It wasn’t an unusual request, so I stepped aside with her. “I need to ask you about my son. I think he may be…I’m afraid he might be…showing some tendencies toward being…Oh, I think something’s wrong with him! Maybe he’s a psychopath or something!”

My eyebrows went up. “What would make you think that?” I replied, wondering if she was going to tell me he was torturing small animals or being a firebug.

“Well, he plays war all the time! And that means he’s pretending to kill people! And sometimes he pretends like he’s been shot and he pretends to die! That’s not normal is it?”

I relaxed. “Let me explain something to you. You are a girl, a mother. When you think of war, you think of orphans and widows, POWs and disabled veterans. You imagine your son coming home bloodied and beaten. It’s scary and brutal, right?”

“Yes, of course! Doesn’t everyone think that way?”

“No! When your son thinks of war, he is thinking of valiant deeds, courage, and bravery. He’s imagining standing up to the evil to protect the weak and innocent. When he pretends to be shot, he’s picturing nobly laying down his life for his brothers in arms. To him, it’s all about testing his strength and showing himself mighty when it counts, it’s about manliness and honor.”

Hope dawned in her eyes. “Really? I never thought about it that way! Is that really why he’s obsessed with war and battle?”

“Yes, certainly. Of course, the explosions don’t hurt the attraction any,” I smiled at her.

Yesterday, on the 67th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Bulge, Life Magazine released some never before seen shots of the Ardennes during the Battle. They are really quite remarkable, some even in full color. Gather your children around and take a look at them. Take time to tell them about the great, glorious fight against one of the most evil leaders the world has seen — and don’t be worried when they are fascinated with war!

For manly, historical and inspiring gifts for boys fascinated with war, from King Arthur swords to rubberband machine guns, click here!

For inspiring stories of the heroes of American History that teach virtue and character, get our Hero Tales from American History dramatized audiobooks by Theodore Roosevelt and Henry Cabot Lodge. Order by midnight, Monday, December 20th for Christmas delivery.

The newest disc in our series, Volume 3, brings the collection up to the War Between the States. One track tells the story of the 1862 Battle of Hampton Roads, between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (often called the Merrimac), the first clash of ironclad warships.

This was an interesting story to produce. We’ve used the sounds of waves, seagulls, and ship’s bells before to give the basic nautical flavor to the background. But the Monitor and the Virginia offer unique problems. To start with, what did they sound like when they were underway?

We try to be as authentic as possible with the sound effects in these stories, but sometimes you just have to make your best educated estimate. For instance, we know both these ships were propeller driven, so we can’t use sternwheel riverboat sounds. They were steam powered vessels with engines peculiar to maritime uses. While there’s information online about the different styles of engine they used, I couldn’t find any recordings of that exact machinery. I opted to use the sound of two different narrow gauge steam locomotives, one a little deeper and slower than the other, edited to give the steady beat you would have heard on board.

One of the remarkable features of the battle was the sight of cannonballs bouncing off the ironclad vessels. Did that make a distinctive sound? I think so, and I think it would have been distinct for the two warships. The armor on the two vessels was radically different. The Virginia had four inches of iron on top of 24 inches of solid oak and pine. The Monitor, on the other hand, was all metal – the most exposed thing, the gun turret, had eight 1-inch layers of iron bolted together, with another layer of 1-inch plates bolted inside the turret to dampen the sound of a direct hit (yeah, right). I chose a deep metallic sound for ricochets off the Virginia, sort of a “bong,” and a higher note (“clank”) for hits on the Monitor.

Their guns were different, too. The Monitor had two big 11-inch naval guns, while the Virginia was described as a floating battery – smaller guns, but lots of them. I found a recording of an actual Civil War cannon shot, likely a smaller bore field piece, which I used for the Virginia’s rifled armaments. A deeper “boom” stands in for the Monitor’s big Dahlgrens..

If you listen carefully to the battle sequences, you might be able to track who’s shooting what at whom—and watching it bounce harmlessly off which.

Maybe the best thing is the celebration on the southern shore after the Virginia’s initial success. My son John Calvin found a recording (a film, actually) made at a reunion of Civil War veterans in the 1930’s. The three cheers you hear echoing over Chesapeake Bay on our CD are the genuine Rebel yell – performed by actual Confederate soldiers. How authentic is that?

Sometimes you just can’t find what you need. I’ve already mentioned the creepy Deguello bugle call Santa Anna used to announce “No prisoners” to the defenders of the Alamo. Our army never had need of it, and I couldn’t find another recording suitable for use. Roosevelt didn’t mention the bugle, so I just let that historical detail pass. The shots from Jim Travis’ pistol are a period black-powder revolver, though, and the ticking clock on Gouveneur Morris’ wall in revolutionary Paris is an 18^th-century, Scottish antique  – and the angry mob in the street is shouting in French. That’s in volume 2, by the way.

If you have enjoyed our rendition of Hero Tales, we’ll be glad to answer any questions we can. If you haven’t heard them yet, why not download a sample and try one out? We think you’ll like them!

Bibliography Note:  When the book Hero Tales from American History was first published in 1895, Henry Cabot Lodge got top billing over co-author Theodore Roosevelt. Although both men were Harvard graduates with established records of historical and biographical books, at that time Lodge was the more prominent of the two—a Ph.D serving in the U.S. Senate after three terms in the House. Roosevelt had served short terms in the New York General Assembly and the federal Civil Service Commission, but his meteoric rise from the New York governor’s office to the White House (with a brief visit to San Juan Hill, Puerto Rico) were still in his future. So in 1895, Senator Lodge is credited first.

The Alamo, 1854

When the outnumbered defenders of the Alamo refused the Mexicans’ demand to surrender, General Santa Anna ordered his buglers to play “El Deguello” – a call meaning “no quarter”, a signal that no prisoners would be taken, and anyone surviving the assault would be put to the sword. As everyone knows, that’s precisely what happened – the entire garrison was killed in the battle or executed afterward, with the possible exception of a woman and a servant who were spared. A second and even more ruthless massacre followed at Goliad.

Fall of the Alamo

I was working on an audiobook dramatization of the story and searched in vain for a useable recording of “El Deguello.” There are plenty of American bugle calls in the public domain, but I thought it was indicative that the American military has no need of such a command. It’s been said of the U.S. Marines, for instance, that there is no worse enemy—and no greater friend—to those they encounter. That character of fair play and mercy are characteristic of our troops.

It is true that in the heat of conflict, sometimes passions run over. When the British dragoons under Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton bayoneted American prisoners and wounded at the Waxhaws during the Revolution, it came back on their comrades a few months later. As the Carolina backwoodsmen surrounded British Major Patrick Ferguson’s men atop Kings Mountain, the battle climaxed with spontaneous cries of “Tarleton’s Quarter!” – meaning, the American militia didn’t intend to stop, either. To their credit, the patriot commanders rushed to restrain their men and were mostly successful. But the desire to punish brutality of Tarleton’s sort runs deep in righteous men … and that’s a far cry from the cold-blooded orders of a Santa Anna.

Checkpoint Charlie

When I briefly lived in Germany during the 1980’s, there were marches and protests against America in West Berlin, Frankfurt, and Bonn, over U.S. plans to deploy certain new weapon systems in Europe. Where I was staying, though, we were just a few miles from the border with Communist-controlled Czechoslovakia. There, even we American college students were wildly popular with older Germans, who welcomed us into their homes and paid our bills in the local inns. See, they were thankful: many of them and their  parents had rushed into the advancing American troops rather than risk the mercies of Stalin’s Red Army approaching from the east. They recognized that occupation, or even capture and imprisonment, under the U.S. Army would be tempered with that quality – mercy.

General George C. Marshall

It does make you think. What other nation has spent billions in dollars and thousands of lives to grind a vicious dictatorship to dust, as we have done several times the past century, and then turned and invested still more to rebuild and restore the survivors of our former enemies? Our “nation building” activities in Iraq and Afghanistan are under criticism right now, and there is certainly room for debate, but who remembers the Marshall Plan? The Berlin Airlift? Who rebuilt post-war Japan? It was Americans, the victors, and our generals led each of those efforts. (True, George Marshall was Secretary of State by that time in 1948, but as Chief of Staff he was General Eisenhower’s superior until August of ’45).

It’s easy to forget sometimes that with the strength of a great nation, or a great army, or a great man, the call is not for revenge but restraint. There is a time to exert great and even overwhelming power to protect the weak and turn back evil – our national anthem says, “Then conquer we must, When our cause it is just” – but it must be conditioned by justice and the desire to reconcile when that becomes possible.

