2-20-2025 – A Word to the Wise – I was reading Isaiah 7 this morning and it brought back a series of memories that some of us share from the past and many from the present. First the passages then the reminders. 7 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.
2 Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with[a] Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,[b] to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. 4 Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘It will not take place, it will not happen, 8 for the head of Aram is Damascus,
and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. (ESV Isaiah 7)
What is unique about the passage is that the same people making war then are doing the same now. Only now they are allied with our arch enemy Russia. In the former circumstance the Lord offers to be of help but the leader was to arrogant and turned to other ‘helpers.’
I remember as a young schoolchild in the late 1940s’ and fifty’s this same enemy was terrifying this nation with nuclear war. (It turns out later through intelligence that Russia did not have the means to conduct nuclear war). But hear we were having alarms and drills in case of attack. Ten years late I was in the military and our job was to keep our nuclear armed missiles online for possible attack. (I remember sitting at my desk checking with the different missile silos about their readiness).
The threat reached its high point with the Cuban missile crisis, and again we were on constant alert prepared to counterattack this ‘great Russian threat.’ Again years later intelligence showed that Russia neither had the means nor ability to enter into warfare with this country.
So here we sit again same old enemy, same old threats. Like in Isaiah’s day sixty-five years from now I suspect Russia will not exist as a war nation rather hopefully they will spend there money on crops and medical treatment instead of threatening war.
But the lesson for us is we trust in our God, and live righteous lives and he will preserve us. If we don’t, we allow ourselves anxiety, and fearfulness, we will turn away from the Lord.

12-27-2024 – A Word to the Wise – ON FAILURE
Have you ever considered your personal failures in your life? How many are there? Have ever considered the failures of Jesus? Look at just a few. I know this is not a believable topic. But pretend.

Failed to convince the Pharisees of their abuse of others. (Lk 11.37-44).
37 While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! for you love the best seat in the synagogues and salutations in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! for you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it.”

Failed at converting his hometown. (Lk. 4.16-30)
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read; 17 and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
20 And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here also in your own country.’” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. 30 But passing through the midst of them he went away.
Failed in converting the leaders they were misusing the Sabbath. (Lk. 6.1-11)
6 On another sabbath, when he entered the synagogue and taught, a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. 9 And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 And he looked around on them all, and said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Could not convince the rich young ruler to exchange his riches for discipleship. (Lu. 18-18)
18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21 And he said, “All these I have observed from my youth.” 22 And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. 24 Jesus looking at him said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Had to use parables to hide secrets of the kingdom (Lk 8.9)
9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.

Failed in family relationships (Lk. 8:19)
19 Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him for the crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21 But he said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Failed in opening the eyes of his disciples to his coming death. (Lk. 9:44)
But while they were all marveling at everything he did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Failed together his own children (Luk 13:34)
34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

These are but a few, but there is a lesson here for us. It is not possible to live without failures. But what is important here is how we live with those failures.

11-6-2024 – A Word to the Wise – The Motivational Gift and other talents and their purpose. More insights into the Motivational and other gifts or abilities given in the womb.

