Topic: COVID and Anxiety: What coping pre and post-vaccination availability was beneficial. Always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 1 Thess. 5:15
Job 9
For ages community could benefit, so emerged from a vision to manifest a nonprofit organization now in Pittsburgh to foster teamwork and impact the next generation. Always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. The leaders of Hampton International Ministries strive to build confidence and character in the boys and men and encourage them to become meaningful contributors to their local communities. One of the original players who now mentors other youth said, “There is so much discussion among us. This is something I’d been missing. We support each other in so many different ways.”
God intends His people to team up to help each other as well. The apostle Paul urged the Thessalonians to “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). God has put us into the family of His people for support in our lives. We need each other to keep walking the path of life in Christ. Sometimes that may mean listening to someone who’s struggling, providing for a practical need, or speaking a few words of encouragement. We can celebrate successes, offer a prayer for strength in a difficulty, or challenge each other to grow in faith. And in everything, we can “always strive to do what is good for each other” (v. 15). What camaraderie we can enjoy as we team up with other believers in Jesus to keep trusting God together!
“Action springs not from thought but a readiness for responsibility. Choose each step wisely, engage each challenged slowly, reserving the best knowledge and discretion, not to be selfish, but to share the experience while looking comfortably upon a foundation of moral equipment that will build the bridge to cross those troubled waters with the faith that has been instilled by God by constantly exposing the truth, whether good or bad, and absorbing the knowledge from each experience using spiritual perceptive abilities to ascertain the shadows of doubt that would build monuments of nothingness. This will allow the flood of colorful spectrums of light to be enjoyed with all the elements of life.” Soulful Expressions: Anthology 2006
When one has the opportunity to embrace their own spiritual uniqueness this virtue has an invaluable currency and commodity when obtaining a level of enlightenment within a person walk with faith. Healing powers of the rhythm in poetry as therapeutic means of communication (Sargent, 1979) through conduits of creativity (Sargent, 1979) that are limitless when applied intuitively. This will assist exponentially in the decision-making process on therapeutic approaches, as well as yielding repeated measures of variables of interest. For the intrinsically good person produces what is good and honorable and moral out of the good treasure that is stored in their heart; and the intrinsically evil (opposite of good) person produces what is wicked and depraved out of the evil in their heart; for their "mouth speaks from the overflow of his heart" (Luke 6:45). For instance, the term Noogenic and logotherapy were coined by Dr. Viktor Frankl, the founder of logotherapy and noogenic refers to the nooetic or spiritual dimension in humans. Logotherapy is founded upon the belief that it is the striving to find a meaning in one's life that is the primary, most powerful motivating and driving force in humans. Logotherapy was developed by neurologist and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl. Rather than power or pleasure. Noogenic neurosis is a term in logotherapy denoting a form of neurosis stemming from "existential frustration" or "existential. Indeed, self-mastery is a common theme throughout rabbinical Judaism. In the Talmud (Pirke Avot 4:1), we find the famous question: Who is strong? He who subdues his personal inclination, as it is said (Mishlei 16:32): ‘He who is slow to anger is better than the strong man, and a master of his passions is better than a conqueror of a city.’ (Basser, 1997, p. 215) (Bynum,1996). "My spiritual autobiography and past faith perspectives started with my calling to ministry was at a young age. By the ripe age of 13, I was facilitating a Sunday school class under the guidance of an experienced Pastor, Deacons, and Deaconesses. They introduced me to curriculum development, scriptural references, and how to facilitate small groups and classes. They taught me to develop my growing spiritual gifts as an example on how to help others do the same. The pastor was a Yale Divinity graduate that had a business mind as well, which was another inspiration for me to pursue wisdom and seek a higher level of spiritual knowledge. It was these experiences that help shape my faith perspectives as it pertains to spiritual gifts and the development of a communion with God. My mother, a nurturing, wonderfully kind-spirited, God-fearing woman, also instructed me to the lessons of kindness, meekness, spirituality, and education. She served the community as an Adult Literacy Educator and volunteered at an adult literacy facility, called the Drop-in-Learning Center, in New London, Connecticut. She and my father are both highly educated. They taught me by example that no-matter the factors, if you want something, sacrifice is necessary for spiritual growth to occur. In addition, it proved to be a blessed example of how exemplary individuals can capitalize, by being obedient, to their spiritual gifts of giving wisdom and knowledge at various levels." Soulful Expressions: Anthology II: METAMORPHOSIS (2022)
While my mother’s passion was to teach those who could not read to read, my father’s passion was in the field of sociology researching child abuse and spousal abuse. They both demonstrated that continual learning, at any level, can expand and enrich the mind. From these past perspectives, my current faith perspectives and belief is that the African American church can provide an efficient and ethnically appropriate vehicle into the African American community for prevention initiatives addressing primary child abuse and spousal abuse. They form the vertebrae of the social networks necessary for people to change their values, behaviors, nurture leadership development, and develop new skills with their unique spiritual gifts. When “people seek mental health services, they often start with a pastor, priest, or rabbi, and, regardless of the context, they usually want their faith addressed as part of the therapeutic process” (Hage, 2006). Over the years, my faith perspective and acknowledgement that spiritual gifts exist evolved over time. I matured physically and spiritually until I reached another level of commitment to spiritual counseling by accepting my calling to the mission field. This was a tearful moment for I remember looking lovingly at my mother and father. I did not know when I would return or when I might or ever see them again. Packing most of my things into three suitcases and placing the remainder material possessions in storage, I left the country in 2001. I traveled between the Bahamas, Virgin Islands, and Jamaica during the hurricane seasons and resided among the communities to assist in re-building houses, churches, and businesses. I was able to provide counseling and support for those families that had lost loved ones, since mudslides claimed the lives of many. The term, ‘head to the hills’ took on an entire new meaning as the storms would swell the ocean so much that downtown Montego Bay, Jamaica would flood. Previously in my life I had traveled to Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Europe. I’ve lived in multiple states including Connecticut, Maryland, Washington, D.C, currently, Pennsylvania; and have been blessed to have visited 20+ states, out of 50, including Puerto Rico. All these experiences developed me and allowed me to expand my spiritual mind and to see some amazing places and things. From these experiences, I started compiling the poems that I was inspired to write. By time I returned to the states in 2003, I published my first book of spiritual poetry by 2006. Soulful Expressions: Anthology, is a trilogy of my books, is a mixture of life, romance, heart-felt experiences, and the ultimate quest for pure love. In 2007, shortly after its release, I was blessed to perform on television, ‘Positive Pittsburgh Television Show’, featured my performance of several poems. Soon after the show aired, I was contacted by another television show, ‘The Sinaa Experience’ and was the featured guest author that performed a one-hour show highlighting over 16 poems. The book touches of every level of the spirit and soul, moments of passion, pain, love, and the quest for a deeper understanding of self. In this first volume, the exploration of heart, soul, and mind in a greater spiritual understanding is passionately illustrated with melodies of a man's perspective of life. It shares the sunlight of the brightest days to the deepest thoughts on the darkest days with an array of captivating flow and insight. This was another example in my life how my faith perspective and spiritual development evolved over time. Spirituality, according to The Association for Spiritual, Ethical and Religious Values in Counseling (1998) involves "the drawing out and infusion of spirit in one's life and the capacity for creativity, growth, and development of a value system.”
