I’m concerned about the state of marriage right now.  The average U.S. marriage is only lasting 8 years and 2 months.  That averages in all the 40 year marriages like mine!  It may not be the ONLY solution, but it is PART of the solution:  “a weekly date night.”

Melanie and I have tried to practice this for many years.  When our six children all arrived, it became CRITICAL!

You need a break, a “deep breath” from the tremendous pressures of parenting.

       Here is how we did it: 

The world is making a bold bid for the new generation.  They want them.  Satan wants them.  Why don’t we want them? I burn with a passion for this wonderful, beautiful new generation.

What should my attitude be toward this new generation God loves?

Love your neighbor as yourself” (the Golden Rule) is the second great commandment.  It’s easy to say, but what exactly does it mean?  How our nation would be changed if we PRACTICED it! 

This famous law was originally spoken by God in Leviticus 19:18.  I did not know, however, that there are seven applications that lead up to that law:

Fake news” is a big topic right now.  Is the media truthful?  It’s probably a good time for us to ask that of ourselves:  “Am I truthful?”   You will be known by your truthfulness.  You will be respected by your truthfulness.  Your business will be known by your truthfulness.  Your marriage will continue only if you are truthful.  Can you pass the “truth test?”

Here is why you have to tell the truth:

For a lot of couples, Valentine season 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? 

Marriage failures usually come down to four main causes:

We all want our children to turn out well.  Nothing thrills us more than seeing them go through school, marry well, excel in their career, and fulfill God’s purpose on their lives.  Raising children who love, respect, serve, marry well, and contribute to society is not easy.

Here are five principles Melanie and I followed for the entire 32 years we had children in our home:

As I go into restaurants and malls, I see parents struggling to maintain control of children.  They beg, bribe, and get angry.  The “little one” seems to come out victorious.  Sympathetic onlookers are tortured as they put themselves in the identical position.  What are the secrets that make it seem EASY?

Melanie and I raised our six children on these principles.  Everyone has a unique approach, but these are what worked well for us:

Leadership is all about momentum and focus.  Leading people out of a comfort zone and into a conquest zone takes skill and experience.   Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem to a defeated and discouraged population.  In just days, he turned the same people into conquerors who said, “Let us rise up and build.”  How did he achieve that momentum?

Here are my top 7 things to build momentum:

As a pastor for 33 years, I often wondered why so many new believers drop out of the Christian “race.”  Their conversion is genuine but their endurance is sporadic.  It seems to me that as many as 2/3 of the conversions in our churches never connect or fall back into the world.  Where are we missing it?   

Jesus told the “parable of the sower.”  It gives us the secret to our problem. 

Perhaps we should make this parable into the process by which we help believers to become fruitful disciples:

Your attitudes are determining your altitude.  This phrase tells you if you are headed for the “jet stream” or a “slow crash.” How do you adjust your attitude?  The “Beatitudes” are 8 HEAVENLY ATTITUDES and it is time to “think heavenly.” The Sermon on the Mount is the greatest sermon in history.  Spoken in Matthew 5-7, its theme is “heavenly.”  It describes a mindset on Heaven, a heavenly ambassador who represents how things are done back in his homeland.

Everyone loves a “reset.”  I LOVE when the car trip-o-meter goes back to “00000” with one push of a button!  How do you get ready for this new year?  The secret of all growth is to be “reset.”

How do you get reset for the year?

The most popular talent show currently is “The Voice.”  While I enjoy watching it, I often think of how so many people would love to hear “God’s Voice.” 

Line up these factors so you are in a position to “listen”:

God despises pride.  He is all-powerful yet humble enough to wash the feet of His disciples.   He knows that pride was Satan’s downfall.  When I review the history of God’s generals and kings, I come to one grand conclusion:  “STAY LOW.”

Here are 5 ways to guard your humility:

When I was a child, I dreamed about Christmas while looking at a Sears catalog.  I usually narrowed it down to 10 things I wanted the most.  These days, Christmas is more about REST than GIFTS for me!  I asked myself, “What would I love to receive more than anything else in the world?”

I wrote down the 10 things I want for Christmas this year that have nothing to do with material things. Here they are:

We are all human.   We set goals, we envision success.  What do you do when it all comes crashing down? I recently experienced a deep disappointment.  My ninth grandchild went to heaven in his 7th month in the womb.  His middle name was my name.

It was sudden.  It was unthinkable.  The pregnancy was perfect.  My daughter-in-law had to deliver that child and my son had to bury that child.

Disappointments are real and, unfortunately, unforeseen.

What are the secrets to managing disappointments?

You might be saying, “I don’t need this.  I would never have an issue with sexual temptation.” You are the perfect person to read this (see point one below!). Satan targets the most stable, fruitful leaders in an attempt to land a dart right in their heart.

Pay close attention to these thoughts and guard your heart:

The secret of your success is your ability to organize. A disorganized life is disastrous!  Your family, your marriage, your career, your ministry, your finances all suffer.  You keep trying to get ahead but your lack of organization is keeping you mediocre. I’m not the most organized person in the world.

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

Love is the most misunderstood word in the English language.  It mainly represents a feeling.  A “warm, fuzzy” feeling of gushing emotion.   I believe love is practical.  It engages in daily honor, respect, generosity, hospitality, and fidelity.  In Hebrews 13:1, Paul said four powerful words:  “Let brotherly love continue.”  Then, he went on to show us four practical ways that love is demonstrated on a daily basis. 

Try these out and see how your “love” is working for you:

Quick to hear…slow to speak…slow to anger.    Those three phrases in James used to bother me.  I had trouble with all three, especially the first one:  “Quick to hear.”   A better “translation” for me would have been, “Slow to listen…quick to speak…quick to get angry!”    Notice that your “listening” starts and controls the whole rest of the cycle.  First listening, then “words” and then your “emotions.”   

What are the secrets to better listening skills?

Most of us have dealt with a “prodigal” (rebellious, independent, foolhardy) child.  It’s true that some parents have never had a child drift away from their faith.  I have, and I can help you with that.

Here is what you do while you are still waiting…