Danny's Men's Studies

From SurvivalBlog, I found a link to Biblical Self-Defense link.  It has a lot of good verses but fails to cover some key verses like turn the other cheek (cf Matt 5:39 or Luke 6:29).

Not that the explanations are bad, mind you.  But far from complete....

Copyright 2009, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: self-defense

I couldn't help read "NFL teams tackle recession" and remember my college football experience.  Here's a good quote:

"I swore to myself if I ever got Redskins season tickets, I'd do everything in my power to keep them," Gonter said.

And I can relate to that feeling (if money wasn't an issue: I'd rather buy many other things for the same amount, so don't expect me to be at a football game). 

Anyway, sad to see that modern church has no such drawing power: season ticket holder of a church seat?  Won't that be something? 

Copyright 2009, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: church, football

The movie is about William Wilberforce who was practically a one man abolition movement (at least in the British Parliment). He slowly gains supporters and figures out a way to destroy the slave trade (by allowing pirates to attack slave ships).

In spite of his wealth and power, he choose to take up the cause of the enslaved and lived by example of doing God's work as a politician. And it didn't take a revolution (aka France) nor civil war (War of Southern Oppression) to set the slaves free. A powerful movie on how one man, with vision and supporters, can make a difference.

Copyright 2009, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Movie spoiler alert: if you haven't watched it, don't read this post if you want to retain the surprise ending. The movie is R rated for four letter words and some blood/violence. And smoking, of cource.

What they called "manly" in the movie was a bit funny but forgetable enough.

The hero, Walt Kowalski, shows what real men do: take care of the bad guys, protect the innocents and leave a positive legacy. In this story Walt dies heroically, but with an asterisk since he knew he was terminally ill. We all die but one's willingness to die for other(s) shouldn't be conditioned by how soon we are expected to die.

Copyright 2009, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: manhood, movie

Here's a great idea from VD's Gutenberg's revenge (I don't follow him every day these days but I did note a comment that pointed to this post so I googled and found):

Let us postulate that religion is merely an evolutionary spandrel and religious faith is merely a crutch for the intellectually weak, crippled, and cowardly.

Now, what is the normal human being's opinion of the sort of individual who would purposefully kick out the crutch from a cripple who is leaning upon it? Indeed, what is your opinion of such an individual?

Insightful comeback on classic criticism of Christianity.

BTW, Christ is risen! Happy Easter, y'all.

Copyright 2009, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: Easter, religion

This weekend, I was busy being a carpenter replacing a lot things in the kitchen (see the last item on the "done" list). This morning I woke up with sore muscles all over my body. I also got various scratches on my hands and even on my head (my son noticed it first but I got a scratch from bumping into a shelf in the kitchen which was sharp enough to make me bleed).

And to think that I was using all kinds of power tools (drill, jigsaw, sander) today, compared with it was like being a carpenter 2000 years ago...

Copyright 2008, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: Becoming Christ-Like

NY Times has "Bad Times Draw Bigger Crowds to Churches." Not surprising since even in Old Testament, Israelites returned to God from idolatry when times turn tough.

The problem is how to turn the first time (or temp) attendees into permanent disciple of Christ?

Copyright 2008, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved

Labels: GD2

Here's a turn of events with the downturn of economy: "Workers find solace from Mammon in church." People seek spiritual answers in the times of trouble -- see various examples in the Old Testament....

Maybe there is hope for the Modern Church after all?

Copyright 2008, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: GD2, Great Depression

It seems that at least one pastor seems to understand my concern of today's church of dividing up worship by style rather than establishing a long term, multi-generational relationship:

Part 1 (MP4 Quicktime)
Part 2

Lots of good ideas on reaching to the "younger" (less than 30) generation. A long term mentoring type of relation with several men are necessary. Something I've been looking for is a father-son Sunday school where fathers can mentor their sons and their friends.

Copyright 2008, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: multi-generational church, sunday school for men

Someone left the following link:


And links to rebuttals here and here.

