Manly Virtue No. 3: Industry

A professor stood at the front of his lecture hall and held up a jar he had filled with large rocks. “Is the jar full?” he queried. The students agreed that it was. The professor lowered the jar and poured pebbles into it, jostling it gently so the pebbles fell in the cracks between the larger rocks. “Is it full now?” He asked again. The students, again, agreed that it was. At this, the professor pulled out a bag of sand and filled the remaining cracks in-between the pebbles and rocks. The jar was then full of rocks, pebbles and sand. The professor could have added water and it would still retain its “full” status.

In the same way, industry is not determined by how full our days are, but by how and with what we fill them. Industry is the third manly virtue and, like all the rest, is of no value unless there is a God who calls you to make good use of your time.

Eph 5:15 “Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Time is power. Power well invested is Industry and power wasted is a video game… I  mean… idleness. According to the AFA Journal, 18-34 year old men spend more time playing video games daily than the typical 12-17 year old boy. If you reside in the younger age bracket, you potentially spend about eight hours a day on the web and video games (Reinberg). Improve your spare moments. Don’t let the sand and pebbles of the day slip through your fingers. Their value adds up to a tremendous amount.

“One hour a day withdrawn from frivolous pursuits and profitably employed would enable any man of ordinary capacity to master a complete science… An hour a day might make, –nay, has made—an unknown man a famous one, a useless man a benefactor to his race. Consider, then, the mighty possibilities of two—four—yes, six hours a day that are, on average, thrown away by young men.” Orison Swett Marden from Pushing to the Front, 1894

Industry is not determined by how full our days are, but by how and with what they are filled. Improve your spare moments and master the great things. Sell the game and invest your time in becoming physically and mentally efficient. Be a man of Industry.

“The hours perish and are laid to our charge.” ~ Inscription on a sun dial at Oxford

Source Cited

“Decline of Man.” AFA Journal 36 (2012): 5. Print.

Reinberg, Steven. “U.S. Kids Using Media Almost 8 Hours a Day.” Http://www.businessweek.com. Bloomberg Businessweek, 20 Jan. 2010. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/635134.html>.

Manly Virtue No. 2: Courage

World War II commences and three Christian college friends are moved from their dorm to a concentration camp. They managed to smuggle in pages of the Bible and each night they read them, sang hymns and prayed together. But that is not something you do lightly in a concentration camp. Finally the guards found them. As punishment, they chose one, stripped him, beat him and hung him outside on a pole in the winter night. Despite the cold and the guards, his two college friends sang hymns with him until he died.

As men today, we are braver for ourselves than for anyone else. It improves our image amongst guy friends to be champions of what the secular culture deems manly, but we shirk an unpopular cause. We are willing to defend our pride and our football team at all costs; persevere for our own interests and desires, but when it comes to the interests of others, we cower. This is the kind of man society breeds. We don’t stop and ask for directions, don’t care about feminine innocence, and we don’t believe in crying. We’re men!

This is not only apish but also cowardly. A man who is brave for his own interest is a wimp. A man who doesn’t take responsibility for his actions or stand in the path of danger and injustice, because it may hurt him, his reputation or wound his pride, is a wimp. To be truly courageous is to be recklessly selfless on someone else’s behalf. It is to put yourself at the mercy of guards and winter cold just so you can stand by your friend as he dies. It is to have a heart and love truly. It is to run into a collapsing World Trade Center to pull out  survivors before it all comes down. Our model for courage put himself at the mercy of a rebellious world which beat him, pinned him to hunks of wood, and killed him slowly. He was recklessly selfless on our behalf. The best we can do is stand up for our football team.

Fortune may favor the brave, but God favors the selfless. Who are you brave for? You can be brave for yourself, or you can be selfless. The former makes you “fortunate,” the latter makes you a Man; a Man of Courage.

