Practical Christianity:  Durable Souls Part 8 — When the Mind Heals, the Soul Strengthens — Becoming One Person Again

(Part 8 of 17)

Floatie:  The Promise of a Unified Self

Psalm 86:11  Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.(ESV)

The psalmist does not ask God to strengthen his heart.  He asks God to unite it.  Because the opposite of strength is not weakness.  The opposite of strength is division.

A divided heart cannot fear God rightly.
A divided mind cannot think clearly.
A divided soul cannot rest.
A divided person cannot stand.

This message is the hinge-point — the moment where all the fragments exposed in Durable Souls Parts 1–7 begin to realign into one coherent, durable identity.

This is still about mental health because mental wholeness is spiritual wholeness.  The work of Christ is not merely salvation — it is integration.


✒️ Forge:  God’s Blueprint for the Unified Human Being

Scripture treats the human being as a single, integrated whole:

  • heart (affections and decisions)
  • mind (thoughts and interpretations)
  • soul (identity and essence)
  • strength (body and agency)

These are distinct faculties, but they were always designed to operate in synchrony.

Trauma fragmented them.
Fear scattered them.
Shame isolated them.
False voices divided them.
The enemy exploited them.

Christ restores them — through five reintegration movements.

Let’s name each one.

1. Reintegrating the Heart (Desire and Decision)

The heart fractured when:

  • desire contradicted conviction,
  • longing contradicted identity,
  • emotional wounds contradicted spiritual truths.

Healing begins when the heart:

  • stops hiding from itself,
  • stops fearing its own emotions,
  • stops being manipulated by shame,
  • stops confusing trauma with discernment.

God unites your heart by removing the internal war between:

  • “what I want to do”
    and
  • “what I feel safe doing.”

A unified heart wants God without sabotaging itself.

2. Reintegrating the Mind (Logic and Interpretation)

The mind fractured when:

  • fear wrote the interpretation,
  • trauma wrote the intuition,
  • shame wrote the internal narrative.

Healing begins when the believer:

  • discerns the voices (Durable Souls Part 6),
  • disarms the lies,
  • replaces them with truth (Durable Souls Part 7).

A unified mind is not a silent mind.  It is a ordered mind.

Thoughts no longer compete.  Interpretations no longer contradict faith.  Catastrophizing no longer overrides truth.  Clarity becomes possible again.

This is not intelligence.  This is spiritual coherence.

3. Reintegrating the Emotions (Feeling and Expression)

The emotions fractured when:

  • expression was shamed,
  • pain was minimized,
  • grief was rushed,
  • fear was moralized,
  • anger was forbidden,
  • sadness was treated as unbelief.

Healing begins when the believer allows emotions to:

  • speak but not rule,
  • express but not lie,
  • inform but not dominate.

God unites your emotions by giving them proper place — not too high, not too low — so they align with truth rather than distort it.  A unified emotional life feels deeply without drowning.

4. Reintegrating the Body (Strength and Presence)

The body fractured when:

  • trauma froze it,
  • anxiety flooded it,
  • stress exhausted it,
  • shame hid it,
  • fear immobilized it.

Healing begins when:

  • the nervous system calms,
  • breath returns,
  • rest deepens,
  • the body stops reacting to old dangers as if they are present,
  • the believer learns to inhabit their physical self without fear.

A unified body becomes a partner in discipleship — not an obstacle to it.  The body stops betraying the soul.

5. Reintegrating the Spirit (Identity and Communion)

The spirit fractured when:

  • the believer prayed from the wrong depth (Durable Souls Part 4),
  • misdiagnosed wounds blocked connection,
  • false voices distorted God’s tone.

Healing begins when:

  • the believer brings the correct wound to God,
  • God’s voice becomes clear,
  • condemnation is replaced with conviction,
  • intimacy is restored.

A unified spirit stands anchored even in storms.  This is not emotional hype.  This is internal stability.


⚒️ Anvil:  The Signs You Are Becoming a Unified, Durable Person

Reintegration is not dramatic.  It is subtle, quiet, powerful — like bones setting, like fractures knitting.

You know you are becoming a unified person when:

1. Your emotions no longer contradict your beliefs.

You believe God is good — and your emotions stop arguing about it.

2. Your thoughts stop spiraling.

Fear may speak, but it doesn’t dominate.  Your mind stays in the present.

3. Your reactions match the situation instead of your history.

People stop paying for the sins of others.  You stop interpreting today through yesterday’s injury.

4. Your body stops preparing for threats that aren’t there.

Your chest loosens.  Your breathing deepens.  Your muscles release.  This is holy work — not biology alone.

5. Conviction becomes easier to recognize than condemnation.

You know exactly which voice is speaking.  You stop confusing God with wounds.

6. Your prayer life becomes aligned.

You pray from the core wound, not the surface symptom.  Breakthrough becomes normal, not rare.

7. You feel like one person instead of many.

This is the hallmark.  The war inside goes quiet.  The parts stop pulling apart.  Your inner world becomes walkable again.  This is what durable souls feel like.


🔥 Ember:  My Witness to Integration

I’ve lived fractured.  I’ve lived divided.  I’ve lived unsure which part of me was speaking at any given moment.

But there came a season — slow, quiet, unmistakable — when the pieces began to settle.

My mind slowed.
My emotions aligned.
My body stopped bracing.
My prayers became accurate.
My identity felt stable.
My relationship with God felt real again — not theoretical, not forced, not distant.

It wasn’t perfection.
It was coherence.

A single person standing where there once had been many.  I’ve watched others experience the same shift — and the result is always the same:  They become the kind of believer who cannot be easily manipulated, cannot be spiritually bullied, cannot be frightened into compliance, and cannot be shaken from their faith.

Durability is not hardness.
Durability is unity.


🌿 Covenant Triumph:  The Restoration of the Whole