“The increasing complexity and precariousness of our economic life have forced Government to take over many spheres of activity once left to choice or chance. Our intellectuals have surrendered first to the slave-philosophy of Hegel, then to Marx, finally to the linguistic analysts.”
– C. S. Lewis from “Willing Slaves of the Welfare State”

Last fall, David Horowitz’s FrontPage Mag published an article by Mallory Millett titled “Marxist Feminism’s Ruined Lives.”   The article described what Millett saw as a young divorcée in the 1960’s at the birth of the modern (second-wave) feminist movement, and the toll it took on her and others.   Millett’s older sister Kate Millett was one of the key figures in the movement — Kate Millett and her book Sexual Politics deserve full credit for helping spawn women’s studies programs in nearly every American university.

It’s a trap!

The unholy litany

In her article, Mallory Millett describes a meeting she attended with her sister — a Marxist consciousness-raising event that included a call-and-response chant between the leader and those in attendance.  According to (Mallory) Millett, it went like this:

“‘Why are we here today?” she asked.
“To make revolution,” they answered.
“What kind of revolution?” she replied.
“The Cultural Revolution,” they chanted.
“And how do we make Cultural Revolution?” she demanded.
“By destroying the American family!” they answered.
“How do we destroy the family?” she came back.
“By destroying the American Patriarch,” they cried exuberantly.
“And how do we destroy the American Patriarch?” she replied.
“By taking away his power!”
“How do we do that?”
“By destroying monogamy!” they shouted.
“How can we destroy monogamy?”

Their answer left me dumbstruck, breathless, disbelieving my ears.  Was I on planet earth?  Who were these people?

“By promoting promiscuity, eroticism, prostitution and homosexuality!” they resounded.

Surprise! You’re a target

Did you understand that if you are or intend to be a husband and a father — a patriarch — that you are also a target?  According to the Marxist feminists, it would only be possible to supplant the culture of the United States by destroying the family as its central institution, and it would only be possible to destroy the family by destroying its spiritual head.  That would be you and me.

Why are we talking about this?

I recognize that this is a bit off the normal track for this blog, but we have discussed the ongoing crisis in masculinity, and the need for us to become men who live out of our masculine strength.  Now perhaps you see what is at stake.  We always want to offer practical encouragement here, and this post is no different.  If I sent you on an errand, and I knew there was danger along the route, I would tell you — consider this a friendly warning.

In the same way you wouldn’t enter a lacrosse game without your helmet, pads, gloves and stick (and, of course,  your cup), you must go into today’s classrooms, workplaces  and entertainments aware of the plan to destroy men.  So consider the aim is to take you out, to neutralize your masculine strength, to render you powerless, impotent, emasculated and ineffective.  Worst of all, the plan is not to overpower you, but to entice you into surrendering.

What time is it?

Men, it’s late.  If you are in doubt about the effectiveness of this strategy, consider your own opinions and attitudes concerning promiscuity, eroticism, prostitution and homosexuality — and how they may have changed in the past ten years.  Now consider the opinions and attitudes of your friends, classmates and colleagues.  Next consider the messages concerning these four forces that you’ve encountered in classrooms, news articles and reports, in movies and television programs and in social media.

As you see, America has undergone a cataclysmic change in its mores since the consciousness-raising event attended by Mallory Millett.

Is it hopeless? 

• Don’t take the bait — These weapons only work on you if you let them.  Sexual sin is tempting, but recognize what’s behind it and take the long view.
• Clean up your diet — Don’t feed your mind with stories and images that undermine your masculine strength, or that promote your destruction.
• Audit the institutions you’re part of — Use your freedom of association to find, found or fund organizations that promote and value authentic masculinity.  (This is why I’m on this corner of the internet, by the way.)   If you need to change churches, employers, schools, vote with your feet.  When you realize you’ve stepped onto the conveyor belt at the slaughterhouse, you have every right to step off of it.
• Enlist allies — find brothers who are committed to the same values.  Not all women are on board with the destruction of the family.  Find them.  As I pointed out previously, the popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey — although promoting promiscuity and eroticism — repudiates Marxist feminism’s anti-masculine aims, since the audience seems keenly interested in a dominant man.
• Build your body and your mind — You are on your way to becoming the best possible version of yourself, aren’t you?  You need strength to withstand the allure of temptation in every form.
• Challenge the assumptions — As you encounter these anti-male ideas, be prepared to question their origins and their legitimacy.  Don’t be afraid to point out the consequences of four-plus decades of Marxist feminism and ask if we’re better off in any way.
• Reform your manners — English abolitionist, William Wilberforce, worked until the day he died for the abolition of slavery and for “the reformation of manners.”  As men, we should take up this cause and make it our own.   If you’re married, start by leading your family, even if it’s difficult.  Let’s reform our own character after that of Jesus, and work to liberate men and women in the clutches of these destructive forces.  Just by living fearlessly and unabashedly as a man, you’ll cause others to find their courage.  We can do this with God’s help.

