Hands in My Pockets

The Lord has an amazing way of using the ordinary moments of life to teach us valuable lessons. A cursory examination of Jesus’ teaching ministry reveals His panache for using common items and experiences to convey eternal truth.

Recently, I had one of those teachable moments. My son and I were walking down our driveway to get one of my daughters off the school bus. As I was walking, I had mindlessly slipped my hands into the pockets of my jeans and was enjoying the stroll. Looking over at my son, I noticed that he was struggling mightily to get both of his hands into the pockets of his pants. I asked him what he was doing and he replied by saying, “Trying to get my hands in my pockets like Daddy.” After adjusting his pants a bit, he was able to slip his hands in the pockets and walk just like Dad.

It occurred to me (again!) that the young men we serve will pick up on our actions long before they pick up on our words. Part of the power of mentoring comes in the ability to model correct behavior for our mentee. The way we treat the waitress during dinner. How we respond when someone cuts us off on the road. Our willingness to be open and vulnerable during our conversations. All of these actions and countless others will have a far greater impact than all the words we can muster.

Let’s be aware of the “hands in my pockets” moments occurring around us everyday, and help our young men to make the necessary adjustments that will allow them to follow our examples.

Generation: “Connected” Disconnect

Recently, there have been a number of articles, news reports and general water-cooler discussions about Facebook’s potential to exacerbate feelings of isolation and depression. Amazingly,  the emerging generation is the most “connected” (via social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Skype, ooVoo, etc.), while simultaneously feeling strongly “disconnected” from the world around them.

There are unlimited technological resources available for connecting with other people, yet the next generation is becoming more and more socially inept. Check out Phil Cooke’s comments on this subject:http://philcooke.com/doctors-warn-about-facebook-depression/

In the close of Phil’s post he states, “this is the most connected generation in history, but also the loneliest.  It never hurts to be reminded that communication isn’t a technology problem – it’s a people problem.” In our interactions with the young men of Pathways, let’s remember that meaningful communication takes time. Most of our young men have not learned how to have a sincere, deep conversation. Let’s be sensitive to their potential limitations, while encouraging them to engage in meaningful dialogue.

We must help our young men learn to be truly “connected.” (If you’ll excuse me now, I need to go update my Facebook status!)

The Wild Faith of Bear Grylls

Bear Grylls exudes an aura of adventure, which is instantly contagious! How many of us have watched Man v. Wild and thought, “Yes! That’s what a real man does!”? I know that thought has crossed my mind; usually while sitting comfortably on my couch, eating a bowl of cereal (generally, Frosted Mini-Wheats).

However, the truth is that Bear is a real man, but not because he can survive in most any environment by fashioning a shelter from tree branches, eating bugs and making fire from just about anything on hand. No! Bear Grylls is a real man because his faith is founded in Christ, and he’s not afraid to share it. Check out this article: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/tv/features/22088-the-wild-faith-of-bear-grylls

My prayer is that we can all model for our young men the simple, natural faith that exudes from Bear Grylls as effortlessly as his sense of adventure. After all, the greatest adventure is walking the Path of Life with Christ! (I think Bear would agree!)

Musth Cycles, Metaphors and Mentoring

In our increasingly audio/visual rich culture, it seems that a message is best conveyed through sight and sound. This quick video points out the importance of male role-models in the lives of young men.

Check it out, and be inspired to join/continue the mentoring journey:

Fatherless Generation

Mentoring is the solution to the epidemic of fatherlessness facing the emerging generation. Not convinced that fatherlessness is a cause for concern, check out the following facts:

1. 25 million kids are fatherless in the U.S., which accounts for 1/3 of all youth.

2. Fatherless children account for:

• 63% of youth suicides
• 71% of pregnant teenagers
• 90% of all homeless and runaway youth
• 70% of juveniles in state–operated institutions
• 85% of all youth who exhibit behavioral problems
• 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger
• 71% of all high school drop-outs
• 75% of all adolescents in chemical abuse centers
• 85% of all youths in prison[1]

Fatherlessness is a serious problem, but there is a viable and workable solution: One-on-one Mentoring!

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[1] All data quoted from Fatherless Generation, by John Sowers and cited in “The Future: Set Adrift on a Sea of Fatherless Children,” Idaho Observer, July 2003.