You're bumped, you're bounced, you're battered, you're bruised. Markets are up, markets are down. Jobs are lost, jobs are found. The economy is enough to make your heart skip and your head spin. Nobody knows what happens next. Nothing seems safe. It's easy to feel overwhelmed, even paralyzed. Is there anything you can do to restore peace of mind? Is there shelter in the storm?

Of course, God gave us scriptures for times like these, to remind us of the true essentials. It wasn't for nothing Jesus warned us against putting our faith in possessions and wealth. God knows financial investments and income come and go, taking wings like eagles and flying away. And God wants us to understand that real security and stability are found only in him. So re-committing your full trust to God is the first and most important step toward finding calm amidst the chaos.

But once you're right with God, there are some other simple preparations you can make to help your family stay on course in a turbulent economy. Because, amazingly, history proves that even in spite of booms and busts, bubbles and crashes, expansions and depressions, life goes on! Brides and grooms keep exchanging marriage vows, sons and daughters are born, children get older, families grow and change, and some of us depart this life for the next. None of this stops, even in the craziest of economic seasons, so planning the orderly disposition of your estate (the money and property you own, however much or little) is always a step toward good stewardship and financial peace.

And for most people, the key elements of a sound and sensible estate plan can be simple and straightforward. These things certainly won't bring you peace without God, but they can be an important part of your faithful stewardship of the material legacy God has blessed you with, no matter what economic windfalls or calamities you face:

1) Make a Will. A will tells the world how you want your stuff divided up when your life is finished. And it tells the world who you want to be in charge of that process. A properly drawn will can save your loved ones from confusion, dispute, and delay, and from the unnecessary expense those things often impose. Your will can include gifts to churches and charities you care about, and all sorts of other provisions to reflect your personality, faith, and preferences. In some states, a trust may be a better alternative than a will, so make sure to ask a qualified lawyer which would be best for you.

2) Make a Durable Power of Attorney. Statistics show that many of us will end up physically or mentally incapacitated, either temporarily or permanently, at some point during our lives. A durable power of attorney tells the world who you want to legally speak for you in all your affairs if and when you can no longer communicate for yourself. And, like a will, a properly drawn durable power of attorney will often save your loved ones from unnecessary grief and expense.