So how about you?  In what ways have you gone along with the plan for your own destruction?  How do you intend to regain your strength?  Add your comments below.

“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you…”
-Kipling

In my previous post, I explained that security is a dynamic property. By that I meant that although one can receive security from his parents and his upbringing,  one must not simply seek security for its own sake — rather security provides a  stable base from which to launch any worthwhile adventure. In addition, security is something a man gives to and spends on behalf of those under his headship.

Each of us is on the hook for his own responses, his own choices.

As a way in, it was necessary to show how fear and insecurity inhibit men from realizing their greatest potential. When this happens, a man is over-valuing his security. I call that playing not to lose.

Students of American history will likely recall this quotation from America’s founding:

“Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
-Benjamin Franklin

Clearly Franklin understood — and wanted us to understand — that security and freedom are in tension, and that if a man clings too tightly to security he will wind up sacrificing his liberty. Slaves don’t have adventures.

What William Wallace Said

If you haven’t seen the movie Braveheart, you should. It tells the story of William Wallace — the 13th-century Scottish warrior who rallied his fellow countrymen to oppose the tyrannical king Edward and win independence for Scotland. The following well-known scene illustrates the tension between freedom and security so I encourage you to watch it here:

Wallace asks his outnumbered and fearful countrymen how they will use their freedom. Like him, I do not want to be haunted by regret.

Why Safe Spaces Are a Bad Deal

On many college and university campuses, students are demanding and administrations are providing safe spaces. The rules vary by school, but in the main these are places where, to quote the old folk song Home on the Range, “…seldom is heard a discouraging word…” Except in these days, the banishment of unpopular or disfavored ideas comes accompanied by a “Trigger warning.”

I remember how stressful the workload at college was. And of course, now I look back at how much free time I actually had. Nevertheless, for that time and my experience to that point is was stressful. However, can we agree that being shielded from every idea that might challenge, upset, or offend one is a recipe for sapping and not building resilience? And can we agree further that if you need a trigger warning, you are not secure? May I suggest you view this as a weakness that you can and must overcome. It will be worth the effort.

Just as resistance training builds muscle, wrestling with unfamiliar or even offensive ideas builds your moral, spiritual, and intellectual muscles.

It’s a big world — don’t skip leg day

If you’re going to function at the peak of your capabilities, you cannot hide out from ideas you don’t like. You must have enough groundedness, enough security in who you are and what you believe so that you have a stable platform from which to engage new ideas. And then you must engage them.

Like a lot of guys who got interested in training with weights, I spent most of my early years in the gym working “mirror” muscles — chest and arms. Squats hurt too much (because I tried to rush the process), so I didn’t do them. And all that caught up to me later when I had to undergo physical therapy because of the imbalance I had created through my laziness/pain avoidance/bad habits. Balance your physical, as well as your emotional and spiritual training, and you’ll be secure enough to know you can handle any idea that comes your way.

Besides, you may find that you’ve been wrong about something(s). Ask me how I know.

I told you so

No, not like that. Over the years I’ve been writing and publishing this blog, I have mentioned on more than one occasion the importance of three things:

1. Masculine initiation
2. Mentors
3. A biblical worldview

Are you starting to see the connections? Initiation provides a pathway to manhood with defined waypoints. When you negotiate that pathway, you come to the end with the assurance that you have a date, a time, and a place where you became a man. I didn’t get this as a boy, but God provided what I needed along with a desire to communicate it to others. With that healing, I provided just such an initiation experience for my sons.*

Mentors are like the master craftsmen who teach their trade to their apprentices. They aren’t there to teach you the basics — but they are there to help you master the craft of your life. I met with my mentor yesterday morning, as I have been doing for years now. And I meet regularly with several different young men as their mentor.

And a biblical worldview gives you an unchanging reference point by which to measure the rightness of a belief system, a work of  art, a cause, or a policy. All of this brings us back around to identity, stimulation, and security.

So how about you? In what ways are you building and spending Security? Add your comments below.

*If you’re interested in having me speak to your group about masculine initiation, I can provide more information on what I devised for my sons. (I’m a pretty good public speaker, too.) Contact me via email or post a comment and we’ll discuss.

“All the world’s a stage.”
– William Shakespeare

Some time ago, I read an article expounding on the theory of 20th century playwright and anthropologist, Robert Ardrey.  In his book, The Territorial Imperative, Ardrey states that once a creature’s survival needs are met (Think Maslow’s hierarchy: food, clothing and shelter), there is a hierarchy of psychological needs.  Ardrey posited that these needs are identity, stimulation and security — in that order.  Let’s look at each one in light of the state of contemporary masculinity.

Use your skills to create something real

Identity

The foundational psychological need is to have a correct view and knowledge of oneself.  One of the earliest lessons an infant learns is the difference between himself and others — as Cloud and Townsend in their book, Boundaries, said it – “the difference between ‘me’ and ‘not me.'”

I have said before that this culture has deep-rooted ambivalence toward men and masculinity.  On one hand, people envy and desire men’s strength, ingenuity and protectiveness, but it also seems plenty of people are happy to enjoy the fruit of men’s labor without compensating them.

