Carolann is a poet-therapist; nursing, caring and bringing healing to others through her chosen words. God has gifted Carolann with the expression of ‘words’ as a power tool to evoke, and help to usher in several angles and perceptions of emotions that authorize healing.  She allows you into her world of inner thought and carries you through to the finish line. For all of you who choose to enter the sphere of emotions reflected in Life, this is a must read.

• Ephesians 5:15  Be careful and wise how you live.
• Ephesians 5:17  Find out what pleases the Lord and be imitators of Christ.
• Ephesians 5:18  Do not get drunk or take drugs that will dull our senses that could lead you vulnerable to into immorality.
• Ephesians 5:19 Seek opportunities to relate to others in a light hearted way.  Laughing, singing, playing board games and spirit filled clean fun.
• Ephesians 5:20  Have a thankful attitude: give thanks to God and everything that life brings
• Ephesians 5: 21 Submit to each other in love and trust for your Christian brothers and sisters.
• Ephesians 6:1-4 Be Honourable in your family relationships; treat others with respect and consideration.
• Ephesians 6: 10-12  Seek the Lord for strength, nurture, and cherishing.  Be sure of His power and His want to nurture and protect you.

Here is a list to assess yourself.  What areas of your life do you feel most asleep

Taken from:   (“Waking the Slumbering Spirit by John & Paula Sandford/and Lee Bowman)

When you talk to others, do you understand and communicate with them on a feeling level, or do you have to think and choose your words carefully to know what to say?

1. Do you easily empathize with your friends? Can you weep with their sadness and share their rejoicing, or only respond intellectually?
2. Are you able to sustain close relationships with people over a long period of time?
3. Are you enjoying life and participating fully with others in activities that are fun?
4. Do you have a good sense of humour?
5. Do you feel close to God? Are you able to bask in His presence both in corporate worship and in private devotions, or do you experience God distantly just as an act of faith?
6. Do you feel spiritually alive?
7. Is sex with your spouse a holy meeting, or merely pleasurable sensations.
8. Does inspiration come quickly and easily for you with new ideas and thought?
9. Do you thrill to good music and art, or does it  just leave you flat and uninterested?
10. Does your conscience sing out forcibly before and event, or only remind you afterwards that you should not have done something?
11. Do you feel vibrantly alive and refreshed by being out in nature, or is a walk in nature as flat in feeling as other dull experiences.

IN REGARDS TO NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS YOU HAVE HAD:

1. What were your parents like?
2. How close did you feel to them while growing up?
3. How physically expressive of love were your partents/caregivers/other family members?
4. In what ways did they support and encourage you?
5. To what degree did they communicate vibrancy of life to you?
6. What kind of a relationship do you have with your parents now?
7. In what ways do you harbour ill will, anger, or regrets?
8. How willing are you to move beyond the past to forgive those who may have hurt you?
9. How badly do you want to have a more fully awakened personal spirit?

Hugging 

Playing    

Singing           

Holding Hands                           

Being Involved in a Small Group.

Going on Nature Walks.(stroll)         

Regular and Stimulating Exercise                                                                          

These are some things you can begin to do to exercise your spirit to wake up and feel.  These prime the pump so when you read the Bible it is not dry words; when you are worshipping you will find yourself involved and open up.  Let the child in you come out and loosen up! Don’t be so serious all the time.   Get involved in helping others as it stimulates your spirit.                   

“Lord, Give me the strength to stop all the patterns in my life that have held me back and blocked my spirit. Give me grace to try new things so I can grow and in doing so, awaken my spirit. Help me not to be so serious and over burdened.  Teach me to play once again so the child in me can come out.  Quicken me to choose positive actions in discipline, prayer, attitudes and in my behaviours. Grant me strength of spiri to reach out to others and not stay hidden inside.  Help me to live in the joy and love you have given to me freely.  Help me to press in until I feel your presence.  Give me a hunger to feel again.  I give myself permission to feel again; I give myself permission to be vulnerable again in order to feel again.,  Help me to deal with what I need to deal with so I will be alive and have a thriving spirit.  In Jesus Name Amen.”  

For a more complete and extensive  personal study, I highly recommend the book, “Waking the Slumbering Spirit” by John & Paula Sandford/and Lee Bowman

We become born-again and sometimes down the road in our Christian walk we may find ourselves spiritually asleep.  What happened? We need to be awakened spiritually again, but how?  We lost the zest and zeal of being born again. When our spirits are not awakened we have the potential of making destructive choices in our lives.  Our relationship with God suffers and so does our relationship with others.

