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PROVERBS, TUFF LOVE, MODELLING, PRAYING

I just have to toss something out to you Legacy Dads from early morning reflections. It’s simple and has been prodding me all day. Caught an email reply from Don who I had saluted in an email for the powerful interview I had with his son, now 21 and a front line missionary in his second year of Arabic language learning.

His father is a poster dad for creating intentional legacy. He is one of today’s most effective business-as-missions leaders. Son, Pete, says that dad was there lots in the young years (they all lived overseas), less in dad's more vigorous world-changing years and as the father-shaping need grew less. But, he said, around age 17 just before he left for college in the States, the sit-down chat included a reference to The File. It was finished. Pete never saw The File but knew it existed. It was his mom and dad’s organized plan for principles, activities, and truths of living they wanted covered before releasing the two sons. The File had transformed the hearts and the flesh of two young lives. But now it was finished.

Here’s what’s for us dads and grand dads who recognize the legacy we hope for is not alone in sound doctrine or proper church manners, but in holy lives imparted intentionally with care, caution, love, and prayer.

Here is Don’s response back to my question about the secrets to his successful fathering. This was nearly his entire email reply, in true laconic form:

"Not sure what to write on fathering. I spent a lot of time in Proverbs with the boys, was tough on them, but always explained my actions. The rest was just modeling. And praying."

Gary
(site) www.generationalfathering.com , (blog) www.newseason.us

Simply Said

Mathew 5:5: "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."  Psalms 37:11: "But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."  

Why is it easy for us, as men, to get caught up in all the details of worldly desires?  How do we let ourselves get angry with our brothers and eventually cause ourselves to slip?  

If we are walking in the light of God's ways and decrees then truly the ways of this world will grow strangely dim and our life's purpose will be to serve and grow in Him.  

This past Saturday, I had the privilege to attend a men's bible study at our church and one of our facilitators is apprenticing another gentlemen.  He empowered this gentleman to lead this particular Saturday and we did a study on meekness.  As a matter of fact, there was a wealth of information from men all around the room.  As we finished up the hour (from 630am to 730am) he concluded that through Servanthood and obedience that we would bear the fruit of the Spirit and we would grow spiritually.

It is better for men to be given a little and be counted as righteous, then to have more of this world and be in the company of ungodly men.  When we find meekness, this is a character trait that is not weak, we find inner peace.  We find the peace God within us.  The morning bible verse that I get emailed to me said this:

Today's chapter: Psam 140

 

"Keep me, O LORD, fromthe hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip myfeet."  Psalm 140:4
 
There are people out therewho desire to trip us up and make us fall; and, there are evil spiritual beingsout there whose sole plan is to trip us up and make us fall.  As a childof God's we know that we can turn to God, as the Psalmist did, and ask Him toprotect us from those evil plans.  Is there anything going on in your liferight now that is evident of the enemy's attempt to trip your feet?  Haveyou asked God to protect you from the evil plans?


The point is:  Would you rather have God's favor or the favor of evil men?  The profits of evil men if it where to cost you your soul?

To me, even when I stumble, the answer will always be:  To choose God!

. They have that which is better than wealth, peace of mind, peace with God, and then peace in God; that peace which the world cannot give, and which the world cannot have. God knows the believer's days. Not one day's work shall go unrewarded. Their time on earth is reckoned by days, which will soon be numbered; but heavenly happiness shall be for ever. This will be a real support to believers in evil times. Those that rest on the Rock of ages, have no reason to envy the wicked the support of their broken reeds.

GMC and Dude Perfect both say, “Never say never.” What seemingly impossible goal would you like to achieve in your lifetime?

RIDE ALONG WITH US ON THIS GRAND JOURNEY

The journey started today. It's the one whereby grandfather Taylor, "Popi," joins Taylor, age 12, and his dad on the rough and wonderful trail to the manhood ceremony of age 13. It's called various things around the world, "Rite of passage" is a popular one and it is a ceremony embraced by cultures anchored in ancient roots and, yet, even if primitive, is compelled by grand hopes of leaving a good legacy.
The event today was Taylor's first Journey Letter from Popi. These are short life sermons delivered sometime on Thursday for a Friday read-and-think. Taylor has the weekend to chat with Dad and Mom and, maybe, younger brothers about the content and the application.
I'll post the first one in the next couple of days. Let's see how he responds. I'll guide him to this blog for his response which is about to take on a new, wild, full, exciting generational whoopila. Father, Father, son, three generations to bring to focus the lessons God had provided us through His World and through the lives we can gratefully say He's guided.
The first title? “The Story.” All the lessons to follow come under The Story, His Story, the one He/They wrote in the Counsel of the Godhead just for Taylor before time began...for such a time as this.