At the level of the state, government taxes men’s labor and redistributes their income to provide for others.  The recipients include the worthy poor, who have fallen on hard times but are doing all they can; but they also include the professional beneficiaries who make no pretense of looking for work.

Societally, men’s strength is regarded as a net negative.  If you doubt this, consider that on police domestic disturbance calls, the responding officer will escort the man from the premises — even if he’s the one who placed the call.  On college campuses, an allegation of sexual misconduct is sufficient to derail a man’s academic career, no matter how scant or ambiguous the evidence.

This is not an endorsement or defense of the abuse of masculine strength, but it does show how the presumption falls.  I point this out to illustrate how the message to men of goodwill is: “Your strength is something to be ashamed of.” Or at the very least it’s “Men aren’t all that special any more.”

This is causing a crisis of male identity.  Is a man supposed to be a caring neuter nurturer a la Stuart Smalley, or a swaggering lothario?  As if those are the only choices!  Unfortunately, it seems even some churches are confused about the specifics of maleness — the calling and giftedness of being a man — as opposed to interchangeable “persons.”

I affirm what scripture teaches, even when it’s uncomfortable.   However, the misuse of the verse stating that there is “neither male nor female” doesn’t invalidate the purpose for which God made men and women nor the respective roles of each.  We are all equal before God, but that does not equate to each of us having the same mission.  God loves me exactly the same as He loves LeBron James or Aaron Rodgers, but I am not suited to either man’s job.  I’m fine with that.

This same crisis is also present in the family.  When fathers are absent, by their own volition or against their will, it creates a void.  Who will step in to confer on a son his true name, to affirm the masculine in him?  There are signs that fatherlessness is hereditary — that is, if you didn’t have a dad, chances are your children won’t either.  You can, however, decide now to be a father to your children.

The term “love child” is a euphemism for what we used to call a bastard — a son with no name.  It is unfair to tag a kid for his parents’ wrongs, but the old stigmas used to motivate people toward doing right by their children, whatever the circumstances of their conception.

Consider how fatherlessness and the deterioration of marriage has caused us to be less sure of ourselves.  We’re rootless, isolated and unsure of our identity.   Worse, the fundamental institutions that used to confer identity — family, church, country — are in too many cases sounding an uncertain trumpet.  They seem ambivalent, unable to define themselves, let alone to affirm the identities of men.

Should God’s men be in doubt regarding who  — and whose — they are?  I admit it’s late, but it is not too late.

Stimulation

Think of the many ways we have to overcome boredom.  The internet — boon that it is — can also be a scourge to those with an unmet need for stimulation.  Now it’s possible to visit the virtual equivalents of seedy hotels, casinos and brothels without the risk of being found out.  Gambling and pornography are just two of the ways a man can get into trouble online.

Then, of course, people resort to social media to attract attention to themselves, or to engage in the two minutes’ hate of social media shaming or outright slander.  The cost and the consequences for the perpetrators are very nearly zero.  Creating offense or feeling outrage is a pale substitute for really living, but at least the ones who do these things feel something.

In a previous role as a worship leader, other leaders and I would discuss  how to distinguish between leading people into worship versus entertaining them.  I argued then that the conflict isn’t between worship and entertainment.  To entertain simply means to hold the attention of others.  A leader can direct that attention toward God or toward himself.  No, the conflict is between entertainment and amusement.  Where entertainment holds one’s attention, amusement seeks to distract.

The economic climate is hostile, and the lack of meaningful or challenging work is a contributor to boredom.  But rather than seeking distraction in fantasy worlds or stimulation in tormenting others, how about seeking stimulation through the creation of value?  There are still opportunities to make a difference — and even if serving others doesn’t pay your bills, it will hold your attention and teach you how to apply yourself to solve problems.  Ultimately, that’s how all of us get paid.

Security

Ardrey explained that security was third because it was the most contingent on one’s place in the biome.  Large predators with no predators of their own to fear, had less of a need for security than prey animals down the food chain.

Most men in the west don’t have the kind of existential peril from lions, tigers and bears, instead our security is threatened by economic uncertainty and relationship instability.  Part of the Marxist feminist project I wrote about previously was to supplant America’s culture by destroying the American patriarch — by destroying men.  Understand that strategy and you’re prepared to defend against it.  At its heart, it’s about convincing a lion to believe he’s a fixed housecat.  Unless you’ve had the surgery, it isn’t necessary for you to go along with this.

Security rises or falls with identity.  The less sure you are of who you are and what you stand for, the less secure you’re likely to be.  The more secure you are, the less prone you are to boredom.  All of this in spite of employment status or bank balance.

And the remedy is?

I’m so glad you planted that question in my head as I was writing this!  Let’s go back to the top of the list.  Identity is foundational and non-negotiable.  You simply must know who you are.  God has revealed Himself as our Father in Heaven, so we must start by asking Him to tell us our true name and to affirm our masculinity.

