Manvotionals: Book Review

WHAT MAKES A MAN A MAN?

Today's culture makes it difficult to define what true manliness looks like anymore. Commercials on the television are putting out ads with well dressed men, tall and handsome to promote a cologne titled "Man Up". Is this really what "manning up" is all about? The smell? Is the man who spends hours at the office and never sees his family the definition of real manhood? The position? Is the man who constantly works out hard in the gym, but won't stand to love his wife the definition of manhood? The exterior?

SO WHAT MAKES A MAN A MAN?

According to Brett and Kate McKay, the authors of Manvotionals and founders of the popular men's book and website The Art of Manliness, manliness lies in the 7 Manly Virtues. They are:

MANLINESS - COURAGE - INDUSTRY - RESOLUTION 

SELF RELIANCE - DISCIPLINE - HONOR

I enjoyed reading this book over the last few months. It is very different from the other books I have read in the past, but in a good way. Reviving the lost art of true manliness means going back to the era or time frame when manliness was at it's peak, the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The book is packed with various book quotes, speeches, poems and stories from all different makes of men. Some included are Theodore Roosevelt, General Douglas MacArthur, Henry Van Dyke, Winston Churchill and many more.

With such variety of resources in the book , it was hard at times to focus on certain stories or quotes. Whether it be the time frame or accent of the written language, it would get hard to understand what was even being discussed. Although this was only a few times, I would simply skip over the read and get into the next article. Overall, the articles and categories were very well selected. Some of the chapters or articles spoke to me much louder than others and I would think the same would happen to you on your journey through the book. The chapter or virtue I enjoyed reading about the most was "Resolution". 

Ultimately, manliness lies in the interior, the core, the character of a man. The timeless lessons taught and told in this book have helped me better understand what I'm doing right or what I need to change in my life moving forward. Even if some of the information is over 100 years old. They got it right, and I want to do the same. Unless you have the time to find and go through actual old books, there is no where else you'll find this kind of information all in one place.

So are your ready to find out what makes a man a man?

Learn the art. Change your life. And become a man!

Click here to get the book today and start reading!

Have you already read this book? If so, share your thoughts in the comments below.

TOP TEN Posts of 2012

Before going too far, I want to just say "Thank You"! This was the first full year for the Manturity Blog and God blessed it with great success. I want to thank all of the faithful followers, the new followers, the comments, the contributions and the occasional criticism. All of those things make the blog better and stronger. I have some great ideas for 2013, and always look forward to what God has planned. Until then, here is the rundown of the TOP TEN POSTS of 2012. This is based on overall views. Check one out if you missed it! Thank you!

1) A Husband's Role

This was the first post of five posts in the "A HUSBAND" series. 

A deeper version of this post is planned for 2013.

2) Why the Train Tracks?

This is post about how my personal walk with Christ really began. 

It's all about putting yourself on the tracks...

3) The Spiritual Leader!

This post is about the role of a husband in the marriage.

It was written about my experience and should be a challenge to every man.

4) MM: The Type of Man

This was the first post in the Maintenance Man Series earlier this year.

A man must be Willing, Open and learn Dependency...

5) A Husband's Struggle

This post is about how the enemy is always on the attack.

A husband must be aware of this and fight back!

6) A Husband's Responsibility

You are not a child, so don't think like one anymore. Be a man!

You are to Love, Protect and Serve.

7) A Man of Grace

This was a guest post by my good friend Ryan E.

Through a tough line of events, God shows him true Grace. Check out the Series!

8) An Honest Struggle

This was, again, a guest post by Ryan E.

This post asked hard questions and more about this years Presidential election. 

9) MAN UP! Book Review

I had the pleasure of meeting author Jody Burkeen this year from Man Up God's Way.

Check out my review of his great book!

10) A Man of Hope

This was a guest post by a good friend Matt C.

Through many struggles, God shows him that real hope can only come from the Father.

__________________________________________

What was your favorite post of 2012?

What would you like to see more of in 2013?

'The Way of the Wild Heart' Book Review

God is a God of process. One of the best examples of His process is how a boy becomes a man. Author, John Eldredge explores this idea in the fantastic book titled 'The Way of the Wild Heart '. This book is a follow up to the best seller titled 'Wild at Heart '. John breaks down the masculine journey into six stages; boy, cowboy, warrior, lover, king and sage. Each step has is a new and crucial part to the development of a man. One of my favorite quotes comes from early in the book that says this, 'If you want a man, you must begin with the boy'. This statement is so simple, but so very true. The culture today seems to have a bunch of boys in men's bodies. Boys growing up without fathers, fathers that existed only in the physical aspect, and an overall culture that puts men in a lower position than they should be.

Let's take a closer look a the journey. A boy is full of energy and ready to explore. It is a time of true affirmation. It is also a time that he looks to his father and wonders if 'He has what it takes'. From there the boy becomes a cowboy. He has learned a thing or two about life now and takes his game to the next level. He learns to throw a curve ball, drive a car and catch the eye of a young woman. From there he takes on the stage of the warrior. This is when a man finally starts to see his purpose. He may get his college degree, join the military or find the woman of his dreams. He faces the battles of real life, learns discipline and some of the hardships and glories of life. In this time period he also finds the stage of the Lover. This is a time when the warrior is still fully alive, but under more control. He may put a ring on that beautiful woman's finger, he may find a good cause to support or he may take up reading or teaching. These two stages set up the man for one of the most important stages. This is the stage of the King. The time of being a King will be one of the most difficult and most gratifying stages of them all. This is the time of raising a family, coaching a sports team, being on the board at Church and being strong and humble during the process. The King will be tested and challenged thoroughly. And at the end of the stages we get to the Sage. This is not the time to give up on life, but rather a time to minister to the warriors, lovers and especially the Kings. To offer guidance, offer encouragement and remind them of his own path in life. To lead by experience.

This is a very short glimpse of the stages and what they look like. The book goes into great detail and would be a great read for any man or woman. I would highly recommend! You can also check out 'The Way of the Wild Heart' manual that goes along with the book!

What are some ways you have experienced the Masculine Journey?

'Love and War' Book Review

My wife and I have had the pleasure of reading and teaching from a wonderful marriage book titled 'Love and War'. The authors of the book are John and Stasi Eldredge. John is well known for his popular book titled 'Wild at Heart' and for his new book 'Beautiful Outlaw'.

'Love and War' is a very real and down to earth marriage book. The Eldredge's have been married for a long time and have had some hard times over the years. But through it all, they have come away with some great insight for all other marriages. They speak from experience and from the heart in this book.

Right away the book gets into the idea of Desire. In order to have a great marriage or re-gain control of our marriages, we have to have desire, desire to want the best for each other, a desire to always love each other and know that this marriage is for the long haul. The next chapters get into what they like to call the 'perfect storms', this more or less talks about opposites and how they attract. The opposite part in our spouse is a way that God uses the differences in your partner to make your marriage stronger and make you a better person. One of my favorite chapters is titled 'Sharing an Adventure'. It is so important for couples to not just be married partners, but friends. Get out once and awhile, go crazy and take some dancing classes (I think this is coming up on the schedule for us). Schedule a great vacation and be intentional about it. Take a walk once a week together and enjoy the wonderful nature that God has created. This is essential. The Eldredge's bring a very real portrait into the book when they talk about our marriage having an enemy, and it is not our spouse, seriously. Marriage is one of the unions that the Enemy is out to destroy. We see it all over our culture today and it seems to only be getting worse. If we can hear and talk to God, than we have to take the other monologue into play. The enemy will step in at the most opportune times and say definitives like "She is never going to change" or "He will always be like that". Definitives or agreements are marriage killers and we have to protect ourselves and our marriage from those type of words and thoughts.

On top of just having some great material in the book to read about, the Eldredge's have made a few items that go along with the book for small groups at Church or Home. My wife and I have actually facilitated a few group classes on the 'Love and War' material and have had a great response. Here are some easy links to some of the great tools that go along with this powerful book.

- 8 week DVD series  Watch a video each week in your group.

- Love and War Participant's Guide  Use this to stir some great conversation!

- Love and War Devotional for couples  This takes five minutes! It's a great tool for your marriage.

Overall, this is a fantastic book. I would highly recommend reading this book with your spouse. Take the initiative also to see if your Church has the 'Love and War' small group or facilitate a class by yourself or with your spouse!

 

Have you read? I would love to hear your thoughts! 

'Courageous' Movie Review

Action packed, funny moments, awkward moments, tears of joy and sadness. No, I'm not talking about the new "Steel" movie, I'm talking about the latest movie from Sherwood Pictures, Courageous!

I had the pleasure of watching a pre-screening of this movie with a local Men's Group called 'Noble Warriors'. This group is a powerful men's resource for our area that prepares and engages men in our community. There was a great variety of men in the theater differing in age and race. We were all there for the same reason. And the reason is this 'We want to be courageous men!' The movie starts out with an intense scene and gets your blood pumping right from the get go. As a matter of fact, check out the video below. This is the opening scene!

Intense right! As the movie continues, you get a glimpse into the lives of four men, Policemen, and their families. Each man is at a different stage in his life and struggling to fight his own battles. An incident occurs about half way through the film that will make the lead character, Adam Mitchell, make some drastic changes in his life. After reviewing and studying the scriptures on how to be a better father, he develops an idea called 'The Resolution '. The Resolution is a like a contract, it states very specific guidelines on how a man is going to live the rest of his life. Each man in the movie signs The Resolution and they hold each other accountable thereafter. Here is an example of one of them.

'I do solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.'

Overall this is a powerful movie. And just like the book 'The Resolution for Men' , it is not for the faint of heart or the weak. It is meant to wake men up and challenge them in every area of their life! Click the image below to get it today!

Are you a man of Courage? 

Are you ready to take on The Resolution?

It will take courage, but it will be worth it! 

Discover Desire

Continuing in the theme of Desire, from the book by John Elderidge. In the first discussion of our desires, we talked about 'False Desires'. This discussion is about taking desire to a new height, and discovering it on a deeper level.

Desire, at first, seems like a complicated idea. It is not a word commonly used anymore, and not really understood. But, we can only hope for what we desire. I know we all use the word hope. So how do we find out the deeper meaning of desire? How can we discover desire?

 I like to refer to one of my favorite verses, which is 'Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart' (Psalm 37:4). The first part of this verse can help us understand how we can discover desire. We must delight ourselves in the Lord or find pleasure in our time with the Lord. How do we find pleasure in the Lord? Well, I'll ask another question: How do we find pleasure in hiking, reading, sports or just things we enjoy? We try it; we open ourselves up and give one of these things a try. Once we try it, and like it, we can say we took pleasure in it. Because we have taken pleasure in it, we hope or desire to do it again. When we take a vacation, we are typically longing for that time to get away. We desire to be on vacation.

So now that we have discovered the meaning of desire in our everyday life, how do we translate that into our walk with God? Let's start first with Church. As men, we need to be the spiritual leader of our household. The decision to go to Church should start with you. If you have the desire to seek God, your family will follow in your direction. They will be led, just as you are being led by God. Be open to listening to the message at Church. Hear what the Pastor is saying, and really listen closely. Try to desire, long, and  know more about our Father. Become friends with the people of the Church. These people should also have a desire to delight in the Lord, which will help you maintain your desire. The more people you can wrap around you with a desire for God, the better chance you have at maintaining your desire.

How have you discovered desire in your life?