The anthem continues, “And this be our motto: In God Is Our Trust”  That last bit makes the difference.  Jesus said we are to “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36)—and that Father says of Himself, “I am merciful … I will not be angry forever.”(Jeremiah 3:12)

Today, Veteran’s Day, as we express our thanks to our soldiers, sailors and airmen of all ranks and ages, let’s take a minute to point out to our sons than along with their courage, discipline, self-sacrifice, and honor, there is a strong tradition of mercy—proving that it is a sign of strength and not weakness, flying in formation with all these other virtues.

Hal & Melanie

You can hear the complete stories of Kings Mountain and the Alamo in Hal’s dramatic audiobook rendering of
Hero Tales from American History
by Theodore Roosevelt & Henry Cabot Lodge

This post originally published at The M.O.B. Society blog.

Scripture quoted from the English Standard Version.

‘Shake off those gloomy feelings. Drive them away. Fix your mind and pleasures upon what is before you. … All is bright if you will think it so. All is happy if you will make it so. Do not dream. It is too ideal, too imaginary. Dreaming by day, I mean. Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Make the best of them. Turn them to your advantage.””

H.W. Crocker, Robert E. Lee on Leadership, p. 16

He disciplined himself to accept things as they were, to do his duty cheerfully because there was no sense in doing it any other way, and to do what he thought right without expectation of reward or recognition In his own words, it was enough to have “the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed.”

H.W. Crocker, on the character of Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee on Leadership, p. 23

But there is a practical question, quite apart from the trick-or-treat and bags-of-candy aspect. If you leave aside the more grown-up temptation to put don a mask and do anonymous mischief, what prompts our kids and particularly our boys to choose certain types of costumes and identities to put on?

“I think I know,” I said, moving into the turn lane. “I wondered the same thing about grown men wearing a hat with a superhero logo on it, and it’s the same as wearing an NFL jersey. Boys, and men, want respect. They want to be associated with the concept of strength, power, and capability, and if they can’t get respect, they’ll settle for being feared.

“I think the spooky costumes are a way of saying, ‘I’m not afraid of ghosts, but you should be afraid of me—Boo!’”

Working along that line of thought, I realized it has some interesting implications in how we parent our boys.

For one thing, how should we respond to that craving for respect in a boy? First, it’s our sons’ duty to learn obedience toward God-ordained authority. Jesus was the Son of God, but as a young man He submitted Himself to being governed by human parents: “And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them … and Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man,” the Gospel of Luke says of the twelve-year-old Jesus (2:51-52). Our sons do need to recognize that they have a place, and it’s not one of equality with their parents.

But even while we do that, we the parents can recognize his desire to be respected, even at a young age. Some people laugh about the “fragile male ego,” but it’s not really a laughing matter. A great deal of a man’s self-identity is wrapped up in his reputation. A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches (Proverbs 22:1).

As a practical matter, we try to be careful how we speak to our sons, especially in front of others—even family members. They need correction and even discipline from time to time—if you are left without discipline, then you are illegitimate children and not sons (Hebrews 12:8)—but as much as possible, we try to administer the correction in private. And when we need to just give them verbal direction, we try not to belittle them. Someone said that a small dog is just as big inside as a big one; I think it applies to boys in some ways, too.

That desire to be associated with strong examples is not a bad thing. Paul tells believers to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14) and to “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1 and several other places). So we try to get our boys really good examples to follow. The world and its media recognizes brute strength and the force of will; do your sons have examples of manly gentleness, humility, duty, and moral as well as physical courage?

This time of year, coincidentally, is the birthday of the Reformation. We always take time to talk about Martin Luther and his willingness to lay down his life for the sake of truth. “My conscience is captive to the Word of God,” he told the Emperor, “and to go against conscience is neither right nor safe … I cannot and I will not recant. Here I stand; I can do no other; God help me.” There’s a great B&W movie about him that we’ve probably watched twenty times. (You can also get it streaming on Netflix.)

