When most of the world goes to sleep, life at Whetstone keeps rolling. The lights may be out, but the work doesn’t stop. Boys still need care. Emergencies can happen. And someone has to keep diligent watch.
Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on what happens after dark at Whetstone Boys Ranch — the overnight coverage that makes 24/7 care possible. We’ll talk about what those shifts actually look like, how staff remain alert, and the unique communication challenges that come with working when everyone else is asleep.
Our guest today knows this world well. He has spent years walking the halls, comforting anxious and sometimes restless boys, keeping eyes and ears open to ensure every resident’s safety. Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen as we talk with Curtis Kazmir, the guardian angel who makes the ranch run safely all the way through and wee small hours of the morning.
Bumps, bruises, and bug bites—it’s all part of growing up in the Ozarks. Around here, ‘rub some dirt on it’ isn’t just advice, it’s practically a lifestyle. Of course, we’re also First Aid certified, so don’t worry—more serious injuries are treated with more than just duct tape.
At Whetstone, we take safety seriously. All adventures come with precautions and protocols. In the woodshop and on the landscaping crew, it’s eye protection, ear protection, boots, and gloves. Out on the trail or in the cold, it’s the right shoes, the right socks, the right hats—because there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes.
Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen as we talk about what it really means to grow tougher, wiser, and even a little safer along the way.
It’s not everyday that a former student of yours says that he’s been accepted to Harvard Law School - or every year...or every lifetime! But recently, Whetstone was honored by the news that one of its graduates has done just that.
Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen for an in-depth discussion with our friend and colleague, Kiernan the Wise. That’s not his actual name, but after listening to this podcast, I think you’ll agree that the moniker fits.
By God’s grace, Kiernan was able to turn things around during his 6 and a half months at Whetstone and get going in the right direction. And while this is a feat all by itself, he was able to keep things going far past the point that most people would think possible. It’s an inspiring story, and every bit of the 90 minute conversation is true. So get comfortable, or start folding that laundry so that you can focus your attention on what he has to say.
Sleep is the secret weapon most of us are too tired to use. We hustle, grind, and caffeinate our way through exhaustion, ignoring the one thing our minds and bodies need most.
In this episode of A Time to Sharpen, we explore why sleep isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline. From better mood and focus to healing trauma and building resilience, quality sleep plays a vital role in personal growth, especially for the boys at Whetstone.
Whether you're a parent, educator, or just running on fumes, this conversation will remind you: rest isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom.
We all think differently. But some of us think more differently than others…if that makes sense. Maybe it doesn’t. I don’t know.
Which is why we invited Jonathan Page to talk with us about the very important, complex,, and sometimes uncomfortable topic of neurodivergence in our society and at Whetstone. From Autism to Tourette’s, to OCD and ADHD, we’ve seen it all in the 14 years and 150+ residents we’ve served since 2011.
Mr. Page, which is what the boys call him, has learned the hard way about how to embrace his Autism instead of running and hiding from it in shame. His story is an inspiring one, and one that has a lasting impact on Whetstone staff and residents.
Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen for an honest conversation that invites us all to listen more carefully, to judge less quickly, and to honor the image of God reflected in every individual—regardless of how their mind may work.
Some of us are old enough to remember when Kirk Cameron was a teenage heartthrob and the star of an 80’s family sitcom called “Growing Pains.” This show was also notable for its catchy theme song and for the fact that it starred his TV father, played by Alan Thicke…who is the real-life father of Robin Thicke, the famous singer, producer, and now judge on The Masked Singer.
None of this has anything to do with the topic of today’s podcast, except for the fact that it shares the same name and that it’s the first thing that came into my mind when I sat down to write an intro to today’s topic.
Join us this week on A Time To Sharpen, as we discuss “Growing Pains.” You’ll just have to listen to find out what that actually means in relation to teachers, counselors, and parents. But trust me, it does mean something meaningful, helpful, and applicable in the real world…not just on TV.
It’s impossible to overestimate the importance of marriage. Sure, some marriages fail, some are toxic, and some are even deadly.
