Caleb Strong Men’s Challenge: Love on your families.

This is my anniversary weekend. I am a blessed man, but I am only blessed because of Jesus’s example and Peter’s challenge to us. ‎1 Peter 3:7 – … husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman …, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (ESV)

Over 20 years ago, I met my wife and fell in love. I asked get to marry me back then and she told me to ask again later. It took 15 + years to ask again. She finally said yes. Four years together, and we have faced many challenges and adventures together, including a move across the country.

There is no better partner, … Click to Continue

We don’t miss them until they’re gone.

I am currently sitting at the dining room table. It’s a table I have sat at a few times before on visits to Grammy and Papa Joe’s home. The difference today, is that today, both of them are with our Lord. There will be no hug from Grammy at the breakfast table. I won’t be seeing Papa Joe’s great big smile.
It’s not that this was fully unexpected. When Papa Joe passed last year, I knew that Grammy was not going to keep running this race much longer without him. Grammy and Grampa were very interdependant. I say that with much adoration. They did everything together. Sure, Grammy was a technophile. She had a highly ranked web log ( blog ) and really loved … Click to Continue

Still a long road to walk.

We have been blessed in our new home. We have a home, a car, jobs that provide for our financial needs and usually provide for our personal growth, time for our families and for service to our Lord. The road to get to this point has been very long… In fact, one could say that there have been many forces conspiring against our attempt to serve the Lord and make a new life here.

Please forgive the lack of updates, as you read you will understand.

The list of trials has been long and continues to strike against us. Our trust in the God of all creation, has let us continue to come together as a family and stand firm in our commitment to Jesus, … Click to Continue

Let Him Lead.

It’s hard to let go…

It has been a while since my last post. Much is going in our lives, and I have been bad and went into my shell instead of sharing.

CalebStrong.org is on the road. We have been offered a chance to move for work and I am currently in Minnesota getting a bit of training before I start working full time. When this opportunity came up, I spent too much time in my head and over thinking God’s plan. I kept trying to out think the situation, come up with contingencies for keeping the old office open and meet everyone’s needs.

A very wise woman (my wife) told me, “Let’s pray that God closes the doors to anything that is a … Click to Continue

What does it mean to be “Caleb Strong”?

“Strong like Caleb”

or “Caleb Strong“, refers specifically, to  the attitude, activities, and behavior patterns that  are modeled for us in Scripture by Caleb in Joshua and Numbers.

Caleb had very specific qualities like honor, faith, truthfulness, and a fearlessness fueled by his assurances from God’s word and provision. Additionally he shows us obedience to God’s will,  a willingness to work hard, and a desire to be a leader of men.
Caleb Strong is about developing a STRENGTH OF CHARACTER, before we worry about physical strength. There is a program that schools are using called “Character Counts“. This is something that needs to be learned in all areas of life. We men, need to raise our standards.
As we read in Scripture, it … Click to Continue

33 the Series starts in Escondido

The 33 Series first session starts at Emanuel Faith Community Church in Escondido, CA this week. Class preview was on Tuesday March 13 2012. Now we go into the first class on Tuesday March 20, 2012. Please join us as we discuss the issues that we men face in this world as Sons, Husbands, Fathers, Sons, Leaders in our families and communities. Together lets learn to be Caleb Strong. #CalebStrong

Can we learn to be Caleb Strong?

We can be Caleb Strong!

But what does that mean?

I gave the invocation at our Emanuel Faith Community Church graduation ceremony for Men’s Fraternity: The Great Adventure last night.

In preparing for this talk, I reviewed “Caleb’s Prayer”,  a prayer that has been around for a few years in the Men’s Frat community. I have seen it published a few times, like at Warrior’s Hand  and on the Alameda Church of Christ site. I used this as a basis for my talk for the men. We dove into scripture and really pulled out the verses that spoke specifically to those points. I created a slightly modified version of the “Prayer of Caleb” and you can take a look at that on … Click to Continue

Quick list: Up Coming Blog Topics to Write About

As usual, the man with ADHD (me) has a million things flying through my head and I want to write about them all. However, if I don’t get them out on a list I know I won’t remember. So here we go.

Up Coming Blog Topics to Write About

  • The Budget Debate: Lessons in Communication
  • God’s Promises: Provision vs Position?
  • A Father’s Blessing
  • Driven to Achieve: Motivation vs. Being Content (in Christ)
  • A Man’s Role: What Does Leadership Look Like ( in the Home, in the Modern Family)
  • A Man’s Role: What Does Respect Look Like ( in the Home, in the Modern Family)
  • A Man’s Role: What Does Leadership Look Like ( at work )
  • A Man’s Role: What Does Respect Look Like ( at work )

That is about all I have this afternoon. I am sure I will add to it in the comments…..

 

Enjoy. I will pop these out soon.

Until then, May the Lord continue to bless your path.

Your Brother-In-Christ.

Gary C

This is the day…

I haven’t written in a while.

First it was schedules, then technical difficulties. Eventually time affected the spirit and I did not “feel” compelled to write. Maybe I was out of sorts, maybe I was distracted… Or maybe, just maybe, I was led astray.

I was picking up my son from camp yesterday and we were talking about the theme of his weekend. They were all about spiritual warfare and being the Soldiers of God.  There is, of course, much fun to be had with this theme.  And as we talked and he told us of his weekend, there was another theme I noticed. Distraction. Capture the Flag, has always been both a game, and a lesson in warfare. As my son relayed his tale of daring-do’s, epic … Click to Continue

What values do we choose

Once more, I have to say I Luv my friends. One of them, who happened to be a BIC,  recently posed following the question for discussion:

In entertainment media would you rather see violence or sex?

I processed that one and the result becomes tiered layers of acceptance. The primary reason for the tiered acceptance is that I have to know for whom the media is displayed, and to what extent the content goes. For example, as an adult, I do not appreciate the graphic nature in the betrayal of sex OR violence. I do, however, watch films in the genre of  war, action, history and so forth. While those genre have a plethora of violence I will not indulge, at all, in slasher or horror … Click to Continue