An IronMen Info Post!!

A question-and-answer clip, primarily for the benefit of parents. 

I recently answered a great question by a parent who is considering the IronMen program. It went to the theological/doctrinal background that I bring to IronMen. 

A great question, and a sign of an active, caring, and diligent parent...bless them. 

So, what I thought I'd do is give the gist of my answer here, along with other related info. A kind of a FYI for you. And, if you have more/other questions, feel free to message me like this parent did!  This also represents an accurate view of the doctrine within the Glen's Gizmo Homeschool Hub ministry as a whole (if that interests you, be sure you consult the main website for that statement).

My wife and I are attending Athey Creek church. It's very close to community churches we've been members of in the past (ie, Shoreline Church in Monterey, Calif; Cypress Community church in Salinas, Calif; Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego, Calif.) 

Theologically, these congregations could be described as conservative, evangelical, dispensational, largely pre-tribulational, and largely salvation-permanence in doctrine. I should add creationist, too, I suppose (I tend to take that for granted in a thoroughly Christian church, but perhaps there is reason not to these days.)

My upbringing was in the Evangelical Free church, and my college education began at their liberal arts university in British Columbia, Canada, called Trinity Western. That denomination (EvFree) supports Trinity Evangelical Seminary in Deerfield, Illinois. Their range of scholarship is closely related to Dallas Seminary in Texas; in fact, some of their professors get their degrees from the other school. That’s just to give you a sense of where the denomination sits "on the map" as it were. Both are world-class, conservative theological schools.

My degrees are in communication and education.  And, yes, alas, it was public education (two California teaching credentials: one for K-6 and another for English/Language Arts for grades 7-12). It was a solid experience, but I took the theory and principles and LEFT the rest. 

My other graduate communication training was focused on education & training (MS and PhD at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale); research there, for me, tended to focus on (1) values in education, (2) leadership ethics and credibility, and (3) perceptions of caring by students. 

Ministry experience has ranged from teaching Sunday school, leading in church youth groups, Christian drama ministry, summer Christian camp counseling and directing, guest speaking for pastors on vacation, summer missions, and training young adult men for mission service in Mexico (Baja, mostly), Columbia, and Venezuela (the Amazon jungle area, mostly, near the Orinoco River). 

Some of you know Pat Roy. He and I grew up in the same Evangelical Free church in Chico, California (my birthplace, by the way); we co-directed the Junior High youth group ministry there while the church was acclimating a new pastor, and we were sent on our first summer missions experience from there. 

So, that about covers it. I am married to a wonderful wife -- 33 years this past December -- and we have 3 children, now 26, 28, and 29. We homeschooled them from pre-K through high school, so we bring a good deal of experience to homeschoolers with questions. 

<< It is noble thing you do, homeschooling...and now, becoming an *essential* thing, if you are to protect and preserve your children. Besides reading a lot across home educators of the past few decades, I'd also highly recommend the annual expense of membership with HSLDA.  We paid for that the entire time; I would have paid twice as much, if necessary, for thieir service and potential representation. Not a dime was wasted. >> 

I should add, by way of encouragement, we did that homeschooling while going through graduate school for 5 years (in California and Illinois), where the divorce-rate was astronomical, and through two decades of teaching for secular universities and colleges (all in California, that oh-so-liberal and progressive of states), where the increasing hostility toward anyone conservative, Christian, white, male, non-relativistic, fact-based, reason-based...has mounted with each decade and every single year (I do not exaggerate). The point is just this: God made it possible. Like Daniel living among Babylonians, Medes, and Persians -- God CAN make it happen. It doesn't mean it might not cost you something. But the mission objective of raising your kids at home -- in spite of all that -- is something He CAN accomplish. 

I should add that I have published with NavPress for young adult readership (four novels, beginning with the one NavPress took on in 2012, Trident's Flame). My daughter calls them romaction novels, since they deal with themes of Christian dating, the Gospel, and young adult growing pains...all in the espionage/action genre.  The last three are being divided in halves (an editor's recommendation to reduce the word count for each), to make six, for a series of seven novels, called the Jake Sloan Adventures. Frank Peretti’s Cooper Family Adventures are what inspired me to tackle that.  We used to read that entire series to our kids. I’m still finishing three more Jake Sloan novels for that series before I’ll consider it complete.

And, finally, I am a licensed Chaplain. I'm studying the Chaplaincy -- the uniquely Christian version -- with a view to be of service to local fire departments and law enforcement. Haven't quite achieved that yet, but it's one of my retirement goals. Been a little busy with a dozen other things recently, including the move here from California, and now the open door to help Glen's Gizmo Homeschool Hub with this wonderful new program, IronMen and Ironmen Rangers.

