A group of us guys headed out to Red River Gorge on Monday night to stay at the Cabins of Quiet Waters. A friend of mine whom I have traveled to Honduras with, Jeremy Strom and his wife Sonya moved there a couple of months ago after God gave them a vision for a retreat center. They bought several cabins and have been renovating them to provide a place for people to experience adventure and peace away from the mundane lives we often find ourselves in. You can visit their Facebook group page if you’re interested in more info.
We stayed for two days and packed in as much manliness as we possibly could. The best part for me were the amazing conversations around the fire, under the porch, in the hot tub, and at the table. We went rock-climbing and the few of us beginners completed a 5.8 level climb that challenged us physically and mentally. I’m going in for something harder next time.
A note to all the ladies with men out there:
Please support him in being the masculine creature he was meant to be…not some ridiculous, Al Bundy or Homer Simpson version of a man…I’m talking about a true lion. You have the power to do this.
Oh, Ryan. These pictures are amazing. You definitely captured the manliness! All men should have women in their lives who encourage them to be Lions. And men like this to inspire them to become one. What a great experience.
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I love that men are now “allowed” to be men again. I so appreciate that you guys can now feel free to roar and not be chastised as pigs or dogs or whatever choice words that have been piled on you in the past. I personally love that my guy is tall and strong and very hairy, too! So go ahead, smoke those stogies and bay at the moon. I’m with ya 100%
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LOVE that last photo best of all. And your last paragraph was great advice.
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Looks like a great time was had by all you manly men. The cabin is beautiful also.
As for my man … actually I worry a bit to much sometimes at his obsession with Bear Gryllis and his plans to climb Everest sometime in the near future. He is also encouraging our lovely strapping boys to do the same? (he has lovingly nick-named our youngest K2) So while I try to encourage all this manly-ness I tend to be concerned from time to time. Mountains are big for heavens sakes.
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I’m tempted to think that one of the reasons my marriage is successful is because my husband went backpacking around Chile for 3 months while we were dating. It was so hard, but definitely worth it for both of us.
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Ryan, I support my husband’s manliness. I encourage him. He’s into motorcycling. I’ve shared me and my Harley with you. Here’s Paul, my husband and a friend at Mount Saint Helen’s this past Summer when we rode up there:
http://snipurl.com/tmzb6 [Paul is on the left] I took that pic. We were riding 2-up because my HD was in the shop having her engine/tranny rebuilt. He (Paul) rails and wheelies even with me on the bike. It makes him feel manly; as well as impress me and make me laugh and have fun along with him. He’s never been into athletics. Thank you for sharing and the encouragement.
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My husband walks around the house with his favorite pink t-shirt (courtesy of a red shirt in the wash) with a baby on his hip, sings lullabies, cooks, smiles at me when I play with my power tools, throws a fantastic tea party and watches Princess movies and Justice League with our girls. He also wears camouflage to work, has the loudest laugh, the most amazing work ethic, can out run most people, plays a mean game of poker (stinks at liar’s dice) and does triathalons. I am blessed to have found such a masculine man who is so gentle, loving and kind to his family.
If you have a spare minute, I’ve got a great brother who is having a tough time of it lately. He put his heart on the line for the first time in years a was stomped flat. He has decided to make changes in his life and will need a lot of strength, determination and guidance to successfully accomplish (and think through) these goals. He is struggling with faith and the thought that God has a plan for him. His name is John and any extra prayers would be appreciated!
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Well said! As parents we sought out ways to help our boy BE A BOY! Aside from all the rough and tumble stuff my husband took our son to every “mens” event he could. While some of the other men frowned upon having a mere boy in their midst, many were gracious and took the opportunity to show our boy what a man of Christ looks like. Now that our boy is a man, many of these older men have become dear friends. In order for men to be men, they must first be allowed to be dirty, rough, tough, boys!
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Having been a child of the 50s, I saw enough “manly men” to last a lifetime. Thank goodness being hu-man is is now OK. Men and women have more in common than some like to admit, but we’re human first. What a relief for everyone that men and women can do anything they wish — except, of course, bearing children — but child rearing is best done by both parents.
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I’m in my 50s and have a husband who has rappelled mountains, ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, worked in the White House and traveled around the world twice with the military before he was 25 years old. I’m so proud that he’s done things and seen things most people dream of doing and dream of seeing.
Having said that, however, I found your last paragraph to be quite patronizing. It isn’t up to you to tell any woman how they should behave or how they should treat their husband or boyfriend. That’s between each couple.
