Recommended Viewing

Recommended Reading

How Do I ‘Look to Jesus’? | Desiring God

2025 Samson Summit - Virtual Experience

Can’t make it to Glorieta? No problem — the Samson Summit Virtual Experience brings the heart of the weekend straight to you. Join Chris Bruno’s powerful main sessions live via Zoom as he invites men into deeper integrity, brotherhood, and healing. You will also have the opportunity to participate in small group discussions with other virtual attendees during the triad sessions to further process and integrate the teachings. Then kick back and laugh along with Ron Pearson’s comedy show streamed directly from the Summit stage Saturday evening because growth and joy belong together. Finally, end our time together on Sunday morning with a time of teaching, communion, and the annual update on Samson. Schedule of Events Please note: All times denoted below are in Mountain Time. Friday, November 6 7:30 – 8:15 PM Chris Bruno Session #1 8:30 – 9:30 PM TRIAD 1 Saturday, November 7 8:55 – 9:45 AM Chris Bruno Session #2 9:45 – 10:30 AM TRIAD 2 10:45 – 11:30 AM Chris Bruno Session #3 11:30 – 12:00 PM TRIAD 3 12:00 – 4:30 PM Afternoon Break 4:30 – 5:15 PM Chris Bruno Session #4 5:15 – 6:15 PM TRIAD 4 6:30 – 7:15 PM Dinner Break 7:15 – 8:30 PM Ron Pearson (Comedian) Sunday, November 8 9:00 – 10:15 AM Gospel Time with Communion & Liturgy 10:15 – 11:45 AM Samson Update Whether you’re tuning in solo or gathering a few brothers in your living room, the virtual experience lets you be part of the movement — no travel required, just a good Wi-Fi connection and an open heart. Come as you are. Connect. Reflect. Laugh. Heal. All from wherever you call home. Learn More

It's Not Too Late To Join Us In Person! If you prefer to join us in person at Glorieta Adventure Camp, there's still time to register. Registration remains open until midnight (Pacific Time) this Thursday, October 23. Save your spot before it's too late! Register

Recommended Reading

Bouncing Your Eyes & Avoiding Lust - Andrew J Bauman

Recommended Reading (Mr. Justin Schwind, Author)

 Where I’m From

Justin Schwind

I am from the Yard of the Month sign out front,
from Volvo station wagons and Skull chewing tobacco.
I am from a quaint one story home,
always under change,
clean, but dirty,
tuning in to the moans of mother dearest,
knowing it will never be enough.

I am from fresh cut St. Augustine grass,
Saturday mornings, long blades of green
shaved down to baby nubs,
ready to begin again.

I’m from family summers floating the Rio Frio,
and we work hard for what we earn.
From a strong willed mom
and an adventure seeking dad.

I’m from the ones who fight things out
 and then don’t talk about them.
From Schwinds never quit
 and be grateful you have food,
There are children starving in Africa.

I’m from never miss church on Sundays,
never skip Sunday School,
yet know no God
 outside those walls.

I’m from Galveston Island,
proud of my third generation German roots.
From Grandma’s pecan pie
and Pop’s smoked barbecue.

From standing on the sidelines
 of a Houston Oilers game with my dad,
both of us with cameras in hand,
shooting for the Alvin Sun.

From Guess Who at the kitchen table,
my sister Lindsay outsmarting us all,
again and again.
From the last full family photo
 at Grandpa and Grandma Schwind’s
Church of Christ.

We cherished adventures over things,
each memento a memory,
a token of where we had been,
the laughter, the ache, the moving on.
Every piece mattered,
because every piece carried
the story of who we were
and who we were still becoming.

Recommended Reading

https://substack.com/inbox/post/176323618?r=1qr116&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false&triedRedirect=true

Recommended Reading

https://apnews.com/article/ai-erotica-chatgpt-openai-sam-altman-d52e00cedf34a8120af7af66981da295

If You're Serving Another Samson Brother As A Silas, Are You Obligated To Follow Up?

Here's the situation:

If you're serving another man as his Silas and his sinful behavior(s) is continuing to incur tangible, long-term collateral damage to his spouse (her health, their finances), you must pressure him to come clean to her.

Why?

