatherhood. A man raised without fatherhood is at a great disadvantage and we need to dig in and build-in the stuff that's missing in our brothers without fathers. I don't really give a crap about what popular thinking says on the subject of fatherhood, only good men can build good men and modern society can go to a really hot place where God's presence is absent forever! Or if you like....$&#%€>&^¥#!!! Gods Word says: (He is a) Father to the fatherless, defender of widow--this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families; He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. (Psalms 68:5-6 NLT)

The Sons of Thunder Culture

If you've already read about the principles and precepts that we, as men strive for, let me now try to explain what the Sons of Thunder is. It's a diverse group of men, of all shapes and colors, whom follow Christ, from all types of socio-economic backgrounds, with different talents, and for sure different personalities. We believe that God has placed us in a common brotherhood for the benefit of each individual and the advancement of His kingdom in our area. We're not a religious group, because religion sucks. (We define religion as man's attempt to reach and please God through rules and traditions made up by men.) In fact, detecting, revealing and smothering religion is one of the things we do best. (Besides eating steak.) The reason we called our group the Sons of Thunder, is after the nick-name that Jesus gave the brothers James and john in jest, (Mark 3:17) because they were knuckleheads who didn't understand the Kingdom of God in a full way. (Luke 9:54-56) (Which is just like us!.....Well, at least we know that we’re dopes who don’t fully understand everything.) We believe that Jesus was goofing on them when He nicknamed them that, and that brings us to another thing we do well. We are very good at harassing each other. (Like brothers do.) Lord forbid, you show up with a pink lawn chair at a camp-out. No one really cares about the color of your chair but, the verbal chiding you would have to endure will make you want to throw it in the fire. (Ahhh, it's all in good fun.) So if you're sensitive or thin skinned, we have the healing” ministry for that flaw for sure. The Sons of Thunder is not a church group. Most of the men do go to a church somewhere but it's not exclusive to one church or church people”. We don't care about denominational dog squeeze. If you believe in, and follow Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, Whom died for our sins and was raised from the dead; and you know how to pee standing up, your application for membership is accepted. We camp once a month from October through April and have forged lifelong friendships through working and hanging out together. We contact, meet up, and hang out with each other intermittently throughout the weeks between camping and other planned events. So these are real friendships and not just phony church crap. One of the other signs of acceptance and brotherly love in the group is the giving of nick-names or monikers. I.E; Uncle Dave, Uncle Jimmy, Big Mac, Nate Dog, Cornbread, Butterbean, Mr. Wilheight, Junk Yard and Jeremiah are some of the nick-names of renown in the tribe. Some of the boys have more than one nick-name, so you have to be on your toes to learn them. We have learned not to force Spiritual conversations or happenings. Our conversations around the fire can go from laughing about all the manly hygiene problems associated with camping, (enough said) to having very deep talks about God and Godly things, sometimes in the same conversation. I guess the main tenure in the tribe is Truth. We strive to face the truth about ourselves, the truth about the world, and we seek the Truth in the things of God through Christ. We recognize our humanity and love to laugh at its funny side while trying to improve upon, and limit its propensity for sin with Gods' help through His grace. Well that's all I can write about the tribe this time for fear of writing a book of mind numbing lameness. All I can say is come camp with us and see for yourself. 

