“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":

How many times do couples fight per year?  A British insurance survey said 2,455 (that’s 7 per day!). The survey lists 28 sources of fights with "Not Listening" being at the top of the list!

Here is a thought or two about how to avoid these major annoyances:

“Judge not.”

No Biblical phrase has been more overused (or abused).  Was Jesus actually saying we should have no discernment?  What actually DID He mean and how do we steer clear of breaking His commandment?

Here are the 8 signs of judgmentalism and how we overcome it in our own lives:

Why are people making more, owning more, and interacting more…and enjoying it less?

Solomon had everything:  intelligence, pleasure, productivity, possessions, and long life.  In spite of that, he said, “I hated life!”  Really?

What are the secrets to enjoying your life…without or without all those things?

It’s everywhere. 

Congressmen being shot.  Angry racists driving cars over human beings.  States threatening seriously to secede from the “United” States of America.

How did we get here and what is our way out?

You have heard it said:  “Interdependence, not independence, is the secret of marriage.”

What is this deadly enemy of independence, and how does it silently worm it’s way into the best of marriages?

Do you ever wonder how the wheels of power turn?   How a person with millions of people looking to them for leadership manages his life, his time, and his priorities?  

I had six wonderful years holding a weekly Bible study for Louisiana Governor Mike Foster and his top staff.  He didn’t know it, but while I was teaching him the Bible, he was teaching me excellent leadership! 

Here are the 4 main lessons I observed about him that made a lifetime impact on me:

It’s that time again.

Millions of kids will be trooping off to their first nervous day of school.

What can you do to prepare for it and make it a pleasant experience?

It is no secret how to have more money:  spend less than you earn.

The problem is not the consumerism we all fall into.  It is when we constantly HAVE to buy more because we haven’t taken care of what we have.

Here are some good ideas to “give yourself a big raise” on the same salary:

Accountability is “your shield against self-deception.”

To avoid deception, you must be totally (that means all 360 degrees) “self-aware.”   You know you cannot do that.  The only way to achieve that is through accountability.

How do you find and lock down this critical piece of your future success?

“Out of order.”

It’s a sign you often see on a gas pump.  Why doesn’t it just say, “Broken?”  When something has no order, IT IS “broken.”

Life, family, health, finances, and relationships can all be “broken.”  How can you repair them?  By putting them back into order.

Let’s look at some of these areas and see how the principle of order can transform your life:

“Wealth begins with perspective:  “Your OUTLOOK determines your OUTCOME.”

Your outlook on money and finances are directly determining how much of IT you have.  And…how much wealth has of YOU!

Here are 7 principles Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 6: 19-24) that should control your outlook on wealth:

The Internet has been filled with images of “giant footprints.”  One of these was found in Mpuluzi, South Africa and would have to be the footprint of a person 25 foot tall!

I’m not sure about this, but I HAVE walked with some spiritual giants in my life.  I find myself walking in their “giant footprints” every day.

Knowing my “giants” and the main lesson I learned from them may help you in your journey.

WHO ARE THESE SEVEN SPIRITUAL GIANTS?

Integrity has become “mission-critical.”

Look at the present national state of hyper-sensitivity to anything that looks, sounds, or smells like corruption.

Integrity is the currency of influence.  Power and success are like paper money but integrity is the GOLD.
    
Job, in the Old Testament, "had integrity."

WHAT ARE THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF INTEGRITY HE POSSESSED?

With the NBA Finals just over, I’ve been thinking about an “MVP:  Most Valuable Player.”  That’s you, Dad.

Researchers have identified that “fatherlessness” is the #1 issue in many nations today.  All of society seems to break down when fathering is absent. 

In 38 years of fathering, I’ve made a lot of mistakes.  I learned as I went.  I don’t want you to have to learn everything the hard way.

Here are my “top 8” lessons I’ve learned along the way:

Prayer needs a template.

As I am typing this blog, I am using a template, a pre-arranged plan. 

You can always “pray without ceasing,”  but in order to build a strong day-to-day prayer life, you need a template.

The Lord’s prayer is a “Model Prayer.” It is not simply to be repeated.   It contains 5 “fingers” in the hand of God and gives us a template for daily prayer.   

HERE ARE THE 5 "FINGERS" OF THE LORD'S PRAYER:

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.

Here are 4 perspectives that will help you to forgive:

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?

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?