FEAR is the biggest enemy to your future.

It comes in many forms, mainly having to do with your future: failure, rejection, lack, or death (to name a few). Abram was mighty in battle yet his deepest fear was not having a successor.

How will you overcome the fears that limit you?

Fear does not change the situation, it only clouds your path forward.

Elijah had an amazing day.  He wiped out 850 idolatrous prophets and ended a 3 1/2 year nationwide drought by one prayer!  Not bad, huh?  Why in the world is he praying to die the next day?

Mood swings.  They are real.  It feels like the floor disappeared and you are in a free fall. 

What was the source of Elijah’s downward spiral and how did he come out of it?

FEAR is the biggest enemy to your future.

It comes in many forms, mainly having to do with your future:  failure, rejection, lack, or death (to name a few).  Abram was mighty in battle yet his deepest fear was not having a successor.

How will you overcome the fears that limit you?            

They call it the “baptism by fire.”  Fire is pressure.  Fire is refinement.  Fire transforms.

It may be happening to you.  Don’t worry, join the crowd. 

Here are some things to remember about this process of refinement:

“Crisis management” is not my favorite thing.  It is, however, often thrust upon you out of nowhere.  If you knew it was coming, it wouldn’t be a crisis!

Can you keep your head in a crisis?  Do your choices lead to disaster or do they point the way forward? 

Here are the 5 top things I do for direction in one of life’s sudden, unexpected crises:

Besides Harvey/Irma/Maria, North Korea nukes, Mexico City earthquakes, and London terrorism, what is there to worry about?

I believe the secret of peace right now is understanding the difference in “times” and “seasons.”

Here are some facts about "times" and "seasons":

40 million adults in America suffer from some type of anxiety disorder. Millions more face routine worry and anxiety about the day-to-day challenges of life.  Finding peace of mind becomes the goal of every day. 

Of course, we know that chronic worry can be symptomatic of a deep underlying issue in your soul.  We should also not belittle the amazing results medical treatment has done to relieve anxiety. To me, however, we sometimes wear a worry “filter” about everything.  

What are some simple ways to get free from worry?

Water, water, everywhere.  Three times the amount of rain fell on Baton Rouge as fell in Katrina!  7 trillion gallons of water deluged over 40,000 houses. With water comes “mold.”  There is a race against time to remove anything wet.  Hundreds of volunteers are stripping out churches, homes, and businesses before black mold takes over.

Do you have “mold in your soul?”  It is a creeping, silent enemy in your heart.   It is a hidden disease, thriving on the darkness.

Here are 5 basic steps to eradicate it:

The nation was stunned last week when Islamic terrorism struck San Bernardino.  Fun loving party-goers were suddenly sprayed with automatic weapons.  The plot shows a deep hatred for Americans and sinister preparation to kill.  Everyone is thinking, “What’s next?”

Fear is a normal reaction to a perceived danger.   Yes, mass shootings are occurring almost weekly.  Gun and bullet sales are through the roof.  People are concerned to go to a mall.  Every footstep or out of the ordinary motion makes people jumpy.

Here are the five things I use to combat fear: