Intentional Fatherhood

• S2E6: Praying Legacy, Practicing Initiation, Passing on Wisdom + The Little Things Are the Big Things

  In the final episode of season two, we explore what it really means to give your death away — to live and lead in such a way that your life becomes a lasting gift to those who follow. We unpack the word legacy, not as something we build for ourselves, but as something we intentionally sow into the next generation through prayer, blessing, and everyday faithfulness.Legacy begins with prayer. Before we practice it, we have to pray it — asking God to refine our desires and shape our vision for who our children are becoming. We talk about what it looks like to be initiated into new stages of life by those ahead of us while initiating our kids into maturity, responsibility, and faith. From writing letters and creating family rituals to teaching practical life skills and setting healthy parameters — like viewing a smartphone as a rite of passage — we share tangible ways to pass along wisdom and form character.Because the little things are the big things. Our children will often become who we tell them we see them becoming. And ultimately, none of this makes sense without the resurrection of Jesus — because without it, there’s nothing redemptive about our death. But in light of His resurrection, every act of love, sacrifice, and legacy becomes deeply meaningful.Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CAFamily Age Chart PDF DownloadSowing a Hidden Seed: 31-Day Prayer Devotional by Brook MosserThe Hang 10 MovementSubmit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Intentional Fatherhood WebsiteFollow @intentionalfatherhood_ on InstagramWatch + Subscribe on YouTubeIntentional: Website + InstagramJustin Whitmel Earley: Website + Instagram

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• S2E5: Giving Your Death Away, Living in Light of Your Mortality + Moving From Fluid to Crystalized Intelligence

  In this episode, we explore the provocative idea of what it means to give your death away — to truly live in light of your mortality. Drawing from the ancient Christian practice of “memento mori” — remembering your death — we talk about how only Christianity can make sense of this uncomfortable reality through the hope of resurrection and eternal life.We discuss what it means to build a legacy within our families, not just by passing on skills that fade, but through wisdom, blessing, and a life rooted in eternal perspective. Inspired by Arthur Brooks’ From Strength to Strength, we reflect on the shift that happens as we age — moving from fluid to crystalized intelligence. Looking to Psalm 92’s promise that the righteous “will bear fruit in old age,” we talk about becoming the kind of person who grows old and sweet rather than old and bitter, someone secure enough to bless and encourage the next generation.This episode centers on the power of blessing — through appropriate touch, a spoken message, attaching high value, picturing a special future, and committing to fulfill it. We also talk about the role of mentorship and discipleship in passing on that blessing — how writing down words of encouragement, sharing wisdom, and investing in others becomes a way of giving your death away. We share a spoken blessing for every part of the body and reflect on the reality that legacy requires humility and the willingness to let go of ego, status, and pride.Because ultimately, the way to life is only through death. The episode closes with a prayer from Psalm 23 — “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing” — and four tangible ways to live this out: order a memento mori, write your obituary, meditate on your death, and extend the years of your age chart.Justin’s Embodied Bedtime Blessing:Bless his feet, may they carry good news.Bless his legs to go on in times of trouble.And bless his back, may it be strong enough to bear the burdens of others.Bless his arms to hold the lonely and his hands to do good work.Bless his neck, would you turn his head to the poor.Bless his ears to discern truth, his mouth to speak encouragement, and his eyes to see beauty.Bless his mind, may he grow wise in the knowledge of you.But above all, Lord, will you bless his heart, may he come to love you and all that you’ve made, in the right order.Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CAFamily Age Chart PDF DownloadScripture Mentioned: Psalm 23:1 + Psalm 92:12-15Book Mentioned: From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. BrooksSubmit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Intentional Fatherhood WebsiteFollow @intentionalfatherhood_ on InstagramWatch + Subscribe on YouTubeIntentional: Website + InstagramJustin Whitmel Earley: Website + Instagram

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• S2E4: From Shame to Strength, Anger in Fatherhood + Practices for Giving Your Life Away