Father Filter

What's your image of God?....No, not what he looks like....To be more precise, what is the perception you have of your relationship with God? Is He easily angered? Is He hard to please? Is He uninterested in your interests? Is he overbearing? How about financially? Is God frugal and cheep or is He extravagant and giving? Well you might have all the right answers about how God really is on the tip of your tongue but, do you really approach your relationship with God that way? If the truth be known, your perception of God (as in God the Father) is directly influenced by your relationship (or lack there of) with your human father. If you grew up with a father whom you felt was always disappointed with you, how could you not feel that you disappoint God, deep down in your thinking. That's what youv'e learned that a father is like after all. Or even worse, what if your father abandoned you? It would only be natural for you to be unsure of how to relate to the Father in heaven or you might even feel that he may give up on you and abandon you at any moment. These imperfect examples of fatherhood could also apply to any father figures in your life. To be sure, your father, or father figure has some good qualities and those are all transferable to your realationship with God, because God is all things good. But unlike your father on earth our God is without flaw. Take some time and (prayerfully) think about how you related to your dad (or father figure) growing up and what that was like...... Now how does that perception "filter" your image of God in your life today? Even men who've served God for decades struggle with a flawed image of the Father in heaven that has been filtered through their experiences with their dads here on earth. It's simply part of our fallen condition. So if you really want to have a better relationship with God, just know that His side of the deal is perfect and flawless and His thoughts and plans for you are prefect and without alterior motive. And your wrong impression of Him has to be continually put in check and corrected. Even after you know how He really is, those old learned tendencies based on your experience can keep creeping in. So keep at it. Gods word says:"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. (Jer 29:11-13) Well that sounds like a Father Who has your back.

Honor Decoded

Honor...Well there's a word sometimes used without being fully understood. Honor is a moral code of personal conduct that a man governs himself with. You don't need to be rich or affluent to have honor. You don't need to be educated or smart. Skills or talents are not nessesary. Good looks and charisma are not needed. In short you can be a broke, homely, talentless dope with all the social graces of a pot bellied pig, yet be a honorable man. In fact, honor is only evident and built when mistakes are made or trouble occurs. A flawed man who quickly rights himself builds an honorable repretation with the person he's wronged. Honor is built as integrety is exercised. So you... are the perfect guy to walk in honor because you're a screw-up. And you'll have ample opportunity to build some. (Don't get riled, I am too.) Here's another mindboggeling point... The ability to honor (verb) that which is honorable (adjective) denotes honor (noun) in a man and makes him worthy of honor from those around him. ( boy I hated English class so I hope that's right.) I have seen this in action in the man culture I grew up around and more recently in the pack that I belong to now. I know a leader of men who honors the man over him. And in turn, the men whom he leads, honors him. Let's look at some official definitions. Honor (noun) 1. honesty, fairness and integrity in ones beliefs and actions. 2. A source of credit or distinction. 3. High respect as in worth, merit or rank. Honor (verb) 1. To hold in high respect; revere. 2. to confer distinction upon. Honorable (adjective) 1. Of high rank, distinction or high moral quality. 2. Worthy of honor and high respect; estimable; creditable. Well... enough English class already! Let's look at some quotes...Walter Lippmann says, “He has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of conduct though it is inconvenient, unprofitable, or dangerous to do so." Or..."He who sows virtue reaps honor."- Leonardo da Vinci. And again, my favorite movie quote from Rob Roy "All men with honor are kings - but not all kings have honor." What is honor? Honor is... what no man can give ye, and no one can take away. Honor is a man’s gift to himself. Enough said.

Soul Medicine

              

There’s some inherent connection between us and fire. I don’t think I’ve ever met any man who didn’t like staring into a fire once he’s tried it. Men were gathering around fires and staring into them in all recorded history, so it’s not a new fad by any means. But what is it about fire that catches our gaze and calms our spirit? I’ve seen very troubled men get relief and healing in their souls around campfires. I always feel the calming effect the fire has on my own scrambled brains so I can attest to the treatment. We, as men of God have known responsibilities and standards to uphold in life. And the burden mismanaged, can overwhelm and discourage us to the point of spiritual paralysis. The pace and logistics of modern life make it hard to slow down and focus on maintaining order in our minds. Self-examination is easier in front of fire. Making future plans is somehow smoother there. But I don’t want to get away from the real Giver of peace to men’s souls, Jesus. He said “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Try some of that action in front of a fire and you might float out of your camp chair in a peaceful brain cloud. Yeah boys, the combo of a pensive time with God and a nice fire is hard to beat. And I recommend it as a regular treatment if you can. 

The Heart of Warrior

Oh the good ole' days when words like aggression, competition, confrontation and challenge weren't viewed as uncivilized words. Now it seems as though they shouldn't be uttered in politically correct company. Back when it was ok to have winners and losers. When you didn't expect a ribbon or award for fourth, fith and sixth place. When there was no such thing as a participation award. What kind of crap have we accepted? That kind of politically correct dog squeeze is woosifying our coming generations. Especially our young men. I don't know about you but my instructions from my dad in a physical altercation was to drop them like a bad habit. I guess he doesn't understand the complexities and nuances of molding a boys young mind. (what a barbarian.) Or did he? Nature itself shows us that males are more aggressive, competitive, and confrontational. Why? Well...... There are studies, but you can find "studies" to prove anything you want to. So we'll depend on Gods examples of excellent men in His Word. Men go to war. (aggression is nessesary for that.) David, Paul, Peter, John the Baptist and especially Jesus were confrontational. And competition was evident amist the relationships of Jesus' disciples continually. The truth is boys who are allowed to compete and play aggressively are more likely to grow up to be confident, assertive and successful men. And men who allow themselves competitive, aggressive outlets are happier and healthier. I love mixed martial arts. Nothing entertains me more than watching a beating unfold in HD. We all like action movies with explosions, fast cars and guns. We don't like romantic vampire movies................. (sorry, I just threw up in my beard a little.) And we like competitive sports of all kinds, and it's ok because God made you that way. You have the makings of a warrior because you're a man so don't apologize. Don't spend too much time getting in touch with your feminine side because it's supposed to be underdeveloped! Your a man dammit! You don't hear about women trying to get in touch with their masculine side do you? Who the heck wants a manly woman for a wife? No one with any God given sense anyways. A wise man I know told me that the Spirit of God makes women more feminine and men more manly. It would only make sense for the Creator of men and women to restore them to His original design under His guidance. So watch out... The world trying to woosify you and deform your original design. Don't except it's standards. You'r a man.

Virtue Word Study

We use words that we read and hear to describe things and add value and texture to the ideas we are trying to convey, but we don't always understand the full meaning of the words we use. So from time to time I'll do a word study to educate the wise and bore the foolish. Sort yourselves out you know which you are. And if your foolish keep your pie hole shut and maybe no one will notice. Let's start with Virtue as in men of virtue. Noah Webster says: VIRTUE Vir"tue, n. Etym: [OE. vertu, F. vertu, L. virtus strength, courage, excellence, virtue, fr. vir a man. See Virile, and cf. Virtu.] 1. Manly strength or courage; bravery; daring; spirit; valor. [Obs.] Shak. Built too strong For force or virtue ever to expugn. Roget's Super Thesaurus says: virtue adv. 1. MORALITY goodness, righteousness, uprightness, moral excellence, decency, character, integrity, incorruptibility, honor, Christian values, principle, ethic. “The fount whence honor springs.”—Christopher Marlowe. “Forebearance.”—F. Scott Fitzgerald. “Reason in practice." In short, Virtue means manly excellence.......Good Word!

Your Mission As A Man

Have you ever stopped and pondered what your duties as a righteous man are? What is your roll in a family setting? Well, the main responsibilities for you as a God's man is to lead, provide and protect. Let's start with LEAD (if you are the head male in your family and are functionally sane, smart and able.) You are the head of the family in Gods eyes. If you are the second, third or fourth able male in your home your job is to aid and support the leader. It's like the military... Get it? In life, everyone has to submit to someone at one time or another. So get over it. Now as the leader it doesn't mean that you get to boss everyone around like a dipstick tyrant or that your ideas and opinions are all that matter. But it does mean, that in important family decisions, you make the call so....no pressure but....don't screw it up. When you think about it, only monsters have two heads, so why should your family have two? The next part of your responsability is to Provide. You were ment to be the main provider of resorce in your home. I know that contemporary society and our modern lifestyle usally dictate that women and sometimes older children work to support a household. But with all of that said, It's your responsibility first. You are the provider. Do it with your back or do it with your brain. It dosen't matter because it's all the same as long as you do it. (hey... that rhymes.) Finally, you are to Protect. You are the physical security for your family. You're a bulwark, a shield, the first line of defense. Your the flippin' terminator for your family in times of trouble. So get what you need to perform that duty like a fitness trainer: better cardio, Tia kick boxing classes, a black belt in brazillian jujitsu and some Israli Krav Maga training...or you could just buy a big gun. Whatever you decide, you're the man so have a plan Stan.....(he..he.)