Manly Virtue No. 1: Manliness

Walter Mitty was a man of fame and adventure, in his head. All of his imaginings had lots of strut and appreciative women, but when he snapped back into reality, he was simply an absent minded guy with no real life accomplishments. Today, he is the equivalent of a gamer; his world is in pixels. Why is manliness a virtue? Isn’t it kind of a given? Furthermore, what does it mean exactly? Does being “Manly” actually hold some amount of challenge and adventure better than what we crave in gaming? It all boils down to who we are serving as we pursue the other six virtues.

Why is manliness a virtue? It is because the other six are universal. Including manliness in our list defines the way we are going to approach and carry out the other six virtues. This is important because we could very well pursue these same virtues (Courage, Industry, Resolution, Self-Reliance, Discipline and Honor) in a womanly way and become more feminine, which is not our goal.

What does Manliness mean exactly?

“Manliness means perfect manhood…Manliness is the character of a man as he ought to be, as he was meant to be.”  ~ Every-Day Religion, 1886, By James Freeman Clarke.

Like I mentioned in the introduction article, being a man is being as we were created to be. We were created to be servants and protectors. To and of whom is what we will find out in the upcoming virtues. How about gaming? Plain and simple, gaming is not like a drug, it is a drug. The excitement and challenge we find in front of a screen is fake, addicting, ultimately destructive and cannot compare to adrenaline laced, world changing, awe inspiring, real life accomplishment. If you have a hard time seeing video games as that controlling, consider this: the average age of gamers in the U.S. is forty. Case and point. If you’re a gamer now, it’s not going to change unless you take steps to get out of it.

The virtue of manliness is an art all to itself and it includes so much more than what I can mention here. Don’t save the call to be manly for, “when I grow up.” This will leave you like Walter Mitty: a guy with no real life accomplishments and a pixilated world that is sure to keep him that way. Sell the game and don’t submit to the culture and fleshly desires. They are destroying our men and will, without a doubt, destroy you. Search out the King and learn to live, love, work and play like He created you too. That’s what it means to be manly.

Introduction: On Being A Man

The perfect man is like Mr. Potato Head. He’s cute, he’s tan and if he looks at another woman, you can re-arrange his face. Are you a Mr. Potato Head? Perhaps you are interested in becoming one. If you think you are manly enough already, I want you to think again. According to the Population Reference Bureau, 18.1 million American children don’t have daddies. That is about the population of Florida. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, we teens spend at least eight hours a day watching TV, playing video games or surfing the Internet. Can you relate to any of this? Maybe you come from a single parent home? Maybe you struggle with an online addiction. Maybe this is something you want to work on. History has helpfully narrowed down manliness to seven virtues: Manliness, Courage, Industry, Resolution, Self-Reliance, Discipline and Honor. This upcoming series is going to cover those in detail, but if you want to work on your manliness, we have to get one thing straight: Manliness is a God thing.

God is the founder of manliness. If He isn’t and there is no God, then there really is no point to being manly because, as we will talk about in the next article, manliness is man being as he was meant to be. If man is an accident, he has no point and should be as he pleases. The second reason manliness is a God thing, is because we cannot achieve it on our own. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine and you are the branch. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.” Third, we need a perfect role model to base our judgments off of. Last, and most important, manliness is a God thing because when we determine to serve God rather than ourselves, we become manly. When we serve ourselves we become destructive.

Who is sitting on the throne of your heart? If you are, then there is no possible way you can experience the thrill of being a real man. Self-serving and culturally correct men are falling behind and taking our families and society with them. If manliness is something you want to work on, the first step is figuring out who your king is going to be. If you’re the king, these upcoming virtues will be of no use to you.

Investing in Precious Metals: Gold, Silver and More

When you get into college (or even better before) it is insightful to stash some money for a future house, property, business etc. If it never makes it to those ends, it will help ward off debt (which should be top priority). But how does one do this in an economy where money is hard to come by?

