2nd Annual Reader's Issue

Guys, welcome to the second annual Reader-Contributor Issue of New Man eMagazine. It's been almost two years since New Man switched from a print magazine to an online publication. There are certain things I miss about the print version, but there's also a lot I enjoy about the new format.

First and foremost is the way an online publication gives me the chance to feel closer to readers. Things such as e-mailing and posting comments have opened up new lines of communication between editors and readers, which I see as one of the best things about the new online-journalism world. Yes—even when my columns get ripped apart in the Comments section.

The other thing this new format has fostered is an increased capability for readers to take the next step and become contributors. Maybe you've seen our ad in the corner of each issue offering you a chance to write for New Man. That's something we take seriously. We regularly run stories from guys like you who feel they have something to share with the other Christian men out there.

It's really a blessing to receive thoughts and articles from you guys who read the eMagazine. My own life as a Christian man has been relatively short compared with many of you out there, so I love hearing from those who are wiser than I am.

This issue is dedicated to articles from readers who had something to say and submitted their work. Jeff Fisher's "Four Jobs of an Accountability Partner" is a great, practical example of how to do a difficult job that we all know is of extreme importance. Jason Brooks' "Outstretched Hands" is a poignant, thoughtful piece on the parallels between his father in heaven and his own role as father of a 4-year-old. Daryl Barlow's "The Saul in You" takes the story of David, King Saul and Goliath and uses it to show us the real mentality we need for finding victory in life.

I hope you enjoy their writings as much as I did.

To all of you who have submitted writings to us in the past, I sincerely thank you. I'd also like to encourage any of you who are interested in writing for New Man to e-mail your work to us. We dutifully consider everything that's sent.

Have a great new year!

Our Last-Minute Gift-Buying Guide for Husbands

It's Dec. 17, so you know what that means. Time to figure out what your wife wants for Christmas! I've heard that some men out there have all their Christmas shopping finished before Thanksgiving. Personally, I believe that's a myth. I've never once met a man who didn't have to make one desperate, last-ditch run to the mall this week for at least a few gifts. My father believes in the "24-hour rule," which states that any gift purchased before Christmas Eve doesn't count.

In our never-ending effort to help you guys out, we offer you the New Man guide to last-minute Christmas shopping. These tips are brought to you by a man with years of experience as a procrastinator—so take advantage of them!

1. Don't buy from kiosks.

I know that it's scary to walk into the women's clothing stores, and I know that it is so much easier just to pick up one of the nice, shiny things on display at the kiosk right in front of you. Even though the nice woman selling the miracle cream from the Dead Sea is convincing, don't give in.

Women know when you get something from a kiosk, and it won't turn out well. One year former New Man editor Drew Dyck purchased a variety of his wife's gifts from the "As Seen on TV" kiosk, thinking they would be a surefire hit. They were an epic failure.

2. Develop your parking skills.

One key to a good last-minute Christmas shopping run is a good parking job. If possible, look for any side entrances, such as the garden areas at Walmart and Target. If there's no entrance there, and the parking lot is a zoo, you have to refine your "follow someone to their car" skills.

Rookies will pick anybody leaving the store and follow them, but experienced Christmas Eve shoppers know that some people take longer get in their cars than others. Never follow someone with kids, someone who looks over the age of 75 or the Herculean woman carrying 18 bags. It will take them so long to get in their cars that you'd be better off parking across the street. The best bet is to find another man like you who is half-running across the lot to get to his next location.

3. Buy chocolate, but not too much.

Chocolate is one of those go-to items every year for the man on a shopping trip. You can't go wrong unless your wife is one of the two women in the U.S. who don't like it. The key with chocolate is not buying too much. It's a delicate balance because every woman wants a little chocolate on Christmas day, but no woman wants to pigout. Plus, in my experience, there's a bigger advantage to buying better quality chocolate than a lot of it. I can't tell the difference between a Snickers bar and a fancy truffle, but my wife can.

4. When in doubt on clothing, go with the smaller size.

Clothing is a risky item to place on the Christmas list. As a gift, it can be a big hit or a dangerous mistake. First of all, it's a good bet never to go with a piece of clothing unless your wife specifically mentioned it beforehand or another woman who knows her recommended it to you. Anything else is a shot in the dark.

More important is finding the right size. Like Rule 3, there's a delicate balance between finding something that fits but also not making your spouse feel bad because you bought the wrong size. If you're stuck between two different sizes, always go with the smaller one. Is she a small or a medium? She's a small. Trust me.

