5-21-2016 – A Word to the Wise: So what does a parent do? What does one say to the child, and how does one say it? First, the parent has to “get right” with the child. One may ask, Why? Because the parent’s behavior results in the child’s acceptance of the same standard for their own behavior. This is the root-reason why divorce goes from one generation to the next.

5-17-2016 – A Word to the Wise: I suspect this situation is what Jesus may have been addressing when He said it was adultery to remarry. We come along with all sorts of interpretations, which we justify on the basis of a spouse’s unfaithfulness. I think it is just as Jesus says: God allows it; however, the consequences remain. Perhaps we need to broaden our definition of adultery to accommodate a child’s understanding.

5-12-2016 – A Word to the Wise: This “unfaithfulness” sets the stage for a variety of problems with the child. I suspect bed wetting in children, when it is not from physical cause, may well be rooted in this adult behavior. Another issue for children has to do with loyalty. How can they accept unfaithfulness and remain loyal to both parents? The dilemma goes beyond reason. Confusion sets in, and any attempt to address the matter brings instant justification by the parent. There is no solution, just consequences.

5-7-2016 – A Word to the Wise: However, when a child sees a biological parent go to bed with someone else, his or her spirits scream for reproof. Attempts to justify or defend one’s behavior is for naught. The child senses unfaithfulness and responds by various types of behavior that says this is wrong. As children get older, they experience a modification in their thinking. Now, because they have been told that it is acceptable numerous times, they accept the idea, both for the parent and their own future sexual relationships.

5-6-2016 – A Word to the Wise: Perhaps we need a child’s perception of divorce and remarriage. When children see the biological parents going to bed together, they think nothing of it. It is normal, and for that, expected. One way to distress a child is for a parent to sleep on the couch one night. The child wants to know why.

5-4-2016 – A Word to the Wise: Next is Honor: Proverbs 5:8-9 “Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house; lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless.” Stern warning is given about the ultimate disgrace that comes to the immoral person. Honor is one of those attributes that is slowly acquired and quickly lost. Today unfaithful and disloyal men support the rampant divorce rate. The most glaring example from the 1990s is, of course, President Clinton.

5-3-2016 – A Word to the Wise: One biblical example comes from the life of King David. Near the age of fifty, David involved himself in an illicit affair with Bathsheba. He eventually had to murder her husband. Because of the affair, David loses everything—children, position, and even his throne.

4-30-2016 – A Word to the Wise: Spiritual consequences are also significant. But what is spiritual wealth? Spiritual wealth may be defined as those gifts that the Lord bestows for the common good. Some receive wisdom; others, financial insight; or others, perhaps special understanding of the demon world. Perhaps it may be the gift of healing. This refers to the special ability that some have to heal others. It is not referring to the hucksters among us who like to portray themselves as healers. Gifts are given so that we and others may grow and mature as godly people. Immorality destroys these god given gifts. The immoral forfeit their god-given gifts by their behavior and estrange themselves from the living God, impoverishing themselves in the process. Thus, when scripture refers to “leanness of spirit,” it refers to the loss of these special gifts.

4-27-2016 – A Word to the Wise: The effects of single motherhood are consistent across different race and ethnic groups and across different social classes. They are similar for boys and girls and for children who live apart from a parent in early childhood, as well as for those who live apart in late childhood. In most instances, remarriage does not diminish the negative consequences associated with single parenthood; in fact, remarriage may worsen the problem. Children who live with a mother and stepfather or a mother and her partner do just as poorly in school and are just as likely to become teen mothers or spend time in jail as children who live with a single mother alone.

4-23-2016 – A Word to the Wise: To get an idea of the magnitude of the effects of single parenthood, consider the following statistics. During the 1980s, the high school dropout rate was approximately 18 percent for all children in the U.S., 13 percent for children in twoparent families, and 26 percent for children in single-mother families. The statistics show that living with a single parent increases the risk of dropping out of school by a factor of two, a nontrivial effect. In general, the effects are more negative for behavior-related outcomes, such as “acting out,” skipping school, or dropping out of high school.