Studies in sociology have proven that human babies with the most nurture thrive in spirit, health, and emotions; they excel in all they do.  What levels of nurturing have you had in your life?  Did you know that, we can renew our spirits through touch, love, nurture, encouragement, devotions, worship and prayer now!  So don’t lose heart, there are keys that have been given to us prophetically to unlock the doors and awaken the sleeping spirit!!!  

A sleeping spirit is like a captive spirit but the difference is that a captive spirit has prison guards.(demonic)   A sleeping spirit just needs to wake up!  We need to unlock our deepest being to live in the spirit and live with the Spirit of God.

Your spirit sleeps because of a few factors.  One of them is that your spirit is asleep and has not been awakened if you are not saved!  You are not born again of the spirit and awakened to the spirituality of the Christian life.   We need His spirit living in our spirit so He can quicken us and talk to us; impart to us; empower us; give us revelation and more.   At conversion the Lord gives us spiritual gifts to enhance and empower our lives.

Even when we are born-again, spirit filled Christians, our spirits can become dull. I see this all the time, people who no longer feel the passion or the quickening in their spirits. They don`t dream; feel His presence; or have scriptures jump off the page, nothing. For some it has been a long time since they have felt the presence of God and others never have; they simply are not aware of what God’s presence feels like.

The Bible talks of a wilderness experience. Jesus went through a wilderness.       (Mark 1:9:13) and I believe we all go through one or two in our life time. When we are in a wilderness we do not sense the Lord’s presence but we know by faith that He is there.  

Did you know that we are guilty of putting our spirits to sleep when we don’t pray, or read our devotions, or fellowship with other spirit filled Christians, or enter into worship, or we neglect the feeding of ours spirits with reading the Word of God? So, having a slumbering spirit can be a self inflicted condition!  God wants us to experience His Glory, be open to visitations, revelations and have a rich relationship with the Holy Spirit?   In a book called, “Waking the Slumbering Spirit- by John and Paula Sandford”,   the authors state that the lack of nurture and loving touch in childhood will deprive us of spiritual nutrients needed to help us grow rich in our Christian life. Nurture makes our spirits rise, heighten and soar.  It is like when we feel loved, the world looks and feels different. Others have a difficult time because of certain strongholds in their lives. They cannot, no matter how hard they try, pull out of sinful behaviours or addictions. They are always falling in sin and this too causes death/sleep in the spirit.  (Romans 6:23) “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal Life in Christ, Jesus our Lord”. (John 10:10)  “For I have come to give you life, and life more abundantly”.  Sin causes our spirit to sleep. 

Before you can understand in total what a slumbering spirit is like, let me explain what an awakened spirit is.  When you play sports, spend time outdoors in nature, appreciate art, music, drama you are feeding your spirit and your spirit becomes quickened. When your sense of right and wrong is fully awakened you are sin-sensitive. Playful people who love the outdoors, art, music and nature are feeding their spirits!  When your spirit sleeps it is stunting the other areas of your daily Christian living. True Conscience; inability to communicate spirit to spirit with someone; inability to allow others to get close to you; inability to enter into worship; inability to learn from mistakes; inability to see the future or outcome; inability to maintain good health –always sick.  And people with slumbering spirits are not aware that they are missing out. When your spirit is slumbering you are also erratic and impulsive; always making bad choices and decisions. You cannot foresee consequences and live for the moment only. You may see no problem with not paying your bills, there is no evidence of ethics of any kind regarding immoral behaviour but you claim to be a Christian. The spirit is dysfunctional because it is in a state of sleep and the person needs to be awakened from the dead. *The spirit becomes locked in a shadowy world of unawareness. You can’t get out of it by just claiming it and saying, “I believe”. You need nurture touch/ discipline/ devotions/worship/ relationship to come alive again and this takes discipline. Slumbering spirits have a hard time with maintaining discipline therefore they need someone to hold them accountable to be sure they stay on track.

The Bible tells us that the “Works of the Flesh ” cause our spirits to sleep –

(Romans 13:11-14) NKJ   “11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy, 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. “

Idolatry in our lives – the things that come before God, will cause us to die spiritually and start to slumber in our spirit.  Like a spell coming on us as we saw in the Lord of the Rings movie when King Théoden finds himself under a spell causing him to be sleepy and have no energy, and no awareness. 

In Isaiah 52 God comes and leads them out! “1-2 Wake up- wake up! Pull on your boots, Zion! Dress up in your Sunday best, Jerusalem, and holy city! Those who want no part of God have been culled out. They won’t be coming along.  Brush off the dust and get to your feet, captive Jerusalem! Throw off your chains, captive daughter of Zion! “

When we fall asleep spiritually we walk in the flesh – in soulish ways. It’s like having no wind in your sails.  When our spirits are awake and refreshed we walk in the spirit obeying the things of the Spirit of God and denying the flesh.

