tuesday truth

Santa Claus may be shrouded in myth, but the real Man in Red was quite the manly man. According to history and legend, there are a number of stories that paint “Jolly Old Saint Nick” in a slightly different light than we see on the Christmas Cards.

That time he told a storm at sea to take chill pill and it listened

Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors – most likely because of this story.

(Via St. Nicholas Center)
Nicholas foresaw that a violent storm was coming, although no one else suspected this. After he warned the crew, at once black clouds appeared in the sky and a violent storm arose, churning up the sea. Everyone was afraid and they all begged Nicholas to rescue them. They cried out, “Unless you pray to God to save us, we will be swallowed up by the sea!”
Encouraging the passengers and crew to put their hope in God, the saint sent up fervent prayers to the Lord. At once the waters became calm, and the passengers were filled with joy. A fair wind filled the sails, and the boat sailed quickly and safely to Alexandria in Egypt. For this reason, and because of other miracles brought about by Saint Nicholas at sea, he was eventually named the patron saint of sailors all over the world.

This story is familiar – as something very similar happened to Jesus in the New Testament. As I said before – regardless of your belief in miracles, this is still a cool story.

According the biblical and church history, it’s not unusual for the followers of Jesus to do the same kinds of miracles that Jesus did. Jesus spoke of “all authority” being given to him. He later told his followers that he was giving them “all authority.” While Nicholas didn’t know Jesus, he chose to walk away from a life of luxury to live a life of charity and kindness. He was a privileged kid who decided to follow the path of Jesus…. So it makes sense that the same authority would apply, right?

Nicholas wasn’t some soft fat guy sitting at the mall while a hundred kids made demands. He spoke with authority – so strongly that winds and waves shut the hell up at his request.

Let’s strive for a little of that kind of authority in our lives! Speak boldly to the frightening circumstances in your life, and tell them to shut the hell up!

Santa Claus may be shrouded in myth, but the real Man in Red was quite the manly man. According to history and legend, there are a number of stories that paint “Jolly Old Saint Nick” in a slightly different light than we see on the Christmas Cards.

That time he solved a grisly murder and did a miracle
Keep in mind that in order to be considered a “Saint” according to Catholic tradition – a person must have performed documented miracles. Regardless of whether you believe in the veracity of miracles – stories like this are interesting. (Personally, I do believe in supernatural miracles. I’m perfectly okay if you think this makes me crazy. I’ve seen too many of them to deny their existence. But that’s another conversation for another day.)

Via St. Nicholas Center)
[Three lost children] came to a lighted butcher’s shop, knocked and said, “We are lost and hungry. May we eat and sleep?” “Oh, yes,” came the reply, “do come in.”
As they enter, the butcher takes a sharp knife, cuts them up, and puts them in a large salting tub. Seven years pass.
A knock comes on the door. Bishop Saint Nicholas appears, saying to the evil butcher, “Open your large salting tub!” The saint puts his hand on the tub and, appealing to God, says, “Rise up, children.” The little children awake and stand up. Their families joyfully welcome them home.
Again – whether or not the story actually happened is irrelevant. It’s still a cool story. And it’s cool to think of Santa Claus as doing ACTUAL good in the world, not just giving kids cheap plastic toys made in China and WAY too much chocolate.

Speaking of chocolate – Santa would probably be pretty pissed off about the chocolate industry today.

Santa Claus may be shrouded in myth, but the real Man in Red was quite the manly man. According to history and legend, there are a number of stories that paint “Jolly Old Saint Nick” in a slightly different light than we see on the Christmas Cards.

That time he saved three daughters from being sold into prostitution
300AD was a different time. In those days, no respectable man would marry a woman without a monetary gift from her father. If he couldn’t pay for her dowry, she was often sold into slavery, or prostitution.

