{"id":304064,"date":"2016-06-30T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-30T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/trail-life-usa\/"},"modified":"2016-06-30T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-06-30T15:00:00","slug":"trail-life-usa","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/trail-life-usa\/","title":{"rendered":"Trail Life USA"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mark Hancock, chief executive officer of Trail Life USA, a Christian outdoor adventure program for boys, tells how he helped launch Trail Life USA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2016-06-30.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"27.19M","filesize_raw":"28510199","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2850,2891,2835],"tags":[4096,6027],"podcast_series":[],"cwp_profile":[9426],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-304064","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-character-development","category-making-memories","category-raising-boys","tag-mentoring","tag-trail-life-usa","cwp_profile-mark-hancock","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/304064\/trail-life-usa","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/304064\/trail-life-usa","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"KTtv3BWxIf\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/trail-life-usa\/\">Trail Life USA<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/trail-life-usa\/embed\/#?secret=KTtv3BWxIf\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Trail Life USA&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"KTtv3BWxIf\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Mark Hancock, chief executive officer of Trail Life USA, a Christian outdoor adventure program for boys, tells how he helped launch Trail Life USA.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2016-06-30.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>What would the Boy Scouts of America look like if there was more of a faith component to Scouting?\u00a0 Mark Hancock says the answer is they\u2019d look more like Trail Life USA. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>The mission of Trail Life USA is to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, to lead with integrity, to serve others, and to experience outdoor adventure. At our core, we are a Christ-centered organization. We use the outdoors, and things like advancement, and awards, and those kinds of things in order to draw the boys into an environment, where they are surrounded by Christian men, who can mentor them and bring them along. And our oath is: \u201cOn my honor, I will do my best to serve God and my country, to respect authority, to be a good steward of creation, and to treat others as I want to be treated.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Thursday, June 30<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine. Imagine, as a Boy Scout, getting a merit badge\u2014not just for swimming, or hiking, or canoeing\u2014but for reading your Bible. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re going to hear more about Trail Life USA today. Stay tuned. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>We\u2019re you a Boy Scout, Bob?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u201cOn my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to obey the Scout laws, to help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally alert, and morally straight.\u201d\u00a0 I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve said that in, probably, 30 years; but when you asked the question, I could pull that up. \u201cA Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>How far did you go?\u00a0 Did you go deep into the Eagle Scout movement?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>If I could\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Could you soar with the Eagles?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>If I could take you to my house right now, I could show you two Eagle Scout badges. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>If I was interested. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>The one that was awarded to me\u2014I was an Eagle Scout in 1971. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I could show you my yearbook. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I have a picture of me being awarded my Eagle Scout badge; but the other one I would show you was awarded, in 1936, to my dad. I have his Eagle Scout ribbon\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Wow!\u2014a true legacy. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014that goes back. And I was Junior Assistant Scout Master in my troop, and I was tapped out for Order of the Arrow. You asked\u2014so I thought I should give you the <em>whole<\/em> shooting match. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Well, it\u2019s pretty impressive; and I\u2019ve teased you about that. I\u2019ve written a number of letters over the years for Eagle Scouts, who have made that and achieved it, and just given them an \u201c\u2018Attaboy!\u201d or \u201c\u2018Atta young man!\u201d\u00a0 So, I do have the utmost respect for those young men who\u2019ve achieved that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, the thing is\u2014if I were starting out, as a parent today, and my son was interested in being a Boy Scout\u2014honestly, we\u2019d have to look twice at whether we wanted to be a part of that movement because it isn\u2019t the same Boy Scouting movement that it was when I was a Scout, back in the 1970s.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I think our guest on today\u2019s broadcast might have an answer to that question: \u201cWhat would you say to a dad about your child being involved in Boy Scouts?