One of the first steps in awakening your spirit is to forgive your caregivers whomever they were for neglecting to nurture you to life.  They withdrew from you causing you to hunger for love and acceptance; often from the wrong places.  You need to allow yourself to become vulnerable again; to hold your heart open to others.

When a person’s spirit has fallen asleep it is like they are not fully human. John and Paula Sandford’s book describes it this way; “To be human is to have an awakened personal spirit by which one identifies and empathizes with others; becomes one with them; and cherishes what is in the other person even more than ones’ own life.”  We feel more; have more compassion; more heart; a humanitarian heart; we feel other’s pain and are not afraid to feel or express emotions. 

There are several reasons why a spirit slumbers and it hinders your relationship to God, others and relating to your own self.  “One cannot expect to awaken the personal spirit simply by awareness that the problem exists – Your spirit slumbers because you have experience a wounding or anesthetising of  your precious life energy. To awaken the spirit, you must go through a process of both healing and re-nurturing.”  The Sandford’s stress that you have to willing to seek and accept the loving nurture that can awaken your spirit. You cannot accomplish this by yourself!

Rev. Dr. Sharon Willson D.C.C., G.P.P.

Continued on the Blog “Awakening Your Spirit”

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 For in-depth reading on this topic: 

*Waking the slumbering spirit*  John & Paula Sanford/ Lee Bowman

OPEN UP

The Keys are yours this day,

to unlock those places far, far away.

It’s coming up, it’s coming up, and it’s okay

Freedom at last… Not far away.

Take the keys in your hand,

Turn it in the lock

Open the doors for the captives

Who are stuck in a block

Light cascading in the dark recesses

Showing the way… each part HE blesses

Its okay it safe here HE said

Holds her hand and kisses her head..

Come with me, I’ll show you the way

My grace is on you this day… this day

My grace is on you this day… this day

The word ‘therapy’ comes from the Greek word, ‘therapeia’ meaning to nurse or cure through dance, song, poem and drama.”

There are a few basic, accepted methods of Poem Therapy with a group or one on one. One technique is to select a Poem that deals with a ‘said issue’ that could open up a dialogue on the subject. A second therapeutic technique would be to ask the client to write their own poems and explain the course they took in writing it. Not only is poetry therapeutic but poetry can also be a diagnostic tool for the therapist.    It could lead into a powerful resource of healing. Poetry can help to define a person or help them to make associations with others as well as relating to God their true feelings and thought.

Poems and poem therapy is exciting. Like a new found medicine it illustrates how addressing our emotions can lead us into a life changing renewal.  The power of words will promote healing just as the power of words can promote woundedness.  As therapy for the mind/soul/spirit and body, poetry and prose endorses a crucial part in wholeness- validating one’s own heart.  Poem Therapy is a great tool for the journey of recovering form bouts of depression, loss and bereavement. Poetry is painting with the gift of speech or written words – the artist being the poet, the paint brush their tongue or hand writing.  Poetry releases the client, brings them release and joy as they enter into the freedom of being validated.  The unaccounted, unexpressed grief and pain find a venue.

In the Bible we find King David using poetry and song to deal with all his life experiences, challenges, losses, grief and victories.  He was a man of emotion and feeling and shunned not from expressing it.  The book of Psalms is loaded with such verse and hymn.

#2  Control – Control – Control

This blog is not meant to point a domineering finger of control at anyone but rather to aid readers in taking a look at themselves.  We should always evaluate ourselves first before we attempt to evaluate others.  We cannot assist in the removal of an erroneous behaviour in our brother until we have evicted it from ourselves. Only then can we be influential.  We are not to be a ‘judge’.  Rather, we are to be an ‘aid’ to facilitate the process of healing in another the same way we would want ourselves to be aided.  It begins within us.

When we try to control others we are actually being critical of them because we have underlying issues of our own. The issues can vary, but their characteristics are similar. We have to ask ourselves the following questions.

-        Do I try to rework the plans of others to fit my plans?

-        Do I find myself coming between friends or family members to perhaps isolate

one person in particular?

-        Do I ignore the experiences and stories of another?

-        Is it possible that I belittle them in fault-finding ways?

-        Do I answer for them?

-        Have I found myself   ‘telling’ them how they feel and ‘what’ they should do and possibly ‘when’ they should do it?

-        Do I believe that I know how they feel? [You don’t really as you have taken that from them too]

-        Are others leery about expressing how they feel or think when I am around for fear I will belittle it or deny their feelings?

-        Do I have moody or excitable qualities?

-        Am I discontent with my own life?

-        Do I try to improve my own situation [in my mind] by domineering others?

-        Do I try to make my circumstances seem better by depreciating the     circumstances of another?

-        Am I over protective?

