Category: Basic Training

Most guys thrive from the mentorship and leadership of an attentive father who taught them about masculinity, the skills necessary to grow into a mature adult, and how love and respect are shown in marriage. However, too little is given to the relationship between a son and his mother, for this relationship is often a tell-tale sign of how a man treats all of the women in his life.  So as I remember the third Mother’s Day since my mom’s passing, I have no better way to honor her than with a post about the impact of mothers.  First, let me tell you about my mother, June Gorecki.   About My Mom June Carolyn Baechtold was born on June 17, 1941, in Chicago. She later resided in several locations in Illinois, before spending much of the last 12 years of her life in Arizona. She passed away in Tucson on Independence

I conclude this series about a man’s greatest challenge of maintaining sexual purity with some guidelines for all the relationships with women in our lives, whether it is relationally with our co-workers, friends, and neighbors, or relationally and sexually with our wife. My earlier posts indicated that God designed sex for the pleasures of marriage but also to guard us against the temptations of sexual sin. I provided some useful tips on how to change the behaviors that reinforce our sexual temptations but suggested that we could only enjoy proper relationships with women after a “heart transformation”.   So before I provide those guidelines, let’s start with some understanding of the different kinds of relationships a man has with the opposite sex. Types of Male-Female Friendships The article Can Christian Men and Women Be Friends? describes four types of male-female friendships that deserve unique attention:  A single woman and a

In this series about man’s battle to maintain sexual purity, I indicated that men and women can, in fact, have legitimate friendships but we must proceed with caution and keep proper boundaries. My previous posts gave some practical tips about how we can change the behaviors that reinforce lustful desires. I also suggested that we really needed a “heart transformation” though, in order to overcome any unhealthy sexual desires.  So despite God’s original design for sex within the pleasures of marriage, today’s hypersexualized world makes developing friendships with the opposite sex, and at times even with the same sex, extra difficult. Anyone who is drawn to somebody in an emotionally-connected way or when we show any kind of physical intention, it is often viewed as having sexual intent. This is especially true for male friendships, where physical intimacy such as “bro-hugging” or conveying affectionate words, is often misunderstood.  So how did