"The No Bull Briefing" - Samson Society Newsletter

Notes from Nate: THE BEST DEAL IN TOWN Sitting nervously in my very first 12-step meeting, I heard the host say, "We have no dues or fees, but we do have expenses, and we are self-supporting through our own contributions." He then dropped a dollar in a basket and passed it to the man on his left. I reached for my wallet. When the basket got to me, I ceremoniously dropped in a $10 bill. The man on my left reached into the basket, counted out $9, and handed them back to me. Smiling, he whispered, "It's a buck a meeting. Best deal in town." That was nearly 30 years ago. The standard contribution today is $3, but it's still the best deal in town. And because everyone contributes, every major 12-step organization can hire a few employees to support its many volunteers. When we started the Samson Society in 2004, we didn't bother passing a basket. There were only 12 of us, and we met at the church for free. But as Samson grew, expenses started to accumulate - a website, retreats, phone bills. I covered most of them myself for the first dozen years. Then in 2018, we launched the online meetings, and Samson exploded. Suddenly we needed staff. Fortunately, another brother stepped in to cover expenses for the first year, and a few more eventually joined him. We would make an appeal at the end of each annual retreat, and a few more contributions would come in - just enough to pay the bills. In those days, the expenses of the entire fellwoship were covered by roughly 10% of its members. Believe it or not, the ratio still holds. Of the 3,027 members registered on the new app, exactly 205 have taken the step of becoming Supporting Members. For 20 years, the same 10% has carried this fellowship on its shoulders. And the cost of today's Supporting Membership? Brace yourself - it's $7.95 a month. That's what keeps the lights on: the app, the online meeting infrastructure, the small staff who answer your emails and keep the groups running. If Samson has helped you, or someone you love, please consider joining the 300. You can become a member today by clicking the button below. $7.95 a month. Still the best deal in town. To everyone who already gives: thank you. You are the reason this works. Nate Larkin Samson Society Founder Become a Sustaining Member Financial Update Dear Friend of Samson House: Thank you. Every prayer, every gift, and every encouraging word you have sent over these first four months of 2026 has helped carry this work forward. You are a real part of what God is doing through Samson House, and we want you to see clearly how your generosity has been at work. This update is meant to be simple and honest - not an accounting lecture. Below you'll find what it costs to keep things going each month, what came in, where we stand year-to-date, and a few ways you can continue to walk with us. The Big Picture: Year-to-Date Here is the four-month snapshot at a glance. "Need" is what it actually cost to operate; "Received" is what came in from all of you. Through April, donations have covered 69.5% of what it costs to run Samson House. That means for every $1.00 we needed, your generosity provided $0.69 - leaving a gap of about $0.31 on every dollar. Month-By-Month Picture The bars below show what came in (teal) next to what it cost to operate (gold) for each month. The red dashed line is the average monthly need. Why There's a Gap Right Now On average, it costs about $34,116 a month to keep things running, and donations have been averaging around $23,707 - leaving roughly $10,409short most months. A meaningful piece of that shortfall is timing, not loss. About $39,002.50 of our spending so far this year went towards retreats - venues, food, deposits, materials. Those costs land before retreat registration income comes in, so the books show a gap in the months when bills are paid even though registrations help close it later. February and April look especially steep on the chart for exactly that reason. The rest of the gap is the day-to-day cost of doing the work: people, facilities, the app and website, and the small line items that add up. How You Can Help There are two simple ways to walk with us financially. Both matter, and they cover different parts of the work: Become a Supporting Member - $8/Month Supporting members give $8 a month through the app. Yes, members get access to some extra content, but please don't sign up just for the perks. The real reason we ask is that those monthly subscriptions are what keep the app and website running. Hosting, software, payment processing, and the tools that let us reach people online are funded by Supporting Members. If you've been blessed by anything we've put out there, this is the most direct way to keep it online. Give to the Rest of the Work Supporting Members dollars keep the digital doors open. Everything else - staff, facilities, retreats, outreach, the everyday work - is funded by one-time and recurring donations from people like you. Any amount helps close the monthly gap. Recurring monthly giving (at any level) is especially helpful because it lets us plan ahead instead of guessing. Our Mission & A Prayer Samson House exists to walk alongside the people God brings to us - through hospitality, programs, retreats, and the every day work that makes hard seasons survivable. Every gift, every subscription, and every prayer is a vote of confidence in that work. "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans." Proverbs 16:3 Will you pray with us? Pray for the people we serve, for the staff who give their days to this work, and that the Lord would continue to provide what is needed - month-by-month, dollar-by-dollar, prayer-by-prayer. If you would like to be a part of our support team, click the button below: Donate We've got a lot of great opportunities coming up to hang out with your brothers coming up. We have a weekend in Italy with our European men, a walk in England at the end of June, a "story work" canoeing trip in Missouri in July, and intensive with Jim Cress in Oklahoma in August, and of course our ANNUAL SUMMIT in October in Michigan. Don't miss out! Click the link below to see the details for all upcoming events: Learn More View this email in your browser.

The July Johnson / Jake Spoon Spectrum

I'm re-reading Lonesome Dove.  Currently, I'm over halfway through, having read it initially last year.  

As an ensemble tale, it's incredibly diverse.  Via my sophomore effort, I'm able to slow down enough to really analyze the wide swath of characters.  As such, every chapter is a pleasure.

Lonesome Dove was published in the '80s.  Eventually, it won the Pulitzer Prize.  The novel soon inspired a television screenplay.   That "mini-series" (as they were dubbed by TV network execs back then) changed everything due to it being such the massive hit.  Everyone, & I mean everyone, screened that mini-series back in February of 1989.

That being said, my family was the exception.  Westerns simply weren't our thing.  

This book is so good that I've gifted it to numerous friends / clients, many of which have already read it (or claim to).  