  Following last week’s conversation about giving your life away, this episode dives into the everyday practices that help us live that out — even in the middle of our busy, overwhelmed lives. We’re talking about what it looks like to lean into the self-emptying way of Jesus — the way that actually leads to life to the full, both for us and for those we love.We explore what this looks like through three key areas: spiritual disciplines, physical disciplines, and gratitude and joy. In the first, we talk about how to lean in and experience the God who gave His life for you — looking at Jesus’ rhythm of withdrawing to pray, and how to build our own patterns of prayer, reading Scripture, and experiencing silence that are rooted, not rigid, and focused on rhythms rather than rules.In the second, we focus on physical disciplines like exercise and fasting, learning to embrace self-emptying as a way of finding true fulfillment. We discuss the spiritual and even scientific connection between movement, anger, and formation — how exercise can move from vanity to love, and from shame to strength.Finally, we talk about gratitude and joy, remembering that our story doesn’t end in sacrifice and struggle, but in holiness, happiness, and celebration. We reflect on dating our wives, feasting with friends, and practicing joy and gratitude as an act of resistance in the midst of life’s demands.This conversation is an invitation to live open-handedly — to let go so you can truly live the full and abundant life God designed you for as a father.Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CAFamily Age Chart PDF DownloadScripture Mentioned: Luke 5:16, Psalm 23, Ephesians 4:26 + Matthew 6:9-13 Books Mentioned: Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser, Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster, Sacred Fire by Ronald Rolheiser + You Are the Beloved by Henri J. M. NouwenPrevious Episode Mentioned: S1E3 - Habits, Rhythms, and Spiritual Disciplines for Intentional Fatherhood (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube)Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Intentional Fatherhood WebsiteFollow @intentionalfatherhood_ on InstagramWatch + Subscribe on YouTubeIntentional: Website + InstagramJustin Whitmel Earley: Website + Instagram

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• S2E3: Struggling to Give Your Life Away, the Barriers That Get In the Way + Sanctification Through Suffering

  In this episode, we explore what it really means to give your life away — and why it’s the natural next step after getting your life together. Our homes, marriages, and families become our modern monasteries, the sacred spaces where formation happens. God’s goal isn’t our comfort but our transformation into His likeness, a process of self-emptying modeled in Philippians 2:1–11. We suffer in order to be exalted, and few things shape us like marriage and parenting.As we move through adulthood — especially in our late twenties and early thirties — we often face disappointment as we confront who we actually are rather than who we hoped to be. That realization can be painful, but it’s also the soil where joy and sanctification take root. Much of this episode centers around those struggles that keep us from surrendering fully to the life God’s inviting us into, and the freedom that comes when we name them honestly.We reflect on how suffering can make us either hard and bitter or soft and loving, and how choosing surrender over control opens the door to real transformation. Giving your life away will change you — but on the other side of that surrender is a deeper peace and purpose than you could have imagined.Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CAFamily Age Chart PDF DownloadMenu of Struggles PDF DownloadScripture Mentioned: Philippians 2:1-11, Matthew 18:2-3 + John 2:1-11Books Mentioned: Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser + The Meaning of Marriage by Tim KellerSubmit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Intentional Fatherhood WebsiteFollow @intentionalfatherhood_ on InstagramWatch + Subscribe on YouTubeIntentional: Website + InstagramJustin Whitmel Earley: Website + Instagram

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• S2E2: Name it to Heal it, Getting It Together, Disordered Desire, and Real Change Takes Time

  This week, we continue last week’s conversation about getting your life together, digging into pivotal moments from young adulthood that shaped the course of our lives. In season two, we’re exploring the three movements of spiritual maturity and fatherhood: getting your life together, giving your life away, and giving your death away, sharing practical stories and real-life examples of how these stages unfold.From career shifts and breakups to marriage and parenthood, we reflect on seasons where God reordered our desires and called us to clarity in identity and vocation. Drawing on passages like Peter walking on water and Psalm 37, we talk about stepping out in faith, asking God to guide our hearts, and trusting Him to realign what we long for.We also examine the importance of naming — our experiences, struggles, and hopes — and how accountability, therapy, and intentional reflection help us process and grow. Real change takes time, and getting our lives together often means healing from the past. By tending the “garden” of our lives, leaning on community, and inviting God into the process, we can get our lives together from the ground up — in order for us to eventually give them away.Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CAFamily Age Chart PDF DownloadScripture Mentioned: Matthew 14:22-33, Psalm 37:4, Ephesians 5:22-33, Ecclesiastes 1:9, Proverbs 29:18, Genesis 2:19-20Books Mentioned: The Body Teaches the Soul by Justin Whitmel Earley, The Call by Os Guinness, The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller, Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser, The Holy Longing by Ronald Rolheiser, Sacred Fire by Ronald Rolheiser, Wrestling with God by Ronald Rolheiser, and Prayer by Ronald RolheiserSubmit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Intentional Fatherhood WebsiteFollow @intentionalfatherhood_ on InstagramWatch + Subscribe on YouTubeIntentional: Website + InstagramJustin Whitmel Earley: Website + Instagram

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