Blog

Encouragement for Leaders and Families As we get closer to Christmas, life has a way of speeding up. Calendars fill, pressure increases, and before we realize it, joy can slip away. After weeks of grinding in the office, Rick and I felt the Lord clearly say, “Stop. Go outside. Breathe.” In that moment, it hit us; we […]

Thanksgiving week is here, and it’s a powerful reminder of just how blessed we really are. At KOZ, we talk often about gratitude, but lately the Lord has been pressing something deeper on my heart, the importance of seeking God with a sincere heart. When we slow down long enough to notice His blessings, even the simple

I was sitting on the beach and was thinking of the boys we serve. When we slow down, we often find small moments that teach us something important. While I watched the waves, I saw a young boy stop and dig in the sand. His mom and sisters walked ahead, yet she allowed him to

After four days in the Colorado mountains with 250 incredible men of God, I came home renewed, and convicted. My time there reminded me how truly vital prayer and mentorship is for me, for our men, and for the boys. Our attention spans, our stillness, and our quiet time with the Lord are shrinking fast, yet

Hey KOZ guys (and maybe gals), TJ here with your KOZ Raw for this week. I was out on the ranch working on a bow blind and started thinking about a moment that reminded me why relationship-based mentoring for boys is at the heart of what we do. When Boys Fight, There’s Often a Deeper Story A

Sometimes the simplest adventures make you think. As the seasons start to change here in Texas, I’ve been reflecting on what it really means to place markers in our boys’ lives. Have you placed markers in your KOZ boys’ lives? Are you just doing “service work,” or are you doing ministry work, the kind that leaves a mark

Bring Him to KOZ: The Healing Power of Positive Affirmation It’s archery season in Texas, and while the mornings might not be as cool as the Grand Tetons, it’s still a perfect time to reflect on what truly matters in the hearts of boys. Lately, I’ve been thinking about positive affirmation and how powerful it really is.

I’m not sure how long Dad has been gone now. Maybe fifteen years? I can’t remember, and honestly, it’s not important to the story. I’m sixty-six now, and it’s been a long while since he passed. I was just thirteen when he left the first time. He and Mom had decided, well, probably Mom, that

For generations, the model of inviting kids to Sunday school and hoping they would connect with church worked, at least for a while. But for many boys today, that old model is broken. Simply asking a boy to sit in a classroom for an hour on Sunday doesn’t capture his heart. It doesn’t answer his

When you look around at most churches today, everyone is divided. Kids are in one space, teens in another, men’s ministry in a corner, and seniors somewhere else. Rarely do we see generations learning and serving together. That’s where Kids Outdoor Zone (KOZ) is different. KOZ is one of the few ministries where an 80-year-old man and an