Still, there is nothing that has the power to build a person, a church, a community, or a nation like healthy marriages.
Thing is, they take work. Lots of hard work, on both sides. A lifetime of hard work buy two people growing closer to each other as they focus on growing closer to God.
Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen as we discuss how to stay married. It might be the hardest thing that any of us ever have to do in our life - but that might make it the most meaningful, rewarding, and impactful thing we ever do as well.
Flu season is almost over, but if you hurry, there’s just enough to catch the seasonal bug if you want. You have until the end of May, in case you're interested. There’s really a lot to be said for being sick. It forces you to slow down. It teaches you how to be sympathetic towards others when you’re well. It jump starts your body’s immune system, which needs a good workout every once in a while.
Of course, there are a lot of downsides as well. There are the obvious physical aches and pains, but there is also a more hidden (and sometimes sinister) impact that long-term illness can wreak on a family.
Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen, as we discuss the ups and downs of being sick. How we care for the boys at the ranch when they come down with something. How we counsel families who are fighting chronic and sometimes deadly diseases. And how, sometimes, God speaks through suffering, or what C.S. Lewis called, “the megaphone of pain
In part two of this special podcast dealing with school bullying, Axel, Brandon and Thomas share thoughts about the bullying problem, along with some simple, proven effective ways to address childhood bullying and some ideas about what could work as well.
Whetstone's Thomas Brown joins Brandon and Axel for the first of a two-part series on the subject of childhood bullying.
Once a victim of terrible bullying, Thomas emerged as a three-decades filmmaker, educator, national speaker and consultant on a subject he knows all-too-well.
Despite a frightening childhood filled with physical torment and ridicule, Thomas ultimately forgave his tormentors and moved on to a life-long mission, to realistically and creatively address the problem, utilizing his own film creations and a nationally-recognized program that put kids and adults alike, through a powerful and emotional experience.
Thomas sums up his feelings about the subject of childhood bullying like this:
"Despite the numerous life-shattering school-shootings and youth-suicides that were directly attributed to childhood bullying, this epidemic problem that continues to adversely affect the lives of children and adults world-wide, has yet to shed itself of the notion:
Bullying is just a natural part of growing up.
Thomas concludes:
"The darkest part of history certainly tells us something entirely different, giving strength to this chilling reminder:
Those who do not remember the past, are condemned to repeat it.
In part one of this episode of "A Time to Sharpen", Thomas shares just a small portion of a childhood filled with fear and in some instances, outright terror, focusing not-so-much on his own life 'then' but his deep concerns for what is happening in the lives of tormented children now, and the terrible path that bullying can sometimes take.
Rules without Relationship = Rebellion. We’ve said this before on the podcast, but it bears repeating. Whetstone Boys Ranch was founded upon this basic assumption. Rules are necessary, but without a human being to explain, interpret, apply, and at times modify those rules, they become a formula for failure as parents, teachers, and counselors.
Just watch any of the hundreds of dystopian television shows and movies that are currently streaming. They all demonstrate that rules can’t guarantee happiness. They can’t make people be good, and they can’t stop people from doing bad things.
Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen as we discuss what we call “Life on Life” ministry (LOL!) as it’s practiced here at Whetstone. It’s not easy for us to have 1 staff member for every 3 boys, but our boys are worth all the extra effort.
Bad parenting is often compared to snowplows and helicopters. There is a very strong temptation to rescue our kids from their mistakes: swooping in to save the day, or plowing a path so smooth that they never have to struggle.
Every parent is guilty of it to some extent. First because the motivation behind these parenting styles seem so noble. And second, because the line between helping and enabling is the grayest of grays. It’s easy to miss because it’s hard to see, and because we don’t want to admit when we’ve crossed it.
It’s also difficult to go back. Difficult, but not impossible. We can learn from our mistakes.
Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen as we discuss parenting strategies that avoid these two pitfalls; and if you have fallen into one of these traps, how to get yourself out!
‘Tis the season to be over-working, over-spending, over-eating…and under-sleeping.
