A word from Dr Hannah

I’m buzzing like a live electrical line. It’s 3.30am and I’ve been up since 2am. I just got back home from the most incredible experience I’ve had with Holy Spirit. I taught and hosted a women’s reTreat titled ‘I Was Made to Rule & Reign Now.’ Wow! It was a pivotal point in my ministry. I was around some very astounding women in a breathtaking home. We ate sumptuous food. We encountered Holy Spirit in a transforming, phenomenal way. After being invited by Him to summit manifold arenas of our lives, we all left glowing.

What can we expect on the descent? We can expect some positive things and some negative ones. Beware of the possibility of some of these negative things:

• Tension with loved ones.
  • Some may express jealousy (covertly or overly) that you got to go away without them.
  • The clean house you left is now mess for you to clean up.
  • Since you got away, loved ones may expect you to come home rested and ready to wait on them.

• Disappointment with regular life after being surrounded by positive social and spiritual stimulation of:
  • Holy Spirit
  • Intense positivity
  • Novelty of environment
  • Novelty of relationships
  • Old relationships rekindled
  • Laughter
  • Beauty
  • Good food
  • Deep spiritual teaching
  • Like-minded individuals
  • Rest
  • Opportunity to be creative
  • Deep emotional and spiritual support

• Loneliness
  • You may have left the excitement and come home to a lonely house.
  • You may have left the excitement and come home to a house with people who don’t get you or really care about what you just experienced.
• Overwhelm – Physical, emotional, and spiritual fatigue. In many ways you just summitted a mountain.
  • Your body may be exhausted.
  • You may sit down and find yourself unable or not wanting to move.
  • You are daydreaming and distracted as your brain processes memories and events that happened.

On the flip side, please expect many positive things.

• Holy Spirit will prompt you to reach out and nurture the relationships you just enjoyed.
• Be contacted by a new or old friend just checking on you or letting you know the Lord just brought you to their mind.
• Notice that body aches and ailments are reduced or completely gone.
• People will comment that you look great.
• Increased alertness
  • You will notice new things you’ve not noticed before
  • You will perceive old things with new eyes based on what you learned
  • Holy Spirit and His ministering angels will continue to reveal and confirm things in a new way
• Acute sensitivity
  • Things that didn’t bother you before may bother you now. A regular show my husband and I had been enjoying grated my spirit so much that I had to ask him to turn it off.
  • Several people came to mind that I need to reach out to and encourage in the Lord.
• Renewed optimism and cheer
  • You will laugh more.
  • You will be more patient.
• Heightened creativity.
  • I had to turn on the notepad on my phone several times to jot down ideas as they flood my mind.

• Motivation
  • Despite it being 3am, I finally got out of bed to get productive and start working on the ideas.
• Adrenaline high
  • Energy to take on new tasks
  • Racing thoughts
  • Talking more
  • Talking faster
• Augmented problem-solving and planning capabilities.
  • I’m already planning the next event while memories and ideas are fresh.

Please briefly share 3 aspects of your ‘come-down’ experience in the comments below. You may include things I listed or completely different ones.

The PPRRoven 4-step PPRRocess to PPRRogress past your PPRRedicament today.

We are all facing one PPRRoblem or another. Some people’s are gargantuan while others’ are miniscule. The P.P.R.R APPRRoach can be applied to all sizes. They can be learned by children and adults alike. They apply at home, at work, at school, at the store, on the playground – everywhere. Ready? Master-strategist, the prophet Nehemiah exemplifies them beautifully. PPRRess in…

“What time do your boys get out the door?” A friend asked me this morning.

“One at 5am and the other at 7am,” I said.

“How does that feel?” She wondered.

It’s an odd feeling to have kids fledge. Where are they leaving so early? They are 18 and 15. Just tots. That question transported me to a sinking feeling I had after my second child was born. I remember standing in the middle of the living room making arrangements for a meltdown.

There I stood on that teal carpet with a two-year-old and a newborn, when a wave of overwhelm slammed me. The only thing I could think as I threw my head back in hysterics was, “I will never be able to go to Goodwill again.”