Another example, not so famous, is the American historian Francis Parkman. He had to overcome incredible, painful illness and disability, to carry out his scholarly work documenting the history of the early American West. Theodore Roosevelt, a man of great character himself, dedicated one of his books to Parkman, and tells his story in Hero Tales from American History, a change from the stories of explorers and soldiers. Roosevelt also talked about John Quincy Adams’ long fight against slavery, serving as a Congressmen after he finished his term as president. (You can hear both of these stories on part 3 of our Hero Tales audiobook – see below!)

So as you see the little goblins in the streets this week, take a minute and think about the children underneath the masks. What are they thinking (besides “Who’s got the best candy,” I mean)? Are they looking for someone to follow? Or making a statement about what they’d like to be? Those can be some very interesting openings for you to follow up as a parent.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR HEROES?  THESE RESOURCES CAN HELP!

Where Is Roy Rogers When You Need Him?  is our workshop about our boys’ need for heroes and role models, and ideas about where to find them. $5 on CD, or $4 for mp3 download.

NEW! Hero Tales from American History – Part 3

The next volume of our popular audiobook series from the book by Theodore Roosevelt and Henry Cabot Lodge. Hear the dramatized stories of the backwoods general who beat the British army – a former president’s fight against slavery – the suffering scholar of the American West – and the opening battles of the War Between The States!  Introductory price only $5 (Regular price $7) To be released in November!

Or you can order the whole set – from the birth of George Washington to the War Between the States – for just $15 (Save $6 and get free shipping, too!)

Read Part One here and Part Three here of our thoughts on the season.

King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, John Gilbert (1817-1897)

 King Henry V of England was hopelessly outnumbered by the approaching French Army, but he stood firm and roused his troops, commending them to the hands of God and each other, and led them to a decisive victory that was the beginning of the end of the dominance of the nobility in warfare. For centuries, the heavily armored knights on horseback fielded by the nobility of each land were the overwhelming force of warfare. Henry, instead, placed his English longbowmen in the forefront of battle — and defeated the French horse! Some say the “V for victory” sign descended from the victory salute of the two stringfingers of the longbowmen in response to a French before-battle threat to cut off the string fingers of all the longbowmen after they won.

This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

Henry V, William Shakespeare

Many read about the adventure that we had when traveling through Mier on Sunday May 15, 2011. On Monday Isaac and I returned to Mier primarily to talk with the “Presidente”. I wanted to let him know that we were continuing to pray for him and his city. It was also my desire to continue talking with him about Jesus and the finished work that he did on the cross for us.

We crossed into Miguel Aleman around 2:00pm and continued on to Ciudad Mier. The two cities are only about ten miles apart but after the events of Sunday it seemed to take a long time to drive that short distance. When we arrived at City Hall it was not abandoned like it was on Sunday, but there was substantially less activity and fewer people than there have been at other times.

After parking, we walked across the plaza and up to the offices. By this time it was 3:30pm. Normally that office is very active, with many employees doing a variety of tasks. Now there were three people working in the office. They told me that the “Presidente” was gone for the day. One of the men added that most people began to leave by 3:00pm. I added that little tidbit of information to my memory banks for future use and then walked back out to my van.

As I sat in the van, I pondered the situation. I had really wanted to talk with Alberto and let him know we were praying for him. I was disappointed. Suddenly, I remembered that he had given me his cell phone number. I began searching for it—in my briefcase—among my papers—finally I pulled out my wallet. There it was stuck back in the corner!

I excitedly dialed the number. No answer.

A little later I dialed it again. He answered and then told me that he had been in a meeting before and couldn’t answer. We talked for a while. I let him know that we were praying for him. (I did not mention the events of Sunday to him. I felt like it would be unnecessary to burden him with any more difficult situations.) He seemed to sincerely appreciate the believers concern for him and his city.

I closed our conversation as I usually do—I reminded him that if there was ever anyway that I could help him just let me know and that if it was in my power to do it, I would.

Up until this time he has never told me about any needs that we could help meet. Today was different.

He told me that there were a number of disabled people in the city who needed wheelchairs or walkers. The he added that if “you and the brothers” could bring five or six wheelchairs and walkers to help those who cannot get around, that would be a BIG help for those men and women.

He also mentioned that there were about one hundred families who were without work due to the situation in the area and that they were having difficulty providing enough food to these families to keep them feed. I recently read in a publication written by the US government that the average family of five eats 23.5 pounds of food per week. For one hundred families that would be 2,350 pounds of food each and every week.

