Sons and big bangs...

(Tim, thanks to Joel) My Dad loved firecrackers. So I grew up lighting fuses and dropping Cherry Bombs and M-80s off the bridge into the DuPage River half a mile from our house. Dad blew the match out and then came the boom and geyser. Splendid! Wonderful! Manly!

Right now, I can hear many thousands of mothers rising in protest against Dad's stupidity.

Not at all. He knew how to raise sons. He knew that taking the risk out of sonship was to lie about life and God.

Fathers, take back your sons from their mother and teach them the fear of God. Avoiding risk and danger is not the ultimate test of godly childrearing. And as a first step, watch this short talk. It's excellent, except that it's as gender-neutered as the TNIV.

Comments

[Dan Reuter]

Hey, Tim, did you ever have a carbide cannon? I did, and so did my son--his grandfather's gift. Awesome!

[Mark]

I didn't get around to watching the link, but I like this post, quite a bit.

[Robert W.]

Amen and Amen!

As the father of five sons I am all for pyrotechinics and everything else big, loud, fast and/or dangerous. Including carbide cannons and potato guns.

My guys invented "fire hockey." Soak a tennis ball in white gas, light it and bat it around with hockey sticks. Works best at night in a cul du sac. (Got the lady across the street pretty excited).

Also "tennis ball bombs." Cut a slit in a tennis ball and fill it with wooden match heads and the powder from about 100 blackcats. Duct tape shut and throw against the side of the house. (Don't tell mom).

The motto of our home is: "Boys will be boys, and if they live long enough, they will be men."

[Tim Bayly]

Yes, Dan, we've built a potato gun and a carbide canon. In fact, the canon's still in our garage with a large can of carbide beside it.

[Ron Gleason]

This was fun to watch. I got my first shotgun for Christmas when I was 10. My dad, a former-Marine, taught me how to shoot it, clean it, and, yes, I was required to take it apart and put it back together blindfolded. We all had Cub Scout and Boy Scout pocketknives. Dad taught me how to sharpen my knife and to care for it. He also taught me about safety.
I've done the same with my children and grandchildren.
Watching this man made me a little nostalgic. Today we protect our kids too much. When we started our youth wrestling program at our church I had to convince most moms and some dads that it was okay. Our kids range in age from 4-14 in the program and they love it--it's just for guys. We've had our share of bloody noses and tweaked necks and knees, but they keep coming back for more.
My kids learned how to make fires and to chop wood with an ax. We need to get more of this in our churches.

[Ron Gleason]

This was fun to watch. I got my first shotgun for Christmas when I was 10. My dad, a former-Marine, taught me how to shoot it, clean it, and, yes, I was required to take it apart and put it back together blindfolded. We all had Cub Scout and Boy Scout pocketknives. Dad taught me how to sharpen my knife and to care for it. He also taught me about safety.
I've done the same with my children and grandchildren.
Watching this man made me a little nostalgic. Today we protect our kids too much. When we started our youth wrestling program at our church I had to convince most moms and some dads that it was okay. Our kids range in age from 4-14 in the program and they love it--it's just for guys. We've had our share of bloody noses and tweaked necks and knees, but they keep coming back for more.
My kids learned how to make fires and to chop wood with an ax. We need to get more of this in our churches.

[GLW Johnson]

Come on Gleason, this isn't your father's oldsmobile! Obviously you are still stuck in the 50's . Get with it! How on earth do you expect to be relational and incarnational with that kind of mindset! You need to visit your local Starbucks and expore how to get in touch with your feminine side. Watching Martha Stewart and Ophah along with Dr. Phil would do you alot of good-and by all means get involed with the emergent conversation ,otherwise you are going to to so out of it.

[GLW Johnson]

p.s. John Armstrong wised up so it can be done. Just follow his lead.

[Ron Gleason]

Gary,
You made me cry.

[GLW Johnson]

Glad to hear it. There is still hope for you now that you can feel your feelings. Remember, you too can go beyond orthodoxy by simply asking yourself-
WWBD-What Would Brian Do?

[David Baker]

I was asked recently if being a painter and (a soon to be) retired cop was conflicting or confusing to me. The person seemed to suggest a feminine side / masculine side issue. I reminded him that I don't have a feminine side and that art isn't feminine either. I directed him to the example of King David and, of course, The Lord Jesus Christ as great models of warrior/poets. The exchange ended with HIS confusion when I told him I saw no difference in a well excecuted painting and the development of combat skills.

[Tim Bayly]

Just right, David.

And Ron, grow up, man. If that made you cry, I'd hate to think what it must have been like sitting next to you at a PromiseKeepers thingamabob.

[Ross]

Hi Tim (looking at comment above) what's the attitude in this neighbourhood towards Promise Keepers? I did some work for them in New Zealand, and generally enjoyed myself at it.

[Anna Talcott]

Thank you for a great post! I have had my child lectured by another mom at a park for setting a bad example and climbing all the way to top of a slide--on on outside of it (it was one of those ones with a tube-like cover all the way down). Her son was climbing also, and it was very apparent from the way she looked at me (all the way across the park, not able to catch him if he fell), that I was an irresponsible mother.

[Tim Bayly]

"Generally enjoyed myself at it..."

That would about sum up most reformed men, as well as there being a whole lot of crying.

[Kamilla]

Just a couple of quick(ish) comments about PK:

The first is that I know that I know that I know the Holy Spirit was present in the early rallies. I happened to make one of my trips up to Boulder on the day PK as holding their rally. For the first and only time, I was at peace in that town. It was as if the cloud of oppression had been blown away. Funny thing is, I didn't know the reason (PK) until the next day when I went to church and overheard some of the men talking about it.

Second, once the movement outgrew Boulder and they went national, the board rapidly lost control. I spoke with one of the board members to express my concern about their use of a certain Oneness Pentecostal preacher at their rallies that year. I was glad it was a phone call because anger blasted out of that telephone like I have seldom seen. I was informed in no uncertain terms that they simply didn't have the time to check on the beliefs of their speakers, the speakers were merely required to sign a minical statement of faith. I did notice, however, that the preacher in question was not on the speaker's roster the next year.

FWIW,

Kamilla

[Barbara L.]

Anna, I can't count the number of times other mothers at playgrounds have tried to rescue my sons from being boys, even pointing out to me that they might break an arm the way they're playing on the monkey bars. My response is always the same, "I know. Isn't it GREAT what boys can do? We're on a first name basis at our local emergency room! [big smile at concerned stranger-mom as I wave at my wonderful sons]"