I have been reading a very informative book about men by Richard E Simmons III, entitled “The True Measure of a Man.” In this book Simmons contents that “Men so often define themselves by what they do, who they know, or what they own. And when they do so, they unwittingly set themselves up for…
I have referred to James Houston in previous posts. When I was beginning to enter the deep stream of historic spirituality, with its emphasis on spiritual formation and direction, Dr Houston was my shining light. I consider him my mentor in the faith over the last 20 years. In his book “Heart’s Desire” he makes this statement,…
As I write this morning (28th) my heart is very focused on my inheritance and the inheritance that Judy and I have together in the Lord. Scripture is full of illustrations of receiving an inheritance. An inheritance is something that has been entrusted to you, sometimes at a deep cost. God has given his children an…
Many of the men who read this blog are familiar by now with the Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng and his difficulty with the Chinese government. He has displayed great courage in his fight for freedom of expression. Chen, who is blind, is part of what is called the “weiquan movement.” It’s a group of lawyers, activists, intellectuals and…
I had an experience today here on the lake, that I knew I had to write about on this blog. As most of you know, Judy and I have a small retreat house on the lake where we live. I call ourselves a “monk” and a “nun.” This gives us a focus as to what our…
I have been reading a fascinating book by Tanya Luhrmann entitled “When God talks back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship with God.” Luhrmann is a professor of anthropology at Stanford. For the past 10 years she has been researching the way evangelical Christians talk with God. Recently she had an article in Christianity Today in…
“Be the last of a dying breed, it’s time that we man up.” This is the last line of the “Man Up Anthem” from the Christian rap group 116 Clique. The song helped launch a growing campaign by the Christian Rapper, Lecrae to get young men in hip-hop culture to “man up” as responsible husbands and…
I want to start this blog with a prayer by Thomas Merton. It is from his book “Thoughts in Solitude.” I have now come across several other sources quoting this prayer. I will mention my reasons for reflecting with you on this prayer after you read the prayer and reflect on its meaning for you. “My…
Judy and I have just returned from spending a couple days with our grand kids in Kansas City, Ks. I usually learn some spiritual lesson as I spend time with the kids. This time it was related to the time I spend with my four year old grandson, Grant. He and I made a trip up the…
It is a known reality that men are much better at compartmentalizing their inner life. For example, we can separate our thoughts from our feelings, whereas women in generally are much more in touch with how they feel and what they sense intuitively. Most men feel totally lost when the discussion move from the head to…