Welcome to Season 2 Episode 2 of the Birds Words Podcast and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our guest Leo Martin who turned 99 TODAY. He wrapped up WW2 and ventured into police work in Detroit Michigan. He climbed the ranks from patrol, to detective, Sergeant, lieutenant and resigned as Inspector. He worked for the CIB on the Jimmy Hoffa case and witnessed history as one of the toughest riots in American history unfolded. Whether delivering a baby on duty, arresting a fugitive with a murder warrant or swimming to save a suicidal person with ice floating…hear his story where grit and faith meet. 

Welcome our guest Leo Martin: Christian, married 78 years and counting, family man, member of the greatest generation, felt the effects of the Great Depression, World War II Veteran -- 8th Amphibious, former Detroit Police Inspector, skilled artist and more.

This is our final episode in this series with our guest David Williams. "Coach" shares some experiences through his teaching career, life and explains the meaning of "N1HMK" regarding his prior secret plan of displacing an armed threat against innocent children. Enjoy.

David Williams (Guest)

Episode 6 Part 2

Title: Thanksgiving in Jail

This week’s guest? We continue with The Lauderdale County Legend himself – David Williams 🎯

With 50 years of teaching, an unorthodox style, countless life lessons, and even a talent for squirrel hunting (he fears neither claw nor paw ) … this episode ends with some healthy laughter. Whether it be learning some solid life lessons, meeting "BabyDoll" or accidentally assisting his Wife's eyelashes off her eyelids....hope you enjoy the listen.

“Thanksgiving in Jail” 🦃🚔

🎧 Hit play now & share with a friend who loves a good story! Thanks for being a member of our Community.

This Episode is brought to you by our Sponsor: Bert Bretherick with State Farm; their team’s mission is to protect the American Dream and give their customers the freedom to live life and achieve their dreams!  If you are looking for a trusted name for your coverage, give Bert a call at 256-764-2241, send an email to [email protected], or check out https://www.agentbert.com

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This week’s guest? None other than The Lauderdale County Legend himself – David Williams 🦫🎯

With 50 years of teaching, an unorthodox style, countless life lessons, and even a talent for squirrel hunting (he fears neither claw nor paw 🐾) … this episode will get us ready for what’s ahead. 

👉 Don’t miss this introduction as we set the stage for what’s next:
“Thanksgiving in Jail” 🦃🚔

🎧 Hit play now & share with a friend who loves a good story!

In today’s fast-paced world, many families feel disconnected, overworked, and uncertain about how to prioritize what truly matters. In this powerful episode of Birds Words Podcast, South African ministry leader, marriage and family counselor Dereck Beukes shares faith-driven, practical insights for building stronger homes and deeper relationships.

Together, we dive into:

• How to strengthen the family unit when life feels overwhelming

• Identifying the feeling of feeling helpless while helping

• A challenge to every household today: “Make time to invest time in your relationship”

Whether you’re a newlywed learning to balance love and life, a parent navigating the pressures of modern family life, or someone longing for deeper connection in your relationship, this episode offers actionable advice and encouragement to help you thrive.

About Dereck Beukes:
Dereck is a respected South African ministry leader and marriage counselor whose compassionate, Christ-centered approach has guided numerous couples and families through seasons of difficulty to lasting transformation.

Don’t miss this inspiring conversation—listen now and share it with someone who needs hope for their family today.

From hardship to healing, Dereck shares how his faith, family and God’s presence have carried him through seasons of struggle and triumph.

We talk about the power of Christianity in the face of adversity, the role of ministry in shaping lives, The Holy Spirit, and how personal connectedness with God helps lead to transformation amidst  real-world challenges. Whether you’re in counseling, ministry, or simply walking through your own season of difficulty, this story will encourage you to persevere with hope.

Faith is global — and so is grit. In this episode, we connect with a South African Christian leader (Dereck Beukes) whose journey through life, experiences, ministry, leadership and counseling offers powerful lessons for believers everywhere and across cultural lines. His story reflects resilience, hope, and the transformative power of God’s grace in one of the toughest areas in life. 

