Tag Archives: De Mon Faire

7 Seconds (Youssou N’Dour and Neneh Cherry)


Paul Dewitt Goree

Don’t see me from a distance, don’t look at my smile
And think that I don’t know what’s under and behind me
I don’t want you to look at me and think
What’s in you is in me, what’s in me is to help them
LOVE….
Roughneck and rudeness,
We should be using, on the ones who practice wicked charms
For the sword and the stone
Bad to the bone
Battle is not over
Even when it’s won!
And when a child is born into this world
It has no concept
Of the tone the skin is living in
(CHORUS)
It’s not a second, seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay, I’ll be waiting
It’s not a second, seven seconds away
Just as long as stay, I’ll be waiting
I’ll be waiting,
I’ll be waiting
I assume the reasons that push us to change
I would like that they forget about their color,
so that they can have hope
Too many views on race that make them desperate
I like the doors wide open
So that friends can talk about their pain and their joy
Then we can give them information, that will bring us all together
(CHORUS)
It’s not a second, seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay, I’ll be waiting
It’s not a second, seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay, I’ll be waiting
I’ll be waiting,
I’ll be waiting
And when a child is born into this world
It has no concept
Of the tone of the skin he’s living in
And there’s a million voices!
And there’s a million voices!
To tell you what she should be thinking!
So you better sober up for just a second!
Seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay, I’ll be waiting
It’s not a second, seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay, I’ll be waitin

Onward-DE MON FAIRE


Gone
ONWARD – De Mon Faire
By: Paul Dewit Goree 8/7/2014 (PHX wave conclusion 8/2014)

(DE MON FAIRE = Of My Maneuvering. knowing that I am maneuvering nothing and God maneuvers all.)

Gone are the feelings, the mislead urges
Denied, keeping me hungry forever
Washed in the tide an insipid star
The star you stole and deprived me

Gone are excuses, the lingering fuel
Of a life mistake, dooming a forward tread
With nothing from nothing, growth with nothing done
It’s seems life has a power, a power of its’ own

CHORUS
What I’m not understanding ,
Is now divinely synched automatic
Within the valley , I feel myself
Looking down up from a peak
Knowing that distances and time
Lay ahead, and so must I
All of the past rest assured
Becomes the strength as I venture on…
On, on, on, on ONWARD, on, on, on, ONWARD!

Gone are the systems of error default
The people expectations lost, now that I
Contest, and demand the equivalent
Manipulation disentangles, no negative energy resides

Gone are the ambitions, of collective worth
Pushing aside, all my De Mon Faire
Reversing decisions, displaced within myself
I find it easier to say “Jesus Love” and let others find their way

The Spiritual Dimension of Carla Washburn (the Biopsychosocio-spiritual aspects of a clients’ profile)


mothers day

The Spiritual Dimension of Carla Washburn final Apa 3

The Spiritual Dimension of Carla Washburn
Paul Goree
Arizona State University 2013

Abstract
This essay will explore James Fowler work titled, Stages of Faith- the Psychology of Human Development: and it’s psychotherapeutic applications, in dealing with individual faith over the course of a life time. In addition, the connotations of spirituality and aging will be examined, as they are presented by Dr. Margaret Waller, in her work The Spiritual Dimension for Assessing Human Functioning. It is from these works that a better understanding of spirituality and its role in a client’s biopsychosocial spiritual profile can be defined and used by social workers.
In this essay I will document a firm foundation of the spiritual dimension and its importance to social practitioner’s life. A compare and contrast of Fowler’s Theory will demonstrate the variance that occurs with a change in variables. This will be accomplished by using the case client study of Carla Washburn, provided by Alice A. Lieberman on the New Directions in Social Work website, http://www.routledgesw.com/. The variables that will be examined will be sex and age.
The intent of this essay, is to demonstrate the role of spirituality in the biopsychosocial spiritual dimension of a client’s assessment profile. It also will provided insightful conclusions by which a social practitioner can evaluate the differences of individual’s behavior, as it is affected by sub-systems and environments.

Keywords: spirituality, aging, stages of faith theory

The Spiritual Dimension of Carla Washburn
The opening of James Fowler’s work, Stages of Faith- The Psychology of Human Development provides intriguing questions Fowler sought to utilize in a workshop on faith. The questions expanded upon the notion of faith and its meaningful purpose in an individual’s life (Fowler, 1995). Fowler states that from the questions he “examined the structure of values, the patterns of love and action, the shape of fear and dread and the directions of hope and friendship in my life” (p.3). Fowler concluded that the entirety of these questions, revolved around faith. With faith we are able to process meaningful life patterns that occur throughout our life (p.4).

Fowler finalized his work, by categorizing 7 stages of spiritual growth an individual will endure. The stages are patterned like Eric Erikson’s, Stages of Psychosocial Development, providing age range and attributed behavior (Walker, n.d.). The stages are:

  • Stage 1 Primal-Undifferentiated Faith,
  • Stage 2 Intuitive-Projective,
  • Stage 3 Mythic –Literal, Stage
  • Stage 4 Synthetic-Conventional,
  • Stage 5 Individual-Reflective, Stage (my current stage),
  • Stage 6 Conjunctive Faith and
  • Stage 7 Universalizing Faith- Maslow’s Actualization (Roger, p.316).

These stages define several characteristics Fowler detailed in his work, such as the German word Einbildungskaft: which means “power” (p.24). The stages bring forward two genral concepts: The ideal of faith being “relational” – (concept of a personal relationship with GOD, and how that conveys into our social relationships-family, friends, love, community,etc). (p.16). and  A difference between faith and religion (p.12).

When reviewing the client case study of Carla Washburn, it is evident that these characteristics and stages follow through. Carla Washburn is 76 years old, has type 2 diabetes, occasionally attends church, and is in a grief support group. Carla’s grief is over her grandson who died in Afghanistan. Carla also has lost her son and his wife to a car accident. Although Carla’s grief seems heavy: She seems to have a grasp of Fowler’s understanding of, power, relational and the difference between faith and religion. Carla is in Stage 6 of Fowler’s structural development.

At Stage 6,  Carla seems to be transcending reality beyond emotional duress, by accepting the factors of what is existent. In the grief support group, Carla makes it very clear that she did not want to attend the sessions. But seeming it was a church group (of which she attends church) and seeming that her sister kept insisting: she decided to come. At this point Carla seems to have self-defined the role of the church/religion and faith (Lieberman, 2013). The differentiation of the group being for crisis resolution; and the group being for faithful passage is apparent. The difference can be found in the enjoyment Carla details having with her grandson, compared to Carla disinterest in the groups’ crisis support resolution. She expresses joyfully statements such as, “He even played tea with me…I listened to him…I was there for him and he was there for me”. These statements convey spiritual dynamics which Fowler detailed as “relational” (p. 16). It’s during stage 6,  that the individual “demythologizes” the literal meanings and symbols, creating a self- understanding of faith as it is referenced to spiritual and religion as to church, fellowship, etc. (Exploring Spiritual Development, 2009).

Fowler’s 6 Stage Conjunctive Faith, is also represented by Carla’s ability to overcome adversity and having meaning and purpose. This could be seen in Carla’s dialogue with Beverly about her son who died of an over dosage. Beverly is insistent that her son’s girlfriend is an intervening problem and cause of his death. Carla express sternly dialogue, for Beverly to come to terms of her son, as he really was and his responsibility to himself. She is not advising Beverly, but simply pointing out the conjunctive and non-conjunctive aspects of what is real!  Carla explains the difference of Beverly’s son, who died of an over dosage as being a completely different ordeal than her grandson who died honorably in the UNITED STATES ARMY. Her grandson died honorably-with respect of his responsibilities. Thus she doesn’t feel it necessary to conventional grieve. She is proud of her grandson and the abundance of love she provided to him as a child, comforts her now. Whereas Beverly son, died of irresponsibility of substance usage. That is why you are grieving. Beverly needs to accept the reality of the difference and the reality of her sons, actions. Which are separate from the emotional associations, which sometimes are tied to symbols and formalized patterns of behavior.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST VARIABLE :

If Carla were a 20 year old caucasian male, then the characteristics of her behavior (essences) would be different according to Fowler’s Stages. Carla as Carl, would be in Stage 4 Synthetic Conventional . Fowler states that such individuals, are in a stage of anxiety aroused by responsibility of religious freedom. The individual may be angst with the complexity of faith, as they question conflicts which arise in their life against faith. As Carl, Carla might ask common emotional questions such as, “Why did her grandson had to die? Why did her son have to die in the auto accident? How can God be so good, yet create so much pain with death?” (Exploring Spiritual Development, 2009).

