Fire!

Three shots. Three dead pirates. Freedom for the captain. For Captain Phillips, on that day, in those circumstances, those three shots were the best sounds he could hear! The bad guys lay dead; the good guy gets to go home to his family.

It was time to take decisive action. The pirates had threatened a life. Their actions could no longer be tolerated. The command was given, and the Navy SEALs performed flawlessly.

I know this could have happened on any day, but it happened on Easter. Perhaps I am reading more into the significance of the day than I should, but it certainly caught my attention.

What an example for us as Christian men! In today's world, our beliefs, values, and freedoms are being taken hostage by evil forces bent on silencing Christian voices everywhere. Yes, Satan is pulling out all of the stops. He's using every means possible to turn us from God, cause us ignore Him, and to follow the desires of our sinful heart. Satan holds our tongue hostage and declares, "Don't speak out for Christ or I will make sure you are ridiculed." He binds our hands and whispers, "If you show acts of Christian compassion, I will make sure you are taken advantage of." He holds our actions hostage and proclaims, "Go anywhere you want; do anything you want. No one can take that from you. Hey, if you want to golf instead of go to church, go for it!"

It's time for the shots to ring out. It's time for us to stand up and silence Satan. It's time to speak up for Christ. It's time to not only proclaim our faith, but to show our faith by deeds. It's to remind Satan -- the filthy liar -- that he's lost the battle on Easter morning and is going to lose the war.

We know how this story ends...

The Talk

Okay, it's time for the "talk" -- you know the one -- the one you've been dreading since your kid had his or her first crush on some kid in their first-grade class. Yep, the sex talk is enough to make your stomach turn. But don't worry....

The good news is your kids are getting plenty of education on the subject -- TV, movies, the Internet, music, and their friends provide a continual stream of education. Yep, no need to have the talk about sex. They got it covered. They are doing a great job, too. The kids are learning lifelong patterns of behavior.

Let's see -- sextexting, sending nude pictures of oneself is now getting to be a socially accepted form of dating etiquette. According to a study by Teenage Research Unlimited, 22 percent of teenage girls and 18 percent of boys have taken nude or semi-nude photos of themselves and sent them to someone or posted them online.

And what about abortions? In the United States there are about 3,700 abortions performed each day with 52 percent of the females obtaining these abortions younger than age 25. Women aged 20-24 obtain 32 percent of all abortions; teenagers obtain 20 percent and girls under age 15 account for 1.2 percent. That means that every day there are 44 girls under the age of 15 having an abortion.

Hmmm. And what about STDs? At least one-in-four teenage girls nationwide has a sexually transmitted disease, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's more than 3 million teens, aged 14 to 19, infected.

Okay, Dads. As Nike® says, "just do it." Take time to talk to your sons and daughters about sex. Yes, it will be weird. Yes, you'll probably hate it and, yes, you may even stumble for words, but your kids -- in the short and long run -- will be better off for it. And, who knows? They may even thank you for it someday.

Men and Women are Different

How is that for stating the obvious? Despite all of the books, articles, movies, TV shows, and parental advice, couples still have trouble with one major part of their marriage - communication.

A good friend recently sent me an article from Preaching Today. It suggested, "men are computers and women are cell phones." Now that is an interesting proposition. It would also explain why often I hear but don't listen to my wife - I am in screen-saver mode. Literally, the lights are on, but no one is paying attention.

The cell phone analogy also fits, for she talks until I answer. Hmmm, I wonder if I can download a different ring tone?

Dr. James Dobson in his book, Love for a Lifetime, observes that women have been blessed by God with 50,000 words a day while men get 25,000. That means by the time I get home from work I have used all my words, but my wife still has plenty to spare.

So what does one do? Quite possibly, recognizing the problem is the first step. Men and women are wired differently, which is a real good thing. Then, couples can work on their communication connection - he saving some words for her, she letting go of some for him.

The best communication help I have found is at the end of the day when I turn off the TV, turn off the lights and hold my wife's hand. Then I pray for her, for me, for us, for the children, for our brothers and sisters, for work concerns, and so on - aloud. She, in turn, prays - aloud - for all that is on her heart. These words spoken to our heavenly Father are the best times of communication we have. Perhaps it also works because she can send messages from her cell phone to my computer?

Easter Joy to You

All of us at the LHM Men's NetWork pray that you each have a joyous celebration of Easter.

The decorated eggs, white lilies, and new clothes only add color to the day. Martin Luther sums up the meaning of the day in the explanation to the Second Article of the Apostles' Creed:

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also
true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. Who has redeemed me, a lost and
condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from
the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and
with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in
His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and
blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This
is most certainly true. http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/LCMS/smallcatechism.pdf

He is Risen!

The Men's NetWork Team