STRONG DADS!

Main Topic: Fatherhood Statistics


Importance of Present Fathers

•Statistics on Father Absence: One in four children in the United States grow up without a father present, equating to significant populations in major cities like New York and Los Angeles.
•Impact of Father Absence: They argue that father absence leads to numerous societal issues, stressing the need for active and involved fathers.

Key Issues Arising from Father Absence

1. Academic Underperformance

•Indicators: Higher dropout rates, lower test scores, and increased truancy are noted as direct consequences of father absence.
•F...

Wrestling God - God’s Will vs. Our Will

•The conversation transitions to the deeper implications of wrestling with God, touching on the challenges of aligning personal desires with divine will.
•They discuss the tension between human understanding and God’s purposes, emphasizing the importance of surrendering pride for spiritual growth.

Personal Stories of Divine Wrestling

•Andy’s Journey: Andy recounts his personal struggles with obedience to God’s call, particularly regarding moving houses and adopting children. He describes a wrestling match with God over these life decisions and the confusion that ensued.
•T...

Merrill Hutchinson and Andy Dalton on Parenting Seasons

Introduction
The video features Merrill Hutchinson and Andy Dalton discussing the various roles of dads during different “seasons” of parenting. The conversation is grounded in the analogy of farming seasons, where different tasks are performed at different times of the year—relating this to the developmental stages of children and the corresponding responsibilities of parents.

Overview of Parenting Seasons
1.Service Season (0-3 years)
2.Leadership Season (3-13 years)
3.Mentorship Season (13-18 years)
4.Friend/Counsel Season (18 years and older)
Each season corresponds to specif...

Background - 
Ah, the age-old issue of nagging! It's a common portrayal in media and often the subject of jokes, but beneath the surface lies a dynamic in a marriage that can cause real frustration. From a biblical perspective, the ideal for a husband and wife is one of mutual respect, love, and effective communication. When nagging becomes a pattern, it often signals a breakdown in this ideal. Let's explore how a husband might unintentionally contribute to his wife's nagging and how he can take positive steps toward a more harmonious relationship, grounded in biblical principles.

S...

Strong Dads - 
Merrill introduces “Strong Dads,” a program that includes a weekly workout and Bible study. This segment offers a chance for fathers to come together, exercise, and discuss personal growth and family dynamics.

Weekly Workouts and Challenges
Merrill mentions the regular Saturday morning workout sessions at their office in St. Leon. Each session includes a 45-minute workout followed by a 45-minute Bible study. 
Merrill emphasizes the importance of community in “Strong Dads” workouts.  The discussions during the Bible study shed light on personal struggles and the different interpretations of scripture, allowing everyone to gain new...

Introducing Andy Dalton
Merrill introduces Andy Dalton, expressing gratitude for his previous co-host Carl’s contributions. He highlights Dalton’s background as a coach and his experience working with young men, couples, and families, fitting the mission of “Strong Dads.” Dalton is described as passionate and insightful, with a rich history of engagement in sports and familial relationships.

Early Life and Education
        •        Hometown: Kokomo, Indiana, later moving to Atlanta, Georgia, and then  to the Cincinnati area.
        •Education: Attended East Central High School and later graduated from Hanover College with a degree in Kinesiology and Integrated Physiology...

The episode of “Strong Dads,” hosted by Merrill Hutchinson and Carl Andry, discusses the profound and multifaceted concept of grace, particularly within the context of Christian faith. The hosts share personal experiences and insights to illustrate how the understanding of grace can transform one’s relationship with God and oneself. They emphasize that grace is what separates Christianity from other belief systems, challenging the prevalent works-based mentality.

The Nature of Grace

•Preconceived Notions: Carl begins by discussing the preconceived ideas that hinder an authentic understanding of grace. 
•Works vs. Grace: The hosts note that many Christ...

Bigorexia - When is Enough, Enough? Ep 254

•Bigorexia refers to a condition similar to anorexia but focused on a compulsive desire for muscle growth. The hosts clarify that the documentary they refer to is not specifically a Christian documentary, but it offers valuable insights into the psychological issues faced by bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts.
•Carl shares a personal anecdote from his youth, discussing the pressure he felt in the bodybuilding community and how a friend advised him against using steroids, seeing the potential harm it could bring.

Personal Experiences

•Merrill and Carl exchan...

Shyness - The Quite Battle Ep 253
Introduction
The podcast is hosted by Merrill Hutchinson and Carl Andry, featuring discussions about overcoming shyness and social anxiety, particularly focusing on strategies to engage with people and "work a room." They emphasize that shyness often stems from self-centeredness and anxiety rather than humility, and provide insights on how to develop social skills.

Understanding Shyness
Personal Experiences
Merrill shares his struggle with painful shyness and anxiety, which he felt deeply affected his social interactions.
Carl discusses his own experiences with shyness, highlighting that both men often...

You would think the death of your child would be a wound that could never heal.  It does leave a scar, but it doesn't mean it can't heal and even heal well.  Special guest, Mike Dusold, shares the life and passing of his son Brian.  Brian's passing was not and is not easy. It's been hard on multiple levels.  But, Mike's family made a choice to use Brian's life and his passing as a way to demonstrate the faith, hope, and love of Christ.  

Admittedly, Mike says that it's not been easy.  Some days are harder than others...

Common Symptoms of Low Testosterone
Low testosterone, also known as hypogonadism, can manifest in a variety of ways. Here are some of the most common symptoms:
Decreased libido (sex drive)
Erectile dysfunction (ED)
Fatigue
Reduced muscle mass and strength
Increased body fat
Decreased bone density
Mood changes, such as depression or irritability  
Cognitive difficulties, such as trouble concentrating or remembering things
Hair loss
Decreased testicular size

It's important to note that these symptoms can also be caused by other medical conditions, so it's essential to consult w...

Strong Dads

Summary of YouTube Video Transcript

Introduction

•The episode is sponsored by Fourspeed on 50 Diner in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
•Host Carl Andre is discussing money management, noting that he and co-host Merrill have been ill.

Host’s Background

•Carl and his wife have taught Financial Peace University (FPU), a program by Dave Ramsey, for nearly 25 years.
•They have experience working with many couples on financial issues.

Personal Experience

•Carl shares a personal story about a failed investment in the stock market that led to signi...

Summary of the YouTube Video: Strong Dads Podcast - Episode on “Egypts of Life”

Overview

In this episode of the Strong Dads Podcast, hosts Merrill Hutchinson and Carl Andre discuss the concept of “Egypt” as a metaphor for the comfort zones and familiar pains that people often return to despite the desire for change. The discussion draws parallels from the biblical story of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, exploring themes of fear, faith, and the challenges of breaking free from detrimental situations.

Key Points

1.Introduction and Background:
•The hosts express gratitude to...

If you keep looking for it, you will find it!  
That can be good or bad, depending on what you're looking for.  Many of us have habits on how we view life.  Some of us view towards the negative.  This kind of mindset is hardwired into us as a means to help us survive.  It helps us to be more aware of what can go wrong and then hopefully prepare for it.  
Some of us are wired with lean towards the positive.  Always seeing the potential good in situations and seeing the best outcomes.  This type of mindset...

Strengthening tendons and muscles in our workouts is a must.
Like it or not, as we age many of us find ourselves dealling with more tendon issues.  Tennis Elbow, runner’s knee, Achille strain, Patellar Femoral Tendonosis, etc… 
What’s going on here? 
As we age our tendons are not trained like our muscles.  We don’t hang from trees or run sprints like we used to. 
But, we may still find ourselves going to the gym in performing traditional muscle strengthening exercises.
This is not all bad, but as we see the muscles getting stron...

Changing your life is hard.  We often make references to changing parts of our life and all too often find out that we fall back into our old ways.  Change takes way more than having the thought.  It takes work! 

Acceleration is the change in speed or direction of an object. In order for that to happen, the object must be acted upon by an outer force. Newton’s First Law - An object in motion will stay in motion and an object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an outer force.  
Change...

Part 2 - Time to get practical with excellent advice to improve your lot in life. 

It's no secret that the American Workforce has been hindered over the past decade.  Finding good men to do good work has been difficult.  When discussing the challenges of owning and running your own business, a universal complaint heard from the business owners is, "we can't find good employees."

Young men are simply not showing up to work.  They accept a job and soon they start habits like showing up late or not showing up at all.  After a little press...