From there, we must understand our purpose and our mission in life.  The right mission will carry you through your entire life, and if you are allocating time for work, rest and play, you can avoid the boredom that leads to fruitless stimulation.  Mental masturbation is as fruitless as its real-world counterpart. You and I were made to build things, to create, to come through.

Our security derives from understanding our place in the universe.  A man who places himself under the authority of God has a rock solid identity as a son and an heir.  He has a purpose to fulfill and a job designed for him.

So how about you?  From what do you derive your identity, stimulation and security?  Add your comments below.

Note: I’m re-posting this as a prelude to a series of posts in which I’ll expand on these themes over the next several weeks. Stick around.

“The increasing complexity and precariousness of our economic life have forced Government to take over many spheres of activity once left to choice or chance. Our intellectuals have surrendered first to the slave-philosophy of Hegel, then to Marx, finally to the linguistic analysts.”
– C. S. Lewis from “Willing Slaves of the Welfare State”

Last fall, David Horowitz’s FrontPage Mag published an article by Mallory Millett titled “Marxist Feminism’s Ruined Lives.”   The article described what Millett saw as a young divorcée in the 1960’s at the birth of the modern (second-wave) feminist movement, and the toll it took on her and others.   Millett’s older sister Kate Millett was one of the key figures in the movement — Kate Millett and her book Sexual Politics deserve full credit for helping spawn women’s studies programs in nearly every American university.

It’s a trap!

The unholy litany

In her article, Mallory Millett describes a meeting she attended with her sister — a Marxist consciousness-raising event that included a call-and-response chant between the leader and those in attendance.  According to (Mallory) Millett, it went like this:

“‘Why are we here today?” she asked.
“To make revolution,” they answered.
“What kind of revolution?” she replied.
“The Cultural Revolution,” they chanted.
“And how do we make Cultural Revolution?” she demanded.
“By destroying the American family!” they answered.
“How do we destroy the family?” she came back.
“By destroying the American Patriarch,” they cried exuberantly.
“And how do we destroy the American Patriarch?” she replied.
“By taking away his power!”
“How do we do that?”
“By destroying monogamy!” they shouted.
“How can we destroy monogamy?”

Their answer left me dumbstruck, breathless, disbelieving my ears.  Was I on planet earth?  Who were these people?

“By promoting promiscuity, eroticism, prostitution and homosexuality!” they resounded.

Surprise! You’re a target

Did you understand that if you are or intend to be a husband and a father — a patriarch — that you are also a target?  According to the Marxist feminists, it would only be possible to supplant the culture of the United States by destroying the family as its central institution, and it would only be possible to destroy the family by destroying its spiritual head.  That would be you and me.

Why are we talking about this?

I recognize that this is a bit off the normal track for this blog, but we have discussed the ongoing crisis in masculinity, and the need for us to become men who live out of our masculine strength.  Now perhaps you see what is at stake.  We always want to offer practical encouragement here, and this post is no different.  If I sent you on an errand, and I knew there was danger along the route, I would tell you — consider this a friendly warning.

In the same way you wouldn’t enter a lacrosse game without your helmet, pads, gloves and stick (and, of course,  your cup), you must go into today’s classrooms, workplaces  and entertainments aware of the plan to destroy men.  So consider the aim is to take you out, to neutralize your masculine strength, to render you powerless, impotent, emasculated and ineffective.  Worst of all, the plan is not to overpower you, but to entice you into surrendering.

What time is it?

Men, it’s late.  If you are in doubt about the effectiveness of this strategy, consider your own opinions and attitudes concerning promiscuity, eroticism, prostitution and homosexuality — and how they may have changed in the past ten years.  Now consider the opinions and attitudes of your friends, classmates and colleagues.  Next consider the messages concerning these four forces that you’ve encountered in classrooms, news articles and reports, in movies and television programs and in social media.

As you see, America has undergone a cataclysmic change in its mores since the consciousness-raising event attended by Mallory Millett.

Is it hopeless? 

• Don’t take the bait — These weapons only work on you if you let them.  Sexual sin is tempting, but recognize what’s behind it and take the long view.
• Clean up your diet — Don’t feed your mind with stories and images that undermine your masculine strength, or that promote your destruction.
• Audit the institutions you’re part of — Use your freedom of association to find, found or fund organizations that promote and value authentic masculinity.  (This is why I’m on this corner of the internet, by the way.)   If you need to change churches, employers, schools, vote with your feet.  When you realize you’ve stepped onto the conveyor belt at the slaughterhouse, you have every right to step off of it.
• Enlist allies — find brothers who are committed to the same values.  Not all women are on board with the destruction of the family.  Find them.  As I pointed out previously, the popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey — although promoting promiscuity and eroticism — repudiates Marxist feminism’s anti-masculine aims, since the audience seems keenly interested in a dominant man.
• Build your body and your mind — You are on your way to becoming the best possible version of yourself, aren’t you?  You need strength to withstand the allure of temptation in every form.
• Challenge the assumptions — As you encounter these anti-male ideas, be prepared to question their origins and their legitimacy.  Don’t be afraid to point out the consequences of four-plus decades of Marxist feminism and ask if we’re better off in any way.
• Reform your manners — English abolitionist, William Wilberforce, worked until the day he died for the abolition of slavery and for “the reformation of manners.”  As men, we should take up this cause and make it our own.   If you’re married, start by leading your family, even if it’s difficult.  Let’s reform our own character after that of Jesus, and work to liberate men and women in the clutches of these destructive forces.  Just by living fearlessly and unabashedly as a man, you’ll cause others to find their courage.  We can do this with God’s help.

