What Is The Primary Purpose Of Samson Society? / How Are You Investing Your Time?

The primary purpose of Samson Society is for you yourself to exploit / take advantage of it to whatever degree you feel so moved relative to your personal recovery.  

Samson Society costs nothing to participate in (except time).  Its start was a tome written and published in the past few decades (2007).  A tome which inspired men to begin meeting / following the simple format introduced.  It was very grassroots with absolutely zero forecasted goals / established milestones (Mr. Nate Larkin's book sales weren't noteworthy). 

Not long thereafter, "48 Hours of Frankness" weekends were spun-off along with a podcast and eventually National Retreats (the tenth of which will be held in 2023 - National Samson Society Summit).

Samson House (nonprofit arm of Samson Society) came to fruition around the halfway point of said annual National Retreats.  As such, Samson Society's digital presence was upgraded dramatically, making this men's ministry more and more accessible (primarily via a plethora of scheduled / weekly Zoom Samson Society meeting opportunities).  

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For Rob, here's how I specifically (personal journey) took advantage (time invested therein) of Samson Society (since 2014):  After spending a few years within the mothership Jackson, Mississippi Samson Society group (starting in August 2014), I felt so moved to support the first "breakout" Jackson, Mississippi Samson Society group (Grace Crossing Church - Gluckstadt).  I spent one year there, watching it bless that church / suburban metro area immensely.  Eventually, I spearheaded a Samson Society group at my own church, Lakeside Presbyterian Church.  I facilitated there for four years, every Saturday morning at 7 AM.  What was so pleasing to see therein (besides the blessings that came from the meeting itself) was the spinoff meetings that reproduced as a result of our church's effort to support men so generously.  Specifically, young (much younger than Rob) Samson guys took the bull by the horns and positioned Samson Society groups at their own home churches within the Jackson Metro. 

I couldn't resist participating in the National Samson Society retreats throughout these years.  Perhaps I've attended 5 or possibly 6 total, all of which were held in Middle Tennessee.  

Too, I've attended 3-4 Jackson, Mississippi Samson Society specific retreats (organized by Mr. Don Waller).  Not to mention a few regional (supported by Samson Society National) retreats both in GA and AL.  And all of these were very beneficial to Rob's recovery for such a time as that. 

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I'm me.  You're you.  The notion of plunging headfirst into Samson Society as I have may not be for you.  

Nonetheless, I have to tout my Silas 3.0 (he began engaging with Samson Society back in April of 2022) at this point relative to me beginning to (trend) see him exploit / take advantage of this wonderful ministry within the same vein (gusto) that I have throughout the past eight years.   

What's cool about this is how longstanding (15+ years) my friendship has been with this man / his family / extended family.  Know too, our friendship was built on our sharing our mutual stories relative to sexual sin (it was awkward to say the least) at the outset (he was 30 / I was 35).

Who'd a thunk?  (I realize I've stated that prior.)

Nonetheless, his approach to Samson Society feels validating to Rob, and I really appreciate that.  It's weird to no longer be such the loner-Samson Society (holistic) zealot that I've sort of always been.

I'm so grateful for my Silas 3.0.  His presence / commitment has made the less-than-supremely comfortable times (like at the present) within Samson Society worth it.

In closing, I'm happy to report that he and I are already both registered for the 2023 National Samson Society Retreat at Sky Ranch in East Texas.     

Recommended Reading

The Power of ‘Intellectual Technologies’ | Desiring God

Recommended Reading

Why Don’t We Have Good Friends? | Desiring God

Honoring The Mother Ship's (First Baptist Church Jackson) Cherished '70s / '80s' Pastor - Dr. Frank Pollard - 11/05/78 transcript

Honoring The Mother Ship's (First Baptist Church Jackson) Cherished '70s / '80s' Pastor - Dr. Frank Pollard - 10/29/78 transcript

Recommended Reading

 The Halloween Night That Changed My Life (thegospelcoalition.org)

Wife Material

Based on my observations / experience, here're some mainstays relative to choosing a wife you'll want to stay married to "'till death do us part".  

