Football seems to be a sport that our guys are good at and we love the spirit and principle of the league.

A major principle of the league is that family is important. Practices are two long nights a week, but all levels of one team (varsity, junior varsity, youth and mighty mite) practice at one location, so families aren’t separated. Games are on Saturdays and again, all the levels of one team play all the levels of another — so families just make a day of it at the park – bring tents, picnics, toys, etc and spend the day watching football games. Great fun for everyone.

We love the spirit that Coach Earl Pendleton has achieved in the League, too. Parents, coaches and players are expected to act like Christians. Flatten someone in a tackle? After the whistle, give him a hand up. Player injured? Everyone takes a knee and prays for him. Talk back to a ref? You’re ejected from the game. One referee told one of our boys that the refs compete to officiate at our games. He said they love the attitudes – no one ever cusses them out, players just say, “Yes, sir,” and comply. All that and hard-fought football, too? A ref’s dream come true!

An added bonus of football is that our guys are just plain easier to get along with when they are using up all that testosterone and energy on the field!

Read Chapter Six of Raising Real Men to see why boys want to compete on just everything or check out our workshop, Ballistic Homeschooling, to see how that attitude can motivate boys to get their schoolwork done.

Now, is anything wrong with that?  The answer may surprise you, and even more when you realize that even the Puritans thought games and recreation could be Biblical and righteous!  Check out this unexpected quotation we include in chapter 6 of Raising Real Men:

Games may be divided into three sorts: games of wit or industry, games of hazard, and a mixture of both.  Games of wit or industry are such as are ordered by the skill and indusry of man.  Of this sort are shooting … running, wrestling, fencing, music, and the games of chess and draughts [checkers] … These, and all of this kind, wherein the industry of the min and body hath the chiefest stroke, are very commendable, and not to be disliked.

Most of the time, the Puritans are thought of as killjoys. Sometimes, we ourselves think “upright” and “uptight” are the same thing – if it’s hard or unpleasant or austere, that must be the best course to take. Instead, this Puritan says that entertainment that exercises the mind and body is very commendable and not to be disliked!

So taking some time off at the end of the week can be not just fun, but a positive, moral good!

Here’s the other, the obvious, point – not every entertainment is a worthwhile use of our time.  Riding around the countryside smashing mailboxes isn’t exactly good clean fun, right?  Maybe we don’t have to spend Saturday night reading Augustine’s Confessions, but an evening reading True Confessions is better spent on something else.  Perkins summarized his thoughts on the matter in four points:

“Rule 1.  We are to make choice of recreations that are of least offense and best report.” Don’t cause trouble or damage reputations by our choice of amusements.

“Rule 2.  Our recreations must be profitable [i.e. beneficial] to ourselves and others, and they must also tend to the glory of God.” This is why playing checkers might be good and shooting craps might not.

“Rule 3. The end [i.e. the purpose] of our recreation must be to refresh our bodies and minds.” J.C. Ryle said if we really worked our six days, we wouldn’t be quibbling over what to do with the seventh.  God never intended us to work 24/7.  He even commanded times of feasting and celebration, to rejoice and remember. as well as time to rest.

“Rule 4. Recreation must be moderate and sparing, even as the use of meat and drink and rest.” Everything needs to be in proportion – it’s overkill if we’re perpetually worn out by the weekend that we’re no good for work and school on Monday!

So glorify God, have a good time, and we’ll see you next week!

(The quotes above are from our chapter on boys and competition.  Click here if you’d like to read the whole chapter!)

[Historical Note: William Perkins was a leader in the English Puritan movement during the time of Queen Elizabeth I.  He died in 1602, one year before the Jamestown Settlement was founded.]

As I mentioned last week, I’ve been reading Raising Real Men: Surviving, Teaching, and Appreciating Boys by Hal and Melanie Young. I finished it yesterday, and plan to read it again after Larry gets a turn. Put simply, if you only read one book about raising boys, this is the one I would recommend. I ordered my book through their website last year, although I see it is now available elsewhere.

Most authors of books about boys may have been a boy or even raised one, but their books tend to be based on research and/or professional experience. I have found that to be useful in helping me better understand my boys, but Raising Real Men helps put that understanding into practice. The Youngs have six sons (and two daughters); they know what it’s like in the trenches. They cover the real issues based on their own years of experience: responsibility, discipline, competition, chivalry, homeschooling, chores, and more.

As I read, I alternated between two reactions: “Phew, we’re on the right track!” and “Ohhh, that’s a good way to deal with that!” More importantly, it has finally made me thankful for the privilege (and challenge) I have been given with five real boys to raise.

Wendy & her Lost Boys Blog

Hal and Melanie Young have created a much needed guide to raising godly boys in this society.  They sent me a copy of their 250 page book, Raising Real Men – Surviving, Teaching and Appreciating Boys.  It is packed with brilliant insights. Some of what you’ll find inside:

1. A godly and realistic look at Media / T.V. / Movies

2. How your family history can help your sons find real heroes.

3. Excellent book suggestions for your sons to read.

4. Information on teaching boys about Finances- such as: credit cards, bank accounts, odd jobs, and preparing your boys to support a family.

5. Good Competition and its purpose.

6. Home Education.

7. Very serious talk about the importance of College.

8. Equipping your boys to interact with the world.

9. How to approach the rowdiness that seems to be in their nature.

10. A Biblical look at fighting.

11. They even touch on controversial issues like: The proper use of guns, learning disabilities and Temptation.

12. Much more.

This book is packed with eye-opening information from the perspective of a family with six sons (and two daughters). I love their laid-back, conversational style of writing. Their ideas make sense to me, logically and practically. As I read, I felt a growing trust in their wisdom. In each chapter, they included facts, personal examples and Biblical truths. This presents a powerful teaching tool parents will appreciate. The Youngs have done a great service penning this book.

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For more information, please visit their website:

http://www.raisingrealmen.com/

You can also sign up for their free monthly newsletter:

http://www.raisingrealmen.com/newsletter/

To read a sample chapter:

http://www.raisingrealmen.com/samples/RaisingRealMen-SAMPLE-RacingToWin.pdf

Sharon White

Legacy of Home