Raising Godly Boys Minute

Why does your son need to learn courage?

Does he need to stand up for himself?  Stand up for others?  Stand up for what is right?

In today’s world, he will need to do all of these and more.

English poet and playwright Sameul Johnson said, “Where courage is not, no other virtue can survive except by accident.”

Lead by example.  Give your son godly mentors. Provide opportunities for him to test himself with the rush of a downhill bike course, a hard-fought game of sports, or a whitewater rapid,  and he’ll push his own boundaries to new heights.  Once he gets a taste of courage, he’ll find new horizons awaiting him.  He may surprise you by what he can become.

For more information about raising your son into a godly man, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

It was just three simple words.

Evangelical Louis Palau was fighting terminal lung cancer. During that time, someone asked him, “After you pass away, if you could send a message down from heaven to all believers, what do you think you would say?”

Palau thought for a moment, then responded with three simple words: “Go for it.”

That kind of God-rooted courage is one of the most important traits to instill in our son. When he’s little, this looks like letting him climb and explore in age-appropriate ways. When he’s older, this means stepping back to allow him to attempt things and fail big.

And when our son expresses a dream to us, let us be the first one to echo Palau’s encouraging words– “Go for it.”

For more ideas to raise boys to be godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Have you ever had a mentor or teacher that you wish you had listened to?

In a whitewater course, two seasoned veterans taught  the intricacies of draw strokes, pry strokes, reading a rapid, and the joy of eddy turns.

But five minutes onto the river, one boy panicked, ignored the calls of his mentors, and ended up capsizing his canoe in the middle of a rapid and wrapping it around a large rock, while everyone else eddied up safely on the other side of the river.

Teach your son to listen to the voice of his leaders.  This life can be a swift river with dangerous rocks at every turn.  A good mentor can make all the difference in the world.

For information about raising your son into a godly man, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

David Thomas, a psychologist, was attending an elderly grandpa’s funeral.

David watched as two of the man’s grandsons approached the casket. One boy, who was six years old, cried loudly. Beside him stood another boy– fourteen years old– who was  holding back his tears.

David overheard some adults express concern about the crying six year old. But David was more worried about the silent older boy. While the six year old was clearly processing his emotions, the fourteen year old was bottling up feelings that would have to be dealt with eventually.

When your son goes through a loss or something difficult, be sure to help him process his feelings. Let him know that it’s more than OK for men to display emotions– after all, Jesus cried openly, too.

For more ideas on raising boys to be godly men, go to TrailLife USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

What is Black Friday, really?  What is it about?

Pursuing hard-to-find items only available for a short time is a treasure hunt to many.

How can you use Black Friday to teach your children about faith in Christ?

The bible says few find the path to salvation, and this short life is the only time we have to find it.  In some ways, Black Friday is like the man who found a hidden treasure in a field and sold everything he had to get it.

Give your children every opportunity to know the love of Christ.  Teach them to cling to their faith as the most precious, hard-to-find treasure they’ll ever know by living that faith in your own life for them to see.

For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.