Investment

Using our money wisely has a lot to do with spending it well. However, the other half to effective stewardship is saving it well too. You may have never thought about it like this, but in a way, money can be idle. Just saving it for future use puts it in limbo where it sits static: not increasing (unless you add to it) and most likely decreasing because of inflation. So what do you do? You put your money to work and invest it… Where? That is a fantastic question that will take a lot of research. But to start you out, here is a fantastic informative six minute video on investing in precious metals. Josh Renfro is a good friend of mine and a fellow Alumni at Patriot Academy. He is working for Lone Star Bullion, which is one of the fastest-growing precious metals suppliers in the US. His video is a good resource on the profitability of investing in Gold and Silver. Please watch it and support him by dropping a comment at his website. I know he would appreciate it immensely.

Check out the original article here.

Entrepreneurship

Another great way to put your money to work (with slightly more risk) is to invest in local entrepreneurs. These up and coming business’ can posses a great amount of potential. Be careful which ones you choose to support. To be frank, I would invest in an entrepreneur I know to be humble, transparent, God fearing and hard working.

The Most Reliable Investments…

…are investments you make in the talents, blessings and relationships God has given you. Today, we have forgotten that our mental and physical capabilities (talents) are one of the most important investments we can make. How many people do you know set aside time every day to sharpen their minds by reading and commenting on a good book? (it works wonders you know) How many people do you know are devoted to self development for the benefit of others, the glory of God and their own efficiency? How about family? What about a relationship with your Creator? Can some one say video games?

Silver Time

In summary, time is your currency. It can sit idle, but it will not be saved for another time. Orison Swett Marden stated, “God never gives but one moment at a time,  and does not give a second until he has withdrawn the first. The worst of a lost hour is not so much in the wasted time as in the wasted power.” That currency should be invested in what is important and immediately available: Family, Talent, God… You fill in the blank. Time may be money, but I prefer to think of it as potential power.

Wisely was it said that lost wealth may be regained by industry and economy, lost knowledge by study, lost health by temperance and medicine, but lost time is gone forever.
~ Orison Swett Marden

A Boy Who Works… And Works Well

One of my good friends wrote a paraphrase based off of Rosemarie Urquico’s response to Charles Warnke’s ‘You Should Date an Illiterate Girl’ It was really quite well done, and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to add my own paraphrase to the mix as well.

I would encourage you to see what Grace wrote. I think you will enjoy it as much as I did and it will give a background for what I am about to write.

In the meantime, here are my Two Cents on The Quirks and Benefits of a Boy who Works… and Works Well. Two or three of these lines are courtesy of Elbert Hubbard, from A Message to Garcia, 1899. I would also encourage you to read this short essay as well. You can find the apologia here, and the full pdf here. Additionally, I used a few lines from A Real Man, which you can find here.

 

 

 

 

-His hands are strong, callused and familiar with all manner of tools.

-If he is the kind that works well, his hands also know how to gently lead in a dance and shake another’s hand with controlled power.

-He would rather do a job right, than do it at all.

-If he is the kind that works well, he knows the value of leisure with loved ones, a book or silence.

-He doesn’t look for help if he does not need it.

-If he is the kind that works well, he speaks well of his employer, thinks well of him, stands by him and stand by the institution he represents.

-If he is the kind that works well, he knows how to work in the world, without getting sucked up in its rat races.

-He understands, and is a good steward of, the incredible currency: time. (Luke 16:10-11)

-If he is the kind that works well, he whistles at his task and wears a cheerful countenance. (Col. 3:23-24)

-If he is the kind that works well, he will take a missive to anyone and not inquire as to why or how or whether or not there is any hurry.

-If he is the kind who works well, he does the right thing without being told, and if he is told, there is never a need to tell him again.

-He is not afraid of hard work, and takes every challenge with both fists.

-If he is the kind the works well, he understands the concept of work; that he does it to glorify his creator and make the life around him thrive. (Rom. 12:1-2)

-He is that absurd individual who is up before the birds are because he believes the morning is the most beautiful time of the day.

-If he is the kind that works well, he can accept criticism of his work and use it to better his next venture. (Prov. 12:1)

-If he is the kind that works well, he doesn’t try to prove himself but is simply confident as he walks in the fear of the Lord.

