Man Motivation.

You know what I like?

Men.

Perhaps that came out wrong.

What I'm sayin' is, I like men that are men. Not that all men aren't actually men, but I like men that are a man's man.

You got me?

I had to laugh as I watched a documentary while ironing the other day on 'manscaping' - that is, the art of the man taking care of his physical appearance. What made me laugh is that while some women interviewed no doubt favored their men to be extremely well groomed, plucked, shaved, and styled, I found myself to be the opposite. 

I tend more towards the grizzly bear look.

I love that Stuart has chest hair. Because that is a trait I associate with a man. And I love that his eyebrows aren't perfectly groomed because men that have perfectly groomed eyebrows sincerely creep me out. 

But even more than appearances, I enjoy men that act like a traditional man. Like a warrior.

A man that isn't afraid of his woman or to tell her what he really thinks.

A man that isn't afraid to have authority. Or fear God.

A man that isn't afraid to be strong, active, and opinionated.

Dare I say, this is one of the reasons I love watching Man vs. Wild.

Bear Grylls. What a rockstar.

Sure, the scenes where we drinks his own urine or bites the head off a live fish can get a little squeemy, but I love that Bear is a man. I love that he can tie knots and push himself physically. I love that he can fish and hunt and build a fire. Even small things, like being able to tell directions by the position of the sun...and not an iphone app. 

I love that he isn't afraid to get downright dirty. 

In our culture where young men have more of a desire to play video games about shooting than to actually learn how to properly handle and use a weapon, it's refreshing to see men who know how to do such.

And in a culture where the men wear skinny jeans that are so tight I'm actually convinced the blood flow to their man-parts is cut-off, it's refreshing to see a man wear a pair of dirty 'ol blue jeans.

As C.S. Lewis noted:

We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and then bid the geldings to be fruitful.

I'm not sayin' you need to look like this to be a man:

After all, my husband leaves for work in a shirt and tie each day.

What I'm talking about is the spirit of a man - that spirit that has fueled all types of men (from warriors to theologians) - that's what I like to see alive and well.

As my friend Angela often asks "Where have all the cowboys gone?" Read THIS incredible post of hers and see what I mean.

My Dad often reminded us growing up that he was a man and that was a good thing. In a house shared with four women, he no doubt had his share of estrogen overloads. But he wasn't my Mom, nor did he desire to fill that role. He was a Father. A Dad. He had testosterone and he didn't need to act like that was a crime. That was the way God designed men to be. Why is our society so bent on convincing men that it is?

Needless to say, I've been on a Man vs. Wild marathon since having Owen. I blame it on the 6,294 hours each day that I spend sitting and nursing him (middle of the night feedings are a wonderful chance to have some uninterrupted time learning survival skills from Bear).

I want Owen to be raised to be a strong man. A man with a backbone.

A man that isn't afraid to be a man, despite what society tells him.

A man that fears the Lord.

And fine, I'll say it, a man that wears a giant beard (though he's no less of a man if he chooses not to). I just love beards.

I hope to raise Owen (as Angela also states) to be "Strong, courageous, Godly and dare I say... a bit wild. Go on Man Cub."

I'll leave you with this advertisement, for blue jeans of all things. Stuart and I found it quite amusing that even their creative campaign directors took notice of society's modern-day-men: