Book Review on Care for Souls by David Benner free essay sample

Reflection Paper Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian Nurture and Counsel by Swanie Khoo In the work of professional psychology, we have now a forray of theories, therapeutic techniques, and modern psychotherapies which has all too frequently ignore the spiritual element in human life. In Care of Souls, Dr David Benner recaptures the place of the spiritual in psychological work. Among the many benefits of the use of modern therapies and medical science, he has also emphasised putting Gods priorities above ones own in the practice of Christian soul care. Care of Souls provides an account of Christianitys historical practices of soul care through a culmination of his many years of scholarship, teaching and clinical work. However, I found its dense prose difficult to comprehend and some times confusing and it was also difficult to capture his train of thought. I have to say it was not an easy book to read. Benners starts the book helping me understand soul care. He asks â€Å"What is soul care? † He claims soul care as â€Å"the support and restoration of the well-being of persons in their depth and totality, with particular concern for their inner life. Benner posits that care of souls came from a latin word, cura animarum, where this word embraces both care and cure of the soul. Many times in the text, he interchanges the words care and cure of soul. However, both care and cure have both very different implications and it made me uncomfortable to claim that the Cure of the Soul is part of the work of a psychotherapist. Psychotherapists treat the soul by easing suffering, helping people in emotional pain to reclaim meaning and purpose and encouraging people to see themselves, others and the world more accurately. I believe that psychotherapists care for the soul. The cure of the soul is Gods work; it is the result of Gods redemptive work in one to completely heal and repair ones damaged soul. I agree with Benner that clinical tools and integrated therapies aid healing and nurture of the soul, but to completely cure the soul of deep-seated emotional wounds and freedom from compulsive disorders, are beyond the work of a psychotherapist or the use of theory or methods and mainstream psychotherapies and its interventions. The cure of a damaged soul will not be complete without the involvement God and the work of His grace. I feel strongly about this because I was once that damaged soul, damaged by the world around me. It was only God who saw me in my devastation, and only He could deliver, heal and do His deep repair to make me who I am today. I found the seven characteristics of Christian soul care helpful to measure my own qualifications. He poses that there is no higher calling than that associated to care of souls. This is such a strong reminder for me as I thread into the world and work of soul care. Although I have worked in the corporate world, dealing with people and development of individuals but the work of soul care, is truly a vocation called by God, because in this work, I need to put on the personhood of Jesus, and to care for individuals, I need to see them through the eyes of God, without any prejudices, or judgement. I recognise and agree with Benner, that I have to be spiritually mature, strong in the Word of God, and have a developed habit of prayer. Having said that, it reminds me again, that this is beyond the theories and therapeutic practices that I am learning. I am not called to care for souls because I am good in the therapeutic techniques, but its about having a heart that cares, and empathises, and trusts in God for these people that God cares, and whom He endows into my care (my version). Benner quotes Thomas Olden, â€Å"Neither analytical skill not theoretical knowledge can have positive effect if there is no genuine and compassionate care for others. It is only the companionship of grace, drawing on resources beyond ones own that wisdom will be found for this task. Many times, in my conversations with God, I keep telling him, that I am not qualified for this work that He calls me to, I dont have what it takes. But as I make meaning of the story that my life encapsulates – I was a damaged soul, damaged by abuse by my own father. I cant even say I have a father, because I grew up without knowing what fathers love felt like. My earthly father had a gambling problem and had multiple affairs outside of marriage. The pains of my c hildhood robbed me of my identity, confidence, security, trust in men, joy of living and believe in myself. I struggled greatly even as I grew into adulthood, but, God has healed me, and He is still healing and redeeming me from the wounds of my past. Through many challenges in life, as I grew into adulthood, I find myself asking Him, â€Å"God, why, oh God, why do you give me such an emotionally challenging childhood? † Though I did not receive a clear answer all these years but he taught me one thing, and that is to live my life with open hands, to allow God, the Author to do what He so choose to do. It is He, God, the Master of my life, and as for me, to live a life surrendered to my Master. Only then, did I realise that thats how I am able to taste his endless richness of His grace. God has redeemed me and has blessed me so much. Today, I can say that I am blessed and I give thanks to God. Now that I am here, in SBC, studying this work of Benner, it is totally sobering to be called into the work of soul care. Having taken the journey that I have, this reckoning gives me true meaning of what I have experienced in my past; it is that I may understand the broken and damaged souls that God brings into my paths. Benner presented us with the demands and the challenges of soul care, and as I ponder over them, I recognise the weight of the responsibility of one being in soul care, and especially in Christian Counseling. He provides us with practical advice for all of us in soul care to meet these demands and challenges in the vocation. I summarise them as follows, in my own version : Being Authentic – truthful, and avoid professionalism Benner emphasises many times about about being authentic and the giving of our selves to the vocation, this he calls a demand and also a challenge of soul care. One of the ways in which he encourages us to do so is that we have a deeply personal engagement which can be founded in true dialogue. And true dialogue can only occur in a relationship between equals, according to Buber. This, in my lack of experience, I find rather unrealistic for the caregiver and receiver to be mutually caring for each other although I agree with him about being real, and having a deep engagement with a counselee, I am still wondering how does mutual care work in a counseling relationship between a counselor and counselee? Though, most importantly, I agree with Benner about guarding ourselves against having a â€Å"professional† attitude. Benner calls it the emphasis of doing over being. We also run the isk of our relying on technical competence over giving of ourselves. Quoting from Benner, â€Å"The challenge is also to resist the temptation to reduce soul care to the skillful application of techniques. When techniques are understood as disciplined ways of offering ones self, they greatly enhance the care that is provided. But when they become ways in which the soul guide avoids engage ment as a genuine self, their effect is to depersonalise the engagement. † Countinuously growing in Christ toward developing an integrated inner core – devoted to God in prayer, meditation, and solitude. To continue to grow in Christ is totally mandatory in this vocation. It is quite impossible to be a representative of God in this ministry without a daily walk with God. Our eyes are tainted with prejudice, and judgement, if we do not see the one that we are caring for through the eyes of God, and the compassion to love them with the heart of God. Its totally impossible to be a Christian Counselor without putting on Jesus. Use the transforming power of story – tell your story I believe that each of us called into soul care, have a testimony to tell about Gods healing power and grace. I remembered when I shared the testimony of my life at the Womens Conference for the very first time, I felt I was released from the bondage of my past. I not only felt like a prisoner set free, but I was surprised by the way God used my story, to open up the hearts of the women in the audience to share and bare their lives for Gods healing to take place. Totally amazing! Although, I still feel fearful about disclosing my life, and its a constant reminder that when I share about Gods goodness in life, I am giving God glory, and its not about me. I agree that these are a big challenges and demands of one who is in the work of soul care, and I pondered over it for a long time. Realistically, to be of service to others in this vocation will be tiring, and frustrating. We easily grow weary, and may start depending on our own strength and skills, especially, the moment, we think of serving people, we begin to have a notion that other people owe us something for our pain. We begin to bargain for reward or to angle for applause. This all happens when we make ourselves the centre of things.