Because she's being hurt unknowingly by his ongoing stupidity.  To be more specific, she might end up with an STD (due to him inserting his wiener into illicit orifices) or bankrupt (due to him racking up debt in light of his secret passion for phone sex, virtual strip shows, hookers, etc.).

This is the primary differentiator between being a Silas and a counselor / therapist.  In fact, you can even go so far as literally looping his wife in (regarding her man's ongoing stupid), though I don't recommend it.  

-------------------------

Her reaction (towards him) to his coming clean may very well (& very quickly) dismantle your friendship with your Silee (triangulated blame), but at least you did the right thing by protecting either or both her physical / financial health.

Silence may very well then ensue between you and your Silee.  

And no, you're under no obligation to follow-up with him.  Instead, if you so choose, simply move on.

Recommended Reading (For The Women In Your Life)

Help Men Become Better Men | Desiring God

Recommended Reading

How Is Christian Joy Different from the World’s? | Desiring God

The Young Samson Brothers I Love

Firstly, let me define young because I'm not necessarily referring to physical age.  

I'm referring to reared completely (adolescence onward) within an Internet saturated society (w/ little to no digital guardrails therein).  And, of course, if they're Samson brothers, that means they're men who have very healthy libidos.

I've closely befriended two as of late.  One is white, had an upper-class upbringing and struggles with some mental health history.  The other is Hispanic, had a lower-class upbringing.  The former is clean cut and saintly.  If you didn't know any better, you'd swear he was Mormon.  The latter is very chatty and suave.  Confident and leaderly.  Respectful of his heritage yet disparaging of its cultural "trappings".  

Both cherish(ed) their virginity enough to save themselves for their respective marriage beds.  

Both have successful careers, are physically healthy and committed in their Christian faith (both are Catholic).

-------------------------

What pains me regarding these two is how practically impossible it is for them to imagine their life sans utilizing the Internet to access salacious material. 

Here's a snippet from the Mormon-like Samson brother (written / shared during the latter half of this past weekend) writing in his journal regarding the explicit content he binged upon for +/-1 hour Saturday, (10/11) evening:  

"...both involved one male and one female engaging in intercourse I would describe as aggressive and hardcore. The acts depicted included oral sex, kissing, touching, vaginal sex from various positions, and even anal sex. The third video, which I spent shorter time on due to the fact that while watching it is when I reached orgasm, involved one male and two females, with the male receiving oral sex from both females. This third video was different from the others in that its presentation was more “home made.” The performers were conversing beforehand, and it felt more realistic, whereas the other videos were more professionally produced (i.e. steady camera, music in the beginning, and not as much dialogue or parts of the video other than sexual activity. One thing that I believe has changed (for the worse part) over the course of my use of porn is that depictions of male aggression (“taking charge” if you will)..."

The incredibly intelligent, articulate, handsome young man who penned this was infected long ago with the private gift / curse of readily accessible digital porn.  Accessible to children easily / smartly / sveltely.  Click, type, type, click.  Wet pussy.  Olympic-grade coitus.  Lights, camera, fuck.

-------------------------

No need to darken the door of a bookstore / meander back to the periodicals in hopes of not being spotted, or similarly (but far more pay dirt) would be the adult bookstore vanquish with its back room lit by spray-painted incandescent A-lamps hanging from bare electrical cords. 

Weren't things just so much better back then?

In a way, yes.

For these two young men would likely have never found their eyeballs scorched by thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of pornographic photos / videos prior to either of them graduating high school.

Do you realize how fucked up I'd be had I had access to the Internet as a boy / teen?

-------------------------

One of my first "Silees" was a young man similar to these two.  He was a local dude (in-person Samson group) who's still faithful to the in-person Samson meeting paradigm - after ALL THESE YEARS.  Years and years of recovery have transpired since I had the privilege to first meet Blake.  And, as such, seeing his slow-mo recovery gives me hope for these two virtual Samson brothers.

Is it harder for them due to the inability to even imagine a world sans the Internet?  Of course, it is.  

For us middle-agers, imagine having to give up the microwave oven, or at least, only using it to actually cook food versus warming it up.  Talk about feeling setback in spite of our peers unrequited defrosting, popcorn popping and days-old pizza zapping.  

 

Recommended Reading

Sexual Purity Is an Act of Love | Desiring God

God Sees Your Secret Sin | Desiring God

Escape the Little Hell of Porn