Welcome to the first “MEMO”! This is an introduction to what is coming. The first full Memo will come out in August.  I have lined up some interesting men to contribute to the Memo. I am excited to have a diversity of voices featured here. I am hoping that men from all over will find this a valuable resource. I appreciate any feedback you might have and please send some questions and we will try to answer them.

The MEMO is a newsletter written by men for men, to encourage us to connect with God our Creator. Godly masculinity is under attack. When men’s hearts are far from God, our culture declines. Sexual deviation and violence are the results. I believe most of the issues in our culture today are because Godly masculinity has declined. The enemy knows that he must bind the strongman before he can destroy.

The lack of fatherhood in our country is devastating. Take a look at the Father Facts found @ www.fatherhood.org. It is sobering. The majority of teenage problems that lead to adult problems are because of fatherlessness. Bind the strongman.

In this section of The MEMO, we will take a look at the scriptures to find answers and give directions for the masculine soul. I believe one of the messages that the church has under-delivered on is that The Book is the Way to an Abundant Life now. We have done well with the “come to Jesus so you don’t go to Hell” message. But I believe that we need to live, and can live, the Eternal Life now and do so abundantly. Jesus tells us that he came so that we would have an Abundant Life now! That’s good enough for me.

If you had to summarize the scriptures in a brief statement, I think it would be something like this: The Bible is about God’s desire to be with man. God with us.

The story begins with God creating something out of nothing with His spoken Word. We see the Spirit moving over chaos and separating light from darkness. He then creates a place where humanity and He can have perfect communion. He desires fellowship and friendship with all of creation. Of course, our father Adam did exactly what we would do (and still do) and that is screw it up.

The rest of the Biblical story is God bringing us back to fellowship with Him. It culminates in the life of Jesus where God makes a way for all of humanity and creation to enjoy life with Him again.

I look forward to coming months as we explore the scriptures together and look for ways to encourage one another to live out our divine purposes in Godly masculinity. It is time for men of God everywhere to take a stand and stand in the gap between our tribes and the enemy. It is time to Man Up!

MAN AND (HIS) MONEY

In this section, we will have articles that are related to personal finance, business, and leadership. If you have an interest in helping with this section, please reach out to me.

Money is really just a reflection of our values. If our values are properly aligned, we will handle our resources in a God-honoring way. I hope to eventually get into some details about investments and other things here but I want to start with some broad overviews about our finances. I also am recruiting people in the “business” to contribute to this section.

Financial issues are listed as the number one cause of divorce. Again, I don’t think it is the money but the value systems behind the money. Some people are savers and some people are spenders. Neither is all right or all wrong. It has a lot to do with our upbringing and our personalities. I do think what we do with our money is important to God. If he can trust us with little things, he will trust us with bigger things.

First and best piece of “advice” is to spend less than you make! I know that is so simple but yet I see it abused all of the time. Just look to our government for the biggest example of this! (I am not going to get political here!)

Seriously, spend less than you make! Rule number one! If you cannot handle your credit cards with this in mind, get rid of the cards.  Quit thinking that tomorrow will be different and that you will have more money tomorrow. Start today. Spend less than you make.

We will certainly get into more details in future MEMOS but if you have any specific questions about money or finances, please email them to Curtis@manupministry.net.

TRIBAL RELATIONS

In this section we are going to discuss issues related to relationships. I would imagine that most of these will be about our marriages. We will also get into parenting issues and other relationships in this section.

I think marriage is the most important human relationship we have. God has used my marriage to shape and chisel me to be more like Him. It is in my marriage that I have learned the most about unconditional love. I have found this to be essential for a healthy marriage. If you cannot unconditionally love your wife, you will eventually think about and move toward dissolving the relationship. I have found the more I give love unconditionally, the more I receive in return.

Christ is always our model and on the cross he demonstrated unconditional love for all of humanity and creation. It is thru His strength and His life that we can love unconditionally.

We are to love our wives as we love our own bodies. We should create an environment where our wives always feel safe and where they can thrive. The best thing you can do for your children is to love your wife well. There tends to be a connection to how are children relate to the church and how we love our wives. If we love our wives well, our children tend to have a positive view of the church.

Dr. Garrick McAnear is going to be contributing the next few blogs in this section. Garrick and his wife have taught and led young married couples for years. He has a tremendous amount of wisdom and insight (Thank you Heather!). I am looking forward to reading his blogs!

MILENNIAL MOMENT

If I am honest, this is the section I know the least about. I have to admit I do not always understand the younger men I am around. However, I am excited to hear from some young guns! I have recruited a few young men to write this section. I am letting them pick the topics and it is my hope that one young gun can speak to another in a way that old farts like me simply cannot. Paul encouraged Timothy not to let his youth be a deterrent. I think young men have a fresh perspective on the scriptures and will bring a lot for us all to think about. I am very hopeful for our future because I know several young men that are pursing God with all they have.

I do think that men’s problems and needs have never really changed. I do think there are different ways to communicate these ideas and I am excited to see what shows up in this section. Bring it on!

SITTING WITH THE SAGES

Life is the best teacher. With a long life comes wisdom. We are going to hear from some wise guys in this section. They will cover topics from birth to retirement and all things in-between. I myself am approaching the “retirement” years and I am eager to hear what these older brothers have to share with us. I have had trouble trying to find anything about retirement in the scriptures! The Bible has a lot to say about aging but it is funny that it doesn’t mention anything about retirement. I am sure these guys will dive deep into this subject. Get ready to hear from Dave G and Willie K.!

“Y”

I have titled this the “Y” section of the MEMO. We men have a Y chromosome and women do not have a Y chromosome. (I am just a scientist. Those with two x chromosomes will always have two x chromosomes no matter what all they do to change their appearance. Again, I am just a scientist!)

I hope to bring relevant topics on men’s health. We will cover things from diet and exercise to low T and ED. I am amazed at how many young men supposedly have ED. If you watch any sports or listen to sports radio, every guy must be impotent based on all the commercials they have on treating this issue!

We will talk about weight loss, hypertension, high cholesterol, depression, anxiety and many other common problems we may run into. If you have some topics you are interested in hearing about, please reach out to me!

THE OUTSIDER

In this section we will hear from people who have a slightly different view on the church than most of us probably do. I am recruiting people that may or may not be spiritual to provide some insight on how they see the modern church. It is my hope that we can learn from them and hopefully get a better understanding of ourselves and those who are “outside” of our church. I think we should be known for the love we have for one another and for those who are on the outside. Unfortunately, I suspect those that are “outside” of the church probably do not see a lot of love flowing from us. I know I have often fallen short in this area.

I am really excited to see what my friends have to teach us on this subject.