Dereck has been a minister at the Bellville church of Christ for the last 27 years and has fulfilled the role of Senior Minister, serving with three Elders. He has spoken at numerous conferences annually at the South Africa Bible College since his graduation in 1998. Dereck presented Imago Therapy Courses in Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania for a number of years before COVID as well as a Marriage Seminar at Petersville church of Christ in Florence, Alabama, in April 2024. He has been on the Social Justice Exco for the last five years, which functions as a training and facilitation center for Mediators throughout South Africa, and holds accreditations with Social Justice, Imago Africa, and CPSC

Roll with us on our final discussion in Episode 4 (Part 4) as we wrap up our dialogue on a relentless pursuit of GOD amidst brokenness. We covered topics such as career transition, depression, suicidal ideation, divorce, domestic violence, stigma, a weaponized narrative that negatively impacts returning veterans, parental alienation and more. Although these topics seem dark, we end with the hope we experience through our Light, LORD and Savior JESUS. Rob reveals some of the struggles he has experienced and shares what helped him through the dark times and sustains him as he moves through life. Sometimes there are topics that might be easy to avoid or tough to discuss and we wanted to run at them head on. Our hope is that whoever needs to hear this finds hope they need to endure. Check out of these resources below: 

Suicide Prevention Hotline: 

⁠988 Lifeline - If you need emotional support, reach out to the national mental health hotline: 988.⁠ 

Veterans Crisis Line: 

⁠Veterans Crisis Line⁠ 

U.S. Special Operations Command Warrior Care Coalition (SOCOM): 

⁠https://www.socom.mil/care-coalition⁠ 

⁠https://www.socom.mil/care-coalition/military-veterans-crisis-lines⁠ 

National Resource Directory (NRD): 

⁠https://nrd.gov/⁠ 

Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS / Vet Solutions): 

⁠https://vetsolutions.org/⁠ 

Vet Solutions and Stanford University TBI and PTSD Research Study, Nature Medicine: 

⁠Magnesium–ibogaine therapy in veterans with traumatic brain injuries | Nature Medicine⁠ 

Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) and Rep. Dan Crenshaw Celebrate Bi-Partisan Support for National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Bill that Includes Grants for Research in Psychedelic Treatment: 

⁠Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) and Rep. Dan Crenshaw Celebrate Bi-Partisan Support for NDAA Bill that Includes Grants for Research in Psychedelic Treatment⁠ 

⁠Crenshaw's Psychedelic Research Provision Signed into Law | Press Releases | Congressman Dan Crenshaw⁠ 

Treehouse Recovery (THR): 

⁠https://treehouserecovery.com/⁠ 

⁠https://treehouserecoverytn.com/⁠ 

Focus on The Family Mental Health Resources: 

⁠https://www.focusonthefamily.com/get-help/mental-health-resources/⁠  

Church and Mental Health: Christian Integrated Resources 

⁠Resources - Church and Mental Health⁠ 

The Father’s Rights Movement (TFRM): 

⁠https://tfrm.org/⁠ 

Parental Alienation Study Group (PASG): 

⁠https://www.pasg.info/⁠ 

PASG Erasing Family Documentary, The U.S. Divorce Court System: 

⁠https://www.pasg.info/external-videos/v/erasing-family-2020-parental-alienation-documentary-us-divorce-court-system⁠ 

The Negative Impact of Service Member and Veteran PTSD or Specter of PTSD on Child Custody Arrangements by LTC(R) Erhan Bedestani, U.S. Army Special Forces, Juris Doctor: 

⁠https://scholarship.law.edu/jlt/vol31/iss1/6/?utm_source=scholarship.law.edu%2Fjlt%2Fvol31%2Fiss1%2F6&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages⁠ 

⁠https://scholarship.law.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1131&context=jlt⁠ 

"Operator Syndrome": A Unique Constellation Of Medical And Behavioral Health-Care Needs Of Military Special Operation Forces by Dr Christopher Frueh, et al: 

⁠"Operator syndrome": A unique constellation of medical and behavioral health-care needs of military special operation forces - PubMed⁠ 

Past is Prelude - Rob Gray - Episode 4 Part 4

John Birdwell-Host

Jump in with us as we discuss a relentless pursuit of GOD amidst brokenness. We covered topics such as career transition, depression, suicidal ideation, divorce, domestic violence, stigma, a weaponized narrative that negatively impacts returning veterans, parental alienation and more. Although these topics seem dark, we end with the hope we experience through our Light, LORD and Savior JESUS. Rob reveals some of the struggles he has experienced and shares what helped him through the dark times and sustains him as he moves through life. Sometimes there are topics that might be easy to avoid or tough to discuss and we wanted to run at them head on. Our hope is that whoever needs to hear this finds hope they need to endure. Check out of these resources below: 

Suicide Prevention Hotline: 

988 Lifeline - If you need emotional support, reach out to the national mental health hotline: 988. 

Veterans Crisis Line: 

Veterans Crisis Line 

U.S. Special Operations Command Warrior Care Coalition (SOCOM): 

https://www.socom.mil/care-coalition 

https://www.socom.mil/care-coalition/military-veterans-crisis-lines 

National Resource Directory (NRD): 

https://nrd.gov/ 

Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS / Vet Solutions): 

https://vetsolutions.org/ 

Vet Solutions and Stanford University TBI and PTSD Research Study, Nature Medicine: 

Magnesium–ibogaine therapy in veterans with traumatic brain injuries | Nature Medicine 

Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) and Rep. Dan Crenshaw Celebrate Bi-Partisan Support for National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Bill that Includes Grants for Research in Psychedelic Treatment: 

Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) and Rep. Dan Crenshaw Celebrate Bi-Partisan Support for NDAA Bill that Includes Grants for Research in Psychedelic Treatment 

Crenshaw's Psychedelic Research Provision Signed into Law | Press Releases | Congressman Dan Crenshaw 

Treehouse Recovery (THR): 

https://treehouserecovery.com/ 

https://treehouserecoverytn.com/ 

Focus on The Family Mental Health Resources: 

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/get-help/mental-health-resources/  

Church and Mental Health: Christian Integrated Resources 

Resources - Church and Mental Health 

The Father’s Rights Movement (TFRM): 

https://tfrm.org/ 

Parental Alienation Study Group (PASG): 

https://www.pasg.info/ 

PASG Erasing Family Documentary, The U.S. Divorce Court System: 

https://www.pasg.info/external-videos/v/erasing-family-2020-parental-alienation-documentary-us-divorce-court-system 

The Negative Impact of Service Member and Veteran PTSD or Specter of PTSD on Child Custody Arrangements by LTC(R) Erhan Bedestani, U.S. Army Special Forces, Juris Doctor: 

https://scholarship.law.edu/jlt/vol31/iss1/6/?utm_source=scholarship.law.edu%2Fjlt%2Fvol31%2Fiss1%2F6&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages 

https://scholarship.law.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1131&context=jlt 

"Operator Syndrome": A Unique Constellation Of Medical And Behavioral Health-Care Needs Of Military Special Operation Forces by Dr Christopher Frueh, et al: 

"Operator syndrome": A unique constellation of medical and behavioral health-care needs of military special operation forces - PubMed 

7 Years--Rob Gray--Episode 4 Part 3

John Birdwell-Host

Welcome to Birds Words Podcast, where Grit and Faith meet. I am John Birdwell, your host. We continue our journey into Episode 4 Part 2: "The War Years" with our guest, Rob Gray. Join Rob, Plato (Service Dog) and me as we dive into discussion of some of the internal and external war and years surrounding this unique time in life. Proud Father of 4 Sons, 23 years in the U.S. Army, Special Forces Green Beret, Army Ranger, ~40 months total deployed to combat zones, 100% disabled veteran, retired Lieutenant Colonel, Masters degree in Theological Studies, piano, Jeep trips, painting and more. Listen in as we dive into his life and faith that has sustained him throughout his career, war, and more personal wars here at home. Jump in and give it a listen.