Again, another great read from you. I am a fan of John Eldredge when I first read this book about two years ago as recommended by some guy friends. This made me understand men’s nature – something which is far, far different from us, women.

Thank you!

Wow, thank you for your kind words, Marix! :*) It’s hard enough trying to figure myself out, much less trying to figure women out. LOL

Have a great week!

Hear hear! Thanks for sharing, Jason.

Bull’s eye!!! Say that to a lot of MEN in church. Almost all will not disagree. In fact, a few of the leaders will say that MEN have to act and behave like MEN. Sad to say, all for show! Worse, some will use this as a license to PUNCH their wives around… I know of a wife who is intellectual superior than the husband. The husband will always throw tantrums just to mask his insecurities and to show who’s the boss. Went thru a series of counseling. Ang advice kuno, the husband is the head, wives have no choice but to submit to the husband. Huh?! They’re still together. Sorry, but this is beneath my comprehension.

A man who respects his wife for everything that she is, is a real man.

“…and I doubt “dangerous,” “masculine,” and “manly” would be in any one’s list of adjectives describing me.”

What’s the problem? I don’t see anything wrong here. Me too. And I would loved being described as “stupid”, “moron”, “imbecile”, than “masculine”, “manly”.

“…Yes, I’m coming out and saying it: I’m very concerned about people thinking I’m gay, because it is not good for me as a Christian ambassador when people gossip – incorrectly – about me.”

I don’t see why you should be concerned about this, when you know you’re not one. What you’re saying may be true. But you might end up desperately trying to please others (for Christ, you may say)… too sad. A lot of times, people think I’m gay. Instead of denying, I would admit BOLDLY that I AM, although I know I’m not. All the time, that would be enough to silence them. Funny, the more I admit, the more they’re sure that I’m not.

Careful there, tiger; you’re missing the point. The rationale for one’s watching one’s actions is not out of pleasing others, but rather to please God. It is not God-pleasing for a man to act in an effeminate manner, whether one is gay or not. The whole adage that “one should be true to what one is” is a dangerous statement: it implies that one is aware of what one is. If someone never cast a vision of godly masculinity (manhood, manliness, whatever terms you want to use, to describe what it means to be a godly man) on someone else, that someone is going to search for that identity somewhere else, and it’s never going to be complete, and it’s never going to be accurate. (For instance, the feminine can never cast a vision of masculinity, because the feminine was never masculine to begin with; it’s blind leading blind.) That’s the whole point of masculinity bestowing masculinity; it takes a masculine man to set an example for the next generation of masculine men.

Furthermore, I strongly encourage you NOT to declare that you are gay, especially if you are not, just because you want to end a discussion. There is power in the tongue; it has the power to wound, like a double-edged sword. When a father speaks to his son, “you are useless,” “you are not a man,” “you’re a mama’s boy,” and the like, he literally curses the son; it can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Defend your masculinity; defend your manhood; defend your God who has created you in His image and likeness!

Moreover, I have a lot of gay friends who has more balls (pardon the term) than their “masculine” brothers/relatives. A number of them would take up the responsibility of raising up their nephews and nieces because the guys abandon the responsibility. I have the most respect for these friends of mine.

I have full respect for anyone who is responsible and compassionate, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Bottom line is, do you know who you are?
There was never any doubt who I was; it was always just an issue of living up to my fullest potential in Christ.