And before we know it, here I am. It’s 7a.m. and I can spend the day at Goodwill if I like. Yet somehow, I don’t want to. I’d rather go back to playing Thomas the Train and attending playdates. It happened all too quickly…

“Jesus saved my soul,” we claim. “Bless your soul,” they say.  “He’s a wretched soul,” we might accuse. 

What on earth is a soul, anyway? The basic understanding of it is a life, for example, we might read that ten souls perished in the inferno. Beyond that is a deeper, seemingly mysterious definition. Asking many Christians what their soul is leaves them stammering for answers and scratching their heads. Welcome to a clear and concise description of it. In this article I will define the soul scripturally, I will unfold the premise of the soul,  and then tackle our calling to align it with God.

Understanding your soul can dramatically transform you and how God works in your life. We must grasp it so as to comprehend what we are in essence. Numerous Bible passages refer to the soul. 1 Peter 1:9 claims that the outcome of our faith is the salvation of our souls. Peter refers to Jesus as the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls in 1 Peter 2:25. Jesus admonished, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell,” (Matthew 10:28.)

To understand the soul, let’s pan out to the greatest commandment, upon which all others hinge, based on Deuteronomy 6:5. 

When asked, “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  

Matthew 22:37-40. 

Defining the Soul

Western culture views the heart as the center of emotions, the soul as entirely fuzzy and best sidestepped, and the mind as the brain. How does Scripture define these terms? Review God’s greatest command. To love Him is our top calling. We are to do so with 3 aspects of our being: the whole heart, the whole soul, and the whole mind. Unraveling these concepts is a feast! Let’s use Strong’s Bible Dictionary to guide us.

• The heart, kardia, is the center of all physical and spiritual life; the fountain and seat of the passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, and endeavors. It is the faculty and seat of intelligence, the will, and character. It encompasses our emotions. 
• The soul, psuche, is the breeze or breath of life that animates men and animals. Furthermore, it is the seat of feelings, desires, affections. It is the heart. It is a moral being designed for everlasting life and is not dissolved upon death. 
• The mind, dianoia, is the faculty of thinking, understanding, imagining, feeling, and desiring. 

Note how tightly woven this trifecta is. Just as God started the greatest commandment in Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear O Israel, the LORD your God is one,” the heart, soul, and mind are one and the same thing at their core. This is where the mic drops! It is so simple. It is so deep.

The scriptural outlook is much meatier than our western view. Heart, soul, and mind are synonymous with each other. We can define any one of them as the will, the intellect, and the emotions. I use the simple acronym W.I.E. to remember them. Are you ready for the second mic drop? God has a soul too. He has a will, an intellect, and emotions. Animals also have a soul and it is easy to see these three aspects of the soul in various animals, especially those higher up in the animal kingdom.

Unfolding the Soul

In this section, we will explore the three aspects of the soul – the will, the intellect, and the emotions. View the article titled The Senses as the Gateway to the Soul.

1. The will.

The Google dictionary defines the will as the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action. Other words to describe it include resolve, determination, purpose, motivation, and drive. 

2. The Intellect

In this context, I refer to the intellect as executive brain function. Click here for my list of the various intellectual elements. Can you think of any that I missed? Please email them to me or note them in the comments section. As you reflect on these, you see that God also has an intellect, as do many animals.

Elements of Executive Brain Function

3. The Emotions

Emotions refer to feelings or sentiments. They are a natural instinctive state of mind based on one’s circumstances. Numerous emotions wheels have been developed. Click here for one of my favorites: Emotions Wheel : Glenn Trigg. You can also download one for yourself from that site.

Aligning the soul with God

Our goal then becomes to align your soul with God’s soul. He is as the docking station my Roomba vacuum cleaner docks itself to when it is done cleaning. Better yet, he is our true North to which we are to orient ourselves moment by moment. Consider your will. How driven are you? What motivates you? How does that align with God? He desires for us to live passionately driven lives for his purposes. What is your purpose? What are you pouring your short life into (and it is short even if you live to be 130 years old)?

