As publishing houses are putting a greater amount of the responsibility to market books upon authors, more and more writers are producing video trailers to help promote their books. As we know from the success of “mini-movies” on You Tube that have gone “viral” and been watched by millions, videos are an effective way of transmitting a visual image to viewers who might not otherwise come in contact with that message. Book trailers in particular though often follow a pretty... Read more
Digital Music sales is up 15 percent from last year, and America is on pace to break 2011’s record of purchasing 1.3 billion digital tracks. Let’s face it—American’s love their music. The question is, do you know what your kids are downloading? Let me be clear. I’m not recommending that you become a helicopter parent, hide in the bushes and watch your kids walk to the bus stop in the morning. But the polar opposite—letting them do whatever they like—isn’t... Read more
I turned 57 last month. I suppose I’m getting to the point of life where I’m supposed to look back wistfully at my childhood and wish I could relive those moments. I have a hard time looking back wistfully at my childhood. You see, I was one of “those” kids. I was one of the ones who grew up looking over their shoulders, waiting for the bully to show up. I was the kid who couldn’t manage to play any... Read more
I believe that men were created to live lives of significance. I believe men are born with the magnificent ability to lift up the lives of those around him. I believe authentic masculinity can make a difference in the world. Because I believe that, I agree to abide by and live my life by the following code and to inspire those who follow in my footsteps to join me: A man is not passive—he takes initiative. A man uses... Read more
Gather ‘round boys, and listen in. This here piece of advice I got years ago from Crazy Ned Van der Meyer, an 88-year-old Holstein farmer living on a lushly plowed dirt patch in Custer, Washington. Crazy Ned had fathered six kids and been happily hitched to the same good woman since he was 20 and she was 17. He knew powerful secrets about marriage, he said. Yet what Crazy Ned told me sounded too easy to be true, and when... Read more
…WHAT GOES ON IN THE DARK Jonathan McKee, Author of Candid Confessions of An Imperfect Parent, shares a sobering peek into a public high school dance. The 16-year-old girl stepped out of the limo, careful to keep her dress from riding up any higher than it already rested on her upper thighs. Clasping her date’s hand, she stepped into the decorated school gym—an ocean theme. The music pulsated so loudly that even her heartbeat soon surrendered to the rhythm, pumping... Read more
I’ve read a lot of books about suffering and tragedy; I’ve also written several. Thus, I was glad to have the opportunity to review Tullian Tchividjian’s upcoming new book, Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free for the Patheos Book Club. Countless books have been written about trials and God’s place in them, and I was curious to see if he could bring a fresh perspective to the discussion. Tchividjian begins the book by affirming a truth that most people... Read more
I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. John 17:4 Fifteen years ago, when I became a Christian, one of the things I prayed about was what God wanted me to do with my life. Like most men, I wanted to live a life of significance. But how does one man make a difference? The problems of this world seem overwhelming. God placed upon my heart that men were the key to... Read more
How many times have we hoped for a specific type of success, only to have it elude us? We dream of being an Olympic sprinter, a prize-winning surgeon, or a writer of the great American novel. But try as we might, the specific type of success we long for never comes. Sgt. Joe Toye, one of the original Band of Brothers, fit this profile. The hardscrabble son of an Irish coalminer, Toye was a promising athlete, excelling at both boxing... Read more
It’s times like these that I’d love to have just a moment with the founding fathers of our country and ask then to clarify their intentions about our first amendment rights? Were they referring to the songs that are going to be played at my daughter’s high school homecoming dance this coming Saturday? Because my daughter saw the list posted on one of the school’s Facebook pages and I took a gander. You’d be shocked what schools allow to be... Read more
A Few Grown Men
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