When things happen while in the womb the Lord steps in and enhances the gift or an aspect of the gift. Why it is connected to the Motivational Gift is because of the Gifts oversight.
Solomon is an Administrator, but because of how the Lord was going to use him and because he feared the Lord the Creator offered to supply whatever he wanted. In this circumstance it was wisdom, but notice it is in the context of his Motivational Gift.
However, notice he lost wisdom because of his idolatry, not the Administrator part but the wisdom aspect. This is the difference between the Motivational Gift which overseas which you do not lose while another talent ability can be taken. The Motivational Gift cannot be removed even if misused or for a major sin for it is the stamp of ownership.
Here is another unique situation:
Exodus 35:30-36:1
English Standard Version
Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.
“Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.”
Notice this man is a Server, and one unusual aspect of his gift is teaching. The Lord enhances this aspect of his Server gift to enable him to teach others the techniques needed for the temple.
We see the same thing in reverse with Isaiah and Ahaz. Here the Lord offers him a choice of anything, and he refused he wanted nothing from the Lord, (Isaiah 7)
So, there are several instances where this supplemental gift is given in the womb particularly when there is violence, rejection, abuse.
I am going to give 3 examples here. There are many more. If the child is born with Autism, ADHD, or a personality disorder it’s a gift, or talent or ability.
Now I want to make it clear we are referring to those children where it is apparent even from birth that one of these or all three of these problems are present then it is a gift. In this case, the child is born with it then it is a gift under the oversight of the Motivational Gift. It is in addition to be treated as an ability, or talent that the Lord will develop and use. This is in direct contrast to our beliefs and how we do everything to correct or remove the problem behavior.
I know that sounds incredible. But let me give some examples.
I will start with myself. All the time my mother was pregnant with me there was anger, and violence, complicated by nicotine and caffeine addiction.
Before I was born the Lord gave me a `gift’. The name of it was fearlessness and it was subject to my Exhorter gift. I had 2 negative attributes even from the womb connected with the fearlessness, one is ADHD, the second is a personality disorder. Both were connected to fearlessness.
Please note we call them negative, or bad but we fail to see the gift. But they do coexist, police officer for 45 years and a family counselor for 50 years do you see?
Another example is the Medal of Honor recipient Audie Murphy, his growing up years is an open book. He was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder; it was a gift from the Lord.
The other is the popular writer, Gavin De Becker. His description of his schizophrenic mother and her attempts to kill him makes your blood run cold. Yet this man has done more for threat analysis than anyone in recent history. Read his book or at least the first couple of chapters ‘Protecting the Gift.”
History is filled with the names of people who come from terrible backgrounds yet with stories about how famous they became. Some examples Jennifer Lopez, Shania Twain, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, Steve McQueen, to name a few, I name these because they are household names, but there are many more from many walks of life.
The Lord does everything to save his children whether blessing or hardship (1Peter 3:9) even up to the bitter end. Each soul is precious to him. The gifts, abilities and talents he distributes are for that very purpose, we need to be careful that we do not use these presents selfishly for they are the Lord’s.
We said in the beginning that the Motivational Gift was the Lord’s stamp of ownership, he does everything possible to save the soul of his creation.

11-4-2024 – A Word to the Wise – Part 1 (10/25/2024)
If you feel lost from the beginning then start by reading my material on the Motivational Gifts on my website under publications. (Christiansfamilyservices.com)
I am going to introduce something very new that I have been working on these last 38 years. What we have here is an introduction to the whole idea of the gifts. The biblical passages that support it will be available later.
In the Advanced Seminar and a little later by Don and Katie Fortune you will find excellent background material on the gifts. However, there is one problem that is common to these and the mass of other writers. They try to interpret the gifts as basically for Christians, though they admit you see some of these same traits in non- believers. Moreover, they do not know how to deal with attributes shared which make it seem some have more than one gift. They do not.
If one compares the Romans 12 passages with the other text where gifts are mentioned one may immediately see that this passage is distinctively different. Romans 12 is a passage that looks at mankind as a whole.
True the passage is addressed to Christian but also to mankind. The Lord created all mankind and there is a certain equality about that. It should be noted that there are a multitude of tests and other material online which attempt to look at the gifts from different perspectives. Some religious and others non-religious but to my knowledge none would profess that the gifts are given at conception, nor in the womb for that matter. Some say they are merely personality attributes, and a multitude of others give other reasons.
W will show that they are given by God the Creator, at conception with a view to fulfill a purpose established by the Lord and identifies that individual as belonging to him.
In the beginning the Creator established a method and pattern when he created humanity. The gifts are the Lord’s stamp of ownership and the design which he followed when making humanity.
The purpose given here is to reveal that the Motivational Gifts are given by God the Creator,
First the making of a person begins with the Creator who uses the DNA to program certain information according to his plan for each person. There is a specific purpose for the making of each person and an ultimate task to be performed.
After deciding on the purpose, God programs into the DNA one of seven specific gifts. All humanity has one of these gifts for it helps and directs towards the purpose for which a person is created.
The individual may complete the purpose for which they are created, fail to finish the work set out by the Creator, or have it modified by the Creator based on circumstances or self-will.
My mother was fond of saying many years ago, If Jesus had done anything else no matter how great and not finished what His Father sent him to do he would have been a failure. The same is true for each of us.
Moreover, because of circumstances encountered the Lord may add additional gifts or talents or abilities anytime during the life of the person. Any gift or talent added is under the supervision of the original gift now labeled motivational gift.
The original gift may be weakened, or strengthened by exercise of the basic qualities, disused of the trait, or sin.
The basic qualities of the motivation gift may be recognized in the fetus as early as the 12th week, or perhaps earlier.
Examples will be taken from scripture, sonograms, and history they are the primary sources.
The Motivational Gifts begin from conception as purposed by the Lord before conception. This process occurs with each pregnancy and ensures that each human possesses a purpose and direction. Further it may serve as constant proof of the Creator’s personal interest in each child.
Thus, with the advent of the gift at conception the Creator establishes a purpose, and task to be accomplished by each person. I will be supporting the things said here by personal experience, during the last 40 years of counseling, by scriptural examples and by available sonagrams and other medical material by other professionals.
(I understand this needs some editing, if you know of an expert in the field please let me know)

