In Good Company

Sometimes in life we just need a time to get away from things and relax. We need some time to ourselves, or maybe some time with some good people. Well in the summer of 2022 I had the opportunity to do just that. I had the opportunity to travel a few hours away and spend some time with the men of our church at a conference called “Stronger Men” conference. Though it was a time of restoration and time away, it was also a time to reflect on who I am and where I want to be. So this is my story of a conference forgotten, and a mission heard.

The Stronger Men Conference is what it sounds like. It is a conference of men to go and to hear about how to become stronger men. The idea is that we are growing the next generation of men to be strong, courageous, caring, and most of all, Godly. This conference is put on by a church in Springfield MO named James River Church. And there were many of things about the conference that I just didn’t care for. Sometimes it felt contrived, and sometimes it felt like a place that was trying to really push the agenda of a “manly man”. And that is not something that I necessarily get behind. I do believe that men are men and women are women. I do believe that God has made us man and woman for a reason, and I believe that the thought behind this conference was with the right heart. And many of the speakers there were right on point. I took away a few things from these teachings, and I will over time share about those teachings. But that is for another time. The one thing that I really took away from this conference was not the messages at the conference or the bull riding that took place, but it was the strength I felt and that was bestowed to me in the company of other men. In the company of good people.

This trip was supposed to be one that was filled with many men. But when it all came down to the end, there were just a few of us. But God knew what He was doing. Because the men that showed up, were the men that I needed to spend time with the most. It was our church pastor and two of his sons. It was another man from our church and his son. And the coolest part was I got to go with two of my boys as well. We were there in a cabin just outside of Branson MO, drinking coffee, and looking over the tree line into a BEAUTIFUL lake. We were talking about the night before and all the things we took away from the messages. We were talking about what was going on in our lives, and we were dreaming about things of the future.

We were in good company, and we were thriving because of it. It was in these moments that God spoke to me, and reminded me of how important it was to raise my boys in the eyes of the Lord. How important it was to raise of men of God. Ones that would be great fathers, husbands, and leaders. Ones that would respect every race, sex, and culture. That would learn from their mistakes and move forward. Young men who would respect their peers, leaders, and most of all God! It was this conference that renewed my faith in God’s plan for our young people. It was a great time of learning.

The hard part about life is that, we sometimes go away and get refreshed. We then come back home and forget everything that we learned. I am a few months out from that conference, and it seems as though I am not being the father that I wanted to be. Or the husband I know I can be. I am not being the man that God has called me to be. I have given time to my work and mentoring others, and that has gone well. But I am missing the most important roles that I play. So how do we keep that energy from those conferences? How to we stay renewed?

First thing is to “keep the first things first”. We need to know what the most important things are in our lives, and we need to focus our first fruits to that. We need to focus our first energy to those causes. They should not get our second best. They are the first things. If we start to put the first things second, then we will get burnt out. We know they are the things to focus on, and then when we try to get to them, we will be worn out. This can cause anxiety and depression, leading us down a road that is hard to get back from. So the first things always come first.

The second thing is we need to have a support system to bounce ideas off of. We need someone to walk beside us to hold us accountable. We need someone to be there when we step off track and help us get back on. To lift us up when we are down, but to also be honest with us when we need some correction. We need the support of those around us to help us reach our highest potential.

So there you have it. Nothing like being refreshed, getting vision, coming home, and then falling off the wagon again. That is one of my favorite things about adventuring though. If it was always easy, or the path was paved with gold, then we would not feel the real accomplishment once we conquered the task ahead. It is because of the trials and troubles that we can learn from the route we have treaded. We will then move forward and have created a path for the generation behind us.

So until next time remember that the hard terrain is a part of the adventure. So Adventure Often and Love Always!