Submission Number: 34
Submission ID: 7693
Submission UUID: a146c53c-9acf-4a6d-a14f-6dd44a1b0824

Created: Tue, 01/07/2025 - 11:38
Completed: Tue, 01/07/2025 - 21:39
Changed: Tue, 01/07/2025 - 21:39

Remote IP address: 2600:4040:b039:b400:9588:b6f1:73cd:4205
Submitted by: Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No
First Name Skip
Last Name Magness
Email Skipmagness@hotmail.com
Mobile Phone 4436943177
Address
Birth Month April
Birth Day 2
Birth Year 1962
Why are you interested in pursuing this initiative? Have been on a spiritual journey for several years as well as re-awakening my masculine journey. I naturally have enjoyed mentoring younger people both professionally and friends and family. A friend has introduced and modeled such a role and I really think it resonates with my current interest to mentor and build with other men.
Tell us about your family: Well I had a rather traditional family with three amazing children until my partner submitted to the dark enemy, and suffering from some mental issues, tore the family apart through divorce 5 years ago, and worse severely alienated my now 18year old twins from their father. They are also alienated from their older brother, whom suffered a tragic car accident 5 years ago and is under my sole care. I pray everyday for the twins safety in navigating this world without the guidance of their father and for their return to ourr family in God’s time and the benefit of their father’s love and tutelage.
What is your experience with Zoweh events and/or resources? I’ve read several related books, participate casually with a prayer group that has several men in the Zoweh spirit, and am eager to attend events every soon.
How did you first connect with Jesus in a personal way? Growing up a catholic, I was always attending weekly mass, getting all the sacraments along the way, and attending religious classes growing up. During this time, the organized framework and teaching of the organized church gave me the impression that I had to be perfect in order “earn” God’s love, hence the feeling of incredible guilt since no one can attain such perfection. However, it wasn’t until recently through various readings and reflection, that I came to realize that God has always loved me unconditionally. While I certainly prayed, I wasn’t really listening to God for answers, nor focusing on my relationship with Him. I feel much more comfortable with my growing relationship with God and sharing that with others.
Tell us about a time when you shared your Jesus story. I have become much comfortable with sharing my story, once I realized I have one, although not always in a Jesus framework. In this process I have embraced a very spiritual mindset, acceptance of the things not in my control, and focused on letting God handle things, and myself remaining in peace (Exodus 14:14). I have shared my story with various caretakers in similar situation as myself with my son’s disability, as well as with other fathers who are dealing with difficult relationships with their children through alienation by their moms. I have a desire to help people one on one to hopefully learn from my experience.
Explain your familiarity with the following terms: wounds, vows and agreements. I’m quite familiar with wounds, having long discussions with my Zoweh mentor. While it has taken me some time to realize my wounds, I have realized a few from my teen years in particular, as well as as related to my father being a very good man, but not exactly a close relationship. He was a very judicious provider to the family, but I also realize he modeled a submissive mindset to my mother. It has followed me into accepting behavior in my relationships in order to keep peace, rather than being in my true masculine self, or even the beloved son of God. I am less familiar with the terms vows and agreements in this context.
Tell us about a significant wounding moment that you experienced. I have a few moments that I have reflected on. A few while in high school but more recently I have realized that probably the harshest wound was my first girlfriend, whom like most first girlfriends I thought I was deeply in love. I went off to college and we tried to remain together, but after two years, she completely betrayed me and got engaged to another man without me even knowing it at the time. I had to find out through my brother. Having been a painfully shy boy growing up, and believing so strongly in commitment to your partner, this was an extremely painful experience. I feel this wound has resulted in me decoding an anxious partner, and with other serious relationships, especially my marriage, has resulted in very similar betrayal on their part. It haunts me to this day and I struggle with trusting my romantic partners. However, I have focused on the love of my God and Jesus, and knowing that if someone does that, it’s a reflection of them, and not me. I have to trust entirely and let them show me who they are.
Explain your personal familiarity with spiritual warfare. By spiritual warfare I assume you mean the dark versus the light. I have over the last couple of years, and through reading of King Me and Heart of a Warrior, really recognized the war between the dark forces that are so prevalent in our world. I firmly believe that the acts that I have experienced, such as the alienation of my children by their mom, is really her being guided by such dark and evil forces. It has helped me not only accept the situation, but also show empathy for the people who are acting in that manner. The other thing I’ve come to realize, is that since I have embraced a much more spiritual path with God, I see where the evil enemy shows up even stronger now, almost doubling down on me to try to provoke me and divert me from my destiny as His beloved son.
Give an example of how you have heard from God. While I am sure there are many examples, I would recognize more recently as I have been re-entering the dating world, I have had a couple of relationships that I didn’t quite understand why it didn’t work out, especially one. But as I have reflected and prayed with God, and listened to Him, I realize that it was God extracting me from those situations because He knew they weren’t right for me, and He knew I wasn’t going to make that decision myself, so I truly feel God did it for me. And I heard Him clearly and I trust Him. It has helped me practice listening to God for answers. One of the greatest lessons I have learned is to understand that God hears my prayers, and will answer them in His way and on His timeframe, not mine. And it will be better than I ever imagined.
Have you had any training in listening and/or engaging in another man's story? Not in this context. I was an executive for a large Defense Company before I retired and took substantial training in consultative skills, mentoring, etc, but not with this context or framework
Which of the following books have you read? King Me, The Heart of a Warrior, Wild At Heart
How did you discover the Elder-Sage Initiative? Another Elder-Sage
What is the best time to call you? I’m pretty flexible.
First Name Emmet (Rusty)
Last Name Eckman
Email emmet.eckman@gmail.com
Phone 410-549-3968