No one man wolf packs

Let me tell you about one of the rarest things, in the lives of Godly men. It may be rarer than a Bigfoot or Chupacabra sighting. It’s a relic from the past long forgotten about. You know, like Oprah’s waistline. It’s a Godly man crew. A posse, a tribe, a band of brothers or whatever you want to call it. This one thing, missing in your life will slow your progress in fulfilling your potential. I….after years of knowing God, have been given a place in a band of brothers, And I get to enjoy the companionship, safety, council and chiding of a crew of the most faithful, trustworthy, kind hearted knuckleheads I have ever known. But enough arse shining. I went years being a one man wolf pack and I did ok. Oh, I had real good friends here and there. But over time one moves here, and some, you lose contact with for whatever reason. You know how it can go….. That’s life. And the problem with being a lone wolf is that you don’t have anybody to challenge you and curb your own flavor of weirdness. A man left unchallenged, uninfluenced and unconnected can turn out... kooky. Or at least turn out kooky in some lines of thinking.  Watch that movie Cast Away to see an extreme example. Yeah….. a man left to his own thoughts and ideas without challenge is allowed to maintain and build places in his way of thinking that can be “off”.  These rough edges are in all men, but a band of brothers will lessen them if you have one. I think of it as a rock tumbler. A bunch of rocks (a crew) sit in the same container (the confines of biblical manhood) and get tumbled (life) and knock each other’s rough edges off. It may be over simplifying it but I’m simple so….Now don’t think you can just make some calls and make this happen on your own. It’s only with Gods guidance that I found one. And I wasn’t even looking. But I’ve since learned how invaluable my tribe is to my life, and its effect on me and my family. I’ve got boys who will go to battle with me spiritually and physically. I’ve got men that will keep me in check if I need it. And you need that too. I’m sure that I’ll write more about my boys in future. Just know, that if your best friend is a soccer ball named Wilson, it’s time that you asked God for a band of brothers.

The Knights Code Of Chivalry

The concept of listing good manly attributes is hardly a new thing. And the things on the list are still valid and applicable today. Below is a man code from almost 1000 years ago with some translated to our version of English which will henceforth be called " modern dumb arse English" or MDAE. Read on fellow knights...... Knights Code of Chivalry sad descripted in the "Song of Roland" 1098 A.D. To fear God and maintain His Church. (Revere God & keep order in the Body of Christ) To serve the liege lord in valour and faith.(serve your Spiritual authority in valor and faith) To protect the weak and defencless. To give succour to widows and orphans. (give assistance to widows and orphans) To refrain from the wanton giving of offense. To live by honour and for glory. To despise pecuniary reward. (Don't do things for money or material gain) To fight for the welfare of all. To obey those placed in authority. To guard the honour of fellow knights. To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit. (Avoid unfairness, meanness and deceit) To keep faith. At all times to speak the truth. To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun. (be sure that you finish what you start.) To respect the honour of women. Never to refuse a challenge from an equal. Never to turn the back upon a foe. So what do you think?