10-26-2024 – A Word to the Wise – Sometimes, we tend to forget the importance of things occurring in the womb. We readily accept now that alcohol or drugs have a profound negative effect on the fetus. This knowledge overshadows the positive things that occur during pregnancy.
For example, soft, gentle music has a profound effect on the fetus, so much so that the newborn child, for many months after birth, is affected in a positive manner with less crying and disturbed behavior.
It is my contention that the gospel songs of the 18th and 19th centuries affect the spirit of the child not only for the first few months but throughout the life of the child. The child hears that music ringing its soul, and it tends to soothe and guide the child.

10-25-2024 – A Word to the Wise – Soon, a copy of my research on the gifts in the womb will be available. One of the topics that I could not bring up I will address here.
Now, it is my understanding that the gifts were given at conception by the Father as a sign of his ownership.
That being true, there is a group who does not possess one of these gifts. This is true because they were not created by God.
Genesis 6 tells us of this group who was born when one of these angels had sex with a human woman. Others would be Goliath, whom David killed. Others include Og of the Moabites and the Rephaim. None, according to scripture, were created by God. Therefore, they had no gift.

8-14-2024 – A Word to the Wise – I am presently working on the Motivational Gifts in the womb. The section now deals with violence in the womb. I see my mother’s world even more clearly. I realize to some degree she suffered with paranoia. Her childhood was terrible by any measure. Her father was a violent man who kept a handgun under his pillow. Some said he rode with the James gang at one time. She left home at 12 to go to work and provide for herself.

At the age of 18 she had my sister, Joann, and 7 months later Joe and I; twins were born.

But what took place during those seven months of pregnancy was to have a profound effect for there were constant arguments with my dad, I suspect violent at times.

However, there was a side of my mother which was very godly, and intellectually wise, no doubt brought about by the Lord’s gifts and intervention.

But I remember the terrible argument between the two and the intervention by the police. As I remember bits and pieces and the aftermath even to this day, I cringe. Finally, it ended in a divorce when I was four. My father was an addicted gambler who could not support his children. I never felt loved by my father, probably wasn’t. He loved my sister and brother dearly but not me. My mother was partial to my brother. However, I am always aware of the Lord and his presence, and protection and his care for me even at this early age. I felt special to the Lord.

The divorce brought about an even more dramatic change since mother went to night school and worked in the day I was placed in the care of abusive alcoholics.

But violence followed me all through childhood. Mothers’ family were for the most part all drunks, which would lead to violent situations some even murdered. My Uncle was wounded in the battle of the bulge 1944-1945 and when he returned home the alcohol, and violence was ever apparent.

At eleven I saw him attack my mother with a knife ripping her arm open, blood going everywhere. Other family members were present but there was no emotional response from any of them.

Almost daily my brother and I were subjected to violent beatings.

I am able to see a connection between the womb and this world of violence and at the same time the Lord’s protection. The same presence and protection on the streets of South Dallas going from one violent situation after another only now with some authority to do something.

Just as the literature shows what the fetus experiences in the womb affects the physical, mental and emotional experiences later in life I find to be true.

But what is left out is Jesus’ proclamation in John 9 to his disciples when meeting the man born blind from birth” Jesus states this blindness occurred “that the works of God might be manifest in him,” It makes so much more sense now eighty years later. I see how the Lord uses motivational gifts to build event after event molding character.

But what is missed in the documentation by the learned researchers is how the Lord uses all of those events in the womb to later bring glory to the Father.