I'm really praying for the Lord's success in this for the sake of these young men. They have such a challenging future ahead of them. When you think of it -- assuming the Lord Jesus delays in His return -- these young men will be leading whatever is left of this nation forward. It is momentous. 

It's difficult to see that far into the future, I know. But I have this deep sense that Christian parents alive right now are raising a generation of Washingtons, Lincolns, God-believing/God-revering leaders who will be the ONLY ones capable of restoring what was destroyed. Sadly, we are watching the destruction. But happily, we serve a very mighty God. The same one who strategically placed Daniel and three of his friends INSIDE the administration of a hostile nation (Babylon). If you track king Nebuchadnezzar, it's difficult to argue that he wasn't converted by the later years. And king Cyrus was named before he was born – specifically to release the Jews back to their homeland. 

Who knows what mighty things God might have in store for our young ones. 

Sincerely, Dan Fox, PhD
Feb 2022

24Feb22
No.18
///// An IronMen Moment /////

(For passing along to men and young men in your life.)

Growing Mustard Seeds

Ever had an older sibling give you the elbow and say, "Ah, grow up?" Maybe you were goofing off in front of a camera one day. Or someone thought you were being a pest at the moment. Or -- how about this one: one of mine -- I actually WAS being an irritant to someone! And later, I realized: "I really need to grow up. What was I thinking?"

There is a story told about growth that involves the smallest of garden seeds, the Mustard seed. Listen to how Jesus put it:

Matthew 13: 31, 32, esv.

"He put another parable before them, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.
It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches'.”

Lets consider some elements of the story:

1. What is sowing? Sowing is receiving the Gospel in your soul, sowing the Scriptures in your mind and heart. The field is your soul. The seed is God's input in your life (seed in the soil, so to speak). At first, it's the Good News of your pardon before God. Complete, total, and permanent forgiveness. Including open access to the throne of God in prayer. It's a personal parable, about you and His gifts, you and Him.
2. The "birds of the air" are other people. Those who come into your sphere of influence. Your "branches" describe that influence. More importantly, those extending branches are a picture of the strong support your faith has on others around you. Sometimes we don't even realize the impact we are having, but our quiet faith in God, those ever-expanding branches of contact with others, invites them to "Come and see." To ask for the reason for your quiet spirit, your simple faith, and the basis for your trust (I Peter 3:15).
Reflections:
• Those exposed to the Gospel and respond to it don't sit idle, in a static state. They grow. Naturally, as a consequence of having God's truth inside of them. It's one of the reasons why our IronMen Creed includes Philippians 1:6, "that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion" (esv).


• If you have received the Gospel in faith, and you don't see that growth, don't be discouraged. This parable may be a nudge from the Lord to reflect on your faith-walk, to possibly ask some honest questions about your pursuit of God. Have you been pursuing Him...or possibly just cruising along?

• Another reason to not allow discouragement to win-out is because sometimes the growth is beneath your ability to see its evidence. Or, more time is needed to see the results. The plant called Chinese bamboo is a perfect example. It grows from a node under the dirt for 4 or 5 years without revealing a single upward sprout. Then, in about the fifth year, it rises through the surface, growing up, up, up, and out of the forest canopy. And becomes one of the tallest bamboo species in existence, topping out at something like 80 feet!

The parable of the growing Mustard Seeds is only 2 verses long (Matthew 13: 31, 32). But it is so important for us. Mostly for it's encouragement. So that we don't get discouraged...or stop trying...or stop serving and using our gifts.

Paul wrote,
"...let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9, esv).

And he reminded Christians in Thessalonica,
"As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good" (2 Thessalonians 3:13, esv).

Brought to you by IronMen.

22Feb22
No.17
///// An IronMen Moment /////

(For passing along to men and young men in your life.)

Pathfinders & Trailblazers

Ever lead others through a dense forest? Especially a long line of people, where there are many switchbacks and trail off-shoots? Or, perhaps you were among those hiking along the line?

Sometimes people lose sight of those in front of them. And they take a trail that goes somewhere else. They may even get lost. That can be scary at times, right?

The same thing can happen to us as followers of God. We lose sight of who we're following, or we get distracted by something off-trail. We may even find ourselves lost and confused.

There is a great verse about that in the prophets. It's a statement by God Himself (those are my favorites, the quotes directly from God). At the time, He spoke to anyone who would listen in Israel, and so He continues to speak to all of us throughout all times.

"If you leave God's path
and go astray
You will hear a voice
behind you say,
'No, this is the way.
Walk here.'"

What's even better: it rhymes! Did you hear it?

