How are relationships amongst men developed? How do we build deep relationships in our family? Do we have to sit around holding hands and singing Kumbaya and sharing our feelings or is there another way? If we're being honest, we'd love to have deep relationships with other men, but it seems impossible. In this episode I'm joined by my older brother who shares with us about the power of shared experiences amongst family and men. He also shares a little of his debt-free journey and how he and his family got to go to financial peace headquarters for their debt free scream. You'll also hear a little bit about growing up in Ohio before air conditioning and a little bit about football in Ohio compared to the Pacific Northwest. 

There were more travelers on the road and in the sky on July 4th weekend than ever in history. It was like everyone said, after enduring the last 18 months or so, in the words of Michael Scott, "We're out of here, catch you on the flippity flip." But, what if there is something we can learn from that? Maybe, all the stress and strain we are experiencing as a society isn't as much because of politics or the pandemic, but because we're all tired and need a break. In this episode, I share with you some quick tips on how to be more intentional with resting. 

You may find this hard to believe, but I've never taken my family on an overnight camping trip. Sure we've gone on trips and even stayed in camp grounds, but we have never done overnight tent-camping. I know, shocking. But, I don't want to go too far down the road of all my shortcomings as a father. So, instead, in this episode of the Man They Remember Podcast, Paul Reyes, the master camper himself shares with us 3 keys to a successful camping trip. If you're like me and just haven't yet ventured out into the great unknown with nothing between yourself and the carnivorous animals like bears and cougars but a piece of fabric that gets torn to shreds by the wind if it stays out in the sun too long, then listen in and learn how you can succeed at taking your family out camping this summer. 

On one hand, we live in a world that is adamantly trying to tear down the stereotype of what it means to be masculine. And, yes, much of that needs to come down. However, on the other hand, while the loudest voices may be shouting for a different picture of masculinity, there are many ways that those men who try to be that different kind of a man end up being punished for their pursuits. In this episode, we talk about some statistics about the stereotype of masculinity as well as how we have all personally felt the pressure to live up to the old stereotype. 

Sometimes movies are just fun to watch and there is absolutely nothing beneficial to them. Other times, there are great fictional stories that have been created to help teach a point. And then there are those movies based on a true story that have a way of changing the way we think about life. Great movies come from great stories. Talk about being the kind of man they remember when we're gone, how about being the kind of many they make a movie about! Today, we talk about some of the movies that have had an impact on who we are as men. 

Andy Andrews said: “When confronted with a challenge, the committed heart will search for a solution. The undecided heart searches for an escape.” If you look at manhood in our culture today, commitment is one of the most pressing issues. The way it is right now when things get difficult, there are too many men that are ready to look for an escape. But commitment requires sacrifice, it requires sticking with someone or something through the challenges. In this episode, we talk about various aspects of commitment and why so many of us struggle with this issue. 

Martin Luther King Jr. once said: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?” Being helpful is something we often appreciate from others, but when it's our turn to serve we can easily find an excuse. In this episode, we talk about the virtue of helpfulness and how it's men who are helpful who also seem to have the best relationships and the most joy in their lives. 

Mr. Rogers once said: "Honest is often very hard. The truth is often painful. But the freedom it can bring is worth the trying." We tend to think of honesty as a lesson that you teach kids in a picture book, but not something that grown men need to wrestle with. And yet, the consequences of dishonest men plague our culture. In fact, in some arenas we actually celebrate when men get away with something dishonest. We also talk about Pixar movies, movies that people watch over and over again and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. 

I used to think that being cynical and negative made my sound smart. Now I just think it makes me sound like a jerk. Thomas Edison once said, "If the only think we leave our kids is the quality of enthusiasm, we will have given them an estate of incalculable value." But, how are we supposed to be hopeful in a world so full of pessimism? We saw the new stories of frontline workers who were burnt out, tired and desperate. But were there any who had hope during the pandemic? Is there any hope? And what does morse code have to do with any of this? 

We live in an era where people want to be honored without having done anything honorable. Richard L. Evans once said: "It is priceless to find a person who will take responsibility, who will finish and follow through to the final detail-to know when someone has accepted an assignment that it will be effectively, conscientiously completed." It used to be that a handshake was more binding than a contract and that when someone gave you their word, you could take that to the bank. One politician said: "Before we had contracts we had handshakes that expressed that we were making an arrangement that was based on our honor." What has happened to honor and how do we teach honor to the next generation?