I don’t know about you, but I feel like the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is probably the most stressful of the year…with the possible exception of the weeks leading up to April 15th.
What does that say about Christmas if the feelings it evokes rival those of falling victim to legalized theft. Throw in the unintended consequences of materialism and entitlement, and you have the recipe for something that tastes nothing like the holiday it was intended to be.
Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen as we discuss strategies for coping with, overcoming, and even, dare I say, eliminating anything that detracts from the real reason for the season:
Celebrating peace on Earth, given to everyone, great and small, through our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ
Did you know that the second Friday in January is known as “Quitter’s Day?” Studies have shown that by this day each year, 80% of all New Year’s Resolutions have been abandoned.
I think one reason for this is that we don’t plan for failure. We tend to be overly optimistic about how easy it will be to start exercising or stop spending. Habits are hard to break. That’s why they’re called habits in the first place.
Mike Tyson famously said that “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” What matters is what we do after getting hit.
Join us this week onA Time to Sharpen as we discuss getting punched in the face…and how a good dose of reality sauce will actually make us stronger in the end.
Is there anything better than a good holiday tradition? Well, yeah, lots of things I guess. Two good holiday traditions…three good holiday traditions.
Seriously though, join us this week on A Time to Sharpen as we discuss the 2003, Christmas classic, Elf, starring the great Will Ferrell. It’s a tradition for us to watch this one with the boys at the ranch, as well as with our own kids. It’s the perfect combination of good clean fun, romance, and for the purposes of this episode, therapy. Elf a surprisingly insightful glimpse into trauma and attachment.
So come with us “past the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then…through the Lincoln Tunnel.” And listen all the way to the end. Otherwise, we’ll have to put you on the naughty list.
What’s it like to be the parent of a boy at Whetstone? There is really only one person who can answer that question. You guessed it. It’s the parent of a boy at Whetstone.
This week on A Time to Sharpen we have two such parents: JD and Kelly Buss, the mother and father of Joey Buss, one of our recent 2024 graduates. I feel certain that this podcast will be a huge help to parents looking to place their son in a program, parents living apart from their son who is currently in a program, and parents preparing to have their son return from a program.
But it has also been a huge help to Brandon and me as we continue our quest to sharpen this program.
What’s it like to be the parent of a boy at Whetstone? There is really only one person who can answer that question. You guessed it. It’s the parent of a boy at Whetstone.
This week on A Time to Sharpen we have two such parents: JD and Kelly Buss, the mother and father of Joey Buss, one of our recent 2024 graduates. I feel certain that this podcast will be a huge help to parents looking to place their son in a program, parents living apart from their son who is currently in a program, and parents preparing to have their son return from a program.
But it has also been a huge help to Brandon and me as we continue our quest to sharpen this program.
In The Tech Wise Family, author Andy Crouch describes the difference between devices which do our work for us, and tools which allow us to work for ourselves. One contracts, the other expands. One makes us lazy and apathetic, the other pushes us to grow. One forces us to conform; the other helps us to become better versions of ourselves.
At Whetstone, our work program equips boys with useful skills that transfer into their world back home, allowing them to become servants and leaders. You can’t just push a button to build a birdhouse, mend a fence, or tend a garden. You have to use your hands.
Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen as we discuss the importance of teaching young people how to do more and more in a culture that worships the art of doing less and less.
Movies are a powerful tool. They have the ability to not just change people, but to change the world. The film industry proclaims and celebrates this power every year during Oscar season, up and down the red carpet.
So I’ve always thought it strange when some of these same people minimize the impact that exposure to profanity, sex, violence, and other unsavoryness has on the public at large. “It’s just entertainment,” we’re told. “Movies are just a mirror of society,” they say.
Whatever happened to all that talk about changing the world? You can’t have your popcorn and eat it too, Hollywood.
Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen as we dig into how Whetstone harnesses the power of film with Gabe Newell, current headmaster and former clerk at Blockbuster Video. (Remember those days.)
It’s hard to be in the world, but not of the world…but films provide us all with an excellent opportunity to do so.
