For years, sociologist Michael Kimmel has asked interviewees two questions: What is a good man? And what is a real man? Answers have been consistent. A good man is virtuous. A group of West Point cadets cited moral characteristics, such … Continue reading The Toxic War on Masculinity | Book Review
This Sunday is Father’s Day. Compared to Mother’s Day, Father’s Day is a mediocre holiday, if it is celebrated at all. Americans feel more ambivalently about their dads than their moms, perhaps because their dads are abusive or absent from … Continue reading The Righteous Dad | Influence Magazine
Christians believe that marriage is God’s idea and that divorce is a usually bad idea. And yet, Christians — including Christian leaders — get divorced too. The question that needs to be answered is what married couples can do to … Continue reading Advice for Couples Considering Divorce | Influence Podcast
“While God can (and does) interact with individuals in a vacuum,” writes Don Everts, “he often uses the household as a reliable laboratory for discipleship.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to Everts about three characteristics of … Continue reading Messy Prayers, Loud Tables, and Open Doors | Influence Podcast
The dictionary definition of honor is “to regard or treat (someone) with admiration and respect.” In I Choose Honor, Rich Wilkerson starts with this definition but goes on to show that the biblical conception of honor is more far-reaching. He also shows that honor is a pervasive biblical theme: “The stories of honor contained in the Word of God start from the verses in Genesis and continue to the last words in Revelation.” Along the way, he demonstrates how to honor family members, God’s creation, the poor and outcast, and God himself (through worship.” He then discusses how to create circles … Continue reading I Choose Honor | Book Review
Kara Powell and Steven Argue begin Growing With by pinpointing the dilemma our kids face in the crucial season between 13 and 29 years of age: “On the one hand, our kids’ sophistication has accelerated and it seems like they are getting older earlier; but on the other hand, they feel less mature as the typical markers of adulthood are now delayed.” In other words, the transition to adulthood begins earlier and lasts longer in this generation than in previous generations. How we parent our children changes as they age. Powell and Argue define “Growing With parenting” as “a mutual journey … Continue reading Growing With | Book Review
Some books offer advice about marriage, others about prayer. Praying Circles Around Your Marriage offers advice about both, under the assumption that couples who pray together stay together.“The richness of your marriage will be determined by how frequently and how fervently God is invited into your relationship,” write Joel and Nina Schmidgall. “Prayer will draw you into unity with God and, as a result, with one another.” The concept of “praying circles around _____” comes from Mark Batterson’s excellent book, The Circle Maker. The Schmidgalls are in-laws of Batterson and work with him at National Community Church in Washington, D.C., Joel … Continue reading Praying Circles Around Your Marriage | Book Review
After a years-long journey from foster care to adoption, my wife, son and I welcomed our two girls into their forever family on Friday, December 9, 2016. Family and friends crowded into the courtroom to witness the formal adoption ceremony. Afterward, we trooped over to our house for cake and presents for our daughters. Their adoption was a joyous event, well worth celebrating. And yet, as is always the case with adoption, a tragedy lurked in the shadows. You cannot build an adoptive family unless a tragedy, neglect or abuse has broken the biological family first. And though our girls … Continue reading The Storm-Tossed Family | Book Review
The first computer I ever owned was an Apple Macintosh Classic II. Released in October 1991, my Mac Classic boasted a 16 megahertz CPU, 2 megabytes of RAM and 40 megabytes of memory — 80 if you splurged. It weighed … Continue reading Review of ‘The Tech-Wise Family’ by Andy Crouch
Today, over at InfluenceMagazine.com: Chris Railey offers three helpful insights about the importance of delegation. We interview Brian Schmidgall about how MiddleTree Church is building bridges between racial and socioeconomic divides in North St. Louis, Missouri. I review Andy Crouch’s new book, The Tech-Wise … Continue reading Friday’s InfluenceMagazine.com Articles
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