When approaching Carl, Fowler’s Stage development provides a social practitioner with helpful cues. For example at Stage 4, using strength developing techniques, allows the client to be self-determinant. This could assist Carl with increase awareness of his beliefs and their roots, making this reflective period more effective. However using that same approach with Carla at Stage 5 would not be as effective. At stage 5 Individual-Reflective,  it would be effective to utilize techniques that emphasized relationship, “I-Thou relationships” (Berk, 2010). At Stage 5 an individual is more confident in their faith and thus not in need of reaffirmation of what they have conceived as faith.

References
Berk, E. Laura. (2010). Resilience: agreeableness and acceptance of change. Development through the life span (5th ed.) Retrieved from http://www.pearsonhighered.com/berkls5epreview/assets/pdf/berk_ls5e_ch18.pdf

Exploring Spiritual Development. (2009). James Fowler’s stages of faith development. [Web log]. Retrieved from http://www.exploring-spiritual-development.com/JamesFowlersStages.html

Fowler, W. James. (1995). Stages of faith-the psychology of human development and quest for meaning. New York, NY. Haper Collins.

Lieberman, A. Alice. (2013). Carla Washburn’s grief support. [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.routledgesw.com//washburn/engage/video

Rogers, T. Anissa. (2013). Human behavior in the social environment. New York, NY: Routledge.

Waller, Margaret. (n.d.). The spiritual dimension for assessing human functioning. Faulkner. Retrieve from http://ww2.faulkner.edu/admin/websites/jfarrell/Spiritual%20dimensions%20of%20human%20functioning.pdf

De Mon Faire – Question of Ethics


ethics

 

DMF 11/11/2012 (1st 11:11 nov 10th)

De Mon Faire translates to, Of My Maneuvers. I started working on a self discovery in 2010, in hope of resolving some issues within myself and give my soul a very much needed, tune-up. My intended effort would be primarily based on spiritual development, by which I allowed myself to be open minded to all material of self-actualization and spiritual awakening. If I truly desired to discover and then empower myself, I would need to let all sources of manifestations be equal in their existence. This thorough self-examination was going to be an intentional effort to recognize and then pull energy towards me; which would increase my vibration level of consciousness. It seems many are instinctively experiencing similar desires related some sort of coherent social spiritual awakening.

Thus far there are #15 manuscript of the entire work. Each manuscript, is titled De Mon Faire #1-#15, and detailed various sociological, ecology, anthropology, psychological, astronomy, theology, and spiritual theories and accredited works by leading theorist and authors. It was my intent to digest naturally whatever ideologies moved me spiritually, and with some detailed self actualization establish a spiritual portrait of myself, an inventory of my abilities and a self assured state of mind, that would guide me more effectively, as I continued my soul code journey.

Some of the leading authors/theorist were, James Hillman, Malcome Gladwell, Carl Jung, Hank Wessleman, Wayne Dyer, John Pokinghorne,Doc Childre, Thomas Hobbes, Saul Alinsky, George Orwell, the Bible, etc. The first step in my blinded agenda, was to declare a truth to myself. If I were solely responsible for knowing one truth of life on earth, what would it be? From that one truth, the rest of De Mon Faire would naturally evolve. Everything would magically seemed linked-this aspect I later learned to be SYCHRONICITY by Carl Jung.

The one truth I declared in De Mon Faire #1, is from the Bible, Hebrews 11:1. ” Faith is all things hoped for and trust in the invisible force of creation”. From the day I took ownership of this powerful truth, my life began to slowly evolve and I became enlighten to the most wonderful relationship I had ever had. The personal relationship between God/the Universe and I.

The following is an insert from De Mon Faire #15 (which is currently being lived). When I started this amazing journey, I had faith but was not consciously aware of it’s inherent power. Little faith, leads to little belief in the self, creation and life abilities. Since having secured a full conscious awareness of faith, I have leaped spiritually and physically. As of now De Mon Faire is in creation. From the beginning I felt that if it turned out to be useful in my life, I would edit my personal “faire” versions, into a collective version, to do what is the natural thing to do, give back to the Universe/God, that which was given/channeled through me.

DE Mon Faire #15 Entry 2: (11-11-12)

I finally have an understanding of my order which from every perceived manner, seems like madness/chaos: Yet to me sEems so perfectly clear (ex: I spelled sEems, the way I did, because the capital E would be considered a typo, but from my point of view, sEems, still resulted in the same out come as “seems”, so why worry about it.) It has to do with my core ethics: In DMF#1 and #2 I questioned and examined my character. This was a good starting point, but character is streamed from ethics and moral.