Thus, the purpose is seeing, understanding the gifts and their function and purpose.

7-18-2024 – A Word to the Wise – The source of doubt and fear comes from trusting in ourselves. One who trust in God for the answers to life no matter how great or small has no fear because they know the answers to life reside in Him. That which we fear has no beginning or end for it will always choose something else if a fear is resolved.

That is why fear of the Lord overcomes all anxiety. For there is nothing greater to fear. So, the sources of all fear is trusting in self. The trouble with men is they do not want something greater than themselves to trust in for those things have always been the source of failure.

Why is there strength to be found in weakness? Because weakness is the source of humility. Why is Jesus the answer? Because He is the source of all knowledge, hope, success.

7-8-2024 – A Word to the Wise – Regrets

Have you ever regretted doing a good deed? Did you find yourself mourning the deed to the point it brought tears to your eyes? I did. Let me give you the back story. A long time ago a woman approached me for counseling. Not so much for herself rather her son.

I had worked at Terrell State Hospital for nearly 15 years counseling alcohol and drug abusers. Now these were hard core addicts. Sure, they said they wanted help but not really. Seems most of the time it was because some family member had dump them their of sick of their lying, stealing and extreme behavior.

Any time a counselor is tasked with work it is imperative that they discover just how motivated the person is to change. Example there is one sure cure for alcohol it’s a drug that has been around 40 or more years one cannot drink and take this drug. If they do, they will get violently ill. Sometimes even hair spray will cause a violent reaction.

So, after 45 days or more of treatment a person is getting ready for discharge swearing they will never use alcohol again. So, you offer them Antabuse to insure sobriety. Out of over 5000 patients I only had 2 individuals agree to take the drug. One of the two stayed sober for many years. I lost track of the other one. This person was committed to sobriety.

Back to my story now in private practice, a person had heard of my work at Terrell and made an appointment. Seems her son was heavily into drugs and alcohol. She asks if I could help her son. I told her that it was not very likely because the person had to be committed to change. She wanted me at least to talk to him.

I agreed, first with the two together then him alone. By the end of the conversation, I knew this person had no desire to change. None, he just wanted his mother to take care of him. A year goes by. I tell her time and time again that the son does not want to stop. She would not give up. She was a devout Christian, and no one was hopeless. She had not seen what I had seen.

So, about a year later after many sessions she calls late at night wanting help. He was threatening suicide. So, I went over to see what could be done or to call law enforcement to have him committed.

As soon as I walked in, he left the room and I talked to her for a few minutes. The mother went to ask him to come back. Got to his room and I heard a loud scream. Went rushing in and he was on the floor blood everywhere. He had cut his left wrist to the bone.

I grabbed it above the cut to stop the bleeding. He struggled with me. Suddenly he grabbed the butcher knife and swung at me barely missing my shoulder. Now I had both his arms in a lock and told her to call 911.

Finally, about 15 minutes later the fire department got there and took over. Lesson number one, suicidal individuals are always homicidal.

A year later he was arrested for killing his mother for her money. What an absolute waste. I regret that I saved his life. I do not know how the Lord sees it. What would you have done?

7-6-2024 – A Word to the Wise – On warfare

Has it occurred to you that women are really good at warfare? Whether on the battlefield or off. Look who it is that manages the home even in the worst of times. Often men will desert or allow the devil to slip in and destroy whether by alcohol, drugs, or porn or finding other playmates, whether it be women, or games both take him from his duty.

The women left with the children now must make the living and support the family and fight the battles by herself.

It is here an important principle is learned when engaging the enemy. James 4:7 tells us to resist the devil and he will flee. Peace is not acceptable. No, the Christian pursues and chases the adversary and his army until it ceases to exist.

In every major engagement in the battles of the Bible God expected His army to chase the enemy from the battlefield and to keep on until they were destroyed. God’s harshest criticism is reserved for those who quit. The enemy is to be destroyed. Not bargained with. Not preserved. No treaties made. The battles of Joshua and Judges emphatically teach this principle. Pursue the enemy until you physically drop, until you can no longer lift your weapon. Give no refuge to the enemy. Chase him until he has nowhere to go–then destroy him. Men step up join the war do not let Satan destroy your family.