-He likes well-kept tools and has always aspired to drive in a nail with one blow.

-A boy who works well is loyal, devoted, creative and efficient. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, find a boy who works. More so, find a boy who works well.

I cannot say I ran alone

Do I have an end of the year re-cap? Not quite, my time has come to be measured in semesters so I have an, “end of semester recap.” But, if you want to know what I did earlier this year, see my NCFCA Nationals and Germany posts.  Those were good times. The present is good as well. I have met some wonderful people, and I look forward to running next semester with them.  My time runs thin, so I conclude.

Looking at the late semester,
I can not help but remember,
The company with whom I spent it.

The race is not even half way run,
Though this lap is mostly done,
I can not say I ran alone.

I missed the old and loved the new,
Each challenge posed was blasted through,
Now one more mountain stands conquered.

But I can not say I ran alone

Looking at the late semester,
I can not help but remember,
The company with whom I spent it.

Thank You…

An Ode to Facial Hair

Facial Hair + Caramel Apples = No

I found that out the hard way during a Fall Fest party with my college buddies. Despite its incompatibility with caramel apples, this facial hair thing has been an interesting experience. I have learned many things…

Shel Silverstein wrote a poem on the subject…

My beard grows down to my toes,
I never wears no clothes,
I wraps my hair
Around my bare,
And down the road I goes.

Most educational…

But more importantly, I rebelled against this busy college finals schedule and I wrote you a poem to recount my epic experiences.

An Ode to Facial Hair

(Warning: The following limerick has masculine themes.)

Back in the golden days of yore,
When I was in my tweens or more,
I thought I might just look fair,
If I had some facial hair.

I declared that when I’d grown,
And my own shaving kit I did own,
I should grow a mighty mane,
One to wear without shame.

Little did I know that it would eat my face,
But this part is out of place,
So I continue.

Then came college’s first semester,
My cousin I was sure to pester,
To see if he would join the best,
In my epic hairy quest.

‘Twas September when I strategized,
To beat all fellows to the prize,
The greatest beard to be remembered,
With a lead on No-Shave-November.

Little did I know that it would eat my face,
But this part is out of place,
So I continue.

The trimmer did I learn to wield,
In time my stubble came to yield,
To the Scissors and the blade,
My face took up a different shade.

It spread to boundaries held by me,
As far as length it was quite free,
It grew out to a hue of red,
More vibrant than my well-kept head.

And then it ate my face,
This part is now in place,
So I conclude.

If you ever should desire,
Some extra flair with your attire,
Facial hair should not be done,
Lest you can grow a decent one.

Now in these college days of yore,
My facial hair, it is no more,
But now I think it would be best,
To grow a manly hairy chest!

© Nathan Exley

I have always wondered what a beard was like and… now I know. I am only slightly disappointed. Some day, when I am old and my hair migrates down (like my parents say it will) I will grow a beard that will be feared. But for now, I have had my fill.

When you wonder if it really counts

Hello again! I wish I could keep you posted more often, but college tends to prohibit that. ;(

I have a few spare minutes and I’ve got a praise on my heart:

College has been going well, or to be more exact: God is good. A verse comes to mind:

Proverbs 3:1-4
My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

I have a lot of Joy in my heart because of what God has been doing in my life. By God’s Grace I have found favor and a good name in the sight of God and man, as well as grown closer to Him through some trials. To all of you still in high school, or even fellow college kids, (yes, I have come to conclusion that ‘kid’ is a suitable description for our comical state of existence.) when you wonder if it really counts…

That you have (or are) devoted(ing) your life to keeping God’s word always in your heart,
That you have bound love and faithfulness around your neck,
That you have pursued the hard to reach with a commitment to do your honest best,
That you have decided to value humility and meekness more than recognition,
That you have chased after whatever GODLY BIBLICAL thing God has called you to cherish,
Then I am here to tell you this…

It counts

Oh yes it counts

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

This is not a prosperity gospel. There will be some really trying times in your life, but how can those compare the knowledge and joy we can have in knowing our creator more intimately? How can those trials compare to a better understanding of the incredible future we have on earth and in heaven if and when we surrender our lives to Him?

