STRONG DADS!

"Winning cures all!"  I'm not. sure if that is true or not, but I do know that winning in life, your marriage, or on the football field, is a much better experience than losing.  In today's show we talk about our beloved Cincinnati Bengals as they prepare to enter the Super Bowl for Trophy.  Maybe this will be the year! While we talk about football, we also study the effects of...

You might not think you could be the guy walking around with a bad attitude or the guy pulling the team down, but you might want to take a second look in the mirror.  Sometimes we find ourselves in these dark valleys due to long durations of uncomfortable life circumstances.  Sometimes it is from being burnt one too many times in life.  Sometimes, it is just how we are wired.  No matter what it is...

This show gets personal to Merrill as he shares some of his own personal as well as professional experiences with Mental Health and Mental Illness.  These are very real concerns that run rampant throughout our culture.  Mental Illness can sometimes feel distant and vague as it is difficult to understand and see the actual mechanics of the illness.  "If I could see it, I could fix it."  I...

Do you realize how many different ways your marriage comes under attack?  Some are very obvious, but many are much more subtle, but just as destructive.  As a Strong Dad we are called to the front lines of this battle.  We are called to be aware and step up to protect and defend our marriage and family.   In this episode Merrill invites his best friend and wife, Linda, to replace his regular cohos...

Men are called to protect and provide. God designed us for these tasks and responsibilities.  It doesn't mean that woman can't do these things.  It simply means that men are more naturally designed with the strength and thinking patterns that lead them to be good at defending.  With that being said, why do we see so many men slacking on the protection of their family.  Protect from the p...

Do you know people who seem to make difficult situations even worse? They have a knack for entering a small conflict or disagreement and turning it into a huge mess!  Maybe you are that person.   In this show we talk about how to defend yourself and your family by knowing when and how to de-escalate a situation.  Way too often people have a way of making mountains out of molehills which often leav...

Whether you like to take on New Year's Resolutions or not, all of us like to have hope.  Hope is that idea that you have something to look forward to.  Without hope, people lose their desire to live.  They can fall into depression and worthlessness all because they can't see how anything is going to work for the good.  This year, Hutch and Kyle challenge our Strong Dads in 4 primary area...

The definition of a man has taken on many different versions over the course of mankind.  Hollywood has created the version of the fumbling idiot version, while the MMA world has created the image of men being brutally dangerous and even reckless as they attempt to destroy other men.  Which version of a man is correct?  Which version of a man do you attempt to follow? This question should be ridic...

Do you predominately function with a Deficit Mindset or an Abundant Mindset?  This show has the potential to absolutely change the course of your life!  When you can identify which mindset you operate in you can determine how you will approach every situation in your life.  The great thing is that the mindsets can be changed and they can be practiced.   If you are running with a deficit mindset yo...

Behaving differently in different environments is not necessarily bad.  Certain environments require different things from us, so we may behave differently.  But things can get questionable if we are acting in a negative or destructive manner in a particular environment.  For example, it is not uncommon for a man to be very workable and pleasant in the work environment, but when he comes home, he...

A man is not defined by the size of his body, the money in his bank account, the strength of his muscles, the power he exerts in the board room, or the size of his truck.  A true man is defined by God's standards.  A true man is  obedient to the authority of God in his life. He honors God by honoring and loving his wife and family. He understands agape love for his family and recognizes when...

Every Thanksgiving comes and every Thanksgiving goes, and the one thing that it seems they all have in common is me eating too much.  I know how bad it is for me and how bad I will feel, but I keep doing the same thing. Why? This show is not just a follow up from our Thanksgiving experience, but it is a deeper look into why as Strong Dads, we continue to repeat bad behaviors over and over when we...

Everybody likes to win!  Winning makes everything feel right.  Even a bad day with a single good win can make things feel better.  But, the truth is, our lives are filled with plenty of losses.  It can't be avoided.  A loss is simply when we don't get what we want.  It could be on a scoreboard, our paycheck, our marriage, our kids, no matter what area of life, we have disappointments and...

We are not the first generation of parents to have rebellious kids.  The mere fact that our kids are human means that they have a nature of rebellion.  Rebellion of the greatest kind, rebellion against God.  We all have a nature of rebellion against God.  We want things our way.  We want what we want.  Some of us have recognized it and work to tame it and allow God's will to be done in our li...

It's not breaking news to recognize that there are more women in the chairs are chair than men.  This has been a trend for generations now.  But, when we look at what the Bible tells us, men are to lead and protect their families.  They are to be active in teaching and leading their kids to know God. They are to be workers in the church and be mindful to care for the flock.   How can they car...

As the fourth show in our series, "When Was The Last Time You Talked To ...", we are bringing up the subject of race.  When Was The Last Time You Talked To Someone of a Different Race?    In this series we have challenged our Strong Dads to be willing to have the tough conversations rather than avoid them.  As men it is not uncommon to feel uncomfortable about a topic so we just avoid it...

In the series, "When Was The Last Time You Talked To ..."  We took on a difficult conversation.  In this show we discuss the idea of how we talk to people that are dealing with tragedy.  Whether it is death, sickness, or loss, it is sometimes very difficult to know how to approach people in these situations.  However, as a Strong Dad and a Christ follower, we are called to be involved an...

We all have had our moments of being quick to judge.  We judge appearances, actions, words, religion, and lifestyles, like we truly have it all together.  We are quick to have thoughts of people's challenges in life, and often seem to have solutions stored away for nearly every problem that others have.   The truth is, we are all broken and messed up. We all fall short and aren't nearly...

It can be pretty easy to call yourself a Christian and believe you are treating others as such if you stay within your inner circle of family and friends.  But the question that Strong Dads felt challenged by was - When was the last time you talked to someone outside your circle?  People that maybe live a different lifestyle, or have experiences that are vastly different than your own.   Christ ca...

Raising kids can be difficult, but when your child is created to be very different than yourself, it can be even more difficult.  For example, if you as a dad are athletic, into sports, enjoy doing things with your hands, but your child is not interested in athletics at all.  Maybe they are interested in video games and staying inside living a more sedentary life.  The question is, how to you fath...

Many believe that they are a victim of their environment.  To some degree this could be true, but in this episode, Strong Dads welcomes a gentlemen that desired something greater.  In this episode, special guest, Carl Brown, joins us to tell his story about acknowledging his past environment. But, rather than being a victim, he decided to search out ways to become victorious.  Specifically, he wan...

As a man, the idea of protecting is second nature.  We desire to take care and protect those around us.  Whether we are called as a firefighter, police officer, soldier, or father, we are called to protect.   In this show Kyle shows the tools of protection that he uses everyday as a firefighter.  He explains the reason for his equipment and the necessary training to use it well.  "Take care o...

Divorce is hard!  It is hard on everyone involved.  That is why we want to do everything possible to not get to the point of divorce.  Doing things like premarital coaching, making sure to be equally aligned in faith, and establishing common values to live by are critical to preventing divorce.   However, the reality is that divorce does happen.  Immaturity, selfishness, arrogance, and a host of o...

As men we hate to have repeating difficult things over and over. Things that are difficult in life, we just want to do them one time and be finished; one and done!   As many things in life go, the "One and Done" mindset really doesn't prove to be very successful in life.  Things that are important to us will always have a level of building or maintenance required.  Whether it is get...

It is time to choose what hill you will die on!  During this show, Hutch and Kyle interview Kyle Thompson, host of the show, Undaunted Life.  Kyle makes not apologies for challenging men to decide what they will fight and die for.  He stresses the importance of equipping men to know their enemy and discover their weapons to fight the enemy.  These are not the weapons of guns and knives, these are...