[Post note: Taylor had the flu this week. He managed a horseback ride--he's quite the natural horseman--but not a dialog with his grandfather. No surprise there. I'm sending him installment two, nevertheless. You'll see the first two before my bride and I take off to the naval station beach for a week (taking our home on wheels we live in full time). Then, we'll head up to the family.
Don't want to bore you with our "little" personal stories. But, if they are as stimulating to Legacy Dads, let me know and I'll post them now and then.]
Gary (my revived blog: www.newseason.us )

Are you 'Po (Poor)? Or are you Rich in Spirit?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxSKEsNzamE&hl=en_US&fs=1&&w=640&h=385]

 I am not one normally to put a 7 minute you tube video on this blog unless it really warrants pure religion (James 1:27) or if it truly brings home a point.  This morning in church, our main message was the full presentation of Pastor Carey who turned down double his Salary to follow God's call and move to Detroit, Michigan in order to be obedient to God's call.  When God calls you, are you going to stay in the "huddle' or are you going to get out of the huddle and go and make disciple of all nations?

Tell us what you think!

Dante

What are we here for?

Seriously?  What are we here for?

What is my purpose in life?

What is God's will for me?

--------------------------

Do you ever find yourself asking these questions?  Do you ever find yourself doubting yourself?  If you are a child of Christ you can count on a few things:  1) Your life no longer belongs to you, but to God.  What you do with that gift of mercy and grace is up to you.  2) Once you have aloud the Lord to Lord over your entire life, then you can rest assure that nothing or no one can ever take you away from Him.  3) Your life, as a Child of God, will bear fruit of the Spirit.  3) At some point in your life, if you are walking with God, you will face trials and you will face tribulation.  How you come through it is up to you and your attitude.  4) You will never be tempted with more than you can handle.  5) God is always faithful 6) Repeat number 5 out loud.  7) At some point people we love will die (including ourselves).  8) This life, that is but a vapor) will only lasts for a little while.  In case you haven't figured it out - we are in a race (not a sprint, but a marathon).  How we choose to finish this race (called life) is completely up to us.  You can walk in obedience to God, by reading his word, praying and submitting to Church Authority without making their life a burden (Hebrews 13:17).  

If you find yourself serving two masters (this World and the ways of this world, which are not of God OR serving the Lord Jesus Christ) then you are divided and your heart is not completely on Christ because our God is a Holy God and in Galatians 6 it talks about how God IS NOT MOCKED.  

In all that you do, is God their first.  That is, when we live, are we living for Him or for ourselves?  

Think about it - any questions? Comments?  Objections?  If so let me know,

Dante

Metro is Dead. Long live the Cave Man!

I was sitting in an office the other day and noticed a copy of GQ lying on a table.  As I picked it up, I noticed a primped and polished picture of Shia LeBeouf on the cover.   I asked the woman in the office if she thought these feminine looking, "Twilight" guys were attractive.  She said yes, if the guy is young and single. However, anyone over 27 trying to pull that off looks like a fool.  I scratched my scruffy beard and wondered if I was just too old to get it?  According to the article, the metrosexual man is dead.  For those of you who don’t keep up with this nonsense, myself included.  Here's the cliff notes:

The typical metrosexual is a young man with money to spend, living in or within easy reach of a metropolis – because that's where all the best shops, clubs, gyms and hairdressers are. He might be officially gay, straight or bisexual, but this is utterly immaterial because he has clearly taken himself as his own love object and spends his time primping and polishing his outward appearance in hopes of capturing everyone’s attention. Common activities of a metrosexual are body waxing, tanning, manicures and endlessly shopping for the latest fashions that are peddled by the fashion magazines.    

