Spiritual Help for our Heroes – Frontline Faith Project
Recently, I came across an awesome apostolate called Frontline Faith. Visit them HERE. In short, what they do is supply our service men and women, serving in deployed locations, with Catholic content on mp3 players.
“The FRONTLINE FAITH™ Project delivers MP3 players preloaded with spiritual content, especially as it pertains to military service, to members of our armed forces currently deployed or returning from deployment, with special emphasis on injured troops and troops stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan.”
What will you do for the soul of one soldier? Please support Frontline Faith and their work by donating $24 (or more). To donate, click HERE. It takes people with vision to serve those in need. Our deployed soldiers, as well as those who have been or are going to be deployed, need our prayers, support and acts of kindness. They sacrifice their well-being, their comfort, their families, their children, their spouse and sometimes their lives so that we can be free. To our service men and women of all of the branches of the military, thank you!
Home of the free, because of the brave.
Cheri, Sheila and the rest of the team at Frontline Faith… keep up the great work!
TrueMan up!
Outraged, and Rightly So
People in Helena, Montana (as well as all around the country) are outraged at a proposed health and sex-ed
curriculum that the district wants to implement into the public school system. The curriculum is a Kindergarten-12th Grade program, teaching children various information on both health and sexuality. The outrage comes, most specifically, from the topics on sex, sexual orientation, sex positions, intercourse and so on. (Do a Google search of the topic and you will get plenty of articles, video, opinions and information.) Here’s a brief 0:45 second video depicting what the children will learn at various ages along the way.
If you can’t view the video, click HERE.
The outrage that I have is against the logic of the school board, superintendent and the, so-called, professionals that wrote this curriculum over the past two years. They believe that you need to teach kids about sex so that they can make more informed decisions about it – yes, that includes 5-year old kindergarteners. What faulty logic! This is similar to the faulty argument (typically about third-world countries in Africa) that HIV-AIDS will decrease with the distribution of condoms. Or the faulty argument that abortions will decrease with more-effective (oxymoron) birth control. One way to prevent adolescent sexual behavior (and to get rid of HIV and abortion, and so on) is not to mask it, or try to skirt the issue. The truth is that abstinence must be taught, as opposed to shunned. Just because someone hasn’t had sex before marriage doesn’t mean that they’re any less human than anyone who has. The truth of sexuality must be taught, embraced, lived and then we’ll start to see the changes.
In one report I saw, the reporter mentioned that high schoolers will view and discuss “erotic art”. WHAT?! They’re going to give children pornography and water it down by calling it art. Absolutely disgusting. They have no idea how detrimental this curriculum will be if implemented. And why do 10-year olds need to know about sexual positions?
The proper logic is to teach children about the sanctity of human sexuality and to do it in the home. This means that the education is up to the parents, to not only teach verbally, but to live out, through chastity, the proper, intended and ordered gift of the marital act. Sex-ed can’t be about depravity, about making sex ‘dirty’ or about preventing adolescents from knowing about sex… but too much info will destroy their innocence and distort their understanding. Sex-ed in the model proposed by the Helena School District lacks truth and will only continue to distort the proper orientation of sex in the world. Sex is reserved for a married man and his wife; any other definition of human sexuality is disordered.
I’ve heard other stories about kindergarten sex-ed programs in public schools teaching about homosexual sex, but never in this much detail. It’s quite disturbing and unnerving. If you live in Helena, please speak up and do something about this. If you don’t, but still care to see changes for good take place, check out the local curriculum in your neighborhood’s public schools – you might be surprised what you find.
TrueMan up!
World Cup Promise
Just thought it was a cool story…
Madrid, Spain, Jul 14, 2010 / 06:05 pm (CNA).- Spanish soccer player Andres Iniesta, who scored the winning goal
during the World Cup final in South Africa, has promised to walk the Way of St. James, which leads to Santiago de Compostela. The Way of St. James is a pilgrimage route that for centuries brought the faithful from across Europe to the city of Santiago de Compostela, where the remains of the saint are venerated.
According to the Spanish newspaper, Marca, months before the 2010 World Cup, the members of the Spanish team sent the newspaper sealed envelopes with the promises they would keep if they won the title.
Marca opened the envelopes after Spain’s historic victory on Sunday and found that Iniesta, along with Fernando Torres and Carlos Marchena said they would walk the Way of St. James.
Iniesta also revealed his promise in an interview prior to the World Cup. Speaking on Spanish television he said he would make the pilgrimage “somehow…I’ll do it however I have to!” His teammate Sergio Busquets, who was with him, made the same promise.
The Spanish media is reminding the players of their promise and although no plans have been officially made, reporters were convinced many fans would share the pilgrimage with them.
This year, Pope Benedict XVI will travel to the city for the Holy Year of St. James 2010, which is celebrated each year that July 25, the saint’s feast, falls on a Sunday.
The next Year of St. James will be celebrated in 2021.