5. Remember this: The smaller the box, the better the gift.

This is a counterintuitive rule for men who think exactly the opposite. To a man, bigger boxes are much more fun. After all, you can't fit a TV or a power tool in a box made for a sweater.

For women, the opposite is true. Smaller boxes tend to contain small, shiny things. If you're that guy staring vacantly at the mall directory this Christmas Eve, keep in mind that women like shiny things.

Of course, the best way to find the right gift is to know your wife. If you know what she likes, then you're going to find things she will love. If she likes to be pampered, get her a spa treatment. If she likes to go outdoors, get her something for that. If she likes nice dinners, go for a gift card and a reservation.

In my experience, it's not about how much you spend; it's about how much you thought about it and how well the gift matches her. Or how shiny it is.

You're Still a Good Man, Charlie Brown

When I was a kid, I remember hearing adults complain about the holiday season. They would whine about how busy they were, how difficult traveling was and how tight finances were. I also remember thinking these people were insane. How could you complain about Christmas?

Of course, the older I get, the more I understand. When I was a kid, I didn't realize how busy, expensive and complicated this time of year gets. I didn't know how painful this time of year can be for lonely people. I didn't know about debates over politically correct phrases or that Santa and Jesus could be competing for our attention.

Few things about Christmas seem to be as special as they were when I was a kid, but there's one little pop-culture Christmas tradition that seems never to get old and remains special: A Charlie Brown Christmas.

There's something about good ol' Chuck's take on Christmas that seems to never age. For one thing, it's a great little movie. It's clever, well-written and features the timeless jazz recording from the Vince Guaraldi Trio, possibly the best Christmas music out there.

But, of course, the reason A Charlie Brown Christmas manages to stay fresh and powerful since its debut in 1965 is the fact that it features the real Christmas story. Every time Linus gets up to perform his poignant reading of Luke 2:8-14, I get the same chills that I got when I was a kid. It's a profoundly simple message delivered by an untrained child actor, but it somehow manages to convey the love of God every time I see it.

It's amazing that the little movie even managed to make it to the tube at all. When it was first made, producers balked at the child actors, jazz music and especially the Bible reading. They thought kids would be bored. But creator Charles Schulz, a Christian, was adamant about the movie, particularly the reading. A behind-the-scenes feature said that when producers talked to him about removing the scene, Schulz remarked, "If we don't tell the true meaning of Christmas, who will?"

Thank goodness he did. Now the good news of Jesus Christ humbling Himself and taking the form of human flesh gets aired to a national audience year after year, completely unedited. It still makes me feel like a kid every time I watch it, but more important, it reminds me what all this hubbub is truly about.

The Tiger Woods Scandal Is Simply Sad

Unless you don't follow sports or news, or unless you've been cut off from the world for the last 48 hours, then you've heard that Tiger Woods, the best golfer in the world, has been exposed for having an extramarital affair (and possibly more than one). What started with a relatively minor car accident has turned into a nasty media firestorm that led to Woods' partner revealing numerous illicit text messages and a very condemning voice mail yesterday.

Numerous people on radio shows, columns and blogs have expressed a variety of reactions to the scandal. Some are having fun with it, reveling in the fact that the world's most recognizable sports figure has had his name smeared. Some are outraged, expressing righteous anger and calling for Woods' sponsors to drop him. Some are even defending him, saying the media has gone too far, and are asking people to respect Tiger's privacy.

I haven't seen many people express what I felt upon hearing the news, and my reaction was the same as a lot of Christian sports fans out there. I wasn't excited. I wasn't angry. I wasn't even surprised. I was just sad.

I was sad because another man has been broken and another family destroyed. I was sad because I wasn't surprised. I haven't come to expect much from male celebrities these days. I was sad that others were having fun with a situation that is not funny in any way.

I know it has to be hard for famous athletes. They face way more temptation every day than you or I will in a month. But it's sad that so many of them fall, especially because, whether we like it or not, American kids will always view athletes as their heroes. That's why I'm so thankful for men such as Tony Dungy, Tim Tebow, Kurt Warner and others like them, who have the kind of personal caliber we will continue to spotlight in New Man.

My final reaction to the Tiger controversy was this: The guy needs prayer. He's being hounded from all angles, he's going through something that is tough enough without the entire country knowing about it, and it's entirely his fault. Let's pray that he finds the Lord, and let's pray that he gets a chance to atone for his mistakes.