\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tLet me introduce him, first of all, to our listening audience\u2014and I think they\u2019ll get it very quickly. Mark Hancock is the Chief Executive Officer of Trail Life USA, which was formed all the way back in the beginning of 2014. He has been married to his wife Michelle for 28 years. They have two sons. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd you actually helped launch a movement that was, well, meant to continue the legacy of Boy Scouts. But let\u2019s go to the question that Bob just asked: \u201cWhat would you say to a dad who wanted his son to get involved in Boy Scouts?\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Well, actually, I get asked that question all the time\u2014or at least, encounter people who want to talk about Trail Life. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI tell them the same thing: \u201cIf you\u2019re a believer, you really need to search out your heart and search out God\u2019s heart,\u201d because, like Bob said, Boy Scouts has gone through some dramatic changes over the last couple of years. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd some of those changes led to the founding of Trail Life USA, which is a Christ-centered \/ specifically Christ-centered character, leadership, and adventure organization for boys. We would encourage that father, \u201cIf you\u2019re called to Boy Scouts, and God has you in that organization, and you feel comfortable putting yourself and your son in that situation, then, God bless you; but we do offer Trail Life USA in a Christ-centered environment.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Were you a Boy Scout, Mark?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>I wasn\u2019t. I was actually a father of two Boy Scouts. My oldest son is an Eagle Scout. I would attend the troop meetings, but I <em>swore<\/em>\u2014and I told the leadership and the troop: \u201cI\u2019m not going to be in leadership of a boy\u2019s organization. I\u2019m just too busy.\u201d\u00a0 But our family was involved in Scouting and enjoyed it very much. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Well, the reason I was asking you about that\u2014I have no idea if Bob just bluffed his way through all of the oath and the promises\u2014[Laughter]\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014and everything he just said\u2014I have no idea. I\u2019ve got a feeling it is 100-percent accurate. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>He was pretty close. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I just want to know: \u201cDid you not get involved with your boys because sleeping on the ground was a part of the process for you?\u201d\u00a0 [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Sleeping on the ground seems to be a recurring issue; isn\u2019t it? [Laughter]\u00a0 But no; my boys and I\u2014we really enjoy the outdoors and encountering God there. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>So, you said there has been a paradigm shift with the Boy Scouts. Really, there have been a couple of things over the last decade, where a lot of Scouts \/ a lot of us, who grew up in Scouting, looked and said, \u201cThat\u2019s not where we thought this organization would go or should go.\u201d\u00a0 What were the dramatic shifts that the Boy Scouts have made that caused Trail Life USA to come into existence?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Well, in May of 2013, they determined that they would accept open and avowed homosexual boys as members. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd it wasn\u2019t that boys were struggling with their sexual identity that we were\u2014that a lot of the churches and members were challenged by\u2014but it was the open, and avowed, and the acceptance of that, as a lifestyle, that you would want to encourage your son to pursue. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThen, approximately, a year later, they opened the membership standards to also include open and avowed homosexual leaders. That was the primary thing that caused a lot of churches that had chartered troops to say: \u201cWe just can\u2019t do this anymore. It\u2019s not consistent with our beliefs.\u201d\u00a0 It really created a need for an organization like Trail Life USA. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>And if somebody, who is holding up their three fingers like I did, and said, \u201cOn my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country\u2026and to keep myself strong, mentally alert, and morally straight,\u201d\u2014when I was growing up, morally straight meant that you\u2019d look at what the Scriptures have to say and that would be the plumb line for your life. But for the Boy Scouts today, that\u2019s not what you\u2019re looking to. Morally straight is really more what the culture says is morally acceptable.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>I\u2019m not an expert on Boy Scouts, but I know that there was a period of time where they would define morally straight the way that you just did. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>But the definition changed over time, and they now define it differently. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Going back\u2014if we could go back 30, 40, 50 years with Boy Scouts, did they have a strong, Christian, spiritual mission, back when they started?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Some people would speak very directly to that\u2014it\u2019s clear that Lord Baden-Powell, who founded Boy Scouts, wanted a Christian emphasis\u2014he said something like it; again, I\u2019m not an expert\u2014that Boy Scouts was actually Christianity in action. So, there is very strong evidence that, at the beginning, that was their intention. Of course, to include God in their oath\u2014<em>initially<\/em>, it was assumed, as a Christian culture, that God was the God of the Bible; but of course, over time, they\u2019ve reinterpreted that, and that can be the god of your choice. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Now, I can tell you\u2014as somebody who was both a Cub Scout and a Boy Scout, we met at churches. It was churches that sponsored our troops, but I don\u2019t remember that a dramatic part of my Scouting experience had much to do with my spiritual life\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014it was camping, and hiking, and rowing, and swimming, and\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Achievement of life skills. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Those were the merit badges\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014that we focused on. It was about being in the out-of-doors, and knowing how to survive in the out-of-doors, and going on hikes, and going on campouts, and going to summer camp. That was most of what Scouting was all about when I was growing up, but there was a foundation that was assumed in the culture back then. I think it was assumed in Scouting, as well, in terms of moral standards. As that has shifted, Scouting has shifted over the years. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And what you did, Mark, along with several others\u2014and I kind of smile about this because there are things that launch that are spectacular. I\u2019d have to call this a spectacular launch, going back to January of 2014, when you kind of decided to step up and give leadership to something you <em>vowed<\/em> you\u2019d never lead. There were a <em>lot<\/em> of people who stepped up with you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Oh my gosh! There were hundreds of people that preceded me. We had approximately 300 people who were working in 2013 to organize something that would allow a Christ-centered outdoor organization for boys. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt was June of 2013 that 50 of us gathered in Louisville, Kentucky\u2014all kinds of people\u2014most of us didn\u2019t know each other. We pounded out the foundational doctrines, I guess you\u2019d say, of what this organization would look like. We all coalesced under the name of Trail Life USA and launched about six months later. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Hang on. You were a dad who dropped off his kids to Scouts and didn\u2019t hang around for the meetings. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>No; I stayed!\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Okay. [Laughter]\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>You stayed\u2014you just said you wouldn\u2019t lead it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Just sat in the back row. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>To go from the back row all the way to a meeting in Louisville and now heading up the organization, something lit a fire inside of you to say, \u201cI\u2019ve got to give my life to this.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Yes; and it\u2019s quite a journey. When I look at my r\u00e9sum\u00e9\u2014you can look at it one way and say, \u201cIf I was on the Board of Directors, I wouldn\u2019t hire this guy,\u201d\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014but then, on the other hand, walking in it, I can see how God was really preparing me all along for this position. It\u2019s been an amazing journey. I stepped off the Board of Directors to lead the organization on our first day operating; but it\u2019s really the volunteers who came before me, who set a beautiful foundation, that we are just discovering the things that God hid in there for us to find. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I think you just gave us a hint of something that has a big exclamation point to it. Here\u2019s your r\u00e9sum\u00e9\u2014after you came to faith in Christ, you became a youth and college pastor; then, an associate pastor. So, you\u2019re very involved in people\u2019s lives. You went on to lead a homeless ministry as the Director and Global Event Director for an international ministry. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI mean, you were seeing what happened to boys who didn\u2019t have strong structure around their lives \/ other men in their lives. You were seeing this in youth ministry also; in a homeless ministry\u2014left and right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>There and in other places too. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd it\u2019s really amazing how God leads. I mean, for years, my wife and I did foster parenting; and we were therapeutic foster parents. We took the kids to who couldn\u2019t make it anywhere else. My wife ran a pregnancy care ministry for years. We saw the girls, who were hurting and broken, and the men who were involved in those lives. So, yes; I think God was preparing us, all along, to somehow embrace a generation and help them grow up in godly principles. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Introduce us to Trail Life. Share with us the mission and what the oath of a young lad is who steps into an experience of Trail Life. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>The mission of Trail Life USA is to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, to lead with integrity, to serve others, and experience outdoor adventure. A secret part of that is that\u2014although it looks like we are an outdoor organization that has Christian overlay\u2014at our core\u2014we are Christian \/ a Christ-centered organization. We use the outdoors, and things like advancements, and awards, and those kinds of things in order to draw the boys into an environment where they are surrounded by Christian men, who can mentor them and bring them along. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd our oath is: \u201cOn my honor, I will do my best to serve God and my country, to respect authority, to be a good steward of creation, and to treat others as I want to be treated.