For some time now, old-fashioned (re)productive, repressed, unmoisturized heterosexuality has been given the pink slip by consumer capitalism. The stoic, self-denying, modest straight male didn't shop enough (his role was to earn money for his wife to spend), and so he had to be replaced by a new kind of man, one less certain of his identity and much moreinterested in his image – that's to say, one who was much more interested in being looked at (because that's the only way you can be certain you actually exist). A man, in other words, is a walking narcissist.

 Apparently society has come back to its senses and realized that young men today are far too feminine.  Where are the John Waynes and Clint Eastwoodsof the new generations?  I have noticed far too many boys today who would rather play Xbox 360 or some magical card game than go fishing or hike the face of a mountain?  The good news is that the pendulum seems to be swinging back the other way and hopefully landing somewhere in the middle.  Sorry ladies, the overly feminine man with perfect fingernails is starting to be replaced by a cross between Prince William and Moses!

 And speaking of Moses, celebrities like Zach Galifianakis, Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix are all now embracing the old fashioned cave man look again, a good sign of the changing times. 

Pitt

Hangover

Phoenix

 

 

In all seriousness, I still feel, teach and try to emulate the etiquette and demeanor of the English Gentlemen.  A man must be refined, educated and cultured but also have the skills of Survivorman and be allowed to drink some beer with the guys during the Super Bowl.  TheModern Gentlemen is honest, lives a life of character and sets the example for others.  He is kind to others, especially woman and displays the utmost respect and courtesies in their presence.  Furthermore, he must have a noble cause to fight for, help the poor and the environment and provide for his family. 

How can one man do all this?  Do we need to buy a red cape and hang it in the closet?  

I think the easiest (and hardest) way is to simply follow the example and teachings of a radical Jew from Nazareth over 2000 years ago.  The times and styles may change, but the principles stay ever the same.

What's your favorite drink at Starbucks? Describe it. If you don't like Starbuck's what do you drink instead?

LEGACY AND MEMORIAL WEEKEND

I taught (as a sub) yesterday at a high school with a Marine Junior ROTC. My whole special ed class was in the “Junior Corps”. Draw no conclusions. But it gave me a chance to attend the unit’s field dress ceremony at the flag pole out front. Parents (too few) and teachers and administrators (too few) gathered.
And me. Thinking, remembering.
A retired Marine Corps Master Sergeant Harkin, in full dress blues, of course, gave the cadre a speech. Wow! Lean, trim, loud, he bellowed without a mic, “Your future is not up to the Corps, your parents, or your teachers…it’s up to YOU”. Their series of life choices, etc., etc. The regular rah, rah stuff. I felt like re-enlisting. Too old, hair’s too long.
But it made me think of legacy. And dads.
Harkin had a fascinating career, including embassies and battles here and there. He wrapped it up in a ten-minute package. He was my age, the end of the Vet (or Traditional or Silent) Generation. He spanned four generations, Traditionals to “Me Gen,” in ten awesome minutes. He was a living legacy, Semper Fi. My undereducated, under-achieving class was hearing something that could change their lives.
In those moments Harkin paused for effect, that marvelous divinely designed mind kicked in. It took me to distant landscapes and thoughts fermenting in my head’s far recesses. I pictured those who served America’s freedom cause that I knew, that I longed to see again. Like my son and my brother. Then there was Chuck who never made it back to the carrier. Dan, the former Blue Angel, who was my wingman when one of the three Vietnamese pilots didn’t return home, and we did. But he “bought the farm” a couple of years later. So did squadron mate Tom who left a fiery hole in the ocean filled with aircraft parts and steam for but a few minutes.
Family trees are priceless for those of who are beginning to grasp how legacy is, in fact, central to life itself. It’s the same way history is suppose to guide our nation’s future, but seldom gets applied. Take note, dads. Do you know who up in your tree is one of those who knowingly offered his life’s blood that history would be different. That’s legacy lost if not remembered, memorialized. If that doesn’t work out so well, does his sacrifice in the Civil War, WW I or II, or even back at Bannockburn (my Cameron clan) touch your family at all? It should.
Somewhere in your tree is most likely a hero worth memorializing. This should include those injured or even who serve with honor and did return to take up life again, and give you life. Even so, what we’ve now labeled PTSD existed unrecognized yet still scarred those who saw and could not repeat the unspeakable.
Let us remember and give thanks.
And pass it on. Else, what’s a legacy if it’s lost.

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