Before GPS, did you ever come to a fork in the road and think, “Which way should I go?”

Each of us eventually comes to a fork in the road – literally and figuratively – where we will have to decide which way to go.

As Christ-followers, we have the perfect navigator in our lives. God knows what’s down each road we travel; nothing surprises him. If we are unsure which way to go, we can look to him, and he will guide us. He will provide for all our needs throughout life’s journeys.

Let’s trust the Lord and thank him for the confidence he gives us to travel life’s roads, whether smooth or bumpy.

For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Have you ever trusted someone who let you down? Most of us have experienced this. Most of us have broken someone’s trust too.

Yet, life requires you to trust others every day, often without thinking twice about it.

The only One who will never let you down and is completely trustworthy is God. 
“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.” Psalm 118:8
You must seek to trust and obey God and teach your son to do the same.
“Heavenly Father, thank you for being trustworthy. Help me to trust in you and follow your commands.”

For more information about a Proven Process that is helping boys grow into godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

With each step he took, the load felt heavier.

Matthew was on a hike with a group of other boys when he realized his backpack was overloaded. He feared that if he asked for help, the other boys would make fun of him.

Finally, he fell to his knees, and confessed he couldn’t carry his load. To his surprise, the boys took off Matthew’s backpack and distributed the heavy contents equally in their own bags.

In a society where being a boy can feel like a burden, young men need help. Make sure your son has both a father-figure and a group of positive male friends to help him carry his burdens. Your church is a great place to start, or you can search for a local Trail Life USA troop.

For more ideas to raise boys to be godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Your son needs a place to be a boy.

In 2018, the Boy Scouts of America announced that they would allow girls to join. One scoutmaster was asked, “How do you like having girls a part of your troop?” The scoutmaster answered, “We love having girls because they are so much better behaved than boys!”

That answer broke my heart. Society already deems boyhood and masculinity as something negative– and now an organization that was supposed to champion boys was also insinuating that boys should act more like girls.

Make sure your son knows that who he really is– whether that’s wild, curious, crazy, or loud– is just fine. After all, God created him that way for a glorious purpose.

To find out about getting your son involved with a boy-centric organization, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Fire is always destructive, right?

Well, not necessarily. The knobcone pine tree relies on fire in a crazy way. In order for its seeds to escape the hard resin that traps them inside the cone, an intense heat source is required.

That’s where a forest fire comes in handy. After fire melts the cone’s resin away, the cone cracks open. Seeds are then free to flutter to the ground where they can grow tall and strong.

As a parent, you want to protect your son. But don’t forget that trials and troubles can help your son grow stronger. By relying on God through challenging situations, your son will learn how to manage the heat and stress of life. And in doing so, he’ll be better prepared for whatever the future may hold. 

For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

The 4th quarter of a football game is often a nailbiter. Teams battle it out as the minutes tick off the clock. At times, it feels like that 4th quarter will last forever. But then, before you know it, the game is over.

The same is true in parenting. Many boys head off to work or college after high school. That means that if your son is at least 14 years old, then he’s probably in the 4th quarter of his time at home.

Even if you’ve prepared your son for the future, the 4th quarter is no time to quit. Continue to provide training and instruction. By helping your son love the Lord with all his heart, soul, and mind, he’ll be ready to tackle the challenges of adulthood.

For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

George Müller—an evangelist who established orphanages in the 1800s—was known for his prayer life. And yet, in addition to his faith in God’s provision, Müller was also a man of action. He wisely said, “Our walk counts far more than our talk, always!”

That’s so true. You may talk to your son about patience, kindness, and self-control, but do your actions demonstrate these characteristics? If a referee makes a bad call, how do you respond? When an elderly neighbor needs help, do you view it as a hassle or an opportunity?

Make sure what you say is backed up by what you do. Consistency in speech and action are a winning combination that your son will want to imitate.

For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Here’s an easy question: What does www stand for? If you answered, “world wide web,” you're right!

But if you think about it, that phrase is actually quite descriptive of online content.

We all know that the Internet is helpful in many different ways. And yet, it’s also a web that easily entangles boys in temptations. Violence, vulgarity, and sexuality are trapping boys in sin.

Don’t let your son get ensnared by the sticky filth found on the web. As a father, protect your son by using content filtering software. And then, when your son is old enough, have a heart-to-heart talk with him about how to react when the world wide web tries to tempt him.

Through careful instruction, you’ll help your son use technology wisely, without getting trapped.

For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

See if you can answer this joke: When leaving for work, what did the daddy buffalo say to his son? . . . Bye-son!  [Bison]

Maybe that joke made you groan, but tell it to your son tonight, and you’ll probably get a smile from him—maybe even a laugh.

Dad jokes are corny, but they’re still fun. Of course, you and your son can have fun in a thousand other ways, but the important thing is that you have fun together.

School, sports, and friendships can be stressful. But by creating an atmosphere of encouragement within the home, your son will learn to relax and trust you for guidance and instruction. Plus, when you smile and laugh together, life is a whole lot more fun.

For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Did you ever play Capture-the-Flag when you were a kid? If so, you know the object of the game is to capture the opposite team’s flag before getting tagged.

It’s one thing to play Capture-the-Flag, but don’t let today’s secular culture capture your son’s heart and mind. The love of money, the desires of the flesh, and the pride of life are all trying to steal his attention. And if they capture it, they’ll imprison him in bondage and despair.

Teach your son that God provides freedom from sin. And even though we’ll have to combat sin as long as we’re alive, placing God first in our lives will help us overcome temptation. When we allow God to capture our heart, we’ll be victorious in life.

For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.