It's in Isaiah 30:21 (in an unknown translation by a former Columbia Bible College president).

A more literal, word-for-word translation, is found in the ESV.

"And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."

It reminds us of a couple of take-aways:


1. The principle of Looking ahead AND Listening behind. We ALL get lost on occasion. Sometimes by choice (with a stubborn will that chooses sin instead of a good path). Sometimes by accident (we just don't see a warning sign when it's there). Either way, God provides the restoration we need in I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Memorize that one, for sure.

2. Our Helper, the voice of the Holy Spirit, is giving us guidance every time we seek Him for it, and even when we don't. "You will hear a voice behind you say, 'No, this is the way. Walk here.'" That voice is the Holy Spirit within a believer.


3. Getting used to following His lead. It's easy for us to assume we are in the lead in our lives, and forget Who the Captain is. The Apostle Paul reminded some first century believers, "your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (I Corinthians 6:19,20, esv). We literally (not figuratively) belong to our Savior, the Captain of our souls.

So...
"If you leave God's path
and go astray
You will hear a voice
behind you say,
'No, this is the way."

Be sure you listen, just as we train to do in the wilderness...

and
"Walk here.'"

11Feb'22
No.16
///// An IronMen Moment /////

(Designed to be passed along to men and young men in your life.)

Your favorite pet... and heaven.

Decades ago there was an animated production called, All Dogs Go to Heaven. A Disney production, if I recall. It was a cute story of redemption for a dog that thought he was doomed to, well, that other place. And it involved the love of a nearby human, as well. I won't spoil the ending -- you might enjoy watching it.

The photo above is a favorite dog in our family, Bentley the beagle. Named after a favorite car. And for the regal sound of his name. Bentley LOVED to ride in a box just his size on the back of my Scooter. So, we equipped him with his own "Snoopy, Ace Fighter" outfit (pictured). As soon as I put it on, his energy exploded from level 1 to 10+...with tail-wagging, whimpering, barking excitement, he could hardly wait to be lifted into his special seat, clamped into his chest-brace seat belt, and hear the engine putter to life. It really was a big deal for him.

Bently was a rescue dog, the poor thing. And over the years we began to figure out *what* his past may have entailed. It's likely that in the couple years before arriving at our home he came from one of those make-up and mascara testing labs. They tend to choose animals that have nice big eyes (for their poor aim with an eye-dropper full of something they HAD to of known would hurt)...and animals with friendly dispositions (like rabbits and beagles). Over time his behavior became increasingly erratic, and so ultra-focused that he would streak across a busy street of traffic just to chase a squirrel. Very dangerous. And nerve-wracking for us to witness.

Anyhow, in the years since Bentley, I've often wondered that innocent question: will dogs go to heaven?

It's natural for us to ask such things about those who have passed on. Especially if they were loved and are currently missed. One Saturday, when I was 13, I came home from a fishing trip and was told that my father was in a car accident that afternoon; a week or so later, he died of those injuries.

Here are three excellent truths about dogs, heaven, and our future.

1. Whether or not pets of the past will be in heaven, we can be near-certain that we will have pets there. Because God created them! And with a new Earth and new Heaven, there will be plenty of cute, cuddly critters there.

2. Scripture is clear that to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ Jesus (II Cor. 5:8). So, anyone in the faith who passes away is ushered into Heaven, where the Lord is now. This includes us! If we happen to be here when the Rapture occurs, it means the reunion will happen in our lifetime! These are reasons to be very happy.

3. Consider those who aren't on their way to Heaven. Think of those around you who may not have decided on God's pardon. Pray for them. When you see them along your path during the day, send up a prayer to God for them, that His Spirit might chase them down and bring them to the faith. There isn't much time left for this privileged service we can do for those around us.

Food for thought. Reason to rejoice.

Brought to you by IronMen.

3Feb'22
No.15
///// An IronMen Moment /////

(Designed to be passed along to men and young men in your life.)

Get-Aways

Have you ever stopped to count how many times the historical account records Jesus going off alone?

What a contrast to John the Baptist...who came out of the wilderness to preach, teach and baptize.

Whereas, the Messiah came out of a small town, practicing the tradecraft of a carpenter, and went to live in another town, Capernaum, next to the Lake of Galilee... and made a practice of *going out* from the towns, away from cities, to the desert.

How interesting. Hmmm. But...why?

To rest? Yes, probably. Imagine how tiring his long days of teaching might have been.

To pray? Sure. The Gospel writers said so. Some demons, He told his disciples, could only be driven from their hosts BY prayer.

To "recharge" as it were, and regain His energy? Very likely. He was operating in a limited human body, afterall, right?