Mr. Jim's hands

I grew up in a culture of manly men. Not Godly men mind you, but manly for sure. They, (including my father) were middle class hard working tradesmen mostly with hobbies and intrests that would span the gamit of maledom. Sports, 4WD trucks, hunting, fishing, chainsaws, tools, well you can finish that list off in your head. Then in my mid-teens, my mom gave her life to Christ. And being a good mother she would introduce me to her christian friends, hoping I would make a christian friend. The first few men she introduced me to were very nice people. But they had soft hands, weak handshakes and a polite, shy demenor. Now I mean no disrespect to that personallity type, but the men I was used to had rough hands, a very firm handshakes, loud voices and looked you in the eye confidently. And being sixteen or so, that impression of what a Godly man looked like stuck with me, and I doubted If I could ever be so meek and refined enough to follow Jesus. Or even want too. I remember thinking to myself "I don't think I could be like that." So that first impression of what a Godly man looked like stayed with me for the next fifteen years or so until I turned my mess over to Jesus. ( that's another story I'll tell some other time.) The first few months that I served God, I didn't attend any church. I just stayed home and ravenously consummed the Bible. I read for hours each day. I couldn't get enough. I especially loved the warrior parts in there. Joshua slaying captured kings and David bringing the bloody sack of 200 foreskins from the slain philistines. And God still called him a man after His own heart. It was like reading a heroic comic book. Even the the description of John the baptist sounded rough. It seemed though he was a loud mouth with no fashion sense. Still Jesus said their were none greater born than him. That didn't seem to be what a man of God looks like today? So what's up?..... I soon found myself attending a small church near my house. (Mostly because I couldn't find a loophole for the scripture that says; forsake not the assembling together of the brethren.) I would sit quietly in the back trying to be what God wanted me to be, what ever it was. I would often find myself watching a man who would sometimes stand in the back during the music part and raise his hands and sway, sing, laugh or shout,(with the music.) and he didn't give a crap what anybody thought. he was about 50, he had longer grey hair and a goatee. He was a tradesmen and was no girlie man. One day this man caught me heading out the door. He stuck his hand out and said hey man, I'm Jim. I shook his hand and he popped me on the shoulder like a friend would and went his way. His hands were rough like my dads and his grip was approaching vise like. I felt like God said; He's a roughneck man and he loves Me. My first impression of Mr. Jim was later confirmed as I got to know him. He was hard working, hard playing, not all that concerned with social nuances or graces, but a Godly man none the less. I remember thinking to myself " Now that, I can be!" So if you doubt that you're the kind of man that God could use. Remember, Jesus chose to surrounded himself with the likes of rough fishermen and commen men of that time. Rough necks were his first choice of company. Heck he was a carpenter and their hands are thick with calluses. God can use anyone, but I like to think that us rough necks are his favorites.

The worth of your words

I would venture to guess that you know someone who says things or commits to things then, like a vapor, the value of what he stated is gone. People who know them usally respond to their statements with eye rolls or at the very least an ignoring blank stare. well it's obvious in those cases that this man has a problem with his credability. A wise man I know once told me "just because it sounds good coming out of your mouth, doesn't mean you should say it." The pride of a man and the pressure to please or impress others can reek havoc on your credability. Being a man of your word is more than honoring commitments. It also includes controling the urge to exagerate or enhance stories or pretending to know things you don't. This may all seem obvious and basic, but the truth is, men of honor are a rare species today. Now nobody is perfect and without fault but an honorable man tends his words towards truth. Not religiously under the perceived judgemental watch of God, but in a stoic, (correct as you go) way that is more realistic. One of my favorite movie quotes is from the movie Rob Roy, when the title charactor explains honor to his son. He tells him "All men with honor are kings but not all kings have honor. Honor is........what no man can give you and no one can take it away. Honor is a man's gift to himself." We all want value attributed to our character. Hence the terms; "worth his salt" and "a gem of a man" or "He's solid gold". So I choose a life of honor and I'll start with my words. And what comes out of my mouth will be aimed at truth as best as I can. So that one day, with Gods help, it could be said of me; "That mans word is as good as gold".