The Education Of The Middle School Movement example Essay Example For Students

The Education Of The Middle School Movement example Essay William Alexander, a founding father of the middle school movement, stated that the learning of right answers is not enough. He believe that students should not just learn the content, but that students should be the center of education. Students should have a personalized education that appeals to the â€Å"whole person†. Teachers can help create the whole person by developing relationships with the students and managing their classrooms. Also teacher-to-teacher collaboration is essential for student growth. The schools should cultivate an atmosphere where students can mature and succeed in every aspect of life. In the 1910s, the concept of Junior High schools started to broaden. The purpose for it was to help adolescent transition from elementary to high school. Many recognized that many of the adolescents that transition from elementary school to high school were having problems staying in school, keeping their grades up and developing socially. However good intention it was based, there were some gaps and failures in the movement. Many junior high schools didn’t captivate the interest of the students. We will write a custom essay on The Education Of The Middle School Movement example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The curriculum was very rigorous; almost comparable to high school curriculum. The education was too general. Exploratory experiences were in place, but they were too limited. Many adolescents weren’t benefitting much from this movement. Although the number of drop-outs went down, students were leaving deprived of a personal experience. The middle school movement was birth after a great initiative to help students to become high schoolers. The middle school movement is built upon personalizing education, having a flexible curriculum, and emphasizing morals and values. Personalize education is a concept that’s bui. .achers would be able to assist me with material or knowledge based things. I would also use this interval of time to find out different educational conferences and forums to attend. I could establish more relationships and gain new insights on how different teachers and principals run their middle schools. Managing a classroom has a lot to do with the surrounding culture and demographics. Although every middle school is the same in curriculum; it’s different in implementation. After building a knowledge based foundation, my long term goal would be to establish a program myself to help future teachers develop their perception on teaching and education. This program could be an afterschool program or an annual forum that educates young teachers to step outside the box when creating a lesson plan and be humble enough to accept veteran teacher insights and experiences.

How to Find a My Future Essay Sample

How to Find a My Future Essay SampleOnce you have selected your essay topic and created your essay topic options, it is time to find a My Future Essay Sample. There are many different places that can provide you with a free copy of a sample essay. Many websites sell these samples for you at very low cost. When you select a resource that sells them, you will be helping yourself in many ways.These are great for people who only want to browse the web or don't want to pay for them. Not every site will give you the exact same samples. You need to know that they are usually not as good as the ones that you will find at a college or university. When you choose a college or university as your resource, you will have access to the most professional-looking essay that you can buy.The best place to go when you are ready to select an essay is the website of the college or university. They can provide you with a wide variety of essays from all parts of the country and all levels of education. The essays range from high school to graduate school, to undergraduate and even graduate school. This should give you an idea of what you are getting.You should also see if the college or university has a writing center where you can visit and meet the educational staff. Sometimes they will give you a free book so that you can review your ideas. This will give you an idea of how much knowledge they have and how they make their decisions.You can also visit the writing center. This is a huge help if you have the opportunity to sit down with someone who is knowledgeable. Most writing centers offer several free sessions so that you can really get the advice that you need. You will probably want to use a writing center where the curriculum is completely free.No matter where you look, you should be able to find a student's essay for free. Some students just want to post the writing on the internet and receive feedback. Others want to build up a portfolio to go to colleges and universities fo r a job interview. When you find an essay for free, it is a great tool for building up your portfolio.It is always better to look for a free college essay before you go on to the paid versions. A paid essay may not be worth much if you never read it. You do not want to get burned by a high priced writing sample.

Free Essays on Communism-Balzac & The Little Chinese Seamstress

Communism is a collectivist system of government in which the whole of the country is worth more than the individual. Throughout history the spread of communism was feared, and often contained as best possible by western civilization's ever popular capitalist system of government. Much literature throughout history has touched upon the communist ideals, and often been set in communist countries. One such piece of literature is Dai Sijie's, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. The story of, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, is tale of two boys account of living rural communist China where they are drastically programed to think and live a different life as a result of the communist movement. Within the story, the author emphasizes what is called re-education, which is a practice of the communist movement in which, "intellectuals," of the country are taught to think in and live in the communist manifesto. The intellectuals of the country were hated by the communists b ecause they were not afraid to think on their own, individually which took away from the collective nature of this particular system of government and compromised its success. As a result to ensure the success of communism, intellectuals were re-educated to think like communists and act like communists. Although Dai Sijie's account of communist China made for an interesting story, it failed to meet my expectations due to the fact it did not present a detailed view of the communist re-education campaign instituted in that period of time, but instead focused on the romance Luo and the Chinese seamstress. From what was gathered from this particular tale set within communist China, the main reason why communists hated intellectuals, and therefore instituted re-education, was due to the fear that the people would not take part in being a communist nation. This idea was drawn from the relationship of Luo and the Chinese seamstress. Luo, a young Chinese city ... Free Essays on Communism-Balzac & The Little Chinese Seamstress Free Essays on Communism-Balzac & The Little Chinese Seamstress Communism is a collectivist system of government in which the whole of the country is worth more than the individual. Throughout history the spread of communism was feared, and often contained as best possible by western civilization's ever popular capitalist system of government. Much literature throughout history has touched upon the communist ideals, and often been set in communist countries. One such piece of literature is Dai Sijie's, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. The story of, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, is tale of two boys account of living rural communist China where they are drastically programed to think and live a different life as a result of the communist movement. Within the story, the author emphasizes what is called re-education, which is a practice of the communist movement in which, "intellectuals," of the country are taught to think in and live in the communist manifesto. The intellectuals of the country were hated by the communists b ecause they were not afraid to think on their own, individually which took away from the collective nature of this particular system of government and compromised its success. As a result to ensure the success of communism, intellectuals were re-educated to think like communists and act like communists. Although Dai Sijie's account of communist China made for an interesting story, it failed to meet my expectations due to the fact it did not present a detailed view of the communist re-education campaign instituted in that period of time, but instead focused on the romance Luo and the Chinese seamstress. From what was gathered from this particular tale set within communist China, the main reason why communists hated intellectuals, and therefore instituted re-education, was due to the fear that the people would not take part in being a communist nation. This idea was drawn from the relationship of Luo and the Chinese seamstress. Luo, a young Chinese city ...