Actions have consequences. Good actions = Good Consequences, Bad actions = etc.

When you wonder if it really counts…
That you pursued God in all those ways…

Know this,

It counts

See yall at Thanksgiving!… I think…

Prayer in a can

In college, I eat many things. Because I am living with some wonderful relatives, much of it is actually palatable and safe. I have come to especially appreciate canned goods, which are indeed a most wonderful commodity. Some things that come in cans are not good, like whole chickens, or other odd things that should never be offered for consumption… ever.

But my favorite canned good is prayer.

***

I recently finished reading a book called The Prayer of the Lord, by R. C. Sproul and I heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a good read. The reason I do, is because it took what was a canned prayer for me, and made it a staple in my spiritual diet. I fell in love with The Lord’s Prayer.  Wait… didn’t it un-can it too? er… no. He gave an in depth explanation about each facet of the Lord’s prayer and its significance. Why would it need to be un-canned?

Why is it that ancient creeds, theology and prayers are more frequently reserved for Seminary students and not general use? Our modern spirituality seems to have morfed from the individualistic spirituality birthed by the early revivals, into a home made scratch recipe.  I have no problem with that, but we cannot just view the old stuff as stiff and… well… old. We have begun using the phrase ‘canned,’ “Yeah, it was a canned sermon.” Or maybe even, “well, he did the same old canned prayer.”

If something is ‘canned,’ should we disregard it? I contend not and a great example of why is in The Lord’s Prayer. We can not scrap the old elements of church history and replace them with our more ‘enlightened’ views of life. Why? Because we stand on the shoulders of giants, and to toss the church fathers’ incredible work in favor of our own recipe is rather arrogant. But, that is just a piece of what I really want to share with you. I want to show you the incredible stuff Dr. Sproul showed me; I want to give you a taste of prayer from a can.

***

The Lord’s Prayer

By: Jesus Christ

Best if used right now and in a quite and secluded place.

Our Father who art in heaven,

…Reminds us that we may approach Him in a familiar way, as ‘Abba’ father. But as a completely Holy God, we must approach Him with humility, profound respect and reverence.

Hallowed be Thy name…

…In other words, “may your name be treated as sacred.” This is more of a reminder to us that God’s name must be regarded, and more so, treated respectfully. Where His name is hallowed is a place where there is a legitimate existence of the Fear of the Lord.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

…God is sovereign and His kingdom will come and His Will will be done whether we pray so or not. This section is an adamant reminder to us to focus our attention on God’s kingdom and the completion of His Will. THY will be done, not, MY will be done.

Give us this day, our daily bread…

…A reminder that we need God every day. Here, ‘bread’ means a lot more than just food.

And forgive us our debts as we forgive out debtors.

…For me, this prompts me to ask further that I might come to forgive like God does. Because in my present state, I am not eligible to be forgiven for anything! This also serves as a call to repentance. Granted, we have all ready been forgiven, but if we skip recognition of our wrongs through repenting, we begin to be less sensitive to them. We become hard hearted.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

…God does not tempt us, but sometimes he sharpens us through trials. Trials can be deadly, heart breaking and great learning experiences. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to avoid them. the evil on is always looking for an opportunity to devour us, thus we must continually ask for protection.

For Yours is the Kingdom, Power and Glory. Amen!

…This whole prayer is essentially an incredible and vital reminder as to who is wearing the ‘pants of the family.’ What better way to cap it off, than with an acknowledgement of God’s Lordship over all?

That was prayer in a can. Yeah, there is a lot more in that tin than you thought huh? Just because something is canned doesn’t mean its less desirable or even bad. Some the most beautiful, complex and deep cries came from the ones before us, and what they spoke was in King James Version, strict, and old but it is still incredible stuff.