What advice would you give a teen or tween boy today? How “explicit” would you be? Don’t let the word “explicit” strike you funny. Explicit seems to almost be a bad word today. It seems like it’s usually paired with the word “lyrics” and describing some pretty raunchy content. But I’m using the actual Webster’s definition of the world explicit. Clear, almost painfully obvious. In a world of explicit lies, today’s young men need the explicit truth. About a year... Read more
Should I let my daughter have Instagram? I’m asked that question frequently at my parenting workshops, and it’s no wonder. Almost every teen and tween has the photo-sharing app. If your kid doesn’t… their best friend does. Instagram was the fastest growing smartphone app of 2013’s top 10 Smartphone apps (Nielsen data), growing 66% last year and ranking 7th overall for the number of users. Yes, Facebook is still number one for Average Unique Users… but ask any teenagers which... Read more
Once upon a time there was a man who had been raised in an alcoholic (drug addicted/dysfunctional/abusive—you fill in the blank) home. It was a fearful environment and he was afraid a lot. He hated those feelings even as a young boy because they made him feel “unmanly.” When he was twelve years old, he found out during a drunken argument between his parents that his father was actually his stepfather. It explained why his “father” had so much contempt... Read more
My wife made a hugely profound statement the other day. We had just finished watching a wonderful movie titled, The Pursuit of Happyness. In the movie Will Smith portrays Chris Gardner, a man who overcomes tremendous odds as a homeless, single father to achieve his goal of bettering his life by becoming a stock broker with Dean Witter. During the course of his struggles, his wife becomes discouraged and abandons him and their son. After persevering through severe financial circumstances... Read more
Perhaps I’m just a curmudgeonly old guy now, but it seems to me that people are just not as respectful as they used to be. Much of our culture believes that you do not have any obligation to respect someone unless or until they respect you first. It is a twisted vision of biblical respect. First Peter 2:17 says, “Show proper respect to everyone.” It doesn’t say show proper respect if and only if they respect you in the way... Read more
It’s interesting to observe how different parents feel about ‘spying’ on their kids. In my parenting workshops across the country I always receive at least one question that sounds something like this: “Is it okay for me to have my kids’ passwords and see what they’re doing on social media?” If you asked teenagers, you know what their answer would be: “No way! That’s an invasion of my privacy! It’s like reading my diary!” Two years ago my then-16-year-old daughter... Read more
Patheos has invited me to start my own blog, focused more directly on men and church. Please join me at my new Patheos address: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/churchformen/. Read more
“Love must be learned, and learned again and again and again; there is no end to it. Hate needs no instruction, but waits only to be provoked.” –Katherine Anne Porter No one falls in love because it’s the smart, practical thing to do. One of the more tragic love stories of the Bible is that of David and Michal. After slaying Goliath, David became a famous and handsome young man admired by many. This made King Saul jealous and... Read more
Young people across the world listened to her music on their phones, they watched her videos on YouTube, and then she performed at the Super Bowl halftime show… and their parents freaked out! When Beyonce began thrusting her hips at the Super Bowl halftime show last February, parents all over America began scurrying their kids out of the room. I heard it from parents across the country: “Imagine my surprise when I saw that on our television screen!” “I was... Read more
With men, the little things matter more than you think. Read more
A Few Grown Men
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In