Future Kids to Play Outside

This is a re-post from March, but I thought it was clever and very relevant considering the number of "motion controller" type consoles and games that will be opened and put into use in a few days.

Favorite line:

The evolution has been rapid. First controllers vibrated, then the Wiimote simulated bowling, and now Project Natal [Kinect for Xbox 360] has us jumping around the living room. At this pace kids could be playing outside by 2015.

Check it out for a good chuckle:

New Technology May Allow Future Kids to PLAY OUTSIDE

Useful Knots

If you're not already covering it in scouting or some other group, you may want to make sure your boys know how to tie a knot...as it's the kind of thing that a man finds useful from time to time.

You could even work it into a ceremony, requiring them to learn and/or demonstrate it.

Here's a list of the 10 most useful knots. I'm sure a quick trip to youtube will get you all the instruction you need...

How to Tie the 10 Most Useful Knots

Passage

Here's another aptly named Colorado-based company offering father/son adventures based around the theme of discovering Biblical manhood:

In summary, our passion is to fuel the heart-to-heart relationship between a young man and a guide, preferably his father, in order to help him successfully traverse the formative adolescent years and follow Jesus into the later stages of life.

Our conferences and resources are designed to be a catalyst to serve the churches with the necessary ‘scaffolding’ to have their own ongoing, biblically based rite of passage initiative. Consequently, we foresee a day when a church can confidently send a young man to college or into the marketplace knowing his unique design as a man, what it takes to follow Christ, and have within him the beginning skills to navigate his faith within the culture.

I really like the compass metaphor they use:

(N) Navigate the Heart to Follow Jesus
(W) Walk in the Path of God’s Word
(S) Serve the Brotherhood
(E) Engage in the Battle


Check out the website for upcoming adventure dates:

Passage

Father & Son Golf Adventures

I'm personally not a golfer, but I understand that many men enjoy it. Here's a website that takes the love of golf and father/son bonding and puts the two together in a great way:

Father and Son Golf Adventures (FSGA) provides an awesome venue for Fathers to spend quality time with their sons doing things that they both enjoy and can contribute too. The events that FSGA organize and run are specifically designed to engage Fathers and Sons in fun and interactive activities. They are structured to allow both the Fathers and Sons to fully enjoy themselves (they are adventures) and encourages Fathers and Sons to work together and play together.

Father and Son Golf Adventures

Christ in the Tetons

I've mentioned before that I've been leading a six week class going through the Raising a Modern Day Knight video series.

One of the best things about these videos are the segments where the dads and sons are taking on exciting adventures in the Grand Tetons. Having these inspiring backdrops as Robert Lewis imparts the principles from the book definitely adds impact.

The good news is that we fathers have the opportunity to have the same experience with our sons through Christ in the Tetons, an organization that provides "Father and Son Adventures".

They have just release their 2009 schedule so go check it out:

Christ in the Tetons

Father, Son Reach Everest Summit

This is an old article, but I just stumbled on it. The big headline here is "the youngest American to successfully scale Mount Everest", but to me the kicker is that he did it with his dad: side-by-side.

I have no desire to climb Everest (or any peak where death may be involved for that matter) and no delusions that I will ever achieve a goal of this magnitude, but I couldn't help but think about spiritual parallels of this achievement...

Are we with our sons as they scale the "peaks" in their lives? Are we walking side-by-side with them into high spiritual ground? Instead of Generation Everest are we aiming for Generational Manhood?!

Spokane Father, Son Reach Everest Summit

Royal Family Kids' Camps

A few years ago my wife and I thought the Lord was leading us to start and run a themed camp for kids. It turns out He has lead us in a different direction, but at the time I did a lot of research on the topic.

One existing camp I came across that really captures the heart of this kind of endeavor is Royal Family Kids Camp. Their website says:

Most of us have experienced an encouraging word or kind gesture when we were at our deepest low, and we know how life changing it was. Since 1985, we have lifted children from the deepest pits of depair and given them hope that they can take one more step toward a better tomorrow and a brighter future. We are the nation's leading network of camps for abused, neglected and abandoned children. Our mission is to create positive memories for abused and neglected children ages 7-11, in a one-week camp experience.

