Let me start this post out by saying that this week was a very rare gem for me. I was asked to catch up with a brother from church that I have not walked with for a very long time. He has had some ups and downs and has been restored in our body and I am proud to watch his spiritual growth in our church. We had dinner before seeing the movie, Act of Valor. We talked a lot about our kids and ministry and where are lives are taking us.He asked me what he could do for me. I didn't see that question. Actually, I was expecting more of just a catch up kind of evening. I will say that I knew that he was walking and getting actively involved in some other ministries in our church and that was a very good thing. My response to him was that he was already doing it. He made some mistakes (we all do), he repented (we all need to) and he has been restored. Now his life is bearing fruit of the Spirit. He has a humility that I cannot explain, but I can tell that he truly gets what Christ did for him (for me and you). He reinforced a very strong passion of Lance, Gary and myself: To finish well and to reach men at their core and to serve in such a way, When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.” (quote form Lance's Post).
After dinner, we went and saw the movie (see trailor) Act of Valor
, which is a movie about Navy SEALS. The movie was nothing less then great. You can pick on some aspects of the movie but things that were made abundantly clear from the beginning where character traits that we strive for legacy dads to bear witness to and live out daily: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Citizenship, Perseverance, Loyalty, Duty, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Grace, Justice, Humility, Humilty, Mercy, Discipline and of course, Valor. I have to believe that some, if not all, of these men fear God and believe in Jesus Christ. They would be remiss to be so giving in their sacrifice to their friends and family and country and not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Some of the things said and principles shared in the movie can make one believe that they do believe in God (I hope and pray so).
Last night was another special night for me as I met with an Elder from our church and a man that is very involved with me in our men's ministry 
and we are working on some discipleship training. Both men, that I met with these past two nights, have a sense of maturity (humility) that is great to see. The one from Tuesday is just starting to grow deeper in his faith and maturity and the one from last night has come through a very long year and a half of a desert place.
I am celebrating these two men this week. I believe in them and their walks and am proud to be involved in serving with both of them. As we work through this discipleship process, our prayer and hope is that other men will move in a posture that can bring them to a place of worship, service, stewardship, purity and of course, being a man of God and a disciple of Christ.
To God be the Glory,
Dante