I wanted to recommend a class to everyone.
I have waited a while before posting this info up, because I wanted to be sure this was a good class.
I am now 10 weeks into this class. And I can tell you it is changing my life.

I first heard about it at my church. Now I am not one of those guys that go to men's breakfasts, or men's retreats, that stuff just kinda creeps me out. I hear it's good stuff, but eh... no thanks.
But there was a class that happened at our church and after they finished the class they had a ceremony of completion. and the way it was done, the "things" they honored, made me raise an eyebrow to it.
And I silently said to myself I want to take that class.

Well I am and I love it.
Here is a link to the web site.
I will be giving my testimony of it below the link.
If your not interested in my testimony just go check out the link. Browse around see a few of the videos.
And you can check and see where the closest one is in your area. this is going on world wide.
If it is not in your area, you can be the one to start it in your area.
http://www.mensfraternity.com/

Now Ladies...
I just found out there is one for the women too.
http://www.mensfraternity.com/new_eve.aspx
I don't think it is as epic as the men's yet, it sounds like it is just getting started.

My Testimony;

Well like I said I am 10 weeks into this.
I go once a week and meet with a good sized group of men. Maybe 25 guys, they range from very high ranked business men to guys just out of prison, divorced men. married men, old men, young men and middle aged men.
The spectrum is wide.
I paid $25 bucks and gave up on my Volleyball night to do this class. I have been playing VB for the last 3 years it was a tough decision. In fact as I handed the guy my check I said to him, there goes my Volleyball for the next 24 weeks. Yep the 1st class is 6 months long.
He chuckled and said you will not regret it.
The set up is simple. You watch a DVD with Dr. Robert Lewis. we talk about it briefly as a group and break up into small groups and dig into it full speed ahead. It is at a mans pace. It is not for the faint of heart.
We learn about our selves individually from birth to the present time.
We go over our down falls and why they happened.
We have accountability partners. We learn so many things! The things you wished your dad would have taught you all through your life. the things you wish you could help your sons and daughters with today. the things you wish you knew how and what to do for your wife.

Well over the 10 weeks I spilled my guts about my abusive step father.
And something I did not realize was happening along the way, was I was developing a forgiveness for his part in being a step dad to me.
One day it came to me that I forgave him. A few weeks later I felt the urge to talk to him about this.
So I put it in my schedule to call my step dad. Now I never even wished this guy happy birthday, EVER...
If I had my way with him at the age of 10 I would have killed him with my bare hands. I hated this guy. A deep rooted hatred.
Well, after an appointment I had that morning, I was nervously driving down the road. Telling myself to call him.
And this song was on the radio.
It was a song I never heard before. It was a live recording, it had some real powerful lyrics it was grabbing my attention. I could not focus on the task of calling my step dad. the funny thing was. the song was called "Thanks For The Call" And during the live performance the singer stopped in the middle of the song and said, "MAKE THAT CALL RIGHT NOW!"
I flip-pin freaked out, got a lump in my throat and called him right then and there.
My sister answered the phone, it turned out he was not home. He was at the Dr's office.
I said well have him call me OK?
So an hour later he calls. I said to him, "Hey I want to talk with you, would you meet me for coffee or lunch today?" He said sure and we met up at a Village Inn for lunch.

He had this Sigh when he met up with me, I asked him how'd mom take it?
He said the girls were BUZZING with anxiousness wanting to know what was going on.
I laughed, and said, I thought they would be freaking out with that call.

So we sat down and ate and I told him about this class I was taking.
He liked the sound of it. I told him strait out. Hey I know we didn't have a good relationship all those years.
And I just wanted to say, I am proud of the changes you have made in the last 10 years. And I just wanted to say I know I didn't make things easy on you either. But you did suck as a dad and I am here to say I forgive you for it. I know you did the best you could with what you had to work with. And if you would like? I'd like to wipe the slate clean and start a new relationship with you.
He smiled big and damn near choked on his food and said yes! lets do that.

So I told him, you played golf, I wish you would have taught me golf...
So I said, If you ever want to hit a bucket of balls lets go OK?
we had a few great conversations that kept getting interrupted by my mom calling to see what the heck was going on. We chuckled about it.

Well the weekend went by, and the next Men's Fraternity came and I told my story to the guys.
And there was this voice in the back of the room as I told the story, it said, Is his name Phil?
I said What???
He repeated it again, is your dad's name Phil?
I said yes, He said does he go by Stretch? I said yes that is what everyone calls him he is 6'7" tall.
He said, I work with him.
He was telling this story to everyone at work.
The room went nuts!
I have spent 10 weeks with this guy in small groups and I did not know he worked with my step dad.
I got a huge round of applause, the men were excited and were as happy as I was.

So the next morning I am at "MY" work.
I am talking to a woman in the coffee room. she said Hey JonBoy you look happy whats going on?
I told her about the whole men's fraternity thing and what happened with my step dad and me.
Well about an hour later, I am out in the shop and a guy comes up to me and says, Hey I over heard you say you were in a men's group.
I said yes, He asked if it was the Men's Fraternity. I said yes it is!
He asked what class I was in, I said the 1st one, he said he is a teacher for the Men's Fraternity at his church.
he is teaching the 3rd year session.
He asked me how it was going. I said great!
He said it has changed his life. It saved his marriage. and it brought his relationship back with his kids.
He said it is a great class, stick with it!
I said, Oh I am!

I know this is a LONG blog.
I know if I saw this I would not read it.
I hope you did and felt moved by it.
I hope anyone looking for a meaningful class to learn and grow in, will check this out.