I sympathize with concern over what seems like too much focus on manhood in these men's movements. And frankly, I'm not sure how to reconcile the sissy-ness of modern church vs the need to restore manhood in church back to the Biblical basis without alienating women.

I'll blog more as I think about it...

Copyright 2008, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: men-focused church, sissy church

I read "NFL Pulls Plug On Big-Screen Church Parties For Super Bowl" and got a chuckle out. As I wrote before about my football experience, it was very vivid one and I still remember very well. To think that the churches today, at best, can only bring in the TV into church rather than doing one up (i.e., something better) is a sad testament to how much Christ's message has lost its power to heal, save and turn the world up side down (something much more powerful than mere football game).

I watched a blip about Hannah Montana concerts and didn't think much about it until now: to think that Jesus had even more powerful draw than rock stars when he preached the truth (OK He did some healing and miraculous feeding so that might get people's attention, more than the boring sermons that we're used to at most churches). I'm not saying that better entertainment is needed but some fireworks (like Jesus kicking out the money changers from the temple or verbal sparing with the religious experts of the day) might help!

Copyright 2008, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: football, sissy church

I brought up fun and Jesus but that's not what a man (or young man) needs. Fun is only a symptom of the real deal: a goal with clear purpose (long term strategic objective) and interim milestones (tactical objectives). Fun happens as objectives are met and people (participants and observers) can see that the goal is few steps closer. As long as the leaders are fired up and passionate about this goal and the more immediate milestones then younger men will follow, I believe. Just as young men sign up for the military or various team sports (professional sports and local/community teams for those who don't make the cut), goal oriented Christian movement should draw men to a cause. And just like the network-effect, the more join, the bigger the movement can be -- which is what Jesus did after all!

Unfortunately, churches today are too feminized and too relationship or program oriented, rather than goal oriented. And I don't mean goals of number of people "saved" or baptized or memberized or how much money are collected. Goal oriented like the Fellowship of the Ring (Lord of the Rings).

The real goal is heaven but then it needs to be something catchy and clear: War on Sin (WOS)? War on Evil (WoE)? Unlike "War on Poverty" or "War on Terror" or "War on Drugs" (the never ending wars) there is a clear ending for WoE: the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

The question is how to do the day-to-day tactical stuff: if I had the answer, I'd be doing it and lauding my successes!

With that said, it's good to see my former church talking about this very issue at their leadership meeting (listen to the audio [39MB] or video [196MB] at about 47 minutes into it as well as around 1hr and 5 minutes) in Nov 2007. The problem for mega-churches which tailor their worship experience for various age group (junior high, senior high, college, etc.) is how to transition the graduates to a new church near the college they attend or the new job they start their career. If they find something "tailored" then they stick around but if they don't find one, then they fade away, which seems to the majority of these in the 20's (listen to the talk @ 1hr 5 min). And I was disappointed to hear the pastor suggest that youths should be transitioned to the "normal" adult worship and have them suck up to the "boring worship" like it's another math or history or grammar class (something you might not enjoy but you have to take to graduate). (Here's the money quote: 1:06:25 [hypothetical father talking to his son who claims adult worship is boring] "You know what son, it's kind of boring to me sometimes too. But I need it. Um, math class, yawn, never thought twice about asking me if you can skip math son because that's something you need to get into your head. And you know what, they're aspects in life that is not always entertaining but they are healthy, they're important, and they're good".)

And it doesn't help that at 54 minutes, he talks about 2008 being a year of relationships! Ugh.

Copyright 2008, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: men-focused church, passion, vision

"Paul says funding windfall gives campaign hope" has a great quote from Ron Paul:

``If you're working that hard and investing your time and your money, you better have some fun,'' Paul said. ``This gets too boring if it gets too serious.''

I think that's great: a politician who can not only speak the truth plainly but also encourages fun!

I guess it's similar to J2M: it was engaging because it was fun for the fathers and our sons. It won't have lasted through weeks of effort if it wasn't fun.