Next, peruse the intellectual functions again. Pick five and compare them in your life to the same function in God’s life. What am I constantly focusing on? Am I paying attention to what he is paying attention to? Is my humor aligned with his? Am I submitting my plans to his plans as disclosed in Scripture? Is my imagination pleasing him? Are my priorities in line with his? How am I faring in the area of judgment?

Now behold the emotions. Do I respond emotionally as he does? Am I happy and celebrating what makes him happy and celebrate? Does what makes him angry make me angry? Again, pick five items off the emotions wheel to study. Ask him to reveal how yours line up with his. Are you filled with his joy and peace?

In closing, look again at the greatest commandment to love him with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. Consider that to “love is to welcome.” From this regard, welcome his will and bend yours to fit his. Welcome his intellect and mold yours to his. Welcome his emotions and yield yours to his. What a fantastic and grand calling. To do so is to be holy as he is holy (Leviticus 20:26; 1 Peter 1:16) – truly sanctified meaning, set apart. Then we can say with John, “herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world!” 1 John 4:17.

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

1 Thessalonians 5:23

It all started with me laughing out loud.

I’m sitting at home alone this morning, holding a cup of tea, and contemplating the weekend. I’m trying a new creamer – a blend of cashew and almond. It’s wonderfully creamy, packs 10g of protein, and has a decent taste. I just can’t look in my cup. It looks like it’s curdled, but just a little shake and all is back to normal. It’s the wierdest thing to have to get past the initial reaction to dump the whole cup. I’m over that now. Just don’t look in the cup, Hannah.

It’s misting steadily outside though I can tell the sun is trying to poke through the clouds. Boy those windows could use cleaning. I never notice dirty windows. I don’t know why anyone would notice dirty windows. Don’t look at the dirt, look past it. It’s so much better to look past the dirty windows than at them. The sheep are lying down in the pasture. Imagine wearing a heavy wool coat and lying down on wet grass in the misty rain. Then again, I imagine that sheep don’t imagine much.

I watch the traffic in the distance. It transports me to sitting with dad on the front porch, God rest his soul. We’d sit there and wonder where that car was going. And that one? Well maybe they’re not going somewhere, maybe they’re coming from somewhere. True but that doesn’t make sense; just because you’re coming from somewhere does not mean you’re not going anywhere. That is true. That’s a big truck, what do you think it’s carrying? I don’t know but I like how they come in waves and then the highway is quiet.

I miss that guy. I haven’t mused with him for a year and half now. Sigh. We will again. Last time we talked he was in the hospital fighting Covid. We didn’t know it would be the last time. At least I didn’t. Did you know, dad? He was having trouble getting a deep breath, so we didn’t talk for long. He told he was just resting and that he was going to be alright. To be good. He called me Mummy Blue. I didn’t say much. I was crying and didn’t want him to know. I love you Mummy Blue. I lost it. I love you Daddy Blue. Rest.

Within a day he was gone. The damage to his heart and lungs was extensive. He died on the operating table. Rest Daddy Blue. I’m so sorry, said Dr. Ngunga. Thank you for your efforts, doctor. Yes, he was an amazing man.

Death sucks! Grief is a bear…

Next thing I know I’m watching myself reading a eulogy virtually. I don’t want to be here. I want to be there. What am I doing here?

Well, right now I’m sitting here sobbing as I write this. But I can tell it won’t be a long sob. Just deep and intense heaving. I dreamt of him the other day. He was walking. That was so great. He was walking really fast which isn’t like him. He generally strides. Majestically. He had a limp in the dream. And he walked fast. But it was him. I really need to start on that book about him. But I need to finish this other one first…

The reason I grabbed my computer to blog in the first place was because I had just finished laughing out loud. And that made me think I hadn’t blogged in too long. I really should replace the missing button in my shirt. But not now. I was watching birds in the pond across the field and enjoying the clouds gliding across the sky. Sometimes they move really fast, those clouds. This time they were. I wonder where they’re going.

All of a sudden, I saw my bald eagle. He did a swoop towards the water, but it was a gradual swoop, not a fast one like he was catching something. I lean forward quickly to see what he’s doing, and I catch the funniest sight I’ve seen all morning. A tiny bird is chasing him off. This bird is smaller than his massive white head and he’s doing everything he can to get away from it.