Busy, Frustrated, Anxious, Confused
Lately, life has been on a lightspeed pace. I think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I’m frustrated with various
things, anxious about what’s happening in life and confused as to what God’s doing in my life. But I’m a man… I shouldn’t be admitting this. Right? I should be strong and well-put-together. I should have everything taken care of with time to spare. Right? I should be self-sufficient. I should be completely ahead of the curve. Should, should, should.
Well, we all know that sometimes we aren’t ahead of the curve. Sometimes, life gets busy and we get behind. How do you keep it all straight? How do you keep your head above water? Are you a yes-aholic? Do you have trouble ordering your priorities? (I’ve written about priorities before, just do a search for “PRIORITY” and you’ll find some good stuff.) Do you struggle with loads of work yet waste away time on meaningless activities and hobbies?
I recommend a few things. First and foremost, I recommend that you examine your prayer life. If you’re praying, your foundation is strong and you take the necessary time to sit in 
quiet with God. If you’re not praying, try starting with 15 minutes a day. Along with daily prayer, frequent reception of the Sacraments is vital. Next, I recommend that you organize your life however works best for you. Maybe it’s a planner, a calendar, a list, post-it notes, etc. Don’t just let life happen to you, dictate what your day looks like. Next, I recommend that you (if you’re in the same boat as me) start saying ‘no’ to some things. Today, I cancelled three future meetings (to be rescheduled) and moved two other events around so I could breathe. Do whatever it takes to order your life properly. An ordered life is the goal, because then everything is in it’s proper place. “Living balance means that you’re doing what you want to do. Living order means that you’re doing what you ought to do.”
As men, sometimes we are told that we can’t or shouldn’t rely on others for help. This is not logical, it’s not practical and it’s not Scriptural. Lean on those around you to help you out. Reach out to friends, family, colleagues that will assist you in reaching your goals. Showing vulnerability or the need for help doesn’t mean you’re less manly, it just means that you need some help. In this entire process, I recommend taking life in stride and to remain positive. If you are negative, and if you complain, you will only add stress and strain on your already busy lifestyle.
Best of luck in reaching your goals! Your prayers for me are appreciated as I navigate the everchanging and rapid waters of my life.
TrueMan up!
TrueManhood Podcast
The TrueManhood Podcast is coming soon! Thank you for your patience as we work to record and produce a really high quality podcast that will make a big difference in the lives of the listeners. Please follow us on Social Media to stay abreast of all of our efforts, including the podcast being launched.
No, Ken Doll DOESN’T Make Metrosexual Cool
Maybe you’ve heard this… some people think that Ken (from Toy Story 3) makes being ‘metrosexual’ cool. Ummm… well… no. Being metrosexual isn’t cool. More importantly, being metrosexual isn’t virtuous, so therefore, it’s not manly.
What is metrosexual? From my research, there’s not one widely-agreed-upon definition. Personally, I think Wikipedia actually got it right for once… “Metrosexual… a man who has a strong concern for his appearance or a lifestyle that displays attributes stereotypically associated with homosexual men, although he is not homosexual.” Manicures, pedicures, facials, ridiculous hair treatments, eyebrow plucking, spray-on tanner, gossip magazines/sites… ugh. Short-tempered. Shallow and selfish – “Solid ride. Solid physique. Solid hair. Solid.”
Please note, there is a drastic difference between being a metrosexual and a gentleman. A gentleman is concerned with his appearance, but not overly concerned with it and never in a self-centered or conceited way. A gentleman is prudent in his decisions, temperate in his actions, courageous in all things and seeks justice for all. A gentleman lives an ordered life, not the disordered life of a metrosexual. A gentleman is authentically masculine while a metrosexual is effeminate. A gentleman praises others, while a metrosexual seeks praise as an end, in and of itself. A gentleman always respects a woman and fights to defend her. Sometimes, women are falsely drawn towards metrosexual men, often times because metros are more tender and understanding (all emotional)… see how Barbie feels about Ken initially in the video below. These women typically end up hurt and alone because those characteristics wear off eventually, leaving the woman in pain and alone.
Back to Ken… the dolldude obviously has issues… attachment to worldly possessions, personal appearance and a desire for shallow and empty “swagger”. “A whole room, just for trying on clothes.” Come on, Ken.
TrueMan up!
Porn in 3D – They Won’t Stop the Barrage
This is a bit of ‘old news’, but I just heard about it… The June 2010 issue of Playboy contained a 3D picture of the centerfold, equipped with special 3D glasses. Yet another attack by the porn industry to reel men in to the seductive, addictive and sinful pleasures of the flesh. The porn industry has dramatically shifted away from magazines to online content and this is Hef’s way of trying to get more action out of his beloved magazine. When it comes right down to it, it’s about money for the porn industry, a $98 (plus) Billion-dollar yearly industry.
Another attack against women. Another attack against men. Another attack on marriages. Another attack against the sanctity of sex. The attacks won’t stop, unless we do something about it.
I speculate that part of the reason why Playboy came out with the magazine was (besides money) 
the need for porn-addicts to ‘get another fix’. Similar to drug addiction, porn addiction desires a ‘bigger-and-badder’ high. That’s why men who maybe started out using softcore porn have moved on to harder images, stories, movies, etc. and into more perverse content.
TrueMan up!
