One Good Thing This Week
I love a thoughtful gift. And Micheal Clary is a thoughtful man. This week, his son tunred 18 years old. Michael wanted to give him something special that would last a lifetime, so he asked Godly men of all ages to write him [his son] a letter sharing life wisdom they’d acquired.
Michael printed the letters, put them in a binder, and gave them to his son. He also shared some of the wisodm on X and his blog/newsletter. Nearly 400K views later, turns out everyone is looking for a little fatherly wisdom and encouragement.
A few highlights from Michael’s post:
On God’s love… "On your worst day, God loves you exponentially more than you could dare to think he loves you on your best day. That sentence, the one I just wrote, that is the one to remember out of this whole letter. Really."
On Church… "Know your pastor and let him know you. I can’t stress this enough."
On Masculinity… "Society will tell you masculine men possess “toxic masculinity.” This is entirely false. Weak men, cowardly men, men who complain, make excuses, criticize rather than create, and destroy instead of build (see deconstructionists, socialists/communists, leftists, etc.), are truly toxically masculine. Masculine men protect, build, are slow to anger, exhibit self-control and self-discipline, do not slander or gossip, speak truth, and continually self- reflect and strive to improve themselves in every facet."
And maybe my favorite, on Nutrition… "Another cookie is not the answer."
Wisdom worth heeding.
One Concerning Thing This Week
I had 'coffee' this week with Don Manning [I've never had a cup of coffee, but I'm addicted to Celsius; Tropical Vibe is my vibe].
I really like Don—he is a sage. After seven children and 35 straight years of parenting, when Don speaks, I listen. Don told me that in his house, on any given day, five relationships were coexisting: Parent to God, Parent to Parent, Parent to Kid, Kid to Kid, and Kid to God.
He then looked at me and said, "Chris, the art of relationship is the key to a happy, healthy family…"
And what is the key to relationship? Consistency & Proximity. I want, I need to be near my kids.
A few years ago, one of Don's sons gave him a jar for his birthday. Inside the jar was a letter and a bunch of cigar labels. On the back of each label, his son had written something he had learned while smoking that cigar with his dad… It was one of the best gifts Don had ever received. That's the benefit of a good cigar, time & proximity.
I have a nice home. Nice cars. Nice stuff. My kids have nice clothes, go to a nice school, and are surrounded by nice people. And I confess, I've let nice become a substitute for nearness. Because I spend so much time making way for nice, I have little time to draw near.
As I write this, I am concerned and convicted—I do not spend enough time with my kids. I need to be near my kids, even if I have to sacrifice nice. I want jars full of [metaphorical] cigar labels.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
BTW - I write/speak/travel for a living. Every month, I track how many days I miss having dinner with my family. I try to miss no more than 6 dinners. I track it on a calender [X marks the days I miss]. Some months I crush it. Some months, not so much. Transparency moment, here's June:
My 3 Favorite Quotes of the Week
“Immature Christians ask questions like 'Is it a sin?' and 'Do I have to?' The mature beleiver asks, 'What would please God most?' and 'What will get me closer to Him?'" —Anonymous
“Religious people find God useful. Growing Christians find God beautiful.” - Tim Keller
“St. Augustine famously said, ‘The Church is a whore, but she is still our mother.’ The same applies to western civilization and its liberal and Enlightenment ideals. Christianity has authored evils and brutality, but it is still the womb that birthed the idea that humans must be free to live lives of pious devotion, that the truth will set you free, that wealth can be toxic, that God is on the side of the poor, that it is better to suffer evil than to do evil, that the meek will inherit the earth, that God opposes the proud, that evil empires must be defeated, and that victims have near-sacred status.” —Michael F. Bird [BTW-I love a feisty Anglican]
Stat(s) I Found Fascinating [And Alarming] This Week
In 1900, 18% of the world's Christians lived in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania... Today that figure is 67%, and by 2050, it is projected to be 77%.
Africa is home to 27% of the world's Christians, the largest share in the world, and by 2050, that figure will likely be 39%.
For comparison, the United States and Canada were home to just 11% of all Christians in the world in 2020 and will likely drop to 8% by 2050.
[Source: Gina Zurlo Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary]
If these projections play out, and many believe they will, in just one generation Christianity will be [even more] irrelevant in the West. But praise God, I know a solution. Statistics tell us that when the man in the home leads out in the faith, < 90% of the time, the rest of the household (wife, kids, family) comes to faith. Win the men, win the West.
My Favorite Meme This Week
Jean-Paul Sartre wrote one of the saddest things you can read:
Don’t let this happen to you. Bite into life—be brave enough to suck at something new.
Song I had on Repeat This Week
This is the Sturgill I know… bless you, brother.
Book(s) I Read This Week
I am currently in the novel All the Light We Cannot See. Unbelievably good. Crazy long. I should be done next week. Thus, I’m reaching into the archives, and recommending one of my all-time favs, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by U2 frontman Bono.
If your history professor moonlit in a garage band, he could be Bono. The book is a spectacular journey through time, surveying social and political landscapes, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the life of U2. Bono’s humility is inspiring. I could not put Surrender down [FYI - Bono reads the audio version, and riffs on a few of his fav songs… worth the listen].
One story Bono tells that is worth the price of the book…
The night before a large concert in North America, I [Bono] received a death threat. The threat read, 'If you sing Pride tomorrow night, you'll start the song, but you will not finish it.'
I showed the threat to the security team, who, after some investigation, deemed it a credible threat. The band and I had a decision to make: remove the song from the setlist or sing it.
The next day we decided: 'We are singing the song.'
That night, at the show, it came time to sing Pride. The band began playing, and I started singing. As I got to the last verse, I admit, 'I was anxious—afraid, really. I had no idea what was going to happen. As I went into that last verse, I took a knee, closed my eyes, and just sang... As the song ended, I opened my eyes and expected to see 80,000 screaming fans. What I saw was David’s (Edge) back. I realized he had been standing in front of me, shielding me the whole time...'
I want a friend like David [Edge] Evans. More so, I want to be a friend like Edge.
Video I Watched This Week
Isaac Collins is a STUD…
What God Showed Me This Week
"For God alone my soul waits..."—Psalm 62:1
This week, I was reminded that waiting on God is not about what you get at the end of the wait; waiting on God is about who you become as you wait.
Waiting changes you.
I struggle with waiting. As an ENFP, Enegram 7, RainMaker, Type-A overconfident hustler, waiting seems like a waste of time. Yet, more times than not, this is where God has me, and this is where God is doing His perfect work in me. As my brother Josh Lackie reminded me, “Maybe waiting is the hardest part…” [thank you Tom Petty].
I rarely wait around for the perfect. Our modern use of the word perfect is synonymous with immaculate and flawless. Yet in Scripture [and Biblical times], perfect meant finished. Complete. Wholeness.
When Michelangelo finished the Sistine Chapel, it wasn't flawless, it was complete—it was perfetto.
Have you ever watched a silversmith refine silver? I have, and it was boring. Into the fire, out of the fire. Into the fire, out of the fire—over and over again. I asked, "How do you know when it's ready—when it's finished?"
"Simple," he replied, "It’s finished when I can see my reflection."
As I sit in the fire of waiting, God is working until He can see the reflection of His Son in me.
You work, God; I'll wait. Perfetto.
I hope you have a spectacular week. May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Love y’all,
—Harp
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