I have to wonder: did Jesus have fun while ministering in Israel? I think He did. And I would think that His disciples were into for some of the fun (although they were all hoping for a seat in the cabinet of His Kingdom, initially).

It's interesting to see Jesus Christ's message being lived out by Ron Paul: trust others to do their job, give them freedom to do as they are led, and try to have fun! And how different churches are today: always top down hierarchy, with constant need for "consensus."

And it comes back to: how to have something similar in my life and in my worship of God at home? It seems I have made it into a boring thing that's OK with my eldest son but not so with my youngest.

Truth doesn't have to equate to "boring." And the challenge for me is, how to present God's truth in a way engaging to my sons as well as the people "out there" (non-Christians). Hmm.... What would Jesus do? ...hmm....

Copyright 2007, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: fun worship, J2M, Ron Paul

I was watching Nightline interview with Stephen King and he was raised fatherless since 2 years old. The money quote, for me, was:

Q: Religious characters don't fare very well in your book I've noticed
SK: I don't have anyhting against chures per se. I'm not a vampire type -- ahhh [acting scared] -- like that when somebody shows me the cross or something but, organized religion gives me the creeps.

The online web page is even more disturbing:

"I'm a spiritual man. I certainly believe in God, and I meditate on a regular basis, and try to stay in touch with the God of my understanding. But I haven't been through the doors of the church, I don't think, since my mother-in-law died. And I certainly don't have anything against churches, per se. I'm not a vampire type, when somebody shows me the cross or something like that. But organized religion gives me the creeps."

Sad.

Copyright 2007, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: absent father, churchy

Here's a cool article on Ron Paul in NYTimes (of all places) "The Web Takes Ron Paul for a Ride". It is about how by decentralizing the campaign, people on their own took individual responsibility and created a movement on the web, all without micromanagement by Ron Paul campaign.

And it hit me as to being very similar to my experience with J2M. We (the dads who prepared and ran the rite of passage for our sons) were given general guidance with example by other dads. And then we had to run it ourselves. And I had a blast, overall, because it opened my eyes to the freedom and possibilities of being personally responsible: we were able to customize our rites to match our sons, and it was flexible to meet the needs of the families involved, not some formula we had to follow step by step.

By decentralizing and allowing individual freedom and corresponding responsibility, great things can be accomplished, as Ron Paul campaign is showing. On a smaller scale, the same could be said about home life, Sunday School lesson, homeschooling program, or entrepreneurial endeavors!

Copyright 2007, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: J2M, manhood, Ron Paul

I have always wanted to start a business, but was looking for something to make money while I can set an example for my sons and something I have skills in already. I have been toying with the idea of a business relating to software itself or software development tools but nothing has really struck me as worth pursuing.

Anyway, I enjoy watching and reading about entrepreneurs but I was just watching a Japanese program on "Park Corp" founded by Hideaki Inoue. (The link is a Japan Times English article I found via google.)

Anyway, as I watched the show ("Business Compass"), I noticed that he had many female employees and even though his business of selling flowers were to both men and women, it seemed that his business was to lower flower price to allow more power to women. That popped into my thoughts since in Japan, housewives hold the purse strings (even if the husband is the sole bread winner). With all that, it seems that such business not only hire women (to empower their spending power) but also lower costs and ability to consume (more/better) for women.

What I want to start is somehow empower men to become the leader he is called to be. What can that be, I have no clue....

Jesus empowered men by picking only 12 male apostles. And told them to continue make other disciples (which I take it mean other men). And why the Epistles insists on male leaders and women to be silent in the churches.

Copyright 2007, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: empowering men, entrepreneur

My sons and I went quail hunting this past weekend. My younger son shot at several quail and 2 rabbits but it seems that he missed them all. I missed one quail and shot one down -- but we couldn't find the later. Ugh. (Older son didn't shoot at all.)