It's no secret that the American Workforce has been hindered over the past decade.  Finding good men to do good work has been difficult.  When discussing the challenges of owning and running your own business, a universal complaint heard from the business owners is, "we can't find good employees."

Young men are simply not showing up to work.  They accept a job and soon they start habits like showing up late or not showing up at all.  After a little pressure, they decide this work is not for them and they are finding their way out the door...

Wouldn’t it be interesting to see a museum in our country to memorialize the atrocities we have committed on the unborn.  We have museums to remind us of our terrible allowance and support for slavery, we have museums to remind us of the tragedy of the holocaust.  The museums are not for celebration but rather for the strong reminder that we should never forget lest we risk repeating evils that we’re capable of. 

The Unborn Child is a Person.
Psalm 139:13-16: "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in the womb. I will...

Let’s get something straight: physical needs are important and must be provided for.  But, emotional needs are equally important.  In my work I have specifically developed an exercise to get couples to begin to recognize these needs and how they can go about them to improve the provision of satisfying the emotional requirements that we all have. 

Here are the Emotional Needs:

Control
Love
Respect
Trust
Security
Affection
Purpose
Faith

Every person has a need for these in their lives, but here is where things get i...

As a Strong Dad and husband, we are to honor our wives.  Proverbs 31 gives us a biblical description of this lady.

Proverbs 31:10-31 (NIV):

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 11 Her husband can trust her, and she will enrich his life. 12 She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life. 13 She is a diligent and hardworking woman. 14 She rises while it is still dark and provides food for her household and tasks for her servants. 15 She considers a field and b...

It is estimated that at least 40% of all families in the United States are Blended Families.  Whether it be divorce, death of a spouse, or adoption, in some form or another, we find ourselves blending together families members that are not of the same biological descent. In fact, both Hutch and Carl are in blended family situations.  

This show tackles the many different dynamics that the blended family presents.  It is not unusual for couples to go into this situation with their eyes closed to all the possible challenges they will be facing.  Differing cultures, genetics, and envi...

This is our last show in our series of Pride.  After we have recognized that the only way to halt our prideful damage is through Christ.  We now move into the daily habits and practices to replace our old ways. 

Our prideful ways have created many habits that seemed to make sense at the time.  Over time, these habits become natural and common place.  Once we realize that many of these habits are teaching and reinforcing the exact opposite of what Christ calls us to be, we must begin new practices. 

I...

In our third of four shows on Killing Pride, this is the one that begins to move you forward.  This show boldly comes out and tells you exactly where we can all begin to grab our pride by the throat and begin to choke it out!

The tactic described is not for the faint of heart.  It causes most to run and avoid the inevitable.  The inevitable of surrender!  Let's be clear, surrendering sounds like the last thing any warrior should ever do.  But let's consider who we are surrendering to and why we might...

In our last episode, 236, we introduced our personal struggle with pride in our lives.  Mostly centering around anxiety and the fear of failure.  In this episode we blow the doors wide open on PRIDE. We explore the many different ways that all of us have seen or experienced.  The blamer, gaslighter, excuse maker, mad-man, road-rage, one-ups, competitiveness, paranoia, self-sabatoge, and the list goes on.  

We don't discuss this list to make anyone feel bad, we discuss it because it is actually the first step to helping people realize the masks they have been hiding behind.  Once you call...

We are called to die to ourselves. What in the heck does that even mean?  And even a better question; why?  

In this episode Hutch introduces Carl Andry to the Strong Dads audience.  Carl is not only a smart man, but more so, he's a man of wisdom.  He truly enjoys looking back in his own life and the lives of others to see what he can learn to take into the future.  

Power, money, sex, control, words, you name it and we will strive to show ourselves better than the next.  Just as bad, we wil...

When was the last time you thanked someone that poured into you or your life's work?  You never know, if you wait too long you may miss the opportunity to let them know what they meant to you.  

We all have people that have influenced our life.  Some much more than others.  We have fathers, mothers, teachers, preachers, and coaches that are among the most likely to impact our lives.  The point of this show is to simply acknowledge and give thanks to one of the people that poured into and shaped my life.  From my highschool days t...

It's always great to have good conversation to challenge and inspire us to be better men.  That's exactly what my conversation with Chris Wilson from Strong by Design produced. 