1.  She wasn't reared within a substantially (ultra) materially wealthy home (with all the typical trappings).

2.  She doesn't smoke cigarettes.

3.  She knows how to cook food (& enjoys the process of preparing meals / expanding her knowledge therein).

4.  She isn't constantly picking up stray animals / rescuing them by bringing them home as permanent residents.

5.  She clearly understands that married women DO NOT have intimate (close) male friends (no matter their sexual preference).

6.  She's abhorrent towards the idea of gratuitously posting selfies on social media, and likewise, strategically categorizes social media as a juvenile time-waster.

7.  She's willing to yield to her husband.

8.  She's not mentally ill (or showing signs of severe mental illness).

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& now for my commentary regarding each of these:

1.  Women who're reared in ultra-material wealth typically look to marry into a similarly portfolio-ed tribe.  If your fam is within that category, then this #1 doesn't apply to you.  Go right ahead and marry that silver spoon.  But if you're a plebeian from a plebeian tribe, my advice is to steer clear of these ladies.

And only because their demographic expectations may very well put a substantial amount of pressure on you as her husband.  Plus, based on what I've observed, ultra-wealthy in-laws often leverage much of their influence via their ability to shower material gifts that are far from appropriate.  And this can especially be problematic when grandchildren come on the scene.

Ultimately, if you find yourself seriously romantically involved within one of these monetarily asymmetrical setups, take some substantial time to query your love about her "standard of living" ideals going forward - 5, 15, 25 years into the future.

2.  My wife worked as the CFO of a software company years ago, and one of the three owners was a woman who smoked cigarettes.  She was in her early 60s at the time, and no doubt had a college degree, having had the vocational success she'd achieved.  But, she hid the cigarette smoking as best she could because she knew, just as everyone else did, that it reflected a serious personality flaw of hers.  

Professional men typically smoke (though not always) as a means to demarcate their community.  Professional women smoke because it's a crutch.  

You shouldn't be involved with a woman who's on crutches.

3.  In line with this simple-to-understand statement is the following truth:  EVERY HUSBAND SHOULD BE ABLE TO PREPARE THE SAME MEAL HIS WIFE DOES (just not as expertly).  The best way to avoid family budget crisis is to meal plan / prepare 99% of meals at home.  And this includes meals (lunch) that are consumed during work hours.  Restaurants of every ilk have exploded in popularity over the past 25 years.  Compared to my growing-up years during the '80s, the concentrated quantity of restaurants is absolutely staggering.  Mated to that are all the gimmicks they offer up to us consumers.  From smartphone apps to drive-through options, it's absolutely mind blowing.

If your wife loathes cooking, and there's a houseful of mouths to feed, that's a problem.  Now, if you're (hubby) up to doing all the meal planning and cooking, so be it.  But here's the caveat:  Somebody's got to shop for the food that's prepared at home.  In essence, they've got to take the meal plan, generate a grocery list and purchase those items.  From there, those items must be transported home, unloaded and put away.  

In our household, for the most part, that's (grocery shopper) always been my job.  

4.  That's a no brainer.  No commentary needed.

5.  This too is a no brainer.  If a woman will not embrace this level of respect for her man (future husband), she' not wife material.

6.  Isn't it sad that I have to include this within the list?  Are you wanting to marry a girl or a woman?  If it's the latter, there's a definitive mindset towards time-wasting vices like these that will be apparent to you.

7.  Wives who're willing to yield recognize that marriages cannot be two-headed.  Marriage is not a democracy or a 50/50 partnership.  If it were, it would eventually tear itself apart.  

Now, wives can certainly interject their opinion, waxing poetic regarding the situation at hand, but ultimately, it comes down to the husband bringing finality to the matter (with grace & dignity).  

If you examine popular culture's take on marriage (television), you'll never see this complementary hierarchy in action.  Typically, the husband is an idiot, and therefore the wife is left to lead cunningly.  Sometimes too, you'll see whatever scripted, insignificant ordeal resolve "on its own creative accord" in spite of the conflicted opinions between the spouses.  All this downplays the yielding that someone's got to buy into within marriage.  A yielding that (if originating from the wife) embodies the utmost respect for her husband and his competency as the head of the household.  

8.  This too is self-explanatory.  Marriage is hard enough as it is, much less with a woman who's struggling with serious (very difficult to treat) mental illness issues (bipolar, clinical depression, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia).