The Armor of God

Part of creating impactful ceremonies with your kids when conducting a rite of passage or manhood/womenhood ceremony is presenting them with a meaningful, valuable keepsake.

These can be as simple as a rock picked up along the path or as elaborate as a personalized, inscribed sword. If the item carries with it symbolic meaning and reminders of the principles that have been imparted, all the better.

Here are some great items I stumbled upon that fit this description wonderfully...all based on the Biblical metaphor of "The Armor of God". These would make a great gift at any age to remind your son that he is a warrior belonging to the Army of God.

I've seen the dog tag item in person and was impressed by the quality. Check it out:

The Armor of God products

Generations of Virtue

With a teenager son and a "tweenager" daughter, I am always looking for resources that deal with combating the cultural pressures around them. The constant flow of information through movies, music, tv, and peers gives a pervading message of relativistic values to our kids as the world tries to squeeze them into the mold.

As fathers, it is our job to protect them and anchor them to the Truth. But how do we do this without becoming isolationists, protecting them to the point that they are unable to cope when they leave the home and are on their own? Only by equipping and preparing them now to understand the difference will they be able to survive and even perhaps lead their peers to a higher moral standard.

Generations of Virtue is a non-profit, volunteer-driven ministry that equips parents to empower their kids for purity in our world today. We work closely with parents and teens as we provide them with classic and cutting-edge resources to fight the battle for purity.

It looks like they break down their book resources by gender and age to make it easier to find appropriate material. Also, they provide dvds, audio books, and purity jewelry. Check it out at:

Generations of Virtue

Shield of Faith

It can be hard to find meaningful gifts that hold spiritual significance for your kids as they get older.

For my oldest son's 12th birthday I gave him a pendant to remind him his identity is based in Christ. The Shield of Faith pendant is a reminder that God is with us no matter what we face and is made from 100% lead-free pewter.

On the back is an inspiring inscription of Joshua 1:9.

Check out all of the "Shield of Faith" and other products at:

http://www.bobsiemon.com/

Band of Brothers

A website offering a grassroots effort to band Christian brothers together in "Jonathan/David" relationships. Offering information and merchandise, especially the "Band of Brothers" ring and pendant.

The stated desire is: "to live with the Courage of the Father who was willing to sacrifice his own Son, the Humility of the Son who was willing to die for us, and the Unity of the Spirit who indwells in all believers and unites us."

Some information on father/son relationships and rites of passage.

http://www.bandofbrothers.org/bob/html/index.html