A Tale of two Funerals

Any man worth his marbles wants to leave his mark on the world. It's why we carve names in trees or picnic tables. We leave our prints on concrete slabs, you name it. If it's a spot where other people will see it. men are drawn to let people know that they were there. Men of more affluent means give money to hospitals (with his name attached to the new addition.) or libraries or charitable foundations. So I think you've gotten the point; We are for some reason drawn to leave our mark on the world. But in the Kingdom of God, the legacy that will fullfill you as a man is; the people that you left your mark on. Do you have someone in your past (Or present.) who helped steer you life in a positive way? Who was an example of greatness that you could use as a reference for your life? That is the kind of mark that really matters. That mark will remain forever and fulfill your desire for a great legacy like no other. In the past I had responsibilities in a small church that included helping with the various funerals that were needed. And I wittnessed the colmination of many mens lives. Being an occasionally completive person. I was often suprised to find out the mark or lack there of, men made on people with their allotted time on earth. Some I knew, some I didn't, but my preconceived notions were often wrong. One "type" of funeral that I often wittnessed would involve a man with hobbies, skills, a good career, a house or houses, a boat, motorcycle....you get the point. And he would have a very sad mom and some sort of family all in tears, a few co-workers an friends. And someone would talk about him in the "cookie cutter" funeral style we all know so well. It would all be very sad and genuine, but somehow empty. With no real grand finish to the kind of life a man of renoun would want. Then I attended a funeral of a man in our church, whom I new, but only in a polite casual way. He was a tradesman of some sort. He had a small quiet family that seemed very nice. He drove an old rough looking pickup truck and that's all I really knew about him. At his funeral, people were all sad but somehow not the same kind of sad that I witnessed in other funerals. I heared stories about his personality and life that were nice but then towards the end, people would go up to speak about him and what he meant to them. Mostly men (4 or 5 of them) of various ages. And they spoke with tears in their eyes about how this man befriended them, guided them with advice and by example. They said that he really took the time to show them what a great man is, and the principals of manhhood in general. While the sadness of his passing was the same as other funerals in some ways. It was lessened by his accomplishments. The real reason for the grief was the loss of a great mentor and example to others. This man of smaller stature and seemigly un-notable accomplishments had profoundly effected the lives of many men through the years and his value as a man was great and evident to all.......I thought to myself that's what a man of renoun looks like. That's a life lived with value and purpose. That's a life that pleased God. Lord help me to have that kind of life or greater. A life of greatness isn't always obvious to the masses. It doesn't look like what we would always guess. It's not nessesarily full of things you can see, but full none the less. Make your mark on the lives of others and you will be remembered and leave a legacy of greatness.

The Man in the Mirror

Do you want to be a man of renoun? A man of virtue and valor? A man of Godly influence and deed? Then it will take some real self examination and introspection. In other words you're going to have to look at yourself in a painfully truthful way. aknowledgeing things for what they are.........crap. It may help if you think of it in construction terms. You are a remodeling project, and you need to go through the house and take inventory of what state of disrepair this dump is in to start with. The next tough thing to swallow, is that you're the general contractor who built this mess. Oh don't bother pointing out the good parts of the place. Even an outhouse can have a comfortable seat and a nice view, but it's still an outhouse. And I also realize that other factors and "subcontractors" have contributed to the state of disrepair of your house, but no excuses matter. Because you're the general contractor who "signed off" on it all. So the fault is on the man in the mirror. The first place to start is on the foundation. any other repair you might make will be pointless unless you have a sound foundation. What kind of fool fixes a roof when the whole place is sinking in sand. Well, the self help drivel you can get from the world is just that....drivel. I don't care what Oprah may have told you about being a good person or being a spiritual person. She should shut her piehole and examine her own cracked foundation. The foundation you need is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Now don't try to tell me about the church you belong to or that you "have church at home by yourself" or about your men's prayer bla bla bla. You can drop that mess in the construction dumpster we had hauled in out front. If Jesus isn't your Lord then stop there. No amount of clever parables will really help fix your mess. Don't let your pride continue to keep you from greatness. Only God can make a truly great man out of you and His way is through a yielded life through Christ.

Is that what they think a man is?

Hey boys. Want to know what the world thinks of you? Watch TV for an hour and pay attention to how men are represented. Especially family type men.....(OK I'll pretend you just did but really... Do it!) Well, what you saw was what modern society thinks of you and wants for you. But that's not Gods picture of what a man is. You are the first of His creation. You are the leader of your home. You are the provider of resource. You are the protector of all in your care. And you're built to do it well, by God Almighty. Please don't bach at my non politically correct rants as you read. You will only prove that your estrogen levels are too high for this type of encouragement to help, until you learn to pee standing up again. You were not meant to be an object of ridicule and disgrace. You're not meant to be a bafoon only caring about sex, food, sports, and mind altering substances. Let's work on this with Gods examples and guidance and transform the perception and standard of manhood back to truth one man at a time. The man in the mirror can go first.