Saturday, September 6, 2008

That's My Son

Just started another book. I know I am a nerd to the nth degree. I just love reading! It is called That's My Son: How Moms can Influence Boys to Become Men of Character. It is by Rick Johnson. It is actually my sister's book but I borrowed it so I would have something to read. Now, I also know that I don't have a son yet, but I will in God's time. Maybe more than one. So, I thought I would start my education early.
I am on page 56 and really like this book. I recommend it for any mom but specifically if you are a mom that grew up without brothers. I even think fathers should read this book. I have 2 sisters and all of my cousins are girls except 1 plus I have daughters not sons. So, I am clueless. My first year of teaching, the boys just baffled me. My husband was my only reference. I would keep asking, "What is up with this? Is this just being a boy???". And he was always, "Yes and I don't know why we do it, we just do." Now, I was a tomboy but still I was a girl, just a wild one.
This book, so far, gives such insight to why God made boys the way He did and how as moms we can help our sons embrace the boy's maleness and stop the feminizing of our boys which has lead to an increase in male depression and the overall passivity, indecisiveness and apathetic behaviors that quite frankly have left our homes without men who are spiritual leaders and men of integrity. I would even go so far as to say the moral decay of our society, as a result.
Here are my thoughts so far. Don't know if Rick Johnson will agree. Will have to read on to find out.
If nothing else, it is a call to arms for moms and dads to reclaim the joys and power of raising sons who fulfil God's design for their lives. I know as a mom to daughters, begin praying for your daughter's future husbands now. Pray that the young boys parents will lead them to be Godly leaders and men of character. Our society is in desperate need of them.
We have found evidence of this first hand as Mo's mission is to mentor young men who have absentee fathers and when he shares this mission it is amazing to me the amount of young men who find him at Discovery! conferences who with tears in their eyes say "how badly I needed a dad" or "if only I knew someone like you when I was young". This is not a statement of greatness to my husband. On the contrary it is a sad commentary on how we as parents,single or divorced, are failing our sons. There are a staggering about of moms raising their children alone. A mom can teach a boy a lot of things but they can not teach him how to be a man. It wasn't God's design! But, a lot of moms are forced to do it alone because our parent's generation dropped the ball. Reclaim your son as God had intended.

3 comments:

Mandy said...

Wow...can I borrow this book?
P.S. We missed y'all tonight. Mo must've been cleanin' some dove? (Joely said he went hunting)

the trejos said...

you should also read bringing up boys by JAmes Dobson it has a bible study that goes with it. Read the book need to do the study. I maybe wrong on the title, but my mom gave it to me when I had tanner. It was awesome

Stacey said...

amen sister! preach it!
incidentally, that's one of the hundreds of reasons we homeschool...no feminizing of my boys! :)