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And when you pushed the on-button and decided to do this, January 1, 2014, how many people raised their hands and said, \u201cYes; I want to be a part of that\u201d?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Oh goodness!\u00a0 We had people who were functioning\u2014I run into them all the time. In fact, I met a Trail Life leader in Gravel Ridge last night, who said, \u201cWe were Trail Life before there was a Trail Life,\u201d because there were a lot of troops who had already left Boy Scouts because they realized they couldn\u2019t do that; but they said, \u201cWe have to do something.\u201d\u00a0 Then, they found us. And on January 1<sup>st<\/sup>, we launched with 500 troops, across the country, waiting in line to be chartered. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And how many young boys would that include with 500 troops?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Around that first chartering would represent about 20,000 members total\u2014about half of those being boys. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>And today, where is the organization?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>We are in 49 states. We\u2019ve got over 700 troops, and we\u2019re coming up on about 30,000 members. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And what\u2019s the state that\u2019s missing Trail Life USA?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>North Dakota. North Dakota needs a troop. I believe we have some members there, but they go across state lines\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, here\u2019s the <em>problem<\/em>\u2014camping out in North Dakota\u2014I\u2019m just not interested in that at all! Sorry! [Laughter]\u00a0 I\u2019m thinking\u2014what the temperature\u2019s going to be to camp out on the frozen ground in North Dakota!\u00a0 The ground is one thing\u2014now, it is <em>frozen<\/em> ground\u2014forget it!\u00a0 [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>What can you promise a young lad will get out of his involvement in Trail Life USA?\u00a0 I assume you\u2019ve got badges and all kinds of awards that he\u2019s going to get and achieve. What are the levels they have a chance to go through, and what are the achievements?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Okay; we have three unique units. We start at kindergarten through fifth grade as our Woodlands Trail. Those boys are the Fox, Hawk, and Mountain Lion as they progress through that journey. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThen, we go into the middle school, and they are called the Navigators as a whole. They have Recruit, and Able Trailman, and Ready Trailman as they progress through those things. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>So, before you go on, what would Bob be since he has an aversion to the ground?\u00a0 Can you tell me? [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I would be the Bed and Breakfast. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>You would be the Holiday Inn\u2014[Laughter]\u2014is there a Holiday Inn category?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>He\u2019d be the guy who was on call in case we need somebody to come out\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u201cHe was a Recruit, and then, went AWOL. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Keep going\u2014I\u2019m sorry. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>At our high school level, we have our Adventurers. It goes all the way up to Freedom Award, which is the highest award in Trail Life USA. We have about 100 boys, nationally, who have earned the Freedom Award. You\u2019re familiar with the Eagle\u2014it\u2019s similar to the Eagle Award, but it\u2019s a more difficult award to get because it has a faith element and a number of other experience elements to it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And when you say it\u2019s more difficult, because it has the faith element to it, is that because the faith element is more difficult to <em>measure<\/em> or does it involve the memorization of Bible verses?\u00a0 What makes it more difficult?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Well, because we\u2019re trans-denominational, we don\u2019t specifically line out those faith experiences, but they kind of design their own faith experience to be a part of that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI don\u2019t know that you\u2019ve ever\u2014if you\u2019ve ever been asked to do something like that, as a teenager, that\u2019s not an easy thing to do\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>\u2014to identify your own our faith experience, and walk it out, and do it faithfully, reporting to a Christian mentor, and making sure that you are fulfilling that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Give us an idea of an example of what a faith adventure experience might look like. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>It may be a young man who decides that he\u2019s going to read through the Bible in a particular period of time. Then, he\u2019s going to journal his thoughts on those things, and he\u2019s going to report on a regular basis to an accountability group or, maybe, a Christian mentor in the group. And if he sticks to that, those are the kind of faith experience that we see, really, all through our program. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Like with American Heritage Girls, as we\u2019ve already talked about this week, you guys have heard about some of the resources we\u2019ve created\u2014specifically the <em>Passport2Purity<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup> and <em>Passport2Identity<\/em><em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/em> getaways for a father and a son to do. You\u2019ve said, \u201cThis can be a part of what we are doing.\u201d\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if you have a merit badge yet or an award for somebody who does this, but this is a part of what you are trying to train into the life of a young man; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Yes. Purity is one of our core values, and we love <em>Passport2Purity<\/em>. I took my son through the <em>Passport2Purity<\/em> program. And we offer that to our troops, and we recommend that as a resource. We think it\u2019s a great program. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And a part of why you do that is because you believe in the power of a parent\u2014the authority of a dad\u2014and you want to cement the heart of a boy to his father, not just to a troop or to a troop leader. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Yes. Well, we\u2019ve got a generation that, to some extent, has forgotten how to do that. We\u2019ve lost some of those rituals and those crossing-over kinds of things. So, we\u2019re restoring those in Trail Life. We have those things built into the different stages of Trail Life, where boys are being acknowledged: \u201cNow, you are a man, \/ Now, you are a young man.\u201d\u00a0 So, we respect those things and include the father in that process and encourage the father to be a part of that maturing process. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI remember when we were in Virginia, at a Trail leader training. Afterwards, they had a fire outside. If we\u2019re going to gather, there\u2019s going to be a fire outside. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>You don\u2019t always have to sleep on the ground; but there\u2019s going to be a fire, Bob. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, we were outside, and a woman came up to me\u2014she said, \u201cI need to thank you.\u201d\u00a0 I said, \u201cThank you for what?\u201d\u00a0 She said, \u201cWell, I want to thank you for starting Trail Life.\u201d\u00a0 She said: \u201cTen years ago, my husband died and left me with a two-year-old son. Now, he\u2019s 12 years old, and he\u2019s a Navigator in Trail Life USA. He\u2019s surrounded by Christian men. My husband would want me to thank you.\u201d\u00a0 And to create that kind of an atmosphere\u2014where boys can come in, and where their moms can bring their sons and understand that there are going to be men there who are trained and understand the importance of the next generation and pouring into them\u2014it\u2019s a powerful thing. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>You\u2019ve had people look at you and look at the organization and say: \u201cYou guys are just a bunch of homophobes. That\u2019s how this whole thing got started.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf a 13-year-old boy \/ 14-year-old boy in Trail Life said to a leader, \u201cYou know, I\u2019m experiencing same-sex attraction. I\u2019m attracted to other boys my age,\u201d how would that boy be handled?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat would you say to him?\u2014because we talk about this in <em>Passport2Purity<\/em> and try to coach, for a dad, what you do if this is something that your son is dealing with. What would the leader \/ the Trail Life leader say?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Well, our troops are owned and operated by the churches. So, they\u2019re in their individual churches. As much as we can, we steer them back to a counselor at their local church; but then, we also provide them resources and point them to the resources that we have\u2014like FamilyLife resources that can help them with that conversation. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Good. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>You try to make it a safe place to be honest, and be real, and\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Mark: <\/strong>Absolutely. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014let a young man be who he is, and work through his struggles. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Yes. All of our adults are background checked. They sign our statement of faith, and they complete child safety \/ youth protection training. But the boys who are in the program can be of any faith or no faith at all because we consider it a place where they can come and be discipled, and be evangelized, and things like that. So, our membership is very wide open to boys so that we can put them in a situation where somebody can speak those kinds of truths. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I\u2019m just curious\u2014you having taken your own 12-\/13-year-old son through <em>Passport2Purity<\/em> a year ago\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014what was the high point of your time together?\u2014because\u00a0 I think it\u2019s such a sweet time\u2014total focus. You\u2019re doing the man-thing together\u2014father\/son. It seems like every man and every boy has got a high point from the time. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Yes; I don\u2019t want to give away anything, but Session Three. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>We know what Session Three is; yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I\u2019ve got a picture of one of my grandchildren\u2014this is one of the advantages of having so many grandchildren. I\u2019ve got a picture of one my grandkids hearing me\u2014his papa\u2014talk about Session Three\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Yes; he probably never looked at you the same after that. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014and he\u2014the picture is <em>fascinating<\/em> because it is Saturday afternoon\u2014you can see the clock \/ it\u2019s about four o\u2019clock. So, you know the dad has waited as far as he could possibly <em>wait<\/em> to put that CD in and to play the birds and the bees talk; but my grandson was in a fetal position. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe just had his head\u2014head\u2019s in a tuck \/ hand over his head. He could not <em>believe<\/em> what he was hearing. [Laughter]\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mark: <\/strong>Well, we went to the Keys. He had never been to the Keys, and I was raised down in that area\u2014we stomped about down there. We went to the Keys, and we rented a little trailer that was in a campground down there. I think it was probably 15 feet long and 8 feet wide, and we spent that weekend there. I remember that\u2019s where we sat and listened to the CDs and shared. I can tell you everything about that wall and everything about that little room [Laughter] because that was one of those peak experiences that you have with your son\u2014it was beautiful. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It really is. Well, we appreciate you and the leadership you are giving Trail Life. I wish there were more men like you, stepping out of their comfort zone, doing things they vowed they never do; and I think you\u2019re a hero. I really do think you\u2019re a hero to step out in faith and give leadership to something that isn\u2019t easy. It comes with all kinds of issues, I\u2019m sure\u2014leadership always does\u2014but I just appreciate you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd there is one other final observation\u2014 that it just dawned on me what happened as Bob got his final two merit badges and achieved Eagle Scout. One of them had to be sleeping on the ground somewhere. [Laughter]\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014that traumatized me. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>He\u2019s got some kind of bad experience in the past with the <em>ground<\/em>. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Mark: <\/strong>That\u2019s right. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I\u2019m going to encourage you guys to really think about\u2014I know you are already involved with <em>Passport2Purity<\/em> and <em>Passport2Identity<\/em> as go-to resources for Trail Life; but for the older boys\u2014the 15-, 16-, 17-year-old boys\u2014to go through the <em>Stepping Up<\/em><em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/em> video series that we\u2019ve created with dads. I think that could be a key part of their spiritual development and their growth into manhood. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd of course, we\u2019ve got copies of the <em>Stepping Up<\/em> resource in our <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> Resource Center. You don\u2019t have to be a part of Trail Life USA to take a teen son through that material. I\u2019ve talked to a lot of dads who have done that with their boys. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMaybe, it\u2019s something you want to consider doing this summer while you\u2019ve got the boys at home. Get a copy of the <em>Stepping Up<\/em> ten-week video series; and maybe, get some other dads and sons together and go through it as a group. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou can find out more at FamilyLifeToday.com. You\u2019ll also find information about the <em>Passport2Purity<\/em> and <em>Passport2Identity<\/em> resources for fathers and sons to do together. And of course, there is a link to the Trail Life USA website. So, you\u2019ll find all of that, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com. And of course, if you have any questions, you can call us at 1-800-FL-TODAY\u20141-800-358-6329. That\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, it is\u2014it\u2019s that time\u2014time to announce today\u2019s anniversary. \u201cCongratulations!\u201d to Ashlie and Andy VanDuzer, who live in Frederick, Maryland. They have been married nine years today. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThey\u2019ve attended a <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup>. They help support the ministry. Thank you guys for partnering with us in all that we do, here at FamilyLife. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOur goal is to help couples, like you, have more anniversaries and to have them with more fun and more excitement along the way. We are the Proud Sponsor of Anniversaries<sup>\u2122<\/sup>. And we want more couples to have more anniversaries\u2014plain and simple. We\u2019re all about providing practical biblical help and hope for marriages and families so that more marriages do go the distance and more families thrive. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s because of couples, like the VanDuzers, that we\u2019re able to do all that we do. So, if you are a Legacy Partner or if you make an occasional contribution to support this ministry, thank you for your support. If you\u2019d like to help out today, go to FamilyLifeToday.com to make an online donation. Call 1-800-FL-TODAY to make your donation over the phone. Or mail your donation to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> at PO Box 7111, Little Rock, AR; our zip code is 72223. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, tomorrow, we are going to talk about the power of the tongue and why it\u2019s important for us to make sure that we are paying attention to our words. Our friend, Karen Ehman, is going to drop by. Hope you can be back with us as we talk about that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. Help for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2016 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/304064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=304064"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=304064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=304064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=304064"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=304064"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=304064"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=304064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}