I have to admit that I wish the TV mini-series had never been made.  The book is brutal in its depiction of frontier America, and so amazingly written.  There's no way a video production from the 1980s could do it justice.  Nevertheless, so many readers would have never picked up the tome were it not for the TV series.

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July Johnson is tied familial to the catalyst that sets the entire plot of the novel into motion.  As such, he's like the mirror universe version of Jake Spoon.  It's July's brother who's accidently shot (by Jake Spoon) that triggers his call of duty.  From there, we learn intimately about July's family / job as Sheriff of Fort Smith, AR, and what transpires when he begrudgingly sets out to bring his brother's killer, Jake Spoon, to justice.  

Regarding Jake Spoon, again he's essentially the antithesis of July Johnson (except in the looks department).  Therefore, despite July being considerably younger than Jake, they're equally handsome men - July the lawman and Jake the outlaw.

And what teases the latter truth that much more is the fact that Jake Spoon started out, years prior, as a lawman (Texas Ranger) himself.

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July Johnson is loyal to a fault.  His position as Sheriff, his wife, Elmira, her son, Joe, his moral convictions - all these he's deeply committed.  As such, July represents the law, no matter where he's at, faithfully.  His wife, Elmira, who's (unbeknownst to him) pregnant with his child, he loves endearingly and feigns over primally (despite her disdain / boredom with him).  Elmira's son, Joe, July dedicates himself to wholeheartedly despite there being no biological tie between the two of them.  And then there're his moral convictions.  July refuses to gamble, drink or fornicate (with whores or otherwise).  In fact, his stoic outlook therein coincides moreso with Captain Woodrow Call than any other character within the novel (more on Woodrow Call within a later post).  

Yet, July Johnson feels deeply and so very healthily / maturedly and is undeniable in showing / processing it - within almost every circumstance.  He is the epitome of emotional constipation.  And this is especially the case when he's around women.  Yet, these feelings aren't for the women themselves.  Instead, they're tangential feelings that are drawn out by the feminine.  Feelings that are much deeper and more permanent than those anchored within sole physical attraction of any kind (same or opposite sex).

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Jake Spoon.

What else can I say?  

He's the ladies man.  The gambler, the carouser with quite the uncalibrated moral compass.  Jake is loyal to no one but himself and his desires.  He's absolutely cognizant of his attributes / weaknesses / likes / dislikes, and is by no means looking to expand his horizons any further as a human being.  Hence, he's a true coward amongst men whilst being a swashbuckler amongst the beauties.  Jake loves physical pleasure in any form, but first & foremost, he's drawn to beautiful, sexually available women.   

To survive, he gambles, always looking for a sucker to beat, going city to city (town to town) holing up in saloons (w/ whorehouses upstairs).

And, oh man, Jake's relationships with the whores is really one of the primary drivers of the plot.  Due to this, you might assume his swagger equates to some semblance of emotional maturation.  That assumption couldn't be farther from the truth. 

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The ultimate resolution for each of these characters is markedly different, but each fitting to who they are morally.  I like this about the plot, though so many of the minor characters aren't judged with the same weights & measures.  

And that's where the shocking brutality comes in.  

It's not gratuitous but McMurtry absolutely doesn't pull in punches.  

Do yourself a favor and pick up this tome today.  If for any reason other than following the contrast between these two very memorable characters.  They're so vibrantly realistic.  You're bound to find both yourself and so many other Samson brothers along the July Johnson / Jake Spoon spectrum.  

Looking Ahead with Gratitude and Hope

 

That's A Wrap!

Honoring the Year Behind Us and the Community We Share

As this year comes to a close, we want to pause and speak to you not as a program or an organization, but as fellow humans who know how hard it can be to keep showing up, especially when the work is internal. For many, this year held progress that others may never see. Moments of honesty. Choosing connection instead of isolation. Naming pain instead of numbing it. For others, this year may feel marked by setbacks, exhaustion, or the quiet disappointment of goals unmet. We want to say this clearly: wherever you find yourself today makes sense. Healing is not linear, and growth is not measured by perfection. If you stayed when it would have been easier to disappear, that matters. If you returned after a lapse, that matters. If you listened when you weren’t ready to speak, that matters. If all you did was survive this year, that matters too. Trauma teaches us to brace, to hide, to believe we are alone in our struggle. Community gently reminds us otherwise. The Samson Society exists not because anyone here has it all figured out, but because we believe healing happens in honest, compassionate connection—over time, and at a human pace. As we reflect on the year behind us, we also want to acknowledge the generosity that sustains this work. Because of the faithfulness of donors so far, we are grateful to share that we have been able to retain Aaron Porter as Director of Operations for Samson House in a full-time role. Your generosity helps create the kind of steady foundation where healing communities can continue to grow. If you are in a place where end-of-year giving feels possible, we invite you to consider supporting this work. Giving is never an obligation here—many of you know seasons of scarcity all too well—but for those who are able, your contribution is a tangible way of extending the circle of support to others who are still finding their footing. Every gift, large or small, helps ensure that this community remains accessible, grounded, and human. Donate As we step into a new year, there is no requirement to “do better,” try harder, or become someone else. There is only an invitation: to keep practicing honesty, to stay curious about your story, and to allow support where it’s offered. You are not behind. You are not broken. And you are not doing this alone. Thank you for your courage, your presence, and your willingness to keep engaging in the work—however imperfectly it may look. We are honored to walk alongside you The Samson House Team

Your Financial Support Makes All of This Possible

Thanks to the generosity of donors, Aaron Porter will continue full-time as Director of Operations for Samson House.

Save the Date for the 2026 Samson Summit

October 23-25, 2026 In Grass Lake, Michigan. Payment Plans Available LEARN MORE

Wishing You A Happy New Year!