Manhood Journey Father’s Starter Kit [Manhood Journey & City on a Hill Studio Reviews]

The Manhood Journey 

As a single mom of three guys with the youngest turning 18 last week this was the perfect journey to embark on. We’ve been given the opportunity to review The Manhood Journey Father’s Starter Kit by Manhood Journey and City on a Hill Studio.  This is a father son Bible study but it’s also a great Bible study for boys age 8- 17 that can be done in small study groups.

Our original plan was to use this study with one of my sons’ mentors from church but God had other plans. My brother-in-law and Jacob have been working with each other through “Skype and telephone and I’ve listened in a little and it seems to be going well.

The Father’s Starter Kit contains:
1 Embarking Group Guide
1 Embarking 1 on 1 Guide
1 DVD with introductory videos to all 6 modules in Manhood Journey
10 Maprochures that have a map to keep track of your journey on one side and brief descriptions of all the modules in Manhood Journey
1 free copy of the book Wise Guys: Unlocking Hidden Wisdom From The Men Around You written by Kent Evans, co-founder on Manhood Journey.

The group guide would be something great to do with the young men at church. This guide has links you can go to for some visual illustrations to work with the young men. This module is a six week study with “homework” for the dad’s/mentors as well as the guys. 
The 1 on 1 guide c an be used with a couple of boys but it’s meant to help dad and son grow closer and learn a little more about each other. There are the Five “Big Rocks” in becoming a Godly man that are the foundation of the Embarking module: Trust God, Knows His Word, Prays Fervently, Builds Relationships and Serves Others. There are Bible readings, Bible verses to memorize and questions to discuss.
My brother-in-law and Jacob called/Skyped weekly and sometimes more. I felt with this study Jacob was more comfortable to call/text his uncle with any questions or thoughts he had during the week.

We did feel a little overwhelmed at first because my son felt like in the 1 on 1 guide everything ran together. After the second week and no book just talking to his uncle things seemed a little clearer. I’ve done many Bible studies and I read through the group guide which I thought was very well put together and easy to understand.

Jacob is not a reader but he immediately took “Wise Guys” and began reading it. Kent writes this book about men in his life that he’s modeled his own life after. At the end of each chapter Kent has included “Lessons Learned“ and “Questions to Consider” so it makes you think about what you’ve read. Jacob has told me little snippets from the book and from what he’s shared this would be a good book for all young men to read.

I am planning to pass this study information along to our youth pastor and youth teacher to use for our guys to have a small group study. The young men of our churches are our futures and need to be taught how to be Godly men. This is a wonderful way to start whether it be with their father’s, step-father’s, uncles, grandfathers or Godly mentors Manhood Journey is a way to teach Biblical manhood.

Manhood Journey

Facebook

Twitter

City on a Hill

Facebook
Twitter

My Calm In The Storm

 

  As I look back on our life the past 14 years I realize we've survived some rough storms. When Jacob had his six weeks check-up after birth there was no response to a horn being blown in the room. I had noticed the noise of his two older brothers slamming doors, arguing and just being typical boys didn't seem to bother his sleeping or startle him. So our "hearing" journey started with him. After many trips to the audiologist and numerous test it was determined that Jacob had severe hearing loss.
    So while many parents are concentrating on their babies doing the normal milestones we began learning sign language as well. Jacob went weekly to a speech therapist and a sign language teacher came to our house weekly to work with us. His father and I had to decide whether we were going to "main-stream" him (put him in regular classes/situations) or send him to "special"schools.After talking to some great people with the "Beginnings'" program we decided to main-stream. Jacob received his first pair of hearing aides about two months before his first birthday. Challenging was to say the least to get him to wear them. I panicked that he would take them off and swallow the batteries when I wasn't looking. Part of working to main-stream him meant teaching him to really listen and not read lips.Yeah that was fun.LOL!!!During his speech therapy his therapist would talk to him with her hand over her mouth so he had to listen. Jacob worked with Margaret till he transitioned out of the program at age three. She always told him he was going to grow up to be the President. Jacob and I still joke about that.
    After deciding to main-stream we backed off on learning the sign language. I still used a little with him but let's face it we all want our kiddos to be "normal'. Right?  Jennifer, who was teaching us sign language still worked with Jacob weekly with his speech and various other things. I started college and put Jacob in daycare by my school so I could get to him in a few minutes if I was needed. His brothers were in school so he was getting the stimulation and interaction with other children and adults at daycare.
    When Jacob turned three he qualified for Pre-K due to his hearing impairment. His father had left us a month before Jacob turned three and my parents had come up from Florida to help me with the tree boys. I thank God for the awesome support system He put in our lives,family,teachers,therapist,church family and friends. Without these people and God I'm not sure we would have made it as well as we have.
    God was/is my calm in the storm.......Is He yours
   
    Have a blessed Tuesday 

March ALREADY!!!!

    It's hard to believe it's March already. My baby will be turning 18 this month and I'm really not ready for that. Where has the time gone?
    March came in like a lion here with high winds and now we're getting freezing temps again. While we had some nice sunshiny days Jacob and I worked in the yard. I raked leaves in piles to burn later and he worked on his garden.

He has an awesome strawberry patch that has multiplied beyond what he expected. We also have some raised beds and bath tubs, yes I said bath tubs, that we plant veggies and herbs. Not sure what all he's planning on planting this year but I'm sure it'll be fun and delicious. We have 2 uncles in Florida that he really respects and love that also garden so he listens to what they say more than his grandmother and I.I grew up in Florida and my parents had a BIG garden that I helped tend to ( hated it then but appreciate it now) and my mother grew up farming in South Carolina and Florida so we do know a little.LOL!!
    Jacob has started a Lenten Calendar Countdown to Easter on Ash Wednesday. Each chain has something different on them, Pray for..... Read Isaiah 58:6-7 and Give up....  and he wasn't to happy with his first "chain". Thursday's chain said "No T.V." so he sulked when he read that. There are days our T.V. never gets turned on but like anything else when you're not supposed to do it or eat it that's when you really want to. We survived and got to listen to his new cd's from Winter Jam.

    Hoping for a good weekend as we travel to Tennessee to say good-bye to our cousin Andrew. He was only 19 and his death is hitting Jacob pretty hard since he's got Epilepsy and close in age. I know God's got this and I pray for comfort for all of my family during these rough times.