Awaken The Giant

“The battle in your life is against your joy.” –John Eldredge, Walking with God.

What could go wrong? The weather was right. Everyone was in a good mood. It wasn’t going to be too expensive. Camping was on!!! Just me and the kids, having some memory making time. Well, the memories came, but whether or not they were good, I don’t know.

My daughter got sick. We arrived a little later than expected, and the weather turned incredibly hot. All manageable until the next morning. “Ants!!!” My daughter screamed. Black ants, thousands of them were crawling in our camper. These were big, black, man-eaters.  They were on her pillow, on the ceiling, in the cupboards, I mean everywhere. All I could do was say to myself “Stay cool. This is a sabotage attempt. Don’t blow it over ants.” The kids scattered. No one wanted to be near the ants. The ants were everywhere in our campsite: the chairs, table, outside the camper, rocks, bbq, etc. I was about to pack up and go home, when a still small voice said, “Don’t let the enemy rob you of your joy that was meant for this weekend.”

I got my composure, walked down to the manager’s office and asked for a new campsite. She said no problem. I checked out the entire campground. It turned out that we were camping right in the middle of the biggest ant colony in all of California. It gets better, before I could move the camper, a baby mouse was squeaking on the ground under the back of the camper. (Baby mice come from nests).

This was a nice diversion for my middle daughter. She caught it, and put in a cup. At one point she tried to get some ground squirrels to adopt it. There’s more to the story, but I’ll share it later in another blog. (Again, baby mice come from nests).

I could have blown a fuse over the ants. It was definitely a trying moment, but I made a choice to know joy in the midst of a trial. I had prayed all weekend about knowing God’s true joy and to be the best father I could be that weekend. I think my patience dropped a couple of times, but the desire to know God’s joy moved me away from the usual grumpiness that a little hot weather, tired kids, and some dirt can bring on, not to mention the ants.

I read from Eldredge’s Walking with God about this very issue. Joy is the one thing that our enemy goes after, but it’s done in such a way that we stay distracted from what is really going on. He keeps us away from joy by our circumstances, addiction, shame, guilt, failure, and our own expectations. Joy is the one thing that will get us through the toughest of trials. Ask Jesus to help you know the fullness of his joy (John 16:24). Don’t let the enemy rob you of God’s blessing upon your life. Fight for your strength in being in joyous man. It will greatly benefit the world around you. And for the record, it’s a good idea to take ant spray when camping.

Making battle plans with you my brothers,
Lance Tullis

I describe John Eldredge as a pioneer in men’s-ministry. He has helped move many a man from a passive role in life to being a man fully alive. This is what he writes on fear:

“Because we bear the image of God in our strength, because we are a ’stem of that victorious stock,’ there’s one thing we all know: We are made to come through. And yet we wonder, Can I? Will I? When the going gets rough, when it really matters, can I really pull it off? That is why every man shares the same core fear of being exposed, being “found out,” that something will happen and he’ll be revealed to be an impostor, and not really a man. Are you aware of that fear? Where would you hate to be called upon to come through, because you don’t know whether or not you can come through?” (Wild at Heart Field Manual. pg 62)

Those questions are at the core of Awaken the Giant. As men, we must be willing to “come through”, no matter how fearful it may be. I can assure on the other side of the fear is not what we imagine. It is glorious victory, but few men ever experience it because of fear. So, I leave you with Eldredge one more time, “”Where would you hate to be called upon to come through?”

Let there be no rest until the fight is over,

Lance

Life is moving like a storm toward summer. It’s still very much like winter in the mountains, but change is coming. I just got back from a great mountain bike ride in the hills above the San Joaquin River. Had some good solo-time with God. All I could think about was how life changes. One minute we’re pushing toward our dreams in life: marriage, business, personal goals, or fatherhood. The next minute those dreams can get shattered.

I’ve learned to use the opportunity of a lost dream to follow a new one. The Christian life isn’t about getting stuck in past regrets and failures. Sure we learn what we can from them, but there comes a time to move forward.

Maybe that time has come for some of you guys. It might mean letting go of a business, relationship, or pursuit of something. It’s OK to let go sometimes. When our focus is on the past, we can’t see the opportunities that are right before us today.

Let God into that past failure or regret, heal you from it, and prepare you for His best. We’re moving into Spring now. Look around. The hills are green. Lakes are filling up, and new life all around us. Some of us have had hard winters in life, but I assure good things are to come.

As the seasons change, may God open that masculine heart of yours to become a man alive to His intent for your life. Heaven knows that now is a time for masculine strength like never before. Remember, you’re a man, and as the great Zig Ziggler says, “Falure is an event, not a person.”

Keep up the fight men,
Lance Tullis

I am excited to see the second year of Awaken the Giant unfold. We’re already seeing church support from New Life, Grace Bible, Mountain Brook, Agape Church, and our brothers at Trinity in Lompoc. Awaken the Giant (ATG) is a genuine movement. We realize the days of the arena conferences are gone, but the need for masculine strength in our culture is more prominent than ever.

Our theme, “The Second Turning”, is about men rising from quiet lives, settled in the shadows, to becoming men fully alive in a brotherhood of strength, vision, and accountability. We are men made for such a day as this. Our families, churches and community need men of “power, love and sound mind.”

Last year we sought to awaken men, letting them see their strength as men, and encouraged a rising power in the brotherhood of Christian men through small groups.

This year we are seeking to move men to impact. Our speakers Ted Roberts and Mike Slater are prepared to ignite a revolution, starting with men of the Central Coast.

Over 300 men attended ATG last year. This year we are expecting over 500. Don’t miss out on what God is doing on the Central Coast. The time has come for a new movement in men’s ministry. ATG II: The Second Turning will be an event to change your life. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Stay Strong,
Lance Tullis

Thanks for attending Friday night’s meeting.  It was good to see such a broad range of guys and backgrounds.  We’ll do this again in the early Spring to keep up the momentum of Awaken the Giant. LT

Reconciliation after divorce or separation is really hard, but if a guy can keep his heart open, then all things are possible.  There’s a new movie coming out from Lion’s Gate that I think will offer some hope of reconciliation. Check out the trailer at Web http://nogreaterlovethemovie.com

Hang in there guys. She’s worth it. LT

Last Thursday I launched a new small group. We watched a clip from Return of the King, The Ride of Rohirrim, and for the first time I was reminded of how I once felt like Merry. He was the hobbit that rode on the horse with the king’s daughter, the one who sleighed the Nazgul. It was like borrowed courage, a guy riding on the horse of a woman. Do any of you guys feel that way, that sometimes the courage isn’t real; it’s borrowed from someone else? Let me hear what you have to say. Lance