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bluepooh45 says:
December 15th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
@Carol A., I to found the comment to be patronizing …or maybe a little ummm…shall we say sexist? So much so that I came back to it here today because it stuck in my mind….I have never held my husband back in anything that he wanted to do ….if if I would have tried …he would have done what he wanted anyway …HE HAS however made sure to be very vocal and sometimes downright hostile whenever I wanted to do something HE didn’t like …having said that ..I think each couple should respect each others needs and desires …..
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Great pics! I wanna check that place out….And I support my man in being anything he wants to be.
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Phew! What I was leading up to before AOL did their usual was that men and women alike need to spend time with their own kind.
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My husband is reading John Eldredge’s book “Wild at Heart” (discovering the secret of a man’s soul)for the second time. I think it is an insightful read for any sister, mother or wife.
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You have a great eye for capturing a moment that speaks volumes…
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Ahhhh Manly Men…
Grizzly bearded Manly Men….
Can’t live with them… Can’t live without them…
It all looks like fun !!!
: )
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Beautiful photos. Have a few on there you need to submit into somewere. Love the cigar on and the last one the best.
I will gladly chear my man on to do manly things, any suggestions on how to help him want to do them? Have a husband whos passion is his work
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What if I’m the lion and he’s the gentle flower? Hey, it happens. He still prefers if I knit the woolly hats though…
Love the billiards shot with spin action, well captured indeed!
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Those are great photos. Made me wants to yell “Cam On!”
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So, I asked my husband if I allowed him to be the masculine creature he was meant to be. He took the usual 3 seconds to process, looked confused, and asked me to repeat the question. lol When I repeated the question, he said, “Oh, yeah, sure.” Trying to compare him to Al Bundy or Homer Simpson gave me a good laugh. Love checking in with him, and laughing together.
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That cabin is gorgeous!
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I’m with Meredith. How do I encourage the lion to come out of hiding?
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Sounds like a great weekend. Rock climbing is the best. Before kids, and dealing with stuff with my son it was my hard core past time. nothing says manhood like climing up the side of a mountain..and it is one of the most peaceful things once you get to the top and just stop for a minute.
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I find the last paragraph troubling. So we, as women, are supposed to allow our men to be “manly creatures” while we what – sit at home birthing the babies and scrubbing the floors? This is kind of insulting – first that anyone would think I had the power over my husband to tell him what to do or how to feel – we share life, children, ups, downs, hardships, good times and bad – we aren’t slaves to each other. I asked him if he needed time to go off and do “manly things” and howl at the moon – he looked at me and laughed hysterically. He is a Man, of God, who enjoys spending time with his wife and children, not because he’s forced to, but because he wants to, but I did tell him if he ever feels the need to go act like a caveman just let me know LOL
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I feel the need to reply to some of the comments. I don’t think that he is at all suggesting, as CC said, that women are required to stay at home “birthing the babies and scrubbing the floors” while men are out climbing mountains and otherwise neglecting their families. Rather, its just giving your significant other the space to participate in ‘manly’ activities and enjoy the things he loves. It’s being aware of his needs the things in which he finds fulfillment and encouraging him to do those things. Likewise, its not telling him how to feel or what to do. Each man will undoubtedly have a different definition of what ‘manliness’ is, so it is important, again, to encourage him to pursue that. I don’t mean to offend at all but I feel like some people misinterpreted the tone of that part.
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Yes, I do support my Homer and Bart in being the lions they long to be…as long as I don’t have to camp with them. I even look forward to the pictures and stories they come home with, even while I cringe sometimes at the scars that come along with those great adventures. Love them with all my heart.
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Oh, I hope I didn’t give the wrong impression! I love my man just the way he is. I just happen to like mountain biking, hiking, martial arts, etc., but he’s not really into that kind of stuff. Thats okay though, we’re very well balanced! I just think it’s kind of funny, we definitely have our ‘traditional’ gender roles swapped, but I guess thats the beauty of change throughout the years – I’d be pretty frustrated if I was expected to be a Donna Reed character! (I like to think I’d be a freaky beatnik rebel in the 50′s! =) But now it’s no big deal who likes to do what, so long as you follow your heart. He doesn’t have to be something he’s not, and neither do I, so long as we have a mutual respect for.
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each other =)
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Sherry – I think what you’re saying rings very true for all relationships. People need space to explore their interests, hopefully with the support of their loved ones. I’ve often seen one spouse get jealous over the amount of time their partner spends on their hobbies or interests, even when it’s a matter of an hour a week. It’s sad when people can’t allow their partners to be individuals as well, whether pursuing manly things, lady things, or perfectly androgynous things. We all need room to breathe…
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Sarah C says:
December 15th, 2009 at 9:51 am
@Meredith,
Am!en
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