So, here's the question for us:

If He who saved us, is currently teaching us, the Captain of our souls...did these things, as our example, might there be the same need for us to practice this in our lives?

Do you ever get to that point in your own fatigue when you sense the need to get away? It could be physical fatigue, sure. But it might be something internal, something closer to the heart. What we've come to call spiritual need. Secularists might call it psycho-social neediness.

The fact is: we are limited...and we often come to a place of need. For rest. For shelter from an emotional storm. For a respite from matters of the daily grind. For support from Him whom we serve. For guidance. For energy to keep pressing forward.

"This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength...'."

-- Isaiah 30:15, niv2.

Consider that.
+ repentance and rest...
+ quietness and trust...

There could be a spiritual secret in there to be mined-out and made our own. (Acts 17:11)

Personally, I suffer from a dark streak of independence. My whole life, in fact. I was raised alone, left alone, abandoned by those you'd expect to care for you. So, the urge to go-it-alone is very strong.

And I've dealt with this in spite of my decades-long faith in Christ. But I *have* figured-out that I'm finite. And I have figured-out that my need for Him isn't expected to "go away with age," as if I'll someday "outgrow" it, or "outgrow Him."

Doesn't work that way.

It struck me the other day when a Bible prophecy scholar whom I listen to observed that our heavenly access to the Tree of Life, in the New Jerusalem, right in the middle of its main streets (see the ending chapters of Revelation)...is a testament to our ongoing dependence upon the Father. We may be in eternity, and living in eternal bodies, but it doesn't mean we will exist independent of Him. He will STILL be our source of life.

If that is the case in Heaven, I thought, how much moreso now?

Brought to you by IronMen.

31Jan'22
No.14
///// An IronMen Moment /////

(Designed to be passed along to men and young men in your life.)

Ascending.

These are my two sons at about 13,000 feet above sea level, ascending the side of Mt. Shasta in Northern California. This was a father-son climb in 2017. We had trained for a few months prior to this August event. And then climbed it on the anniversary of the mountain's first-recorded ascent.

Mountain climbing is a wonderful comparison for our trek through this life. Particularly the faith-walk with God, the discipleship trek as we follow Christ.

Centuries ago John Bunyan wrote a fiction novel, an allegory, called *Pilgrim's Progress*. The full title was, *The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come* (published in 1678). He described the Christian walk as a long, laborious, discouraging trek to an ultimate destination of great value.

That was 344 years ago, which seems like a long time... but isn't it amazing how the specific challenges of life's journey haven't changed all that much. Today, we still face discouragement during our travels toward His kingdom. We still deal with distracting temptations while we labor to follow. We still learn and re-learn forgiveness along the slow climb to the peak -- and face a dozen other obstacles.

I know that many times, for me, life in Christ has felt like a climb up an insurmountable peak. Just too high for me to draw oxygen. Too high for my fatigued legs to stay with it. Too complex to traverse vast crevasses on its glaciers. Just... too much.

There have been times when completing it successfully seemed out of my league. Beyond my ability. And I've felt discouraged to continue.

Have you ever faced that sort of "climbing" difficulty? Climbers fatigue?

There is a special promise in the New Testament that is SO encouraging. It is just the fuel to get us back on our feet, and lighten our hearts.

It's found in Philippians chapter one. Paul writes,

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (1:6, niv)

It means that God -- who saved you and began the work of sanctification (to make you more mature, set-apart for service, and holy) -- is committed to COMPLETING that original goal. When He sets off to save a person, He does not save them partially, but completely. Our practical, everyday progress of sanctification -- a work of God in us -- is being faithfully worked out until the day we meet Him in Heaven.

Mt. Shasta is 14,162 feet high, a peak that is on-par with Mt. Whitney and Mt. Rainier. It takes many, many hours to reach the peak. In some cases, it takes days. It's a formidable task. Most of the climbers who attempt these mountains do not reach the peak.

This promise of God's completion is like Him telling you, "The life-peak you are climbing: I will ensure that you make it to the top. For the top is our destination. And I don't leave incomplete anything that I begin."

He literally said something like this is the book of Isaiah:

"I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me...
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose'...
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it." (46:9-11, niv)

He is utterly reliable to keep His word and complete what He started. THAT is energizing.

Brought to you by IronMen.

31Jan'22
No.13
///// An IronMen Moment /////

(Designed to be passed along to men and young men in your life.)

Book Recommendation: Tender Warrior

This is possibly the best book on men, masculinity, and fathering that I've read so far. I've read through at least a dozen during the last 20-25 years. 