So how about you?  In what ways have you gone along with the plan for your own destruction?  How do you intend to regain your strength?  Add your comments below.

It was the first night of my son’s initiation into manhood.  We had hiked to the top of Pinnacle Mountain and beyond the boundaries of Table Rock State Park and made camp for the night.  After dinner, we sat by our campfire, and I began to explain to my son the purpose and the content of this process of masculine initiation.

This is the actual knife I presented to one of my sons. Your knife — and your son — may vary

He had persevered and willed himself forward up the steep slope of the mountain, proving that he was equal to the physical challenge of entering the process.  I told him I was proud of him and  to commemorate the start of his initiation, I presented my son with a combat knife.

Although it wasn’t my son’s first knife, let me tell you when you present a nine-year-old with a knife nearly as long as his thigh, you have his full attention.  This was intentional.  As he held the knife and carefully removed it from its sheath, he looked at it solemnly, almost reverently, as I began the lesson:

“Son, this knife is a symbol of your strength as a man.  Now, some people say a man is a dangerous thing — and they’re right.  Some say a knife is a dangerous thing, and they’re also right.  So let’s talk about that.

“What are some good things you can do with that knife?”  Without missing a beat, my son listed an impressive number of worthwhile things a man can do with his knife — including defending others.

“Good,” I said.  “And what are some bad things you could do with a knife?” Immediately, he named several illegal, immoral and unethical things a man could do with a knife — including harming himself or others.

“So,” I asked, “how do we make a knife safe?  Should we grind the edge down to make it dull?  Should we bury it in the backyard and pretend it doesn’t exist?  Or should we hand it over to someone else to use against us?’  “No,” he answered.  “Then how do we make a knife safe?” His answer was perfect: “Keep it sharp.  Keep it clean.  And keep it under your control.”

I explained that his answer is also correct for the proper use of masculine strength.

Keep it sharp

God invested greater physical strength in men, and this is part of how men reflect His image.  A man owes it to God to cultivate the gifts he has received from his Maker.  This includes taking care of his body, his mind and his spirit, but it also includes developing his moral sense and pursuing wisdom, and especially using masculine strength to defend the weak.

To keep your masculine strength sharp is to answer the question of why God gave that strength to you in the first place.  When you understand why, you’ll understand better how. Men have accomplished great good through the proper use of masculine strength.

Keep it clean

Many large and small problems in the world today are from the abuse of masculine strength.  Think of all the misery that results from fatherlessness, for example.  We misuse our masculine strength when we exploit others for our gain — whether in intimidating weaker men, taking liberties with women, or simply being indifferent to the suffering of others.

But the misuse of strength isn’t always an action.  Some men fear their strength or what others will think of them, so they stay on the porch and don’t offer the world anything.  If this is you, consider what the world and those closest to you will lose if you remain inert.  Check your motives and for Heaven’s sake, ACT!

Keep it under control

The power to make decisions and to take responsibility for these decisions and their outcomes is a hallmark of moral agency.  This is one of the big differences between human beings and animals — and also why God held Adam and Eve responsible for eating the forbidden fruit.

Even so, there are too many men walking around blaming others for their poor choices.  A man must recognize the strength he has received from God, value it, build on it, and own it for all it’s worth.  Throughout the New Testament, men are charged with spiritual headship of their families.  This is why I say men are to lead in the arena of relationships.   We will talk more about this, but you cannot lead your family or anyone, if you are constantly handing your strength over to others.

So how about you?  How are you handling your masculine strength?  Add your comments below.

Note: While I’m taking a sabbatical from new posts to work on some longer-term projects, I’m re-posting some of my favorites, like this one.

“I don’t care how old I live; I just want to be LIVING while I am living!” – Fitness pioneer Jack Lalanne

In previous posts, we’ve talked about the principles of fitness, the proper technique for pull-ups, and the correct macronutrients for getting strong and staying lean. Today, I’d like to tell you about some of the supplements I take. Before I do this, I want to offer the following disclaimer:

I am not a doctor, and I am not telling you what you should do — I’m only telling you what I am doing. You’re an adult so do your homework and check the facts with your own doctor. If you ignore this paragraph, you’ll want to read my upcoming post on wisdom. Still with me?

The only iron supplement a man needs.
(photo by Marcin Czaja – used with permission)

The rationale

We live in a broken world. Death, disease, and deterioration are, ultimately, unavoidable, but rather than giving in to fatalism, I have decided to do what I can with what I have to influence those aspects of my health that seem to respond to supplementation.