It was a different time, with different customs, and while it seems barbaric to us today… well.. It was barbaric. Nevermind. I won’t try to excuse it. Apparently, Good Ole’ Saint Nick felt the same way, because he took action against that barbaric practice in at least one instance.

via St. Nicholas Center)
There was a man, once rich, who had fallen on hard times. Now poor, he had three daughters of an age to be married…This poor man’s daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery, or worse…Coming in secret by night, [Saint Nicholas] tossed a bag of gold into the house. It sailed in through an open window landing in a stocking left before the fire to dry…The first daughter soon wed.

Rescuing damsels in distress is a pretty manly thing to do.
Ending sex slavery is also a manly thing to do!
Want to help end human trafficking? Here’s how you can be like St. Nick.

Santa Claus may be shrouded in myth, but the real Man in Red was quite the manly man. According to history and legend, there are a number of stories that paint “Jolly Old Saint Nick” in a slightly different light than we see on the Christmas Cards.

That Time Santa Claus hit a heretic in the face.
Once, during a religious debate, another man denied the divinity of Christ. That was, according to many sources, just too much for Nicholas.

(via St. Nicholas Center)
Arius, from Egypt, was teaching that Jesus the Son was not equal to God the Father…As Arius vigorously continued, Nicholas became more and more agitated. Finally, he could no longer bear what he believed was essential being attacked. The outraged Nicholas got up, crossed the room, and slapped Arius across the face.
Some legends refer to the strike as a punch, and say that it resulted in a bloody nose, but at the very least, most historians tend to agree that some kind of physical altercation occured, in which Father Christmas struck a blow for sound doctrine.

While I can’t condone hauling off and smacking someone who disagrees with your theology, I do kind of respect Nicholas a little more knowing that he was passionate about what he believed.

As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s important for us men to rekindle that little fire of thankfulness.

Think about the people you have been in contact with in the past couple of days. How do you remember them? What do you remember about them?

Undoubtedly, there are some people that you encountered that you will remember fondly, and others you will not.

Manners, kindness, and looks probably factor into the mental image that they left in your mind. You may not even remember if they said, “Thank You” in the course of your conversations, but I do know that those two simple words will help out a person in the “positively remembered” category,

We categorize people based on our experiences, and the words they use, and the feelings they invoked. That means that WE are also categorized in the same fashion.

If you express thankfulness, and demonstrate respect, you will leave a positive impression.

I am speaking mostly in the short term, but if we are thinking of how we are remembered in the long term – that takes a life long commitment to being a person known for his gratitude. This involves being the guy that probably says “thank you” too much for most of his life. This is the man who sends thank you letters when he is given a gift. This is the man who lives in such a way that shows honor and respect to those that have helped him or influenced him in the past.

We talked last month during “Legends of the Fall” a little bit about Legacy.
I want to encourage you to go back and read it further, and think about the kind of legacy you are currently building. Is it one of gratitude?

As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s important for us men to rekindle that little fire of thankfulness.

Your wife and children are craving affirmation from you. That might sound like an overgeneralized statement, and it might even be just that – but it’s been my experience, that your family needs to hear the words “Thank You” as often.

I know this because I don’t say it as much as I should, and overtime, that lack of clearly communicated gratitude starts to wear on them. I demand a lot from my kids – I expect them to work hard, and I frequently ask them to do things for me. I often forget to say “Thanks” for those little things. When I do say it – the eyes light up, a smile forms, and their act of service becomes an act of love.

Let’s challenge each other men, to thank the people in our family daily.
For the next 30 days, make it a point to say “Thanks” at least once a day to the people that you live with. Let me know how when you see a change.

As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s important for us men to rekindle that little fire of thankfulness.

Have you ever met a braggart – a pompous ass who loves to bray and flip his ears around, reminding you of how amazing he is?

Of course you have. You may have even been him.
If you aren’t him, though, you are in danger of becoming him. The solution to that problem is to stay humble – and gratitude forces you to do that.