I have been asking the Lord for an open door in this city and I believe that the Lord has just swung the door wide open and he used four simple words—how can I help?

I will be returning to Mier the first week of June. It is now my prayer that that I would be able to return with at least five good quality wheelchairs, five good quality walkers, several sets of crutches (just in case they are needed) and no less than 2350 pounds of good quality foods that would provide well balanced meals for the families.

Matthew 25:35-40 For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous shall answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, and fed You? Or thirsty, and gave You drink? When did we see You a stranger, and took You in? Or naked, and clothed You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and came to You? And the King shall answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you have done it to Me.

When we ask those four simple words, “How can I help?” we must be ready to put the required action behind them!

In Christ,

Mike & Pam Richardson

Mike

 vnm@hughes.net

We have known the Richardsons for many years, I believe we met them in 1997. They are faithful, dependable, honest, and committed servants of the Most High. On his website, he explains a little more about what they are doing in this city:

 Ciudad Mier is an area that has been impacted by significant violence. The new mayor said in an interview that he wanted to “change the image” of the city. The Lord has opened the door for me to meet with him and explain, with the Bible, how God wants to change not only the city but also his own life.

I am finishing a book that I prepared for the Mexican military, who are risking their lives to help people to live in peace, and for people who have been affected by violence. It begins by explaining the need for us to overcome the bitterness and resentment, and explains how it affects our relationship with God and with others. It then proceeds to describe in detail what the Bible says about heaven and hell. The book ends by carefully explaining the plan of God for the salvation of men. Once printed, we will be distributing thousands of these booklets to the military and those affected by violence.  I believe that God will use His Word, written in this book, to bring many to salvation through the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Besides these activities, we continue forward with our efforts to minister to Christian families through El Hogar Educador magazine as well as organizing homeschool conferences. We have scheduled conferences in Pachuca, Guadalajara, Saltillo and Sonora 2012.

Many of you have heard that the wife of an American missionary was killed recently in northern Mexico. Some, perhaps many, have felt sorry for this family and the sacrifice they made to advance the progress of the gospel. Never feel sorry for a missionary, for those who come to fulfill the mandate of Jesus Christ to preach the gospel. We are where the action is really where God is working in the hearts and lives of people. We are living “Where the life and death, where sin and grace come together, where heaven and hell battle for the souls of men, where the living God is working his will in the souls of men.

Wow. Your sons need to hear about this. Calling mine over now.

Recently I was invited to speak at the induction ceremony for a high school honor society, so I looked into the idea.  What I found might be a surprise.

Moses with the Ten Commandments by Joos van Ghent, ca. 1460-1475

First, it is appropriate for believers to seek and to give honor. The Bible speaks about honor as a good thing, given by God, and in fact commanded to us.  We are told to honor our fathers and mothers “that your days may be long.”  Peter enjoins us to “honor the king,” our civil authority, and Paul tells us that faithful church leaders are “worthy of double honor.”

In fact, God tells us to actively seek out things which are worthy of respect.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

– Philippians 4:8

We should make it a practice to find and praise honorable things and honorable people.  Honor is a good thing.

At the same time, we need to have an objective view of our own accomplishments.  We are prone to undeserved pride.  I read that an international study of 65 countries found American students only rank 17th in reading literacy, 23rd in science, and 30th in math.  Our kids have great self-esteem, though.

Frequently homeschooled students have the opposite problem.  Although their test scores average around the 80th percentile or better, well above their public school counterparts, they don’t have the daily comparison of a classroom environment to reinforce them.  Because they can study up to their potential, rather than coasting at the head of an average class, they feel uncertain of their ability.  They don’t give themselves the credit they deserve.

In Romans 12:3, Paul writes, “I say to everyone among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”  We all have goals we miss, and goals we exceed.  We should be honest about both of them.

But better yet, we ought to refer the whole matter back to God. The gifts and talents and accomplishments which God gives us, and results of our stewardship of them, are not about us.  They are totally about Him, His glory, and His kingdom.

The prophet Jeremiah recorded,

Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this:  That he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight,’ declares the LORD.

– Jeremiah 9:23-24

And when we accept both the praises and the troubles that come as gifts of a loving and sovereign God, we can pursue without grasping.  We can rest in the knowlege that the one who honors God will be honored by Him in turn.