-        Do I withhold compliments and refuse to praise or give out compliments or place value on a particular individual because inwardly and secretly I don’t want them to feel good about themselves lest I lose the upper hand and control over that person?

There are several other controlling behaviours other than those listed above. I may go into them in another blog. It is note worthy to mention that jealousy and resentment can be underlying roots behind a number of controlling behaviours. When we find ourselves behaving in controlling ways we need to be aware that we are actually seeking power over that situation so we can be in command and take charge over it and others.   When we don’t allow others to say ‘no’; when we have offered them no choice; when we push until we wear them down so they give in; we feel we have earned the right to the power over that situation or person.  Control and power are synonymous.

Domineering individuals control with the silent/cold war method of manipulation while other domineering individuals will control with temper outbursts.  When we don’t agree with a domineering person it puts them in a position or feeling that we are challenging or testing their influence over us.  It threatens them that they are losing control/power over us.  Using temperaments or moodiness as a means of control is very manipulative and calculating.   It intimidates and is in essence bullying. We all have the right to make our own decisions. When we rob another person of a choice or a voice it is called ABUSE.

Many individuals who use control to manipulate will dispute the fact that they may have any faults.  It is always somebody else’s fault.  They will not be held accountable and thus rarely ask for forgiveness.  An interesting and confusing slant occurs when a controlling person puts great demands on another and orders them around yet compensates that same person with generosity and gift giving. The one being controlled always feels they owe the controller and that he or she is not so bad after all.  Right?  Wrong!  Gift giving compensates for the guilt feelings of the controller and yet makes them feel above you.

The works of the flesh are evident – strife, envy, jealousy and fits of anger.  Controlling another person may make you feel like you are the noble one and they are your subject. When we hold others in a burdensome yoke, keeping them in fear through our outbursts and mood swings it causes them to be paralyzed to deal with it, talk to you about it, or even remove themselves from it.  They feel stuck. Do we really want to do that to another human being? How safe are you?

If you resist these ungodly behaviours, they will flee.  It will take time to tear down strongholds, time to discover the roots and time for the healing work to begin. Once we are free, we should purpose to not be under the control of that spirit again.

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Remember:

Pursue peace with each other and mutual building up. Romans 14:19

You were called to be free, don’t use it for your own glory but rather to love and serve each other. Galatians 5:13

Not domineering over those in your charge, but be examples to others. 1 Peter 5:3

Submit to each other. Ephesians 5:21

Don’t do anything out of jealousy or competition but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

Jesus settled the disciples down and said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served”     Mark 10:42-45

I will talk about setting your self free from this behaviour on a following blog.

Stay tuned ~

Sharon

copyright 08/07/2010

Many times I have had to dig into a person’s past to seek out ‘roots’ to their behaviours and the destructive patterns in their lives; the conditions and situations that seem to repeat in their lives. When we discover the historical root to the present issue we can bring an effective healing forward into the situation or problem.  I am also aware to the fact that there are chemical imbalances in the body or the brain that can without a doubt can cause psychological problems.

A large part of counselling is mediation.  Another large part of counselling is removing and replacing thought patterns or belief systems.  Some of these belief systems were established during early wounding.  Counselling models can have multiple variations.  Discoveries and Intakes are an exceptionally valuable time where keys can be discovered. Documenting also holds great value whereas the counsellor can return to it several times seeking for patterns.

Christian counselling seeks for the areas in a person’s life where biblical values, morals and precepts were breached.  Rebellion and disobedience to God’s holy principles can open doors to deception, hurt, pain, betrayal, and many other consequences. We then need to look at a spiritual law called sowing and reaping. Christian Counselling not only holds fast to the Word but is dependant on the leading and following of the Spirit of God which I will go into on in another blog.

Christian Counselling has an ‘absolute standard’ to adhere to and it never changes its mind, or takes on a new fad. True Christ Counselling will not replace a god-truth with a worldly-lie. The Word is Inerrant – 2 Tim 3:16-17 ‘All scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the Christian can be thoroughly equipped for every good work!’  Secular counselling does not hold to such standards and does not hold to God’s truths but actually shifts and changes with the ‘norms’ of our present Society. A non Christian approach has no standards to judge morals.

God’s ‘WORD’ holds much wisdom in looking at human behaviour as well as human suffering. It is a book of counsel! It is a counselling manual.

Christian Counsellors may utilize some ”skills” from the secular world, but they should never adapt or take on the missing secular standards. Does that make any sense?  In other words, when they have little or no standards, and when anything and everything goes God’s word is compromised. God’s Word should be the final authority in any issue when there are values, morals or standards to adhere to.

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Remember:

The WORD of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two edge sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.  - Hebrews 4:12

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. – Galations 6:7