A thankful man doesn’t look to himself as the source for all the good things in his life, but rather identifies the people and forces around him that have contributed to his success.

I think confidence is a sliding scale – and while we all want to be confident people – we may fall short of confidence, and we might overshoot confidence and end up displaying cockiness.

The more time we spend showing our thankfulness, the more we keep that scale in balance.

Actually choosing to be grateful helps to realign your thinking toward the positive. It gets your focus off the distractions of the circumstance themselves, so that you can focus on your end result.

As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s important for us men to rekindle that little fire of thankfulness.

Sometimes, it’s easy for anyone to get fixated on the negative.

A man once remarked that the Grand Canyon was just a big hole in the ground – and while his statement was true – it reflects the “negative space” in the canyon’s void. But what makes the Grand Canyon different than a “hole in the ground” are the soaring canyon walls.

In our lives and in our relationships, we need to cultivate the habit of looking for the good. I think some people may be more naturally disposed to see the negative – so for those, this task may be harder.

As a Christian, I’ve found that saying prayers of thankfulness often remind me of the positive things around me, and they cause me to take the time to reflect on the good, even in tough circumstances. Regardless of your religion or belief system, you may find a thankful ritual helpful.

Good Ole’ Bing Crosby gets it –

Take some time at the beginning and end of your day to make a list of things you are thankful for.
Write them down, speak them out loud, or tell a friend.

That very act of taking inventory is like putting a fugitive’s pillow in front of a bloodhound. Now your mind has “the scent” of the good things in your life, and will more likely recognize them in the moment.

As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s important for us men to rekindle that little fire of thankfulness.

Men, we tend to be creatures of utility, and we tend to act and speak out of utility rather than emotion. For many of us – our words and speech are reserved for work, for selling, for instruction, and I think that often, we toss out the words that we don’t think matter – and as a result, we really don’t say “Thank you,” enough.

When is the last time you thanked your family? Your parents? Your spouse? Your kids?

To demonstrate gratitude requires an intentionality – and while it might not seem like it carries emotional weight – being “thanked” has a huge emotional gratification to those on the receiving end.

To reciprocate gratitude for kindness truly is manly – because it elevates you. It helps you build your reputation, and it cements you in the hearts of the people who give kindness or assistance to you.

While you may strive for independence, the cold hard truth that “no man is an island” needs be your anchor. You aren’t entitled to anything in this life – and even the things you have earned you have earned because someone blessed you with kindness, taught you skills, or shared with you an opportunity.

Be thankful for those blessings, and be vocal with your thanks.

The movie Legends of the Fall is a fantastic tale of manhood. Gorgeously shot, and wonderfully told, that story follows a man through his entire life, with heartbreak and victory and struggle. Rather than parallel the story too closely, I thought that this month, we could explore together a few of the themes that the movie illustrates, and look at how they can appl to our own wild lives.

Principle is a powerful thing.

prin·ci·ple
ˈprinsəpəl/
noun
noun: principle; plural noun: principles
a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning.

If you are a man without clearly identified principles, you are drifting across the sea of life, and will be tossed around like a leaf when the storms roll in.

If you have a principled life – you can drop anchor and weather the storm.

What are your principles? Have you ever taken the time to jot them down on paper?
What core beliefs shape who you are?

From the time we are young, we are taught to follow our heart. We’re taught that we are supposed to let our heart be our guide.

I’m honestly not sure what buffoon came up with that advice – but I’ll tell you this – following your heart has allowed a generation of men to rise up to the surface – and then just flounder.
Flopping along with whatever they “feel” to guide them.

Listen, men. You are better than that!
Your heart and emotions are fickle. They do matter – they are indicators and gauges on the dashboard of your life. They measure your performance, and they respond to your circumstances.

But if you try to navigate your car by the direction the speedometer or RPM needle is pointed – you won’t get anywhere.

What should guide you, then?

Your principles.

These are what guides you.

Don’t follow your heart… follow your principles.