"When did we start believing that God wants to send us to safe places to do safe things, that faithfulness is holding the fort, that playing it safe is safe, that there is any greater privilege than sacrifice, that radical is anything but normal? Jesus didn't die to keep us safe. He died to make us dangerous. Faithfulness is not holding the fort. It's storming the gates of hell. The will of God is not an insurance plan. It's a daring plan. The complete surrender of your life to the cause of Christ isn't radical, it's normal. It's time to quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. It's time to go all in and all out for the All in All."
All In --- Mark Batterson, Pastor National Community Church, Wash DC.

TO BE: Means to exist: the essence of existence; just consider for a moment that we are called... human beings. In Shakespeare's Hamlet you may recall the famous line "to be or not to be? That is the question" - which was spoken when Hamlet was very seriously considering suicide. We all need to have a sacred appreciation for life itself. Many things in our world today degrade the value and the sanctity of life. How we treat the elderly, the poor, the unlovely, each other, the unborn, and the increasing incidence of criminal domestic violence - all of these factors can erode the value of life itself. So, just the most basic concept of being, of being a being created in God's image, is vital to understanding the essence and purpose for one's very existence. A favorite verse of mine, Ephesians2:10 declares that "you are God's artistic masterpiece". When I consider whose five words about all I can say is "wow!" (And give God a high five)

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)

"What we do in life - echoes in eternity" ... a great quote of the warrior Maximus from the movie Gladiator, a name that few men would not recognize. However, I have yet to meet a man who knows the real definition of gladiator. The usual answer approximates this, "a man who fought in the Roman arena", and that is true. To end this suspense, "gladiator" comes from the word gladius that means 'sword'. Ergo, gladiator simply means a swordsman.

Few words strike more fear into the heart of a warrior than does the ominous warning, "incoming!". Since the beginning of warfare, this cry has been used to signal approaching fire and assault by enemy forces.

"A man must have a battle to fight, a great mission to his life that involves and yet transcends even home and family. He must have a cause to which he is devoted, even unto death, for this is written into the fabric of his being. Listen carefully now: you do! That is why God created you - to be His intimate ally, to join Him in the Great Battle. You have a specific place in the line, a mission God made for you." John Eldredge, Wild at Heart.

Growing pains - embrace them and grow or avoid them and perish. This is a great short video about the eagle making that same choice. It's well worth the watch.

As Men, What Critical Lessons Can We Learn From His Life and Apply to Ours in 2022?

"I had deep within me the inability to do nothing. I knew I may die, but I also knew that I would not die with a bullet in my back." These were some of the thoughts expressed by Joshua Chamberlain in 1893 upon receiving the Medal of Honor from President Grover Cleveland.

Chamberlain had been commenting on his actions at the historic Battle of Gettysburg, July 1863, for which he was being so honored. His embattled and outnumbered unit was out of ammunition...