Three times a year at Whetstone Boys Ranch, in the Spring, Summer, and Fall, we take our boys on a week-long adventure in the Ozarks. It’s a lot of work to plan, order supplies, rearrange schedules, pack, and then travel hundreds of miles in a van with all of our equipment. But once we’re there, and we’ve set up camp, we remember that it’s always worth the effort. Lifelong memories are made. Relationships are born and strengthened. And God, well, He’s everywhere. All we had to do was show up. On this podcast, Brandon and I discuss Whetstone’s most recent adventure to Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, the highest point in the state of Missouri. So pull up a folding chair and pretend you’re sitting around the campfire with us. We promise not to blow too much smoke in your face. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/time-to-sharpen/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/time-to-sharpen/support

You’ve seen it on a bumper sticker. You’ve probably seen a meme or a gif. Maybe it’s popped up on a slide during a sermon on Sunday morning: “More Cowbell!” Just 2 words, but their impact is, dare I say, profound. One for the ages! Just in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last 20 years, it’s from a classic Saturday Night Live skit, starring the great Will Ferrell. I can’t even begin to describe how hilarious it is, so if you haven’t seen it recently, as in within the last 24 hours, do it now. Hit pause. Google “more cowbell” and watch what many critics call the funniest skit in the history of SNL. Then come back and listen to this podcast. What we say about working with troubled teens will make a lot more sense if you do. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/time-to-sharpen/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/time-to-sharpen/support

Cowboys. We love’em. We hate’em. We love to hate’em; and then we hate the fact that we love’em. Maybe it’s best to say that America has a complicated relationship with cowboys. Whetstone Boys Ranch, even with its strong Western roots, is no different. We could argue about the reasons why and what these reasons tell us about ourselves, but one thing is for sure. Everyone seems to like Danny Glover’s portrayal of Joshua Deets in the television miniseries, Lonesome Dove. Rarely has a fictional character demonstrated such “splendid behavior,” to quote the book by Larry McMurtry and the film. But the more you think about Deets and what he represents, the more complicated he becomes. On this episode of A Time to Sharpen, we discuss Deets with Ty Lewis, our current agricultural director and a former house parent at Whetstone Boys Ranch. What can this iconic character tell us about how to work with struggling teenagers? And perhaps more importantly, what can he tell us about how to work with ourselves while we work with struggling teenagers? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/time-to-sharpen/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/time-to-sharpen/support

Words, according to Albus Dumbledore, are “our most inexhaustible source of magic - capable of inflicting injury and remedying it.” Nowhere is this more true than in therapy. One might even argue that it is impossible to heal past wounds without assigning them meaning through language. It’s not exactly magic, but learning how to communicate is like crossing an invisible bridge you never knew existed. For this episode of “A Time to Sharpen,” we invited one of our first graduates to speak with us about this topic. He credits this skill, which he honed at Whetstone almost a decade ago, for his success. Join us for a very special conversation with a courageous young man who continues to seek truth with contagious passion. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/time-to-sharpen/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/time-to-sharpen/support

There is no script for how to help a struggling teenager. To paraphrase the 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go wrong.” Or as the late 20th century American philosopher, Mike Tyson, once said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Whetstone Boys Ranch can’t tell you what to do when your son or daughter is spiraling out of control. We can however, provide some guidance that will keep you from doing the same. And it starts with a good old fashioned movie night. It all starts with the cinematic masterpiece, Nacho Libre. So sit back and enjoy a conversation about how a joyful heart, in the midst of all the chaos of raising kids, is truly “good medicine.” --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/time-to-sharpen/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/time-to-sharpen/support

King Solomon said that if we cast our “bread” upon the waters, we will find it after many days. Something tells me he wasn’t extolling the virtues of soggy toast…although a good piece of sop with a beefy stew is one of greatest pleasures in this life. That and a nice MLT, to quote Miracle Max from The Princess Bride - mutton, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomatoes are ripe. No, I’m pretty sure “bread upon the waters” is a metaphor. But what does it mean? And how can we apply it to working with struggling teenagers? On this inaugural podcast, we examine bread cast upon the waters. It may not sound all that appetizing, but we’re offering food for the mind – something to chew on, even if you feel like all your teeth have been kicked out. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/time-to-sharpen/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/time-to-sharpen/support