Christian safety expert available for interviews and byline editorials on practical ways to intuitively manage your 'Threatscape'

Contact: Merilee Kern, 858-577-0206, MerileeKern@ascendantgroupbranding.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 27, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- With modern society rife with personal security issues seemingly at every turn, it's imperative to gain a strategic advantage at every opportunity. This according to Christian safety and security authority Phrantceena Halres, founder and CEO of Total Protection Services, who is available for interviews and editorials on all security and safety topics, including the following that is available for reprint (with art):

God's Gift of Intuition:
7 Ways to Develop Your 'Sixth Sense' to Detect and Deter Danger

By Phrantceena Halres

"Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." -- I Thessalonians 5:6

God has blessed all of us with innate intuition, with the ability to sense when something is amiss and possibly dangerous. In Mark, 5:27-5:32, is recounted a story of Jesus when he was walking in a crowd. Although he was in a throng of people, something felt amiss when a single person brushed up against his clothes. He asked his disciples "who touched my clothes?" and they replied "You see the crowd pressing around you and yet you ask 'who touched me?'" But Jesus followed his instincts to find and confront the woman. As Christians, we ought not to be afraid of using our intuition in the same manner that Jesus did. It's not just a hunch, it's a real gift that God has given us his children and to not use it is to squander it.

An estimated 1 out of 5 Americans are victims of crime, which occur in our homes, communities, school campuses and churches. Proverbs 21:31 reads "The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD." That is taken to mean that there are two layers of personal security: Preparedness and safety. It is your responsibility to be prepared but true safety can come only from God. The Lord has given us a "sixth sense," the ability to instinctively perceive possible threats or danger. It's been said that humans are the only living beings who sense danger and walk right into it, such as politely entering an elevator with a person who triggered your fear instinct for some reason. While everyone has a sixth sense, it's like an underdeveloped muscle that needs to be exercised from time to time in order to maximize its ability to keep you safe. One of the best ways to cultivate this sixth sense ability is to become safety and security minded in a more concerted, proactive way. This includes a constant analysis of your "threatscape" -- the sum of every potential threat in your various environments. This means assessing anything and everything in your day to day experiences that could pose a threat. Is the line of bushes at the back of the parking lot a potential hiding place for criminals? Is the overly-kind gentleman offering to carry your groceries overly persistent and too close within your personal space? Perceiving your threatscape involves relying on your instincts for protection. Much like Spiderman's famed "spidey sense," it is an innate perception of prospective danger that is a very real and effective way to keep yourself safe in any circumstance.

Now is the time to become joyful! Once developed, your sixth sense will be a new-found freedom, allowing you to never show fear in a dangerous situation. Start cultivating your sixth sense today by following these tips:

• Utilize mobile safety technology: Program an in-case-of-emergency (ICE) number into your phone and consider using a tracking app with your closest friend or loved one. A number of apps, such as Real Time GPS Tracker and GPS Tracking Pro allow your loved ones to always know where you are. Of course, you can enable and disable the tracking capability based on your preferences, but it's handy in certain situations like when you are traveling about with a new friend no one else knows. Go one step further and take a photograph of the license plate with your smart phone and text it to a friend, family member, or even yourself so there's a traceable record.
   
  
• Don't become distracted or "zone out": First Thessalonians 5:6 says "Let us not sleep, as do others but let us watch and be sober." God has instructed his children to always be watchful and mindful of danger, to be "sober" both in the modern sense of the word (not under the influence of drugs and alcohol) and also in the more ancient sense of being "alert." Today, modern technology can distract and "intoxicate" us far more than alcohol. Someone walking down the street after a few glasses of wine still has their senses about them but someone walking around texting or listening to their iPod on full volume is totally off in their own world. Such behaviors undermine our ability to stay alert and greatly increase your risk.
   
  
• Make basic home security improvements: Purchasing even a few basic, inexpensive security devices for your home or apartment can go a long way. A door stop (under $6) will prevent your door from being opened from the outside, and window and screen-door locks (under $1 each) will stop your panels from being jimmied or disassembled. If you are renting and/or don't wish to invest in a house alarm, consider buying a personal, portable alarm for under $25 that will go off when you press it, potentially frightening an intruder. More expensive models with motions sensors are also available.
   
  
• Project confidence and social connections when interacting with strangers: Criminals primarily prey on people that are meek, have limited social connections, and generally won't make a fuss. By presenting yourself as someone who won't be an easy target, you'll ensure a criminal passes you over in search of an easier victim. Looking strangers directly in the eye, telling people that you have a lot of friends or family in the area, and even hanging photos with friends and family in the house are all things that will decrease your chances of being a victim.
   
• Be unpredictable: In the Book of Judges there is the story of Gideon, who led the Israelites against the Midianites: Gideon fielded a large army of 10,000 men near the Midianite encampment. God spoke to Gideon and had him ask all of his men to drink from the river. Predictably, 9,700 men all got on their knees and stuck their head in the river to lap the water. Only 300 men did something different and used their hands as a ladle to drink the water. Most of the men were totally oblivious of their surroundings as they were drinking and God asked Gideon to send them home. God then instructed Gideon to keep the more discerning and unpredictable men to be used in the battle. Just like the Midianites, modern criminals often "case" or scope out their enemies prior to striking. Routines such as leaving and returning home at the exact same time each day, jogging at the same time, or regularly leaving your back window open while you cook dinner all amount to essentially "having your head in the water." Consider mixing things up so that your routines can't be predicted and used against you.
   
• Don't assume things are as they seem: Criminals often rely on deception to catch you unaware. Posing as a deliveryman, contractor, or an unassuming person needing directions or help are all common techniques to get into your personal space. This deception is most likely to take place next to some kind of cover, which commonly includes bushes, trees or vegetation, a car (either the victim's or the perpetrator's) or a house or other unoccupied dwelling. If you are approached under any kind of pretext next to cover, your sixth sense should be activated immediately. Especially if you are in a dark area or if there aren't many people around. If you never assume things are as they seem, then it will cause your enemies to rise and stand out like a sore thumb. Fear will no longer have crippling power over your mind.
   
• Never tell strangers or acquaintances more than they need to know: Telling the neighbors you are on vacation, your classmates the time you come home after work every day, or letting someone you've been dating only a short while know where you live are all common precursors to being a victim of crime. Your policy should always be trust but verify. Only tell people what they need to know. No more, no less.
   
• Ecclesiastes says 9:10 says "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead there is neither working or planning nor knowledge nor wisdom."

Can we teach people to make the transition from potential victim to a criminal's worst nightmare? The answer is a resounding "yes." We must. National security begins with you! Each of us play a role in making our community and country safer from threats and criminal activity. For the conceivable future, America will remain a country plagued by crime. Once put into practice, these 7 simple tips will greatly improve your personal safety and help hone your instincts. Soon, your sixth sense will automatically engage in the presence of danger, and identifying and responding to threats will become second nature to you. Thank you, and God Bless.

About the Expert
As founder, chairman and CEO of Total Protection Services Global, Phrantceena Halres leads the nation's only certified security services company focused exclusively on high threat/close proximity safety and security services for the protection of critical infrastructure assets in the corporate, government, nuclear, energy and personal protection sectors. Through her philanthropic, community, corporate, speaking and media efforts, Halres is a lauded security and safety advocate who tirelessly works to enlighten the public on the many ways security improves our lives. She may be reached online at www.total-protections.com.

Contact: Merilee Kern, 858-577-0206, MerileeKern@ascendantgroupbranding.com