SecondIron's Blog

Sharpening Iron to Live Second

Becoming more than just another tool in the tool shed

  Picture yourself entering into you’re a large tool shed in the backyard gentlemen, you step inside and the smell of rust and sweat wafers out into the sunlight. You take a moment as your eyes adjust to the darkness within and you reach for the lone light bulb dangling from a rope in the middle of the shed. As the aged bulb flutters on and off as the filament heats up, your eyes adjust to the dimly lit shed. Within this old shed there are tools, tools on the walls hanging from pegs, tools leaning in all directions against the walls where they were left in a hurry. There are still more tools that have fallen off the aged hooks that lie on the floor in disarray. You search for the right tool that you need for the pressing job that is still on you honey-do-list. In the dim light, even as the bulb flickers above it is still difficult to see every part of the shed. You are forced to trust your instincts and remember back to the last time you used that tool where you may have put it as you fumble around in the darkness, tripping over the scattered tools on the floor. Finally you find the tool for the job, you breathe a sigh of relief and frustration at the mess you have left the old shed. You think to yourself that you really need to clean this mess up, but again it is left for another day. Imagine if […]

So a Friend Sharpens

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 […]

Why SecondIron – what is in the name

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17 KJV As a man, a christian, a husband, a follower of one God, I have devoted my life to sharing the love of my lord, the humbleness of the cross and helping others any way that I can. SecondIron is based on the Iron concept that as Godly men, we cannot do it alone and we need other men (or iron) to sharpen us on our path as warriors for our families, communities and society. The Second is a blending of living second to Christ, the full acknowledgement that if we put God first in our lives everything from our family, friends, career, school, and everything around us will fall into place. I, like many of you come from a broken past and have a hopeful future. Instead of dreading each day as a burden that chains me, I treat each day a blessing that molds me. I am an avid reader and seeker of mentors and mentee. I live my life by sharing wisdom born from experience, both of my own and that of those that have come before me. It is my hope that through future musings, book reviews, music analysis, opinions and ultimately being open and honest with each other we will take many travels through our journey in becoming better followers. Becoming bigger inspirers and humble givers in our communities that begins the ripple in the fabric of humanity and leaves our world just a little better […]