Find out more here:

Royal Family Kids' Camps

Sportsmens Devotional

If you're like me the last thing you need is a daily email in your inbox...however if you are currently not part of a regular devotional email loop and you consider yourself a "sportsman", this might be worth checking out:

The Sportsman's Devotional comes to your e-mail each day as soon as you sign up. It is a completely free service and we have no hidden agendas except sharing our hearts and outdoor thoughts with you. They are written by Sportsmen for Sportsman. Our staff pastors carefully scrutinize each devotional after it is submitted by our team for biblical accuracy.

Our ministry is world wide. We have subscribers in every state as well as many countries around the world. Soldiers serving us around the world read our devotionals each day.

We are a group of Sportsman who write the Sportsman’s Devotional each day as a regular part of our personal bible study. Our team is made up of regular guys from various professions ranging from a commercial airline pilot, a warehouse manager, hunting-fishing guides, ministers, to game wardens. We have one thing in common: we love the Lord, His awesome creation and the sporting lifestyle. Each of our team members has outdoors expertise in various fields.

Sportsmens Devotional

Christ In The Rockies

No there wasn't a Jesus sighting in Colorado...but there is another organization providing stimulating and challenging outdoor adventures within a spectacular world-class outdoor setting to get fathers and sons engaged in the "manhood adventure".

Hopefully I will get to try one of these out someday...

Christ In The Rockies

Sky Ranch Adventures

Looking for a parent/child adventure to mark a rite of passage? Want to take a family vacation full of adventure and make memories that will last? Have a ministry team that needs to build unbreakable bonds? Take a look at Sky Ranch:

Since 1955, Sky Ranch Camps have provided an extraordinary camping experience to thousands of families. Over the years, the camps have continued to expand to serve youth, families and communities. Today, Sky Ranch Camps operates facilities in Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado and is consistently viewed as a nationwide leader in Christian Camping.

Sky Ranch Camps is a Christian based organization providing Camping, Outdoor Education, and Retreat/Conference Center services for people to enjoy a positive recreational, fun, and memorable experience while being exposed to the truths of the Word of God.

Sky Ranch

Mountains to Climb

Afraid to take a risk with your son? Concerned you may be overprotective and not letting your son experience the fullness of what it means to be a man-in-training?

This short little article about a blind boy, his desire to climb a mountain, and his father's reactions inspired me to examine some of my thoughts on this topic. I like this quote from the article:

I know what it takes to prepare and I am aware of the risks and hazards involved, some of which can be very serious, Marty said. “As I considered taking Cody up a mountain, worrisome thoughts pounded my mind. What if something happened? What would his grandparents think, or his mother? What would the neighbors say? I had visions of it.

“That careless, reckless father, what was he thinking? Doesn’t he know better than to take a blind kid mountain climbing? That’s just asking for trouble.”

I wonder how often we fall into this same mindset in other aspects of raising our boys? Do we "play it safe" to avoid failure or embarrassment?

May we have the courage to follow God's Spirit in our efforts to train up our sons, and as the closing of the article encourages, may we have an attitude that says:

If we hadn’t made it, we’d just have tried again, until we did

Mountains to Climb

"Vertical 07" Father/Son Retreat

Colonial Baptist in Cary, NC is offering a father-son retreat on September 14-16, 2007 at Camp Willow Run in Littleton, NC. My seven year old and I are planning to attend.

http://colonialkids.org/ministry/fathersonretreat.html

Unfading Beauty

For my daughter's 10 birthday, my wife and I performed a womanhood ceremony with her (we do this every 3 years for the ages 7 through 19).

We took her to Duke Gardens, a beautiful renowned garden near our home. As we walked around the gardens surrounded by beautiful flowers and landscaping, we shared with her five principles that we hope will encourage her as she continues to grow into a Godly woman.

The first principle has to do with "Unfading Beauty", how a true woman's focus is not only on her outward beauty, but on her inward beauty. Below is a copy of the actual letter we gave her. I am convinced our daughters need to hear words of encouragement from their dads.

Unfading Beauty

The Great Adventure...LIVE

Another Wild at Heart inspired adventure camp:

Three men who have personally experienced restoration of the heart through the ministry of John Eldredge and the Ransomed Heart Fellowship have put together an adventure for men looking to awaken and recapture those deep and true God given desires in their hearts.

All three have attended the Wild at Heart Boot Camps and Advanced Platoon Leadership Boot Camps in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. According to them this weekend is no retreat. It’s your opportunity to take four days out of your busy life to go on a guided expedition into the restoration and release of your heart.

The Great Adventure...LIVE

BreakAway's Father-Son Adventure 2007

HIGH ADVENTURE
7-Day Trip July 29 - August 4, 2007

Take on our life-changing excursions and become wilderness warriors together. You’ll hike, rock climb, raft and relax in the majestic mountains of Colorado—all for the purpose of connecting as fathers and sons. In addition to hiking, rock climbing and white-water rafting, fathers and sons will have plenty of time to relax and have fun together at Silver Cliff Ranch.

The deadline for High Adventure has officially passed; however, they're still accepting applications for a VERY FEW remaining positions.

BREAKAWAY'S FATHER-SON ADVENTURES 2007

The Danger Habit

I have to admit I have never understood the "extreme sports" mindset. I'm not sure if it is a generational thing, or just a personality issue, but I have never felt a pull to "live on the edge" and don't fully understand or appreciate those who do.

However, there is a whole emerging culture that finds its identity in pushing the envelope...and this includes Christian youth. Also, I can't deny that there is an intrinsic link between the radical nature of these pursuits and the pursuit of true manhood.

Here's a website for Christian "radicals" that tries to explain how the two fit together:

You've been called adrenaline junkie, thrill seeker, out of the box, ADD, extreme, off-the-hook, and sometimes just plain crazy...But what if you were created as a Radical for an important reason?...The Danger Habit explores the mindset of born radicals against a backdrop of historical heroes, scientific research, and Biblical truth.

The Danger Habit

Christian Outdoorsman

With the recent acquisition of a RV and a canoe, I'm trying to get out of the "city boy" rut I've been in for the last 10 years and get back to some of my outdoorsman roots. Here's a website that says it's the #1 site for the Christian outdoor enthusiast with a mission:

...to facilitate the building of the largest international Christian outdoor community in the world today... Inspiring and equipping this new community to use the outdoors for personal development, discipleship, fellowship, and outreach.

Christian Outdoorsman

Father/Son Quest

This father/son retreat website captures the essence of what Warrior's Hand Ministry is all about...believing there is unique power in marking key milestones and making lifetime memories to help our boys in their journey to manhood.

Designed for fathers with sons 12 years of age and older, this getaway encourages the deepening of relationships between a father and son in a rustic north woods Minnesota setting. It’s a special three-day weekend of godly fellowship and character-building activities in a personalized, one-on-one discipleship mode.

Find out more at:

http://www.fathersonquest.com/

Training Ground

To become a man, there is a journey you must take. You cannot buy it. You cannot earn it. No woman can offer it. A degree doesn't promise it. It can't be found at the mall. Not even your friends can take you there.

This is the heart of a summer training program of "Work, Wilderness, & Worship" for young men based in Colorado Springs, CO. This looks to be based on Wild at Heart concepts and seems very interesting. Check it out at:

Training Ground

Christ in the Tetons

Christ in the Tetons Outdoor Adventure Ministry aims to serve God by conducting adventure based courses that inspire, equip and support families to passionately follow the life and words of Jesus Christ.

Go to the recently updated website for more details on a one week father-son experience filled with adventure in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

http://www.christinthetetons.org/