The greatest joys, challenges, and pains arise from within the family. And the sad truth is that most of us men are poorly equipped to succeed in our most intimate relationships: our relationships with our wife and children. This is nothing new as we see all kinds of family dysfunction throughout history, and throughout the stories we find in the Bible. But better is the man who has wisdom from God, knows what to do, and actually does it. What a legacy of blessing such a man will leave on the earth for generations!
The righteous man walks with integrity; blessed are his children after him. Proverbs 20:7
To step up our game as leaders in the home I have created the “Family Survival Blueprint” which features an 8 step survival framework. This framework is useful for helping us think about not just surviving, but actually thriving at home.
Here’s the line-up of resources for you this week that center on this teaching:
- Read the “Family Survival Blueprint”
- Listen to the “Family Survival Blueprint” podcast
- Download the “Winter Survival Scenario” document
- Sign-Up for the “Rite of Passage” webinar on Sunday, October 27 @ 7:30 pm ET
I’m excited to make these resources available to you for free and know that they will bless you and your family when you put them into action.
FYI I’d like to remind you that we still have several men’s retreats coming up this month and next. If you haven’t been to a retreat in a while maybe it’s time to take the plunge and join us at one of these fall events. It just might be what you need to launch you into a deeper walk with Christ, the Blueprint for Men.
Here’s to Building Better Men!
Marty Miller
Blueprint for Men
Founder | President
THE FAMILY SURVIVAL BLUEPRINT
During my years as an educator I enjoyed taking my students outside as often as I could. I would head to the most rugged and remote mountains that I could reach in an effort to let them disconnect from the world and connect with God. There’s nothing like being high on a mountain with a group of high school students and hearing their excitement at seeing the Milky Way for the first time. God’s creation is amazing and awesome! But the wilderness is also a dangerous place where things can turn into a survival situation at any moment.
Most people are fascinated by learning survival skills such as fire making, shelter building, and edible plants, but becoming a survivor requires more than just knowledge and and skills. There is a survival heirarchy, a list of needs that must be addressed in a specific order for you to survive.
If you miss just one basic need or miss just one step you could die.
One of the most basic of concepts in the survival hierarchy is The Rule of Threes which states that human survival is at risk if you go without these essentials for the following lengths of time.
- 3 minutes without oxygen.
- 3 hours without protection from extreme elements.
- 3 days without water.
- 3 weeks without food.
If you’ve ever gone for very long without any of these things you know the panic and desperation that you can feel. Survival is by definition a life and death situation, and unfortunately many marriages and families are in desperate survival mode.
Family Survival Is Real
If you’re like me you’ve probably read survival books, watched survival shows, and maybe even taken a survival course. And while it’s fun learning all this stuff it will rarely, if ever, get used in a real survival situation. But, I believe there is a very practical outlet for survival training in everyday life with your own family. Let me explain.
Many men see that their families are barely surviving but don’t know what to do about it. In cases such as this the survival framework can bring clarity and focus when things are really confusing. It may help you take some courageous steps that will help your family go from barely surviving to all-out thriving!
LISTEN TO THE FAMILY SURVIVAL BLUEPRINT MESSAGE BELOW.
LISTEN TO PODCAST
WATCH VIDEO HERE
The Survival Hierarchy
The survival hierarchy is a helpful framework that any man can use in just about every situation, whether at home, at work, or at church. Below are the steps with short survival descriptions to get your mind going about how this relates to your family and your life. Think deeply and God will give you some insights.
To get more of my thoughts listen to my podcast and download the Family Survival Blueprint document below.
1. MINDSET
STOP before acting… Sit, Think, Observe, Plan… think clearly and calmly, then make a plan… don’t panic!
2. LEADERSHIP
Once you have a plan and are ready to take action step into leadership.
3. FIRST AID
The first thing you should address are wounds and pain. Don’t ignore them, they won’t go away!
4. COMMUNICATION
Clear and timely communication within your group, emergency rescue professionals, and prayer.
5. SHELTER
A shelter protects you from the elements, provides emotional security, and safe boundaries.
6. FIRE
A fire provides you with warmth, cooking, signaling, and emotional security.
7. WATER
You can survive without water for 3 days but dehydration leads to anxiety, hallucinations, and unconsciousness.
8. FOOD
You can survive without food for 3 weeks or more but energy levels and mental accuity decline.
RITE OF PASSAGE WEBINAR
A Live Interactive Webinar for Dads
This webinar will help mentors, dads, and granddads prepare their children to launch into adulthood. During the presentations Marty Miller will share practical step-by-step directions for succeeding at the Adulting Blueprint, The Blessing, and the Rite of Passage. Sign-up today!
MEETING: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 @ 7:30-8:30 pm