Why was I driven to read them? Because I was in the midst of being a father during that time -- a period that was simultaneous with society's effort to tear down and destroy masculinity, fathers, fathering/parenting, and boys. 
The trouble now is just this: my sons are raised, living successful lives as adult Christian men, functioning quite well "in their own skin" as males... but the overcast of culture has darkened. It's worse now than it was when I started my trek into fatherhood. The coming generations of fathers and sons may be looking for the same kind of encouragement. Thus, IronMen.


So, if anything, Stu Weber's book is even MORE relevant now than it was when it came out in the '90s. That's why I recommend it to you whole-heartedly. Mr. Weber is a former military professional who led men in combat (Army Special Forces, Green Beret). He is also a father of three sons, and a pastor. As you can imagine, he speaks from a great deal of experience. But it is his pastoring heart that rings out most clearly in his books. 
I've read every one he published, and they're ALL worth your time. I'll include the Table of Contents for Tender Warrior below; there are two chapters (3: Four Pillars of a Man's Heart & 13: Locking Arms) that became their own books later, after this one was published. I may do a book review and recommendation on his Four Pillars of a Man's Heart, at a later time. It is EXCELLENT, too.

Before I give you the write-up from his website, I'll just say that much like the reading I did on Christian homeschooling through the decade earlier (particularly Raymond Moore's book), Tender Warrior provided the needed grounding, rationale, approach, and encouragement I needed to set off in my pursuit of a Godly design for fathering. It was that good.

And why? Because it brought the key pieces of God-designed masculinity together in an ordered way, it grounded it all in Scripture and Biblical principles, and it squarely and fairly addressed the counter-influences coming out of radical feminism, anti-God arguments, postmodernism, relativism, and the like.

The Stu Weber site write-up:

"Young men aspire to it. Women admire it. Yet the definition of manhood itself is obscured by a culture in moral free fall. This book cuts through the fog and defines a powerful blueprint for being the man—theTender Warrior—that God desires for you and your family. You’ll discover that a Tender Warrior:

• watches out for what lies ahead—like a wagon train scout;
• keeps his commitments, no matter how painful;
• has a tender heart beating beneath his armor;
• understands his responsibility to his wife, children, and friends;
• recognizes that he is “under orders from higher headquarters.”

Stu Weber ’s now classic teaching on a man’s vigilance, staying power, and consideration for the women in his life will move you to pursue the man you were created to be."

Some recommendations offered:

“When Stu Weber wrote Tender Warrior, he unintentionally wrote an autobiography. Never have I read a book which has more credibility in terms of the author’s own life. In a day when our culture is at once confused and concerned over gender identity, men everywhere would do well to recalibrate their personal compasses by the Biblical benchmarks found in Tender Warrior. I highly recommend this book!

BRUCE H. WILKINSON, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, WALK THRU THE BIBLE MINISTRIES
÷÷÷

“Tender Warrior is a very meaningful and enlightening book for any man to read who is interested in seeking to become a man in the full sense of the word. Stu Weber certainly has captured the dilemma that many men find themselves in in today’s society, and outlines strategies for becoming more fully human and also more fully Christ–centered in their lives.”

TOM OSBORNE, FORMER HEAD FOOTBALL COACH-UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
÷÷÷

“Tender Warrior is a must read for every man seeking true masculinity, written in a style that is easy to understand and apply. From the viewpoint of a member of the profession of arms, Stu Weber is credible. He has been there and paid his dues. I recommend the book as a manual for a men’s accountability group.”

ROBERT L. VERNON, ASSISTANT CHIEF OF POLICE, LOS ANGELES, (RET.)
÷÷÷

“Just when we need it most, just when the battle for the hearts of men and their families is most intense, in God’s perfect timing, comes Stu Weber’s Tender Warrior. This is a book which both tiptoes into your consciousness and your conscience, and thunders in with powerful impact. It is a book that everyman and all those who love men should read.”

BOB BRINER, PROSERVTELEVISION-PRESIDENT, AUTHOR OF ROARING LAMBS
÷÷÷

The TOC, in case you want more detail:
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.Wake-Up Call:
A Man Faces Himself

2.The Return of Flint McCullugh:
A Man and His Pro-vision

3.The Four Pillars of Manhood:
A Man and His Roots

4. Staying Power:
A Man’s Greatest Strength

5. Beneath the Breastplate:
A Man’s Tender Side

6. Under Orders:
A Man and His Leadership

7. The Rest of the Story:
A Man and His Lady — Part I

8. Does Anyone Here Speak “WOMAN”?:
A Man and His Lady — Part II

9. The Incredible Power of Fathering:
A Man and His Children — Part I

10. Spanning the Generations:
A Man and His Children — Part II

11. Arrows in the Hand of a Warrior:
A Man and His Children — Part III

12. Real Men Stand Together:
A Man and His Friends — Part I

13. Locking Arms:
A Man and His Friends — Part II

14. The Ultimate Tender Warrior:
A Man and His Lord
Afterword

Brought to you by IronMen, where men can strengthen men.

