Help Your Teen Son Grow Up by Serving
I don't know about you, but I'm tired of hearing all the bad things going on with boys these days. Falling grades and school engagement, increased drug use, failure to launch, the rise of ADHD.... The list goes on and on. Enough. Let's do something about it, one young man at a time. Want to know a great way to start? Help him to consistently serve someone younger or in need. Commandment 1B In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is tested and questioned by Satan, Pharisee's, Sadducees a
Kind Words for Teen Sons
Tell me if this sounds familiar. Your son gets home from school and heads directly to his room or spot in the house and basically checks out. You can't get a word from him for what feels like the 100th day in a row and it really bugs you. Rather than full sentences, you get a grunt, blank stare, or barely audible response. Well... the good news: you aren't alone. This is a normal thing that almost everyone goes through while raising a son. It doesn’t matter if you are a mom o
Sheep, Dogs, and Wolves
I was traveling with my family a long time ago when we received an unexpected treat – watching a sheep dog in action. Having a picnic at a scenic spot in Ireland, we watched as a truck pulled up to a field full of sheep. With a whistle, the farmer set his dog off to the races. The pooch streaked like a furry bolt of black and white lightening to the top of the hill and started to corral the sheep down to the farmer. It was impressive to behold. Afterwards, we talked with the
Build the Man
In his book Zero to One, investor and entrepreneur Peter Thiel talks of a question he asks all of his interview subjects: what do you believe to be true that others do not? Here’s my answer: that our boys need to be intentionally taught how to be good men. Even more, they need to be taught, just as intentionally, how to be a Christian man. Some Background My wife and I get to run a summer camp. It’s a beautiful spot up in the woods and rolling hills of Pennsylvania. Each summ
Year of the Comeback
It’s been an impressive past 12 months in sports. Even if you are not much of a sports fan, you have to agree the come back victories across the major sports have been stunning. Let’s recap it real quick: Down three games to one in the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers were heading home down, dejected, and out of gas. Or so everyone thought. After some soul searching, recommitment, and game plan changes, the Cavs pulled off a three game win streak and won the championship.
7 Habits for Raising a Christian Young Man
We have three rambunctious and very different boys. At times, I struggle to change my message so that each one gets the right meaning. One needs more positive reinforcement. Another needs help dialing back. The third needs to be told more than once, twice, or thrice…. I want them all to be different, just as God made them. He gave them to the fetching Mrs. Kelly and me for a very specific reason – He wanted us to raise them to love Him and follow His guidance. We thought it w