At this very moment I am taking an Ethic course (through the writing of De Mon Faire, I have returned to college in 2011 to continue my degree) whereby the core theme is an understanding of varied ethically approaches and facilitation in behavior and thought. Naturally we base our ethical disposition on a mixture of standard approaches, resulting in varied opinions regarding, what is ethically accepted behavior and what is not. My core ethical principle (which streams my every behavior and thought) is DEONTOLOGICAL. This ethical approach asserts that our duty and rights should be independent from the consequences. An individuals intent is more relevant than result. The primary theorist of this ethical approach is Immanuel Kant. In general, Kant considers “The Formula of The End In Itself”: this is one of Kants Supreme Principle Categorical Imperatives. This philosophy asserts “each of our acts reflects one or more maxims. The maxim of the act is the principle on which one sees oneself as acting. A maxim expresses a person’s policy…the principle underlying the particular intention or decision on which he or she acts…whenever we act intentionally, we have at least one maxim and can, if we reflect, state what it is…each person assumes that the other has maxims of his or her own…and is not …to be manipulated.” (May et al, pg.39-40)

I associate Kants mutual maxims, with individualism. I firmly, live, breath and practice individualism- everyone has a right to individually believe whatever it is they believe and have it exist as a portion of the whole. So it becomes difficult for any one sector to deny, prevent or diminish another individual beliefs.

Associated with the ideal of individualism is Liberty, Freedom and self responsibility. So the actions I create are my responsibility and I accept I am obligated to them, for I created them. Thus at all times each of us is an active, willing participant in the affairs of events: 50-50.

I know that I’m responsible for all my acts and thoughts, as I go through the regular denial process into acceptance. Thus I expect everyone else to be the same. But the world operates on varied planes, and I should not discard any of these (all exist as one) : however, nor should I change my bar of ethics either.
From the Deontological approach, I can, not agree, but I must also acknowledge that what I don’t agree to, has a RIGHT to not agree either.

Understanding this helps me recognize my actions and beliefs. It has helped me realize I do what I do and how I relate to people. I assume it’s because I don’t seek to change a person- the only thing I seek to accomplish is the better positive state of life. I acknowledge the opposite of this rose-colored glass view has a proper right to exist in our reality, and my only intent is to co-exist, while practicing my angle.

When I meet people I let them exist as they are (even when they try to persuade, fault or correct me). I remain me and let them proceed as they would, even if it is destructive for me. I do this because upon an encounter, if another has any deception or ignorance, there is nothing I can do to prevent them from changing their ways, unless they ask for assistance. If I continue to associate with them, then I am responsible for my actions as I follow them down a mal path. The rational thing to do is to avoid these types of relationships (as an individual, I am not ethically obligated to trust everyone-I have a choice and self will), but as it is a known fact, fate unfolds, whereby unlikely pairs are place together, headed towards a collision. I take the collision and consider it an excerpt or test from God/Universe- knowing that in the end, I will gain from the unintended relationship.

In the end, I remain true to my principles of ethic, and simply was deterred momentarily, which the universe (God) always seems to compensate for (Karma). Yes I was paired with a collision in waiting, but in the course of that collision I met some other people who internalized aspects of my demeanor. Or I may met some people who contributed to my beliefs, who I would not have met had I not been a co-factor of a fated collision. There are many possibilities of outcome, but the primary factor is I end up benefiting from paired associations. This is because I have faith and intentionally look for the good in all things.

Now there are time when I might say to another, “if we go that way we will fall off a cliff.” It is not my responsibility nor right to prevent that person from continuing to go down an ill fated path. Conventionally this can be seen in substance abuse. I can inform a person of the possible consequences of substance abuse, but there is no feasible way for me to prevent them from doing what is their natural right and individual willed.

I do correlate my ethical beliefs with the macro societal value, and thus there will be moment when I (as well as every other citizen) is obligated to intervene. Example a child is in harms way, a disable person is unaware of a speeding car, someone burns down city hall, etc. My involvement in these non-negotiated societal obligations does not diminish my individual ethic, nor give me concrete judgment of another, it simply places me as an obligated individual removed from the course of action of another.

Another important aspect of this ethically approach is although I affect through reflection, I do not place demands upon that which has an individual right to exist. All I can do is remain true to myself and be a sort of role model of that which I am of.

References:
Delston, Jill, May, Larry, Wong Kai. (2011). Applied Ethics:A Multicultural Approach 5th Edition.Prentice Hall

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