In my past, I never would have fathomed that the expression of words could be so spiritually powerful and soulfully cathartic. In the article written by Davis, Kerr, & Kurpius (2003) they found that “mental health professionals are starting to recognize the role that religion and spirituality can play in emotional well-being.” I can look back now and see myself immersed in the book of Psalms and the rhythmic balance of David’s writings as he expressed every aspect of his emotions. Over the years, my faith perspective has evolved over time because I have been blessed to see the beauty of using poetry to show others, in a form of narrative therapy, how to express themselves in a spiritually therapeutic way. For my sons, Future Doctor Conrad Hampton’s Raison d'être is that I Decree; that I will progress in a daily walk and talk with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, to a more positive God-fearing obedient man. I acknowledge that I will never be perfect like Jesus; that is impossible. Hence, I will always battle with the temptation to drown my current or past sorrows with alcohol, therefore; I know what pain it is like hour by hour to face my own demons of passion, lust, desire, and gluttony. I know the pleasurable success of staying sober and I know the adverse to stumble and fall into temptation and to be sifted by Satan, like Peter. I believe in living and seizing each day to the fullest and seizing the moment; "carpe diem". My mission is to act as God’s internationally renowned multi-faceted instrument of positive spiritual cognitive-behavioral change in my family, work and local community. My quest is to strengthen the local church by providing teaching and training information to equip us for the current times. The primary motivating factors in developing my mission statement into my mission is my faith. I draw my strength from God to reveal through writing and speaking the heart of God and the unveiling of his Kingdom System that replaces the systems that control the current world.
” This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” 2 Corinthians 9:12. Ergo, my raison d'être is to serve God with the uniqueness bestowed in my heart and soul because the Lord of Lord in Heaven is the only reason for why and which I exist. This spiritual mandate upon my ministry is three-fold to fully amplify my spiritual gifts. Victory loves preparation, “Amat Victoria curam”, therefore the first fold is to see the Kingdom Son of God matured and raised to his rightful place in this Earthly realm. The most important relationship in my life is between God and myself. Within this relationship my passions will be appropriately focused on writing, research, and teaching the subject matter the Lord has working within me. The second fold is to achieve a daily and sustainable level of sobriety and intellectual sincerity from the lessons of mercy. This long-term goal will balance sober-minded operation and empathetic sensitivity for the unsaved and saints. The third fold of forgiveness is by remembering that everyone deserves a second chance in addition to 7 times 70 in the account of forgiveness. Exercise my physical as well as with a healthy dose of compassion, stirred with realism, mixed with the imagination, finally baked in humor, joy, and dreams. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! Conclusively, the corresponding scripture for my raison d'être is 2 Corinthians 9:13-15 “Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
References
Asante, M.K. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press
Association for Spiritual, Ethical and Religious Values in Counseling. (1998). Spirituality: A white paper for the Association for Spiritual, Ethical and Religious Values in Counseling [White
paper]. Retrieved from New Jersey Association for Spiritual, Ethical and Religious Values
in Counseling: http://www.angelfire.com/nj/counseling/Whitepaperl.htm
Barnes, Bruce, Producer, “Sinaa Experience”, Pittsburgh Public Television 2007
Barnes, Bruce, Producer, “Positive Pittsburgh”, Pittsburgh Public Television 2008
Basser, T. (1997). Maharal of Prague: Pirkei Avos. Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah. Bynum, E. B. (1996). Research methods in clinical psycho spirituality. The Humanistic Psychologist, 24(2), 257-261. doi:10.1080/08873267.1996.9986854. (1994a). Brief overview of transpersonal psychology. In F. Wertz (Ed.), The humanistic movement in psychology (pp. 186-191). Lake Worth, FL: Gardner Press. Davis, T. L., Kerr, B. A., & Kurpius, S. H. (2003). Meaning, purpose, and religiosity in at-risk youth: The relationship between anxiety and spirituality, journal of Psychology and Theology, 31, 356-365. German, M. (2013). Developing our cultural strengths: Using the 'Tree of Life' strength-based, narrative therapy intervention in schools, to enhance self-esteem, cultural understanding and to challenge racism. Educational And Child Psychology, 30(4), 75-99. Hage, S. (2006). A closer look at spirituality in psychology training programs. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 37(3), 303-310.doi:10.1037/0735-7028.37.3.303. Hampton, C., (2006) Soulful Expressions: Anthology, Infinity Publishers, West Conshohocken, Pa. Sergent, L. (1979). Poetry in Therapy. Social Work, 24(2), 157-159. Woytowich, J. M. (1994). The power of a poem in the counseling office. School Counselor, 42(1), 78.
