Blog post 1

When my wife and I got married, I honestly had no idea who God was—let alone what it meant to be a husband or a leader in a marriage. I didn’t have a “staff” to guide me, no one to show me what spiritual leadership in a home was supposed to look like.

But even in my shortcomings, God has been faithful. He has blessed me to lead our family—not as a perfect man, but as one learning, sometimes stumbling, and always trying to walk by faith. And truthfully, I’m still learning.

As I searched for ways to express what’s in my heart today, I tried to find something like this—a way for a father to pass on a symbol of leadership and blessing to his son. But I couldn’t find much of anything. So, I want to begin a new tradition—one that marks the moment when a man begins his own household under God’s guidance.

When I was a Boy Scout, it wasn’t unusual to see young men walking through the woods with a stick in their hand. I think there’s something deep inside boys that draws them to that staff—it’s as if God placed it in our nature. As I grew in my faith and began to read His Word, I came to see how important that “stick” really is in the life of a man.

In Scripture, the staff was never just a piece of wood. It was a symbol of leadership and authority when Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness. It represented protection and provision as the shepherd carried it in Psalm 23: “Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.”It stood for inheritance and blessing when Jacob leaned upon his staff to bless his sons.And it was even a symbol of God’s power and judgment as He used it to strike down His enemies.

Brenton, as you begin your own household, it is now your turn to lead, love, and serve as the priest of your home. You will not always get it right—none of us do—but the same God who guided Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will guide you, if you let Him.

I charge you, as Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 16:13–14: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity.” And so today, I pass this staff to you—not as a decorati