Walking down the street I walk down everyday I was taught a lesson by a man who had nothing. I saw him from a distance huddled up against the local CubeSmart storage building where I had seen him many times before.  Today was different, instead of continuing my normal route, I turned in his direction ensuring our paths would cross. It was a sunny day, one we had not had many of as of late.  As I approached him as he basked in the sunlight, he turned his gaze upon me.  His friendly eyes and big smile drew me in closer. I asked him how we was doing? That is all I said, he began to share with me the way he was enjoying the day and the sun upon his head.  Next to him were his tools in a bucket, a squeegee and some rags.  He made his living under the expressway, on the streets washing windows of those that passed by. He began to tell me a story of this little gecko that had come to visit.  It had snuck up to him along the wall and feasted upon three ants nearby.  He said as the gecko left, it stopped and swallowed its prey.  “At least I know he will eat good today”, he said with a grin. He asked me if I had any work that I needed done.  Unfortunately I didn’t, nor was I prepared for the question.  He said okay, I am going to head out now and earn my […]

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A couple of days from now most men will be scrambling around to get to the local florist and Hallmark store to make their wives day special.  As a married man we dread this day more and more each year as we always feel the pressure to outdo last year’s festivities much less anyone else that our wives may know that might embarrass our feeble attempts at ingenuity. This is not to say that Valentine’s Day is not a special day that we should express our undying love for our wives; then again shouldn’t we as Christian men be doing that every day? We are taught throughout scripture (repeatedly) that we should love our wives, neighbors, enemies and well anyone that may ever cross our path right?  Nowhere does it say “men buy your wife a box of chocolate, ridiculously expensive flowers and a card to express your love to her.” Granted that probably sounded a bit blasphemous to those that don’t know any better and think that they are remiss if jewelry, flowers and chocolate are not bought (preferably before the day of gentlemen) for Valentine’s Day to be special. Valentine’s Day originally started out as a liturgical celebration of one of the early Christian saints, Valentinus(Saint Valentine).   It has also been associated with a Roman festival that involved sacrificing goats and dogs and then flogging women with the skins of the sacrifice.  It was not until the time of Geoffery Chaucer that Valentines was associated with love, cupid and the sort. So gentlemen […]

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As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. – Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron is a common phrase when looked at in the natural sense can be misleading.  Iron as it exists cannot truly sharpen other iron as they are of the same consistency and strength. Before you all stop reading and run me out on a rail let me continue… When iron is of the same density, just like any other substance it will not wear down or sharpen its counterpart.  Therefore, and as is intended in the scripture, there would need to be differing levels of density,strength and texture for iron to sharpen iron. The same is in the case of men, we can sharpen each other in these ways: Mentoring Spiritual guidance Sharing experience Learning from mistakes Being a sounding board Trust confidant All of these and more can be accomplished without diminishing our character or causing one to be superior or inferior to the other.  As men, if we are strong enough to admit our own shortcomings, we provide ourselves with the opportunity to learn and grow with others. The challenges we face today is that many men were raised with the idea of asking for help is just not what we do.  The men that gave us this advice however were of a different generation. This generation was already unknowingly sharpening each others character in the form of things like the military, all boys schools, discipline in the home and at school, church communities, rotary and other men […]

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