My criteria for adding something to my regimen are straightforward. I want to see well-documented, independent reports of the alleged benefits — not carefully masked advertisements from the ones who stand to profit from it. I will try the supplement for a month, and attempt to measure its effects. Better sleep, less joint stiffness, or improved endurance are the kinds of things I’m looking for. And I want to understand how the supplement might interact with other supplements.

The background

I have no chronic illnesses and no prescriptions, so I have less to be concerned about. Also, I do not smoke (anything) or drink alcohol. We can talk about that later, if you like.

The supplements

Acetyl L Carnitine and Alpha Lipoic Acid – Few things in life are as terrifying as dementia. In addition to exercise, I take a daily dose of this potent antioxidant combo to help preserve my brain. I do not get Limitless-like special effects, however.

Resveratrol – This extract of red wine grapes reportedly holds some promise for extending longevity. Since it is derived from food, I do not regard taking it as a risk if the science doesn’t hold up.

Glucosamine Sulfate – As my body ages, I have to be concerned about conserving joint cartilage. The most recent research I read showed that glucosamine alone outperformed the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin. I have taken his supplement faithfully and have remained active, so I’m sticking with it.

Saw Palmetto – I have read in more than one source that almost every man can experience enlargement of the prostate gland — it’s simply a matter of when. The research is less than overwhelming, but I began taking saw palmetto before my 40th birthday to help slow the process. So far so good.

Potassium gluconate – If you increase your protein intake, your body will eliminate the excess in your urine. This diuretic effect can take potassium with it. I take a potassium supplement to help replace what get flushed out. This helps me avoid muscle cramping and keeps me from feeling lethargic.

Probiotics – I am fascinated with what we are learning about the role our microbiomes play in ensuring good health. To keep my gut flora healthy, I have eliminated artificial sweeteners from my diet and I take a supplement every day. I also have added more fermented foods to my plate.

Vitamin D3 – My doctor recommended this one to me several years ago. Given how little time most of us get outdoors, and the more frequent use of sunblock when we do, we are inhibiting our bodies’ opportunity to synthesize vitamin D from sun exposure. I take 2,000 International Units per day, and I have noticed greater capacity for work and more rapid recovery, with less tendency to get sick. If you’d like to know more about this supplement, you can read how and why college and professional athletes are using vitamin D3 here. If people who make their living outside can be vitamin D deficient, you could be, too.

Selenium – I don’t take this in a pill form. I get selenium from Brazil nuts. Unless one has a medical diagnosis I am not in favor of testosterone supplements. I am in favor of increasing my body’s own production. Zinc and selenium — along with lifting — seem to work for me.

No silver bullets

No one supplement will guarantee health or longer life. I take a systems approach to my health, as I do with most things these days. I’m seeking small (in terms of cost and energy) changes that will have outsized benefits. This way, my health rests on multiple columns of activity, nutrition, hydration, rest, prayer, and supplementation. It’s going to be very difficult to knock all of those down at once. I’ll let you know how it goes when I’m 110 years old!

So how about you? What supplements have you found most helpful in your fitness regimen? Add your comments below.

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz

Recently, I wrote about how I broke through from fat to fit. In that post, I promised to share what I’ve learned over time about eating for optimum fitness. Some of this might be new to you — even contrary to what you may have been taught. I hope you’ll do your own research and try what seems best to you. Eat the meat and spit out the bones

Protein and fat — it’s what’s for dinner!

The Basics

There are only three macronutrieints: protein, fat and carbohydrates. Each contains calories, but one flaw in most nutrition strategies is the assumption that all calories are equal. Using this logic, well-meaning people cut back on their eating across the board — or worse, shift to a higher percentage of carbohydrates in their diet.While they may lose weight, they end up with a higher percentage of body fat and less muscle, thus becoming a skinny fat person — a lose-lose scenario.

At one level, you could say that an excess of calories from any source would necessarily cause you to pile on the pounds. However, it’s not as simple as that.

Of the three, you only need protein and fats to survive. Carbohydrates can have a place in your diet, but you do not require them. Protein supplies you with the amino acids you need to support lean body mass – the most metabolically active and desirable stuff for health. So whenever you sit down to eat, make sure you’re taking in adequate protein and eat your protein first.

How to calculate protein requirements

Let’s start by saying that, unless you have a history of kidney disease, we’re going to calculate the minimum daily protein. To do this, you need to know your lean body mass. There are multiple ways to calculate this. (I like the method devised by husband and wife M.D.s Michael and Mary Eades — authors of the book, Protein Power.) If you don’t have access to the tables and constants, you can use an online calculator like this one.

Once you know your lean body mass, you can determine how much protein you need per day. If you’re athletic, you should aim for 0.9 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass a day. If you weigh 175 pounds and have 15% body fat, your lean body mass is 148.75 pounds. An active man with this lean body mass should take in at least 134 grams of complete protein per day. Spread over three meals a day, that would be approximately 45 grams of protein per sitting. And for your information, one ounce of lean meat contains approximately 7 grams of protein.