27Jan22
No.12
///// An IronMen Moment /////

(Designed to be passed along to the men and young men in your life.)

Servant Leadership: Watchfulness

See that larger goose in the middle foreground of the photo? His head is turned slightly toward another goose that is just getting out of the water and flapping its wings?

He's the father of this bunch in the frame. He just chased off several non-group members of the goose "herd" (okay, flock) who wandered over too far into his territory. It was proximity to his children that triggered his response, not proximity to him. I've witnessed other geese, and many types of ducks, step near the alpha-male of a group, and he all but ignores them. But when there is encroachment on the family-- well, that's a whole 'another matter. Then he takes action.

It's obviously protection at work. The mother is nearby, no doubt; I've seen the mother do the exact same thing. Geese are among the most attentive and protective of bird species that I've ever seen.

And a wonderful thing is: they're so abundant and accessible around here. The geese are relatively easy to see and study. In our area, a wonderful pond sits at Nimbus & Stratus. Another one at Murray & Teal. Each are regularly visited by ducks and geese.

**Gaining goose-like awareness**

This might sound odd, but as young men growing up, very soon to be adults -- and one day, fathers of your own children -- there is a need to begin training yourself with goose-like awareness. Just as the lead male of that flock is aware, so must you be.

A father goose is easy to spot for these reasons:
1. He is nearly always standing, alert, head up, scanning the area, even when the rest have their beaks and/or heads neatly tucked under their feathers for a nap.
2. Of the two parents, he is usually the largest; that's just a feature of how God designed the animal kingdom. It's not incidental; when it comes to defending the flock, size and weight make a difference.
3. He is usually the first to either stand up, turn toward a possible threat (as in that photo), or signal a honk of warning to the group. It's distinct, if you listen for it.

There are two basic skills that I sought to instill in my children as they grew up. They are different, but related. And they aim to develop that very kind if alertness demonstrated by the world of geese & goslings:
1. Environmental scanning
...and...
2. Situational awareness.

*Environmental scanning* is that constant generalized read of one's immediate environment. For the daddy and mommy geese, it's what you see them doing when they sit among their little "herd" and constantly gaze about them.

Attitude. Some of it is attitude. The attitude is,"I'm awake, I'm watching, I'm reading what is happening around us. And I'm ready to act on what I see, to warn those I love and serve." It's NOT passive, but active. It's NOT compliant, but assertive. It's NOT to be caught flat-footed, as they say, but ready. It also engages itself mentally, constantly evaluating potential threats.

*Situational awareness* is a similar, but a more concise, more focused version of the environmental scan, and it immediately precedes action (when called for).

To take this out of the family context for a moment, *situational awareness,* when used at the organizational level (ie, a business or corporation), is more often called Strategic Planning. And they go together: environmental scanning and strategic planning. This is what a church elder committee would do, for example.

At the individual level, where you train yourself to operate, this micro awareness looks for specific ways to lead your family to safety. It's the problem-solving skills employed in preparation for a *potential need* for a solution.

An example would be studying a restaurant or a movie theater while you are in it, to know where the exits are located...while in a large gathering with hundreds or more in attendance, it's choosing locations to sit where you might lead your family to safety quickly, such as a fire-door, emergency exit, or stairwell. If your convictions allow you the option of self-defense (and I recognize some Christians may embrace extreme passivity in response to an evil intent to harm...even though I'm not among them), then situational awareness is the process of scanning the environment for useful, go-to defensive tools.

Attitude. Like the former principle, there is an attitude that accompanies this approach. It's the idea that "I will be ready to act on behalf of my family to protect them from harm. That includes scanning the immediate surroundings and making mental plans for contingencies, in the event, however unlikely, it will be needed." It is very much the attitude of a warrior, a fighter, a defender of life. This person will rarely be caught flat-footed, because they've trained themselves to remain alert and ready.

Servant leadership. The idea behind these skills is based in servant leadership. Think of that father goose: he serves his flock -- actually, just the little unit of his mate and their goslings. He leads BY serving. Really, it's just a familial version of the Armed Services. That's what national defenders are sworn to do. When those in the Armed Services take an oath, it is to protect the Constitution of the United States and all those governed by it in the nation. So help them God.

Same with the fathers of a family. And mothers, of course. It is leadership through service...for the sake of the protected.

Food for thought...as you consider what kind if man you want to become.

Remember, the path you choose will become like wagon-tracks; after a short while, they wear grooves in the road, and soon they define your entire life. So...choose wisely.

Brought to you by IronMen.

27Jan22
No.11
///// An IronMen Moment /////

(Designed to be passed along to men and young men in your life.)

Physics in me, physics in thee.

Picture this video clip:
The scene opens with laughter in the background in an outdoor, semi-urban scene with a hill of grassy dirt piled high next to a house and garage. The flat-topped garage is next door to this apparently undeveloped, abandoned lot. And on a nearby identical hill sits a helmeted youth on a motocross bicycle.

More excited chatter, some of it nervous laughter. Someone shouts, "Go!"

And the bicycle rider races down one slope, peddling his legs in a blur, climbs up the opposing hill, and launches himself into the air toward the garage rooftop. It feels like the scene is filmed in slow-motion, but it's all live. During the flight across the expanse you hear a gasp of shock, also recorded on the clip, as onlookers begin to figure out the velocity needed for the jump was vastly miscalculated. Several yards short of the edge of the garage, the poor youth descends in slow free-fall, watching the ground come rushing up to meet him.

He lands with a thud. The bike bounces around in wild fits of randomly bent rims and a twisted frame. The biker doesn't move. Laughter turns to screams and the camera abruptly stops.

Maybe you've seen something like this on occasion. The last versions of this I witnessed was from a collection of "Massive Fails" for youth attempting jumps of various kinds. Using bikes. Jet skis. Motorcycles.

A valid worry of parents over the last two decades is that children who spend a significant amount of time using digital gaming media, or watch an abundance of film fiction -- be it fantasy, action-adventure, or realistic live-action drama -- face a particular RISK.

Common risks to media overuse are often listed as:
• The eating-away of hours of ones' life. Given that we sleep a third of it away already, that can be big chunk of available time in one's day.
• Another concern is learning patterns of violence, including desensitizing them to harming others.
• Missing out on God's creation is another concern,
• along with becoming dulled to human social skills, or failing to learn them at all; the intelligence quotient (IQ) may be high, but the accompanying Emotional Quotient (EQ) is not.

Most people are aware of these.

The one I'll focus on here could almost be called the un-learning of physics. Or, another way to put it: lack of learning about the truths of physics.

Much like Biblical illiteracy puts the people of God at-risk in their lives for not knowing the truth about how life works, science illiteracy also puts kids at-risk of knowing how life works in the real world.

The critique from those watching this trend among youth has been that we see increasing numbers of events where a youth will do something and completely ignore what most everyone else takes for granted. Like gravity.

We have to admit that some of the video-recorded accounts may, in fact, be contrived. And even purposefully performed for the laugh-factor. But the law of averages would tell us that some of these are the real-deal. The pervasive complaint by parents seems to add an *edgy seriousness* to these reports. Afterall, parents are the ones paying for the dental work, plaster casts, physical therapy, or youth-sized coffins. Not to mention the emotional price-tag in grief.

The complaint is that these kids perform as if their concept of gravity came from the Power Rangers, or Wiley Coyote. Where *consequences matching reality* are not in-play.

The results of ignoring laws of gravity can be rather severe. In an increasing rate of decent -- at 9.8 meters per second per second -- it is one aspect of physics that people ought to get right! For the sake of their longevity and survival.

These are effects of the earth pulling us back down to itself. As it turns out, there is a parallel to the spiritual world.

We live in a society that is eager to claim that they do not need to be saved. It is part of what is entailed by the descriptor of "pagan," that the US no longer shares a Judeo-Christian worldview, but a pagan one. Having rejected Him, God has "given them over" to their own choices (Romans ch.1).

Many in the world claim that whatever infractions they may have committed against an *alleged* god residing in a *supposed* heaven can be dealt with out-of-hand by their creative accounting: they deny the law-in-place, and proceed as if their version of truth were accurate.

Sadly, like that poor kid who did the face-plant at the other end of the bike launch, re-branding the method of salvation does not change reality. Or, if not re-branding, then perhaps we ignore a law so deeply instilled in us as to be considered "hard-wiring" -- He has "set eternity in their hearts"... (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

It is a pitch-black cul-de-sac.

So, as fathers to our wonderful children, with a mission to protect them: we can ensure they discern the physical laws of God's world.

For the unsaved, we can share the truism that faith is only as good as its object (what it targets for trust). Believing -- and sincerely believing -- that a chair made of paper will hold our weight does not make it true. A simple test will prove it out.

