SO…WHERE ARE THE SONS?
I’ve been noticing something in a wide variety of TV commercials over the last several years, be they on the main TV networks, on cable, or further into the television universe.  It seems that families having sons, have fallen out-of-vogue among the ‘wizards of smart’ on Madison Avenue.  Daughters have become the ‘fixture’ among the advertisers…a trend I find very, very disturbing.

Why?  I’m glad that you asked.  No ‘safe spaces’ from–the TRUTH!

Regardless of what society says, Men are the ones who ask women to marry.  When you have a society that ‘dotes’ on daughters and pushes sons to the curb, you are setting both up for a massive failure.  First, you are encouraging sons to be lazy, selfish, uneducated, and pursuing pleasure rather than getting themselves ready for life, a career and eventually–marriage.  Second, you ‘disrupt’ the biblical and natural order of marriage and home.  Third, IF a young man is not aimed in the right direction to obtain the skills needed for marriage and life in general, you set that young man adrift.  What have we been seeing in society over the last 20 years?  Many young men set adrift with no aim, no desire for marriage, and no ‘get up and go’ to relish competition and achievement.

Society NEVER gets it right.  First, it ‘softens’ young men with video games, propaganda and sexual identity/racial identity confusion; then it gets young women hooked on hater-aide and complaining about the results.  Who would want to date a bitter woman, let alone marry one?    And, to REALLY get you happy, brothers, the generation RIGHT behind the Millennials, known as ‘Generation Disney’ or Gen Z have even LESS in the way of common sense, home training, or education smarts.  Sheesh!

INTRODUCING…
The Book of Proverbs contains a detailed list of women for men to avoid–written mostly by Solomon in the KJV Bible.  You may be asking yourself: “Why is this important to me?”  I’m glad that you asked.  Because many men–including preachers–have ducked this issue for a loooong time, in order to ‘keep the peace’ between the sexes.

Sometimes, to get true peace, you have to have some real battles in spiritual warfare.  Yes, many preachers–who were raised in a single parent home without a father, or, don’t have their own act together for other reasons–will ‘dog out’ men for their sins, but won’t address ‘doggette women’ for theirs.  On top of this, too many men rely on social media for answers on women!  Such information used to be passed on by fathers to sons, or, at least between wise, older men and young men willing to listen to biblical advice.  Information without wisdom and understanding is a set-up for disaster.

Let me give you a clue, brothers.  If one READS Proverbs a chapter a day for a month, they will find all of the ne’re do well girls AND women that God has ‘red flagged’ in His book of wisdom.  Further, if your male pastor won’t preach the truth, find a church with a Man of God who WILL preach it–they do exist!  Better yet, give them a copy of this column.  My email address is at the end.

THIS MONTH’S ‘WOMAN TO AVOID’:
Now that I’ve gotten the warm-up out of the way, this month’s Book of Proverbs Woman To Avoid is the Brawling Woman, covered in Proverbs 21:9 (KJV).  This sister likes to fight with ANYBODY, over ANY excuse.  Fighting is in her nature, and she ain’t willing to give it up, no matter what–or whom–it may cost her.

Unfortunately,  there are SOME of these sisters who are in our churches.  Worse still; according to Proverbs 21:9, you will best be served to give her a WIDE berth in your home–and you MAY feel at times to be better off outside of your home.

Brothers, don’t be fooled.  This sister usually WILL try provoke you; WILL swing on you, and IF you swing back, guess who is going to have to explain it to the cops, Judge Judy, and the rest of the social media audience?  This sister likes to fight, period.  Don’t fall into her ring–and DO NOT give her one!  Stop dating these sisters at ONCE!

Your help meet is to fight for you…not with you!

A TIP OF THE HAT…FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH:
These WW II brothers don’t get enough credit.  A tip of the hat to the ORIGINAL Black Panthers:  The 761st Tank Battalion.  These Black tankers were so skilled in tank warfare that Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. supposedly watched them train, and immediately demanded that they be assigned to his army.  Patton got the best.  The 761st were the best.  In addition, these brothers set battlefield records that still stand today AND helped to liberate some of the death camps run by the Nazis.  Some of their exploits are covered in the PBS series “Liberators”, which is based on the book of the same name–and I have both of these items in my personal library.  Keep ‘em rolling this month; brothers–no matter how many of the enemy may be blasting away at you!

GRANDMA KEPT IN SHAPE BY:
Just a quick observation…back in the day, MOST grandmothers kept in shape by cooking, cleaning house, sewing, being involved at church, taking care of their LARGE families, gardening, canning, visiting the neighbors, baking from scratch AND lived to a ripe old age…WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA!  I’ve been reading more than a few obits over the past few years, and have found some women who are ‘supposedly’ in great shape at the gym; can run a marathon, etc. but don’t live past 40 because of this ‘bug’ or that ‘accident’.

Hmmmm.

A FEW GREAT QUOTES FOR THE MONTH:
*“It’s not what you CALL me, it’s what I ANSWER to!”   –Journalist, Tony Brown.
*“If you treat your wife like a thoroughbred, you won’t end up with a NAG!”  –Pastor, Dr. Tony Evans.
*“Show me who you run with, and you’ll tell me who you are!”   –Old Folks Saying.

LAST SHOT OVER THE BOW:
One of my mottos for the New Year ahead:  #WiseBoysLead!  Hope someone has the courage to put it on a shirt!  See you around the streets or suites next month.

Mike Ramey is a Minister, Book Reviewer and Syndicated Columnist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.  To drop him a line…or a whine…the address is still the same:  manhoodline@yahoo.com.  ©2018  Barnstorm Communications.