Whatever you do, don’t fail to open the last present. It has eternal impact and it is directly from God.

Insecurity is a silent enemy.

It ruins your relationships. It limits your leadership. It shows up in every decision. In essence, it is coloring your entire world.
How do you recognize it and conquer it?

Fear and timidity can paralyze you. Anxiety can control your every decision. Confusion can totally derail your life’s focus. The mind is the battleground of life. You will inevitably face storms and crisis. Your mind will be pressed to the breaking point. How do you persevere until the sun breaks through again?

For a lot of couples, changing seasons is a difficult time. They celebrate one more year but inwardly they know their marriage seems to be failing. Often, marriages that seem outwardly successful are privately failing. How can you fix a failing marriage?

Have you ever been caught between two loyalties? Chances are, you are not in a “test”: you are in a “trap.”

Nothing destroys relationships like divided loyalties.

Look back over the people who used to be your closest friends. Now, somehow, you no longer speak.

How did it happen? Misplaced loyalties.

All failure is foundational. Whether it is your marriage, your ministry, or your money, it all comes down to one issue: “foundation repair.”
Jesus said that a wise man “digs deep” and builds on a foundation. A foolish man builds on the sand.

Millions of marriages are smoldering. The passion is gone. The fire is almost out. The excitement and astonishment left years ago. Marriages go through stages as Jesus said: “hot, cold, and lukewarm.” I’ve been married for over 40 years and I’m sure I have been through all three of them! If your marriage needs some “hot sauce,” I can help you with that.

Everywhere I go, people ask me, “How can I marry someone, like Melanie, who will stay together with me for a lifetime?” Over 40 years together with her, I think I can help you in that.

Everyone has read 1 Corinthians 13. Most Christians know it as the love chapter. I’ve read it a hundred times but struggle to DO IT. The words seem to blend into a beautiful picture, like a work of art. The problem, however, is if I just LOOK at it but can’t implement it. I looked at 1 Cor. 13 a different way the other day.

Everyone is in a panic. We operate more on adrenaline than anointing! We have pressures, commitments, deadlines, obligations, possessions and relationships that require continual maintenance. It reminds me of my first time snow skiing (a big deal for a Louisiana resident). I made it fine on the ski lift, but the moment my skis turned “south” I realized the first principle of snow skiing: “It is downhill and slightly out of control!”

We can put people on the moon but we can’t get cell phones to work everywhere. Communication runs our world now. From social media to digital cable, Internet, and (of course) smartphones, we all have to learn to communicate better.

As I talk to men around the country, most of their marriage issues center around one word: “respect.” They perceive that their wife’s words are demeaning and they go into shutdown mode.

As a husband, let me give you my thoughts on why this is and how to repair that tension!

How many times do couples fight per year? A British insurance survey said 2,455 (that’s 7 per day!).

Out of 28 sources of fights, I picked out 10:

People think that when they get married they will “never be lonely again.” Wrong.

Loneliness in marriage is predictable. The longer you live together, the less you feel the need to talk. No wonder so many empty-nesters divorce after their kids leave: the silence is deafening.

What causes it and how do we cure it?

Having been married over 40 years, I think I have finally figured out why we all struggle with this.

During this holiday season, I like to spend time with the “5 F’s”: “friends, family, food, fishing, and football!”

I also like to take time to give thanks to God for one other “F”: Fellowship.

Knowing God is amazing. Worshipping God is better. Hearing from God is the best!

I’ve pastored long enough to know the mood swings of the holidays:  cheer, euphoria, laughter and loneliness, regret, and depression.

How can you prepare for the “swings of the season?”  Try these six remedies: 

All of us face hurt.

Some of us choose to forgive.

The rest of us live in bitterness.

How do you “forgive and forget?” We have a pretty good Example.

Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

You will hopelessly hold on to hurt until you realize what He knew:

Forgiveness becomes easier when we realize our hurt is really Satan vs. God. People are just caught in the middle.”

How do you “forgive and forget?” We have a pretty good Example.

Here are 4 perspectives that will help you to forgive:

Marriage has to have a foundation. If it doesn’t, you will endlessly drift on the sea of culture, disappointment, and changes. I have boiled down my seven most important lessons that give Melanie and I stability now in our 40th year of marriage.

Do you ever wonder why some leaders are magnetic and others are not? Is the “it” factor something you can learn? Is it a skill that can be developed? I believe it is.

Therefore, I can help you learn how a disorganized person can become…mainly organized!