Category: Basic Training

In my post, How Many Friends Can You Really Have? I suggested fewer friends are better than many according to research by Dr. Robin Dunbar which showed you can only maintain up to five close friendships. This number reminded me of an old T-Mobile “Fave 5” commercial in which you could choose your five favorite people to include in your mobile phone plan. I bet those five are not your closest friends! Jesus’ Model for Friendships The structure of Jesus Christ’ relationships with the twelve apostles presents us with an interesting model for our friendships as well. His relationship with these twelve “ordinary men” transformed these fisherman, tax collectors, and political zealots into men who changed the course of the world. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew

Gillette, the 118-year-old shaving company, recently released a controversial commercial called “Believe” that plays on their famous slogan, “The best (shave) a man can get” and replacing it with “The best men can be”. Well, I think that is the wrong message! There are plenty of portrayals of bad behavior in the commercial but there is also some very good messages. The best is that it calls men into accountability, which is one of the core traits of God Buddies! No Longer, “Boys will be Boys” The commercial opens with an image of a man looking in a mirror as the news in the background spouts buzz words: “bullying…violence…toxic masculinity.” A voice asks us, “Is this the best a man can get?” Next there is a montage of stereotypical “bad men,” that grope and patronize women, mindlessly couch-surf, and stand around their grills while their sons engage in vicious brawls. Then comes

Let’s go back to some data and a couple of experts to answer the question about the right number of friends to have. According to data from the General Social Survey (GSS), the number of Americans who say they have no close friends has roughly tripled in recent decades. “Zero” is also the most common response when people are asked how many close confidants they have the GSS data shows. And adult men seem to be especially bad at keeping and cultivating friendships. This may seem strange in the era of Facebook, Twitter and our numerous social media options. But the “friends” in your digital galaxy aren’t the ones that matter when it comes to your health and happiness. Dr. Mark Vernon, a philosopher, psychotherapist and author of The Meaning of Friendship suggests that even one very good friend can improve your life in profound ways. Vital friendships have the greatest