The Manual: Getting Masculinity Right.

The Manual: Getting Masculinity Right by Al Stewart

What does it actually mean to be a good man?

In The Manual, Australian pastor Al Stewart tackles that question at a time when public discussion about masculinity can seem dominated by what is supposedly wrong with men. Published by Matthias Media in 2022, this is instead a constructive, practical and unapologetically Christian account of what healthy masculinity can look like.

At the heart of Stewart’s argument is a compelling idea: masculinity isn't principally about status, toughness or domination. Healthy masculinity means accepting responsibility and using your strength and power for the good of others.

That makes The Manual refreshingly strengths-based. Stewart acknowledges destructive male behaviour without treating masculinity itself as a pathology. His answer to bad masculinity is not less masculinity, but better men.

And he gets wonderfully practical...

The book moves from broader questions about masculinity, male and female differences, self-control and growing from boyhood into manhood to the relationships in which character is actually tested: being a son, friend, workmate, single man, husband and father.

Underlying everything is Stewart’s Christian faith. Jesus isn't an optional appendix to his conception of manhood, but its ultimate model: strength expressed through service, responsibility, sacrifice and love.

I particularly appreciate that emphasis. Men need more than endless messages about what they should not be. Boys and men also need a positive vision of the men they can become...

The Manual provides one: mature rather than self-centred; responsible rather than passive; strong enough to serve; committed to family, friendship, faith and duty.

Accessible, humorous and highly practical, this is an excellent book for Christian men; and particularly valuable for fathers, sons, mentors and men’s groups.

The Manual is a thoughtful contribution to rebuilding a positive vision of masculinity. Definitely recommended.

#Masculinity #HealthyMasculinity #ChristianMen #CatholicMen #Fatherhood #MensBooks #MensMinistry #Manhood

 

 

 

By Masculinity Celebrated. 

 

 

(From Digital Anvil ) 

You Need to Read This:

 

 Are Men to Blame? If so, Why?

"There are now roughly 30.4 million unmarried American men between the ages of 20 and 39, nearly twice the number of married men in the same cohort."

 

 The predictable explanation is that men are to blame. Pornography, gaming, delayed adulthood, declining ambition, fear of commitment, social awkwardness, the manosphere, and economic stagnation all make the list of reasons.
 But after years of dissecting so-called “toxic masculinity,” perhaps it is time to ask what has toxic femininity done to the modern woman? Have women today become poor prospects for marriage?

That honest question may sound inflammatory because our culture has spent decades teaching women to evaluate men while treating reciprocal scrutiny as sexism. Women are encouraged to identify red flags, examine a man's income, ambition, temperament, sexual habits, emotional intelligence, politics, attachment style, relationship with his mother, willingness to provide, and potential as a father.

 

 This is considered discernment, rightly so. 

 

Men, however, are increasingly discovering that asking similarly consequential questions about women's character invites accusations of insecurity, misogyny, or an inability to “handle” independent women."

By Glenn Beck.

Broadcaster,Social and Political Commentator,Father,Husband and Man of Letters. Multiple Best- selling Author,Entrepreneur and Radio and TV Host.

( from Digital Anvil )

 End of Ways, End of Days:

I know that You don't quite understand, yet You dare.

Friends are vanishing, people are following their own gods and families are worried-- for themselves and little else besides.

Jesus stands at the door of your heart and knocks!

A few open but many would- be followers refuse to commit to an uncertain yet vaguely understood future. Opening to an Adventure, mocked by some, most  to a dangerous, truly frightening destination they run,

Dressed in white, flowing robes, many worship at the Throne, but GOD's angels fly to the earthly harvest among the Lost.

Tribulation  begins...

The earth quakes violently as the House of GOD is shaken.

Many scream and shout with the tragic awareness as the Son of GOD re- appears.

For 10s of 100s of millions have rejected Him.

Each day sadness roams and settles in GOD's own vision

My eyes, dim with sorrow, yet gladness fills my heart.

My life- journey nearing completion.

What remains apart from me and my body {will be} precious faith purified by supernatural fire.

By Digital Anvil 

The Reversal marches Onward:

 The Reversal Marches:

 

 

 (from Digital Anvil)

 

 The Reversal:

 

of Believing and Understanding 

 

 I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order that I may understand; for of this I feel sure, that, if I did not believe, I would not understand.

ANSELM OF CANTERBURY

(From Digital Anvil)

Eucalypts: Fire That Liberates

Stephen Pyne has written a book about the Australian landscape called Burning Bush: A Fire History of Australia. He refers to one of the remarkable attributes of the eucalypt, found throughout Australia, as its ability to survive fire.

This has always been the case. When the first Europeans arrived in Australia, they saw the First Nations people using bushfires as forest management.

Pyne notes that eucalypts are built for fire. He writes:

“For most eucalypts, fire was not a destroyer but a liberator.”

Fire does not destroy the tree; it reinvigorates the eucalypt.

We can be like the eucalypt. The fires of life, which sometimes feel like that will burn us up, can actually deepen and build us. God promises us that when we walk through the fire, He will be there (Isaiah 43:2).

Share this daily- reading.

Appreciation for this reading to Karl Faase.

( from Digital Anvil )

Ps:

Like the legendary Phoenix, the Eucalypt rises, freed to live.again.

I read this daily- reading during a tough time...and wanted to share with you,my discovery. Coupled with care and prayer, the end result is mightily accomplished

 Free will:

 

 is a concept that has been debated and discussed for centuries. It refers to the ability of individuals to make choices and decisions freely, without any external or predetermined influences. 

 

The concept of free will is highly valued in many societies, as it is seen as a fundamental aspect of human autonomy and personal responsibility. It allows individuals to take ownership of their actions and shape their own lives.
 

 The belief in free will also plays a significant role in various philosophical, religious, and ethical frameworks, as it raises questions about moral accountability and the nature of human agency.

 Overall, the concept of free will is widely embraced and considered essential for the functioning of a just and equitable society.

 

by Digital Anvil