5 More Tips for Cleaning Up Your Writing Right Now

5 More Tips for Cleaning Up Your Writing Right Now 5 More Tips for Cleaning Up Your Writing Right Now 5 More Tips for Cleaning Up Your Writing Right Now By Mark Nichol Last week, I offered some simple advice for immediately improving your prose, including suggestions having to do with punctuation, capitalization, and the like. Here are more recommendations, this time dealing with more qualitative issues: 1. Avoid cliches like the plague: You can’t omit them altogether and you shouldn’t try but take care when recasting a tired word or phrase into something fresh and new. When calling attention to hypocrisy, instead of reciting the cliche â€Å"This is a case of the pot calling the kettle black,† you could write, â€Å"Keywords: pot, kettle, black.† You can also play with words, referring to an especially distraught drama queen as a trauma queen. 2. Avoid filler phrases: Delete content-free wording like â€Å"be that as it may,† â€Å"to all intents and purposes,† and â€Å"in the final analysis.† These prolix protrusions pop up naturally in speech to bridge a gap between one thought and the next, but although you’re forgiven for including them in a first draft, there’s no excuse for letting them pass inspection when you review your writing or edit someone else’s. 3. Avoid verbosity: Watch for wordy phrases like â€Å"in order to,† unnecessary words and phrases like currently and â€Å"that is,† and smothered verbs (constructions in which a noun can be transformed into a verb, such as â€Å"offered an indication† when indicate will do.) 4. Avoid redundancies and repetition and saying the same thing twice: Take care to avoid doppleganger words in stock phrases common, like filler phrases, to spoken language but inimical to good writing like â€Å"actual fact† and â€Å"completely finished.† 5. Avoid repetitive sentence structure: Craft your prose in such a way that phrases, clauses, sentences, and paragraphs flow smoothly (avoid a Dick-and-Jane style of writing reminiscent of text in primary-grade reading books) and consider the visual impact of your writing. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Does [sic] Mean?3 Types of HeadingsConfusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns

Freedom Writers and the Economics of Race and Gender Essay - 1

Freedom Writers and the Economics of Race and Gender - Essay Example It also touches upon the economics of race and gender. On a cursory viewing the story looks deceptively simple. But when the storyline, screenplay and other nuances in the film are observed, numerous interpretations are made available. Embedded within it are themes of economics, especially that applying to race and gender. Moreover, what comes through the narrative is the strength of character and commitment shown by Erin Gruwell as she undertakes to set right a challenging group of students. For example, â€Å"She encounters a diverse but segregated community so racially charged, hostile and potentially combustible that she likens it to Nazi Germany. Without the support of her administrators (played by Imelda Staunton and others) and the school system, which views teenagers more as threats than scholars, Miss Gruwell devises her own methods for reaching students. She begins educating them about other young people who've endured wars, like Anne Frank, and simultaneously gives them journals so that they can tell their own stories, thus, giving each person a voice and a sense of value.† (Mayo, 2007, p.43) Another test of character and commitment for Erin was the divisions within the classroom on the basis of race, ethnicity and class. The term 'Economics of Gender and Race' is usually employed by economists to talk about disparities in income and work opportunities among different races and the two genders. In the American context, these disparities are skewered in favor of white Americans, especially the White Anglo Saxon Protestant (WASP) group. The whites generally have a head-start in terms of standard of living they are born into, career opportunities they can avail of, neighborhoods they can inhabit, etc. Also, on average, whites earn more income than other minority groups. A similar disparity exists among the genders, where males are favored for both positions of high office and in the incomes they earn. In the movie Freedom Writers, the classroom under the charge of Erin Gruwell is a representative collage of these realities. There we see white pupils born to well-to-do parent s (who also perform better in exams) contrasted against pupils from minority communities such as blacks and Hispanics, who are projected to be disorganized and less disciplined (indicative of their socio-economic backgrounds). The microcosm of the classroom is a reflection of larger realities in American society. The semblance to reality is all the more so because the movie was based on the real life story of an American teacher of the same name – Erin Gruwell; and the school she works for Wilson High School. (Pimentel, 2010, p.51) Hence only a person of impeccable force of character and commitment could have overcome these many disparities and bring out the creative energies. Any other ordinary teacher in Erin’s place would have utterly failed in uniting and pacifying the group of students. What moves the story forward are a) a racially motivated shoot-out involving members of the class and b) the interception by Erin of a racially-loaded drawing in the classroom boar d. This is a crucial juncture in the movie from where the students will embark on a creative, developmental journey. Instead of indulging themselves in gang-wars and wasting their lives, by recording and exchanging their experiences they would gain insights into other perspectives and viewpoints. Erin struggles to procure necessary stationary for students' writing projects - since the class is largely comprised of minority students, their lower socio-economic background meant that they cannot buy stationary supplies with their own money. Erin’s out-of-the-box thinking helps her to transform the attitude of her pupils. The proof of her

THEMES IN U.S. & WORLD HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

THEMES IN U.S. & WORLD HISTORY - Essay Example B. Justify your choice of the one most significant environmental/geographic factor that contributed to the development or diffusion of one human society from the following list:Â   Prosperity of the Mesopotamian society was predetermined by the fertile soil and developed system of irrigation that in turn allowed keeping the large number of cattle. These were the crucial factors for the prosperity of the civilization, as well as the presence of the favorable climate. Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations differed in many ways, yet both of them were dependent on the river systems. However, Egyptians mainly populated the Nile River valley, while Mesopotamians settled all across the Middle East. C. Justify your choice of the two most significant social and/or political changes that occurred as a result of the actions of one individual from the following list of world leaders:Â   Nelson Mandela represents an example of a bright leader who inspired millions of people around the world. First of all Mandela won the first multi-racial elections in South Africa thus creating a significant change in perception and building of a color blind society in Africa and around the world. Prior to becoming a president Mandela was known for his anti-apartheid violent actions, his actions attracted attention to the existing problem. D. Justify your choice of the two most significant social and/or political changes that occurred as a result of the actions of one individual from the following list of United States leaders:Â   I suppose that Martin Luther King became an iconic figure, whose courage inspired countless people. First of all Martin Luther King advocated for civil rights by means of the peaceful methods and never encouraged using violence for achieving the goals. His speech I Have a Dream encouraged creation of a color blind society and society based on equality. He actively addressed issues of poverty and contributed to the end of the War in Vietnam. E. Discuss the ris e of imperialism or colonialism in one area of the world from the following list:Â   Western countries were interested in expanding their influence beyond the borders of Europe. South East Asia became one of the victims of this imperialism. In the 19th century China was particularly vulnerable and could not resist the imperialism from Japan, Russia and different Western countries. Most importantly Chinese markets opened for trade – Britain was precisely interested in this measure. Two Opium Wars, countless disputes and conflicts led to a total subjugation of China. Since Japan was an Asian country that led an aggressive expansionist policy in the region, local population highly resisted its actions. The aggressive Japanese policy predetermined negative perception of the country’s actions in the region for decades. F. Compare the tactics of one violent revolution and one nonviolent revolution from the following list:Â   I would like to address the two brightest exampl es of revolutions from the Eastern European countries: Russian Revolution of 1917 and Orange Revolution in Ukraine from late 2004 early 2005. Russian Revolution is clearly the case of a violent change of the regime in the country, followed by the execution of the Tsar’s family and destruction of all previous existing institution and intelligentsia. To the contrary, Orange Revolution in Ukraine, almost a century after the Russian one, represents a nonviolent scenario of a revolution, when people were able to achieve