manhood | Craig T. Owens

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Average Joe (book review)

May 23, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

There’s nothing wrong with being an average Joe. And there’s certainly nothing “average” about Troy Meeder’s book entitled Average Joe!

For some time I’ve been concerned about the “feminization” of men. Particularly I’m concerned with how Christian men have bought into culture’s wrongheaded idea of what it means to be a real man. Should a real man be gentle? Yes! But “gentle” is not a code word for a passive sissy. Real men understand their God-given role to be the provider and protector for their family, which at times means they have to toughen up.

Being an average Joe for some guys has become a license to simply let life happen to them. Just take things as they come. Don’t get too worked up about anything. Don’t stand up too strongly for anything. Don’t make waves. As a result, average Joes then become another face in the crowd.

But not according to Troy Meeder. Real men stand up for what’s right. They don’t wait for life to come to them, they go and make life happen. They make good things happen, and they keep bad things from happening to those they love. A real average Joe looks a lot like Jesus Christ.

Average Joe is a collection of observations – almost individual essays – about what Troy sees as being a Jesus-honoring, family-loving, honest-to-goodness real man. I was challenged to look in the mirror with each chapter I completed.

This is a wonderful book for any REAL man to read. But the study guides in the book would also work very well as conversation starters for a men’s ministry, or even for small groups of men who are holding each other accountable.

I am a Multnomah book reviewer.

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Rules Of Engagement (book review)

June 8, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

In whatever criteria you want to measure him, Chad Hennings is a man’s man: accomplished wrestler, US Air Force fighter pilot, Outland Trophy winner, and Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys. So when Chad sets out to write a book for men, Rules Of Engagement, you know it’s going to be right on target.

And it is.

Chad doesn’t pull any punches. He calls men out on the games we tend to play to hide our insecurities or our shortcomings. Using his military background, the book is divided into two main sections: basic training and active duty.

In basic training, you will learn how to become a well-rounded man. Chad covers the emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical regimens that will prepare men for the battles we fight every day. In this section, I especially appreciated the insights on character and vision, the foundations for a successful life. Chad writes, “Character and vision go hand in hand because a man’s vision comes directly from his character.”

In the active duty, section, you will learn how to put all of this training and hard work into practice. Chad covers the areas of family, accountability with another strong man (your wingman), money, and community involvement.

This book would be excellent for a man to read by himself. But I think it would take on even more effectiveness if two or three men read the book together and then enlisted each other as their wingmen. Accountability is a key factor in making all of this stick.

I am a FaithWords book reviewer.