That made me so happy I jumped to my feet to see how it would end. They dip behind the trees and I’m left to my imagination…

That was good. So here I am alone at home. Laughing. Crying. It’s going to be a good day.

Intermittent fasting (I.F.) might be one of the world’s most popular fitness trends today. Fasting entails eating little or nothing at all. The vast majority of diets focus on what you do or do not eat.  I.F. focuses on when you eat.

I started I.F. because I realized that I was having breakfast in the morning, though I wasn’t even hungry.

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A different eating pattern: Most people do not eat through the night. In the morning they therefore eat a meal called ‘break-fast.’

Fasting is reputed to have numerous benefits but can be daunting for most people. I.F can be quickly integrated into most people’s lifestyles. I started I.F. a few months ago because I realized that I was having breakfast in the morning, though I wasn’t even hungry. I had been trained to believe that breakfast was the most important meal of the day so I stuffed more food into the pipeline. Many people eat mindlessly or are emotional eaters. For spiritual reasons, I desired to gain control over food in my life and decided that I.F. would be a practical way to do that for health and spiritual reasons.

There are different types of I.F. I chose the most popular one which involves fasting for about 16 hours every day, also called the Leangains protocol. This prolongs the time between dinner and breakfast the next morning. It entails eating 2 meals instead of the regular 3 or more. The two meals are consumed within about 8 hours.

How long can I go without food? As a hospice worker, I marvel at how long the human body can sustain life without food. Did you know the body can go 8-21 days without food and water? It can go up to 2 months without food if it has water.

The human body can go 8-21 days without food and water

The 4 Soci0-emotional reasons for eating: We have more socio-emotional reasons for eating than we do physical ones.

1. We eat because it’s associated with socializing and having a good time.
2. We eat when we are bored, sad, angry, lonely, frustrated, and for so many other emotions.
3. Institutionally, we are trained to eat at set times. As I mentioned before, we frequently eat when we are not hungry, just because it’s “time to eat.”
4. We eat to nurture. From working with hundreds of dying individuals, one of the toughest struggles family members face is stopping feeding for their loved one at the end of life. They don’t want them “to starve to death.” But feeding and digestion can actually be painful and detrimental to a digestive system that is shutting down in the dying process. Chocking is a very high risk. The body sees to this by diminished appetite and reduced wakefulness.

What are the 9 benefits of fasting?  Many people fast for spiritual and health reasons and it has numerous benefits.

1. Fasting is a common practice in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. These religions have mandates to fast to sharpen one’s spiritual acuity and to gain power over situations that can’t be overcome in other ways.

2. Many people cite weight loss as a benefit of regular fasting as well as of I.F.

• The idea of I.F. is to consume fewer calories per day, not to stuff one’s regular eating quotient into a shorter period of time.
• Insulin levels drop and Human Growth Hormone levels rise dramatically, which bode well for burning fat and building muscle to facilitate weight loss.
• Noradrenaline or norepinephrine which aids in the burning of fat is increased when we fast.
• Fasting enhances the body’s stress response and increases metabolism.

3. Fasting can alter your genes and help you live longer.

4. Fasting lowers blood sugar and reduces insulin resistance combatting type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes.

5. Fasting may combat cancer as cancer cells depend on a regular intake, especially of sugar.

6. Digestion takes up a lot of the body’s resources. When we take a break from digesting by fasting, we trigger cellular restoration, including brain cells. Tattered cells are carted off and new ones are created faster than when coupled with the digestion process.

7. Fasting reduces belly fat which is associated with numerous disease processes. It reduces bad cholesterol (LDL.)

8. Fasting reduces inflammation throughout body systems.

9. Fasting simplifies our lives and rewards us with time and money otherwise spent on food prep.

In a future article I will outline how I have integrated intermittent fasting into my life and both positive and negative effects I’ve experienced. Fasting is not for everyone. Always consult your medical healthcare provider before engaging in significant life changes such as fasting.