Next time, we'll make sure to start first thing in the morning: we started around 7:30AM and it was really hot by 9AM. We walked around around carrying our shotguns, with long pants (yours truly started with shorts and got scratched up badly enough to create some red lines across the legs) so with the sun shinning down, it got hot quick. I also need to make sure I carry enough water in my camel back since I drained it long before I was ready to finish (around 9AM although we didn't get to our car until about 9:40AM).

Next weekend the goal is to try deer hunting: only 2 weekends left to take advantage of the deer tag we won (via lottery).

For worship, we did home church Sunday night. We discussed the meaning of worship and I thought it went rather well. Need to think and plan better to have worship. My wife wanted me to make things more fun and interesting but then I'm not that eloquent. Sigh.

Copyright 2007, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: hunting

My sons and I went on a hunting trip this past weekend. I mean, we've taken few other trips, including the weekend before (when the deer season started), but this weekend was the first time we walked around with our guns (loaded). I carried my 9mm pistols (one in my pocket and one in holster) and a 12 gauge shotgun. My eldest son carried a 20 gauge shotgun while I brought the wrong barrel for my younger son so he roamed around freely.

Some gears we got for deer hunting over the past few weeks: 3 orange caps, 3 orange vests, 3 Garmin Rino 110 GPS + Walkie Talkie (my oldest son already cracked the screen), rope, game bag, gutting knife, and book on deer hunting. The Rino 110 is a very cool toy: we use it mainly to talk to each other but we can also send each other locations via GPS information so the display will show who's where. I've read online that some people weren't happy with the color models so I've decided to get the cheapest one and see how it goes -- 3 GPS/radio unit adds up quickly in costs and if all three were a dud, I would have felt bad. For the money, it's worked out well.

As for the hunt itself, we didn't see one single deer. Unfortunately, the fires in San Bernardino National Forest the past few days have locked us out of hunting area we plan to visit again (we were there 2 weekends straight and the original plan was to continue for the next 2 weekends).

For this weekend, I'm thinking of going quail hunting at completely different location, since the season just started and lasts until Jan'08. Since deer for adults are Oct 13-Nov 11 and for youth Nov 17-25, I was thinking December for quail hunting but looks like we'll get
the chance sooner (or if we "whack" a deer earlier, then we'll have free weekends, as well).

Like fishing, it takes finding a good location and then waiting a lot. We found deer foot prints but I guess they didn't travel often enough in the areas we were at, to see them (let alone a chance to shoot).

We attended a local church Sunday night to worship as a family. Not what I expected (more like a bible study) but it wasn't off the wall, either.
Copyright 2007, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: hunting

I've been busy with new job, finding new church, starting up new school year, vacationing (finished J2M in Austin and had in-laws here in SoCal for 2 weeks) and getting ready for hunting season.

I was hoping to see something started among men of home educating fathers but it seems that they aren't interested (or the one person I talked to didn't carry through).

I've been attending a men's Bible study but it's too typical and not all that manly. Sigh. "Where are the men?" indeed....

Not much thoughts for a while: I'm now interested in manly Christian music. I thought having Psalm 84 set into music based on Taiko (Japanese drum) beat with upbeat melody would be neat but I don't have the time to do much with it. At the Bible study, we sang the slurpy version "Better is One Day" and it got me to lookup Ps 84 and I found that the words themselves are rather manly: if the music matched, then it could work out. Unfortunately, I'm not into creating music (a good software tool might help, like Apple's GarageBand).....

Copyright 2007, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: manhood, manly godliness, manly music

I saw a blurb on Church for Men on NBC, and I like the idea of a clock running down just like in basketball game (in fact the church was held in a basket ball gym).

I was, however, disappointed to hear that their goal is to put those men into regular church. Argh!

That's not what I would look for in a church. It's got to be men-based because without it, women will butt in and have their insidious inputs. No wonder New Testament says the women need to keep silent: 1 Timothy 2:11-14 and 1 Corinthians 14:33-35, for starers....

Copyright 2007, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.

Labels: church, men-focused church