Based on the highly-acclaimed Young Men of Purpose program, this book provides the guidance and mentoring young men need to be successful throughout their lives. The real-life stories, discussion questions, tips, strategies and more found in this guide have been proven to enhance the ability of young men to effectively manage their lives, overcome obstacles, and passionately pursue their goals. This guide is an effective tool for parents, mentors, school officials, youth organizations, and concerned adults who wish to see young men achieve success.
This mentoring guide provides young men with fundamental life skills they can practice throughout their lifetime. The real-life stories and questions enhance their ability to understand and relate to the mentoring lessons. Each chapter concludes with a list of action steps and a statement of affirmation, which empower young men to take control of all areas of their lives and fulfill their purpose.This guide is an effective tool for parents, mentors, school officials, youth organizations, and concerned adults who wish to see young men achieve success.
The world needs young men to grow up into real men. But here's the problem: young men get so many conflicting messages about what it means to be a man, they find it hard to know what masculinity looks like when men are at their absolute best. Into this cultural confusion Brant Hansen paints a refreshingly specific, compelling picture of what men are designed to be. Combining depth and humor, he calls for young men of all interests and backgrounds to be ambitious about the right things and to see themselves as protectors and defenders of the vulnerable, with whatever resources they have at their disposal. The (Young) Men We Need is witty, to the point, bracingly honest, and packed with wisdom. Perfect for any guy age 14 and up who wants to know "Why am I here?"--and is ready to show up. Includes discussion questions.
Mothering is messy. Our joy and hope in raising children doesn’t change the reality that being a mom can be frustrating, stressful, and tiring. But just as God is using us to shape our children, God is using our children and motherhood to shape us. In The Better Mom, author Ruth Schwenk, herself a mother of four children, encourages us with the good news that there is more to being a mom than the extremes of striving for perfection or simply embracing the mess. We don’t need to settle for surviving our kids’ childhood. We can grow through it. With refreshing and heartfelt honesty Ruth emboldens moms to: Find freedom and walk confidently in purpose Create a God-honoring home environment Overcome unhealthy and destructive emotions such as anger, anxiety, and more Avoid glorifying the mess of mom-ing or idolizing perfection Cultivate life-giving friendships At the heart of The Better Mom is the message that Jesus calls us to live not a weary life, but a worthy life. We don’t have to settle for either being apathetic or struggling to be perfect. Both visions of motherhood go too far. Ruth offers a better option. She says, “It’s okay to come as we are, but what we’re called to do and be is far too important to stay there! The way to becoming a better mom starts not with what we are doing, but with who God is inviting us to become."
John Luke Robertson may be young and beardless, but he has a lot to say about growing up and discovering your purpose. John Luke Robertson, the oldest son of Willie and Korie Robertson and brother of Dancing with the Stars sensation Sadie Robertson, shares his story of what it’s like to grow up as a Robertson and all the fun and craziness that entails, as well as what he has learned as he has stepped out into his own unique experiences. He also shares what it’s like to navigate the walk from boyhood to becoming a man. Topics in this book include friendship, kindness, dreaming big, embracing your God-given uniqueness, taking chances, and choosing mentors. John Luke speaks frequently on dreams (how to build a dream for your life), schemes (how to plan for your dream to come true), and building teams (choosing the people around you who will become a team that helps make your dream come true through their support, honesty, and care). He will incorporate these important guidelines into the book, ultimately helping young people learn how to find and pursue a clear-cut purpose in their lives. Teens and young adults will enjoy reading his story, and they will benefit by reading Robertson’s wisdom and perspective on how to grow up and live out your purpose. And, with the Robertsons, this book is sure to be fun!
The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.
A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor book, and recipient of the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature. In this New York Times bestselling novel, two teens—one black, one white—grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by racial tension. A bag of chips. That’s all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galluzzo, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad’s pleadings that he’s stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad’s resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad’s every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement? There were witnesses: Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before. Written in tandem by two award-winning authors, this four-starred reviewed tour de force shares the alternating perspectives of Rashad and Quinn as the complications from that single violent moment, the type taken directly from today’s headlines, unfold and reverberate to highlight an unwelcome truth.
In the sixth chapter of John, there is a story told about a miracle that Jesus performed by feeding 5000 people with two fish and five loaves of bread. Many have read or heard this story, but many miss the significant origin of the bread and fish. In the story, the young boy had these portions with him, and you can perhaps speculate that he was carrying his lunch planning to hear Jesus preach. I imagine that when he left his house that morning, he had no idea that his small lunch would be used in a great miracle. Some of the disciples who were with Jesus noticed the boy and pointed him out to Jesus. Who knew that a young boy, who the people did not know, would be used by God in such a great way? How often do you see our young men standing around you with no father to help them use what they have? You often overlook them and fail to help them reach their full potential. I imagine this young boy didnt have a prominent family name, wasnt dressed in fancy clothes, and wasnt rich, but instead was a peasant from a poor village. Yet, Jesus stepped somewhere in between and used what the boy had to the glory of His father in heaven. Many young men walk through life and have no idea of the potential that they carry with them. Many of them need someone that is willing to be somewhere in between and help them realize their potential. Just like the young boy, many young men dont come from notable families or rich homes, but all carry an unexpected miracle around with them every day. The miracles are not always instantly recognizable, but with the help of someone who is somewhere in between, miracles can happen. It doesnt take much to ignite the potential within, but someone has to be willing to show them what they carry. To be somewhere in between means to be whatever you have to be for each young man. It means that youre willing to take them as they are, broken and all, and treat them as your own son. Jesus could have very well ignored the young boy who had nothing to offer but two fish and five loaves of bread. He could have looked at His own situation, the need to feed many, and dismiss the boy who could only feed one. Instead, Jesus looked at the potential of the meal and the boys willingness to share, instead of the obstacles that seem to stand in the way. Young men want someone with whom they can share their life, their dreams, and their potential miracles. It is up to you as a mentor to put yourself in a position of being somewhere in between so that you can see the potential instead of the obstacles. To truly be effective, you have to be more than a mentor. You have to be more than someone that pops in and out at your convenience. It is never convenient to be somewhere in between but it is necessary. Somewhere In Between is not only an effective guide to mentoring, it is mentoring Gods way.
Life Skills for Young Mn is an easy way to help train up your sons to be successfuel and proficient, strong men of God. It is broken up into 18 weeks and can be counted as 1/2 a semester. It covers a variety of skills from personal grooming, how to get a job, finances, cooking, laundry, and outdoor survival skills. All of these skills will become necessary to encourage your son to live a life of purpose.