I have met many people whose faith was stronger than mine. It was easy to see that by how they acted. Their sincerity was high. But that's just it, we can be sincere, yet sincerely wrong.

For our young IronMen, then, we make ourselves..."ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15, nas).

24Jan22, No.10
///// An IronMen Moment /////

(Designed to be passed along to men and young men in your life.)

The Swiss Army Knife.

Have you ever owned one of these knives? Or, wished you had? I remember when there weren't many around. Now, you can buy the smallest one in a Target, they're so easy to find.

The small ones will cost you about $15. The medium-sized ones will put you back $67. And their XXL size, with 73 functions, will cost you $412!

Back in 1891 the Swiss government awarded two companies with the construction of a multi-use knife for the army. Paul Boechat & Cie (known as the Wegner company) received half, while Karl Elsener company (later known as Victorinox) was given the other. Both companies produced them faithfully ever since, without interruption. In 2005, Wegner joined Victorinox to become one company. Still producing these wonderful, useful knives.

This past Sunday, a local pastor taught out of just two sentences in Amos 8. It was prophetic, applying (at the very least) to this very time in history. He wasn't talking about Swiss Army knives, but when he got to the text, it specifically described...

... scarcity.

Not scarcity of food. Nor of rain. But of something else even more significant.

÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷ + ÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷
11“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.
12People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.

-- God, in Amos 8, niv
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷ + ÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷

This pastor saw a growing scarcity of God's Word in this nation, even within the church. The rate of Biblical illiteracy has risen to a surprising level -- in the church. American culture is now a pagan one, quickly divorcing itself from any connection to God. This began aggressively back in the 1960s, especially.

And what does this have to do with utility tools and the Victorinox company? Funny you should ask. But first, let me tell you another story.

I grew up in parts of Northern California where we had towns with certain street corners that had a church *on each of the four corners.* Imagine standing on the lawn of one church, and looking across both streets and the intersection, and seeing church buildings there.

It was almost comical -- well, I'll just say it -- it WAS comical. What a testimony to the divisions in the body of Christ. Since then, people have treated it like flavors of ice cream. The advice would be: Go find your favorite "flavor" of Christianity, and park yourself there.

By contrast, in today's era, the data from research agencies like Barna, Lifeways, and Pew Research tell us that for every new church door opening, there are two or more church doors CLOSING. Permanently. That means a great rate of disappearing churches. It makes you wonder what that leads to.

As it turns out, there is a growing *scarcity* of churches. Churches where God's sacred, infallible Word is read, taught, embraced, and exalted.

Those same research agencies tell us that churches teaching Biblical prophecy is increasingly a rarity: some 98% on any given Sunday service will say nothing about the role of fulfilled prophecy... in ANY time in history, much less OUR time (see the documentary Beyond the Wrath, if you get a chance). 

The irony is that even critical secularists who once derided Bible prophecy scholars for actually believing what Scripture says about the times, are NOW asking the question publicly: Could these events we are witnessing indicate the later days?

Churches are becoming scarce. Churches that teach the whole Bible are becoming scarce. Churches willing to teach prophecy are growing scarce. Just like Swiss Army knives were for a time.

In fact, the parallel doesn't stop there. The Bible itself -- an extra-dimensional coding system given to us by an eternal God that contains it's own internal proofs (as Chuck Missler used to describe it) -- is like a huge multi-tool. Good for life's many needs. Able to help you tackle hundreds of situations.

Think of it...
+ Need a compass? --> you can find true North principles to guide you: Psalm 33:4, 119:142.
+ Need a ruler? --> you can find Scripture as a source of fair and just judgments, a tool for measuring things accurately: Psalm 111:7.
+ Need a knife? --> the Word can bring conviction, a kind of cutting action within our consciences: I Thess.1:5, II Timothy 3:16.
+ Need scissors? --> the Word can have a rebuking effect: Rev. 3:19, Titus 1:13.
+ Need a flash light? --> Scripture provides light for our path: Proverbs 6:23.
+ Need a file? --> the Bible is able to shape and train us: II Timothy 3:16, Ephesians 6:4.
+ Need a magnifying glass? --> Scripture provides the ability to see and discern: Hosea 14:9, Proverbs 8:9, 28:11.

Even the term Swiss Army Knife has become so classic, so universally recognized for its utility, that it is also a *figure of speech.* The figure refers to: "extreme utility applicable to more or less any scenario at hand"
(en.m.wikipedia.org).

The Bible is that way, too. The Swiss Army knife has been so since 1891. Scripture has been so since before 1891 BC.

Keep it near. Don't let it become scarce in your life. Even if it becomes scarce throughout the land.

Brought to you by IronMen.