Chris has been in the coaching and strength training world for over 25 years.  After working with some of the best of the best he is still humbled by his journey.  Rather than beating his chest to celebrate his accomplishments, he gives thanks for his opportunities and has tried to make the most of them.  

Over his years of running his business and becoming a husband and fathe...

Aging is often not kind to us.  We build a new house only to have begin replacing, fixing, and rehabbing in a decade or so.  We buy a new car and along with the regular maintenance, we find ourselves dropping the cash for bigger ticket items to keep it on the road.  Even our bodies seem to find ways to fall apart.  Before you know it we find ourselves replacing joints, hitting the gym to get stronger or lose weight, changing our diets to get ourselves back on track.  Let's face it, maintenance is a necessary component of life. That...

A little less than a month and we have a finished product!  Last month on Episode 232 I introduced you to my "Jackpot".  A project camper that I bought to fix up.  After a I dug into it I discovered that there were way more things that needed attention than I originally noticed.  Rotten floors, leaking sunlights, failed caulking, all of which meant lots of mold. 

It was time to go to work and that I did.  Ripping out all of the floor and replacing it with new underlayment and then waterproof floor planking.  Completely washing down every part of...

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a mess that seemed to get bigger the longer you're into it?  Around our house we call those situations, "JACK POTS". Obviously, using the term in a facetious way, there is nothing good about these jack pots.  

Hutch open's his latest "JACK POT" up for all of you to see.  He recently bought a camper with the idea that the family could get back into a little camping.  He didn't want to spend too much money on the camper as they aren't sure how much they will actually be a...

Bringing Help and Hope to Those Who are Hurting.  This is the opening  statement that greats you when you open the website for Masters of Disaster.  When Darin Kroger swapped IT work for chainsaws, power generators, and volunteers, he knew he was swapping comfort for chaos. 

Today's show reflects what happens when you begin to surrender your heart and talents to the nudging of the Holy Spirit.  Darin  had what most of us would think of as a "good life".  By his own admission, it was a good life.  But, he continued to recognize an itch that wasn't b...

Have you ever stood at life's crossroads, the weight of decision pressing upon your shoulders? Join  Hutch and Kyle as they explore the transformative power of change and the courage it takes to embrace new paths. We've all faced moments where the familiar becomes comfortable yet constraining. We have felt the itch for something different but didn't know what different really looked like. Today,  we're here to share stories  about change and new paths moving forward. Specifically, Kyle shares his personal story and continued journey of his change from one fire department to another. 

Sometimes Change is forc...

Nestled in the heart of Lawrenceburg, McCabe's Greenhouse is more than a garden center; it's a living lesson in the art of cultivation, both of plants and community bonds. My conversation with Adam Legge offers an authentic glimpse into the daily rhythms of nurturing seedlings and the resilience of pansies, paralleling the strength found in family and faith. As Adam walks us through the greenhouse's operations, from the importance of soil temperature to the craft of fudge-making, we uncover the shared roots between the growth of plants and the growth of relationships.

The thread of resilience weaves...

Ever wonder about the road less traveled when it comes to career paths? Steve Naltner did just that, trading the hectic life as a convenience store owner for the more serene world of storage facility management. Hear his story of personal transformation through seeking better for his family.—a story that resonates with anyone yearning for a life beyond the daily grind.

Steve is a man of God, a husband, a dad, and a community advocate.  He values a high quality of life for himself as well as those he does life with. He is quick to off...

When the once-fading streets of a small town find a new lease on life, it's a story that deserves to be told. That's exactly what we're bringing to your ears today, as we explore the journey of Lawrenceburg's transformation from a sleepy old town to a vibrant community hub.  We're joined by Tony Schroder, the man behind Proof 124, who took a leap of faith from retirement into community investment, infusing his businesses with Christian values and a mission to serve. Listen in for an uplifting narrative of local revitalization, complete with insights on melding the past and p...

If you're a medical and science NERD like me, this is your show.  We visited with one of the first pioneers in the field of Ultrasound Guided Injections,  Dr. Randy Moore.  

Randy began using Ultrasound nearly 30 years ago as a chiropractor looking for better ways to help his clients.  He quickly realized that the ultrasound was giving him more information about the tissue and joint quality than what  traditional diagnostic techniques were able to produce. 

Admittedly, Randy claims this was an absolute God guided journey.  He began obcessing and studying the capabilities of ultrasound as a tool...