This young Canadian lady has more common sense than many adults... and delivers a darn good speech!

After hearing only good things about Robert Lewis's "Men's Fraternity" and the courses that go along with it, I signed-up at my local church to start the first course, "The Quest for Authentic Manhood".

After only going to one session so far, I'm very excited about this course.  Contrary to what many may think, it's not a Bible study for men, although it does contain scriptural references.

So, why on earth would I waste my time taking a course on how to be a man?  Don't men 'just know' how to be men?  Don't I have anything better to do with my time?  I view my time spent in this course as vital to improving myself as a husband, a son, a friend, and someday a father.  The more I watch the news and the more I observe the people around me, it's clear to me that many of today's men don't really know what it takes to be a real man... and our society is paying the price for it. 

The following quotation from John Rankin of the Theological Education Institute does a great job of explaining what I've learned through studying and observing:

"We need first to understand how the world's greatest social evils are rooted in 'the chosen absence of the biological father,' whether physical or emotional in nature. The reality of broken aspirations permeates the full spectrum of human life and history."

"If we listen to the children of divorce, we can trace most pain back to what is, or is at least perceived to be such a chosen absence."

"If we listen to women forced through an abortion by the chauvinism of irresponsible men, we can trace most of the pain back to such a chosen absence."

"If we listen to men and women struggling with issues of homosexual identity or actions, we can trace most of the pain back to such a chosen absence. And likewise for many who struggle with heterosexual promiscuity."

"If we look at the emerging soul-searching pain of the children of donor sperm, such a chosen absence is not only deliberate, but mockingly so for perhaps a pittance of cash."

"If we look at the poverty in the ghettos of the United States, we can note how at least seventy percent of black children grow up in the pain of such a chosen absence."

"If we look at polygamous cultures where sons do not have the chosen full presence of their fathers -- in the midst of the sibling rivalries due to the positioning struggles of rival wives -- then we can understand people like Osama bin Laden."

"Historically, the pain of such a chosen absence, an din a unique way, most deeply affects the Arab and Muslim soul tracing back to Abraham and Hagar. Abraham's absence was chosen yet unchosen -- he chose the folly of breaking his marriage covenant with Sarah, at her initiative, but then to keep his marriage intact, yielded to her war against Hagar and Ishmael; yet he never stopped yearning for his son Ishmael, to be a full father to him, but had no power of choice to make it a reality."

- John Rankin

Spend a little time observing the world around you and I think you, too, will find that we men are dropping-the-ball.   I may not be able to change how men around me behave, what they think, or what they do, but I know I can change me... and the quest has begun.

The American Family Association is presenting a 13 part series television series entitled, "Speechless: Silencing the Christians".   After each show is aired, it will become available online as a web cast.

If you've been wondering why it seems like "right is wrong and wrong is right" in today's society, I highly recommend taking the time to view the episodes (They're really short because there are no commercials in the online versions.) 

My typical New Year's resolution is to never make another New Year's resolution.   This year, I'm breaking that trend a little by making a personal commitment to myself that I don't intend to break.  

For 2008 and beyond, I'd like to make the commitment to become involved in the men's ministry at my church.   My wife and I have been involved in the children's ministry for a couple of years now, and will continue to do so, but I feel it's important that I establish relations with other men who know who #1 is (that would be Jesus, not me.)

Like many guys, I seem to be Ok with being somewhat of a loner most of the time and find that having friends that are only an email, instant message, or forum post away is good enough.   However, 'connecting' through the Internet to 'virtual friends' (even if I do know the people I'm communicating with) is no replacement for real male bonding.

To start in my quest to fulfill my resolution, I'll be attending the 10th Annual Hungry Man's Breakfast on January 19th followed by the No Regrets Conference on February 2nd.   It's going to be awfully hard to give-up my Saturday mornings, the only morning I get to sleep-in, to attend these events, but I feel the 'sacrifice' will be worth it.

Since the Pledge of Allegiance and The Lord's Prayer are not allowed in most public schools anymore because the word "God" is mentioned, a student in Arizona wrote the following:

NEW School Prayer

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!

Amen

I just got a little bit of good news emailed to me today by the Liberty Counsel, stating that the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith by a vote of 372 to 9.  (Although I find it a bit troubling that the two Wisconsin Representatives didn't vote at all.)

A portion of the resolution:

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

1. recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;
2. expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;
3. acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith;
4. acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;
5. rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and
6. expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.

Be sure to read the PDF document that contains the entire resolution, as mentioned on the Liberty Counsel's web site.

I was listening to a talk on Relevant Radio from their show “Changed Forever” by Father Larry Richards and he described  atheism in a light that I think really illustrates the scary reality of what it means to say that one is an "atheist."   What he said might be something you've already thought about, as I have, but it's definitely worth remembering in case you ever get into a conversation about your faith with a professed ‘atheist.’

In a nutshell:  An atheist will never know if he is right, a believer will never know if he is wrong.

We all know that no one can prove that God exists, nor can we prove he doesn't.  So, you've got a 50% chance of being right no matter what you think.  Those odds might sound really great if the were the odds of winning the lottery, but they might sound really horrible if you're about to play an involuntary game of Russian Roulette!

As an atheist, if you are right, you'll never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever (on to infinity) know if you are right because you'll be dead and death is forever.  There is no way for a dead person to tell the living about life after death unless there actually is life after death, in which case the atheist would be wrong.

As a person of faith, you'll never ever, ever, ever (etc) know that you're wrong because you'll be dead.

As an atheist, if you are wrong, you will spend eternity knowing that you were wrong.  An eternity, mind you, knowing that you denied God's existence when you were alive, so I wouldn't expect that He would be willing to give you the ‘royal treatment’!

As a believer, if you are right, you'll spend eternity knowing that every moment of your life that you invested in following in Jesus’ footsteps was infinitely worth it.

So, do you know anyone who is “a gamblin' man”?