The Week In Review
June 20, 2026
One Good Thing This Week
As a dad, I get to give my kids certain rites of passage. This week, my boys and I crossed one off the list: The Sandlot.
Smalls. The Jet. Squints. Ham. And, of course, Wendy Peffercorn.
I’m not sure there’s a better movie for understanding the mind of a boy. Every scene is packed with the ingredients of young masculinity: insecurity, courage, friendship, imagination, competition, stupidity, loyalty, and just enough confidence to get yourself into trouble.
The embodiment of this, of course, is Squints. Convinced that Wendy [the lifeguard] is destined to fall in love with him, he hatches the greatest plan in the history of the Valley Vista Park Community Pool: risk drowning for a chance to kiss her.
There is a longing in Squints that every boy has, a longing to prove he matters, to do something worthy of a story. Boys often express this longing in clumsy ways. But underneath the naive swagger is the question: "Do I have what it takes?"
This, by the way, is why dads matter.
Dad is instrumental in helping his son(s) answer that question. He calls out strength in his son. He provides direction for his energy. He teaches him when to stand up, when to stand down, when to laugh, when to apologize, and when to jump off the diving board.
Some rites of passage don’t happen in the wilderness. Some happen on a couch, with a baseball movie, and a dad who knows that growing boys need stories almost as much as they need instruction.
Like Michael Squints Palledorous, I hope we all learn to walk a little taller...
It was a good week.
Something Beautiful This Week
There are moments, and then there are perfect moments. This week, we saw a perfect moment.
After Jalen Brunson won the NBA championship, the cameras caught up with him and his dad. In a sea of noise, Jalen made a beeline for the man who had been there long before the interviews, endorsements, and sold-out arenas. The man who drove him to practices. Corrected his footwork. Believed in him when nobody knew his name. The man who invested thousands of unseen hours so that one day a moment like this might be possible.
The embrace lasted only a few seconds, but it said more than a thousand postgame speeches ever could.
Scripture tells us, "Children are a heritage from the Lord" [Psalm 127:3]. And make no mistake, fathers are primary in building this heritage. Every conversation. Every sacrifice. Every ride home after a game. Every hard truth spoken in love. Every time we show up.
Championships are rare, but every father is building something far more enduring than a banner hanging from a rafter. Maybe that’s why the moment hit so hard. For one brief instant, all the trophies, money, and fame faded into the background, and we were reminded of something deeper: a grown man still wanted to celebrate with and be celebrated by his dad.
And if you’re a dad, that’s the win. Not that your son becomes famous, wealthy, or successful. But that years from now, when life hands him one of its greatest moments, his first instinct will be to look for you in the crowd.
Bonus: Train 'em up!
Know someone who needs a lil' good trouble? Sharing is caring…
Something Worth Imitating/Remembering
This hits… Philosopher and author Richard David Precht offers the secret to a fulfilling life:
"Learning and enjoyment are the secret to a fulfilled life. Learning without enjoyment wears you down. Enjoyment without learning dulls you."
Sit in that for a while.
My 3 Favorite [Father] Quotes of the Week
"Dads are most ordinary men turned into heroes, adventurers, storytellers and singers of song." — Pam Brown
"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me." — Jim Valvano
And my all-time fav…
"'Why do men like me want sons?' he wondered. It must be because they hope in their poor beaten souls that these new men, who are their blood, will do the things they were not strong enough nor wise enough nor brave enough to do. It is rather like another chance at life; like a new bag of coins at a table of luck after your fortune is gone." ― John Steinbeck, Cup of Gold
Something I Found Interesting This Week
There is good news about fatherhood in America today: dads are more engaged in their kids’ lives than ever, a fact heralded by scholars, advocates, and journalists. The Atlantic writer Derek Thompson saluted dads who "became the parents their fathers never were." Richard Reeves of the American Institute for Boys and Men points out that men "have massively increased the amount of childcare" they do. Noting the time that married fathers are devoting to their families has tripled since the 1960s, the Institute for Family Studies’ Lyman Stone put it this way: "American Dads Rock."
But there is also sobering news to report on the fatherhood front. Fewer young men are becoming fathers at all… We are seeing the rise of what might be called the "Vanishing Father."
Read the rest HERE
Book(s) I Read This Week
No book this week, recovering from Lonesome Dove. BUT, read an incredible piece by Jason A Clark. Jason is one of my constant and favorite reads.
The piece is titled What We Leave Behind. The central question is simple: What have we actually been trained to do?
Not what we say we believe. Not what we post online. Not what we claim on surveys. But what comes out of us when we’re excited, anonymous, tired, or when nobody is watching… That reveals who we really are.
He contrasts two crowds: Japanese fans after a World Cup match and Knicks fans after the NBA championship. His point isn’t that one nation is righteous and the other wicked. His point is that both groups revealed years of formation. One had been taught responsibility, stewardship, and consideration for others. The other revealed what happens when self-expression and personal gratification become the highest virtues.
As I read it, I couldn’t help but think of fatherhood and discipleship. The goal is not to raise boys who know the right answers. It’s to raise men who instinctively do the right thing. Men who return the shopping cart. Men who pick up trash that isn’t theirs. Men who pray when nobody asks them to. Men who see a burden and quietly carry it.
Nobody becomes that kind of man in a moment. Character is formed in a thousand unnoticed decisions.
Jason calls our mind to those decisions… Well worth the read:
Song(s) I Listened To This Week
Alright, last one, I promise. But I cannot put this new album down. For the three-peat, Red Clay Strays…
"Through the good and the bad times… He still gives me a song to sing…"
What God Taught Me This Week
"Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman…" — 1 Peter 3:7
God is helping me learn to honor my wife and to live with her in an understanding way. In a word, helping me learn to cherish her. Admittedly, I am not the best at this. A novice really. Which is sad; I have been married for 17 years.
But, after 17 years, here is what I do know… Not every woman is identical, but most wives long for a few common things:
To be pursued, not presumed upon. A wife wants to know that her husband is still choosing her. Not because he has to. Because he wants to.
To be known. Many wives carry invisible burdens. They want a husband who notices, listens, and remembers.
To be prioritized. Not above God. But above work, hobbies, sports, phones, and distractions.
To be spoken well of. A cherished wife hears words of gratitude, admiration, and affection. She knows her husband sees her sacrifices.
To be protected. Not merely physically, but emotionally and spiritually. She wants to know her husband is creating a home where she can flourish.
To be delighted in. This may be the most overlooked. Every wife wants to know, "Does my husband enjoy me?" Not just appreciate me. Not just need me. Enjoy me.
I’ve often thought that one of the most beautiful descriptions of marriage is found in the way God speaks of His people. He doesn’t merely tolerate them. He rejoices over them. The prophet says, "He will rejoice over you with gladness... He will exult over you with loud singing" [Zeph. 3:17].
Imagine how different a marriage becomes when a husband begins asking not, "Am I fulfilling my responsibilities?" but, "Does my wife know she is my delight?"
After 17 years, perhaps cherishing isn’t about grand romantic gestures. Maybe it’s learning to pay attention. To look up from my phone. To ask more questions. To hold her hand. To laugh with her. To sit beside her when she’s tired. To exult over her, to tell her, out loud, "You’re the joy of my life..."
"Lord, help me know her. Help me love her well."
Looking to connect in person? Here are some places I’ll be in the next few weeks:
Father's Day: Sunday Sermon @ Wedgwood Baptist, June 21, Ft. Worth, TX
BetterMan Hawaii [@ Anchor Church], June 27, Kaneohe, HI
Nashville Men’s Conference, August 8, Nashville, TN
Brothers, my pledge to you…
"You will never suffer at my hands. I will never say nor do anything knowingly to hurt you. If you're down and I can lift you up, I'll do that. I will always, in every circumstance, seek to help and support you. If you need something and I have it, I'll give it to you. No matter what I find out about you, no matter what happens in the future, either good or bad, my commitment to you will never change."
For the King,
—Harp
Thank you for the mention, Harp. I appreciate it and your kind words. You have become one of my constant and favorite reads as well. May God bless the work you're doing with men. We need it.