Wait? Fats are good for you?

In a word, yes. Eating fat will help you to feel full, but it won’t make you fat unless you combine that fat with carbohydrates. They provide the kind of fuel you need, and interestingly, when you’re consuming fat, your body takes this as a signal that all is well and you do not attempt to store it.

At our house, we use grass fed butter, avocados, nuts, extra virgin olive oil and unrefined coconut oil as our sources of dietary fats. This, of course, is in addition to the fats present in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products.

If you want to gain a better understanding of the ways dietary science has been skewed to disfavor fats, check out the book, The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz. She reports how the entire country’s eating habits — and nutritional education — rest on some shaky foundations.

But let me tell you that your brain needs fat to function. And your body needs cholesterol in order to produce testosterone. That’s right. In our area there are radio and TV spots talking about America’s plummeting testosterone levels and selling remedies. And this while we are telling men to avoid cholesterol in their diets. If you want to avoid being low-T, crack some eggs.

For the record, two-thirds of your serum cholesterol is produced by your liver. It does this, not in response to cholesterol you eat, but in response to insulin you produce — that production happens when you eat carbohydrates.

If you’re concerned that eating protein and fat will skew your health metrics, I have been eating this way for over 15 years and my cholesterol numbers are consistently within normal limits.

Kick carbs to the curb

So let’s say you’ve figured out how much protein you need per day, and you’ve decided to let fat back into your diet. Good man! You lack one thing: you must now break your addiction to carbohydrates and cut your consumption of them way back.

Let’s start with what sports trainer Mark Verstegen calls “the Devil’s carb” — high fructose corn syrup. This inexpensive sugar appears as a leading ingredient in nearly all sodas and many, many prepared foods. Become a reader of food labels and wherever possible choose whole foods, or at least options that are free of high fructose corn syrup.

You can get rid of a lot of carbohydrates easily through your choice of beverages. I drink black coffee, unsweet iced tea and water — all of which have zero calories. The only exception to this practice is the protein shakes I use to make sure I get enough protein every day. Quit drinking your calories. And if you’re serious about getting fit, that includes alcohol.

But don’t stop there. Eliminate all white carbs from your diet — sugar, bread, rice, noodles, potatoes. These spike your insulin, which is the master fat storage hormone.

Tim Ferriss says

In his book, The 4-Hour Body, Tim Ferriss decribes an eating plan we’ve followed for the past four years. The Slow-Carb diet employs a lot of the principles above, but replaces refined carbohydrates with legumes — beans. Six days a week, you eat meat (protein), non-starchy vegetables and beans, while avoiding white carbs, fruit and dairy. One day a week, you’re allowed to have a cheat day where everything is back on the menu. We have found this to be rather easy to sustain over time, but you should know there is no exit plan when one hits his ideal weight/body composition.

Ferriss says, “The decent method you follow is better than the perfect method you quit.” I think this is great guidance as you make progress toward the best possible version of yourself. Don’t be afraid to experiment and to modify any plan to enable you to improve your appearance and your health.

So how about you? What method have you used or do you plan to use to improve your fitness, your health, your life? Add your comments below.

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but he who hates reproof is stupid.” -Proverbs 12:1 (ESV)

If you’re a fan of professional football — the real as opposed to the fantasy kind — you probably saw last Saturday’s game between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and the surprising episode that took place late in the fourth quarter. The Steelers were trailing and had turned the ball over deep in their own territory. Just when it seemed their season was over, the Bengals fumbled and the Steelers’ hopes revived.

Moses gets to see — but not enter — the Promised Land. That’s a high price to pay for a tantrum. (image courtesy of www.fromoldbooks.org)

The previously injured Ben Roethlisberger returned to lead his team on a last desperate drive, trying to get within field goal range with enough time left. On an incomplete pass, Bengals defensive standout Vontaze Burfict speared Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown head-to-head, apparently knocking Brown unconscious. It was an ugly, cringe-inducing late hit, and the referees correctly penalized the Bengals 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. This gave Pittsburgh improved field position and an all-important fresh set of downs.

Bengals cornerback Adam Jones protested to the officials, bumping roughly into one of them, resulting in another 15 yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. The 30-yard improvement in the Steelers’ field position, made kicker Chris Boswell’s job much easier, as the Steelers kicked a field goal to go ahead for keeps with 23 seconds remaining.

Is there such a thing as an “own goal” in American football?

Professional football is a young man’s game, but two young men in particular — Mr. Jones and Mr. Burfict — cost their team a victory and the opportunity to continue in the postseason. The Bengals had the Steelers in a tight spot, and without the flagrant foul and the dead-ball confrontation with a referee, Cincinnati most likely would have won the game. But because neither man kept his head when it counted, the Bengals’ stretch without a playoff win now exceeds 25 years, and head coach Marvin Lewis may find himself without a job. What a colossal waste!

I’m pointing this out because this failure of self-control doesn’t only afflict amped-up professional athletes — it can also affect you and me.

Nothing more than feelings…

One aspect of our culture that distinguishes it from that of previous generations is the exalted role of feelings. Where our grandfathers and their grandfathers would have appealed to a transcendent moral code to determine right and wrong, it seems we place our emotions in the place of supremacy — and the result is sorry spectacles and rotten consequences such as we saw in Cincinnati. Does this mean that a man should totally shut down his heart? Not at all.

How’s that heart condition?

The condition of your heart has a lot to do with how trustworthy it is. In our unredeemed state our hearts are, as the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah said, “desperately wicked.” If, however, we have been redeemed, God replaces our rebellious, hard hearts with good and noble hearts that are yielded to His will. In this latter condition, our feelings and the longings of our heart function like the instrument panel in a high-performance car. They don’t navigate or steer, but they provide essential information about how the systems are functioning. Elsewhere in Proverbs, King Solomon instructed his readers this way:

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” – Proverbs 4:24 (ESV) This heart is not the desperately wicked heart that thinks it’s the boss. This is a good and noble heart — a redeemed heart — that God uses as His instrument.

Not For Long

Just so Bengals fans and Messrs. Burfict and Jones don’t think I’m picking on them, I want to say again that rashness isn’t just something that shows up among pro athletes or the immature. Here’s one example from 4,000 years ago:

In chapter 20 of the Old Testament book titled Numbers we read how Moses had led the Children of Israel through 40 years of desert wandering following their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Along the way, Moses had put up with the heat, privation and grumbling of his people, but he also had dealt with challenges to his authority as well as the people’s multiple rebellions against God.

At one point when the people — again — complained that God didn’t care for them because there was no water to drink, God instructed Moses to tell the rock of that place (called Meribah) to provide water. Instead, Moses railed at the stubborn people and angrily struck the rock. God provided the needed water — miraculously, as anyone who has tried to get water from a rock could tell you. But God also told Moses, that the consequence of his rash behavior was that neither he nor his brother Aaron would get to enter the Promised Land. Victory denied.

Grace, yes, but also consequences

We know that Moses received discipline and suffered the consequences for giving vent to his anger, but this did not sever Moses’ connection to God. We know this because when Jesus stood on the Mount of Transfiguration, who should appear to meet with him, but Elijah and Moses. Still, it must have stung Moses to have served faithfully all those years only to disqualify himself so late in the process — having to settle for a view of the Promised Land instead of settling in it.

Take the lesson where you find it

We can learn from the examples of Moses, Burfict, and Jones by cultivating self-control and keeping the larger objective in mind. In a football game, you have an opponent who is trying to thwart your game plan. You’re trying to thwart his. In life, your opponents are, as the Anglican prayer book said, “the world, the flesh, and the devil.” Unfortunately they don’t always identify themselves by wearing the opposing team’s jersey. Sometimes, they meet you on the field, fair and square. Other times, they try to get away with cheating. And sometimes, they try to get you to beat yourself by reacting emotionally when you’d do better to keep cool and stick to your game plan.

Vontaze Burfict not only helped his team lose the game they should have won, he won’t be playing in the Super Bowl. He also earned a three-game suspension that will keep him sidelined early next season. At some point a man has to ask himself if that cheap shot was worth it.

Look at the condition of your own heart and keep your feelings in their proper place. You may not win, but you will not defeat yourself.

So how about you? Have you ever lost because you spoke or acted rashly? How were you able to recover? Help your brothers learn from you.

“The waiting is the hardest part…” – Tom Petty

It doesn’t matter whether you call it being a late bloomer, a slow starter, or failure to launch. Plenty of guys these days are finding it difficult to establish themselves in life. Formal education is expensive, and the return on investment is questionable. Full-time employment is scarce (see previous point), institutions are in disrepute, and relationships are fraught. Oh, the weather outside is frightful… But if this is your situation, I want to encourage you not to despair.

In the dead of winter, it can be hard to imagine spring.

The examples of our forebears

A more recent example

This weekend, I had the privilege to hear Jack Reed speak. Jack is the founder and leader of MountainChild Ministries and he told the story of how he and a group of friends went to Nepal to have an adventure. As they were trekking in the mountains, they met a group of children accompanied by a couple of men. Jack said that something seemed off, and when he and his friends asked what the men were doing, they explained — quite openly — they were taking the children into India to sell them into prostitution.

Jack said he returned from his vacation and tried to forget what he had seen and heard, but he couldn’t three days after he got back, he resigned from his job and returned to Nepal to combat the spiritual and economic poverty that led to the exploitation of these children.

Elsewhere, I’ve encouraged you to discover your life’s purpose. I’ll stand by that advice, but I will make one slight change. Sometimes, your purpose is seeking you. Jack Reed is one more example.

Make it practical, please

Cultivate God-sized dreams

For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
    it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
    it will surely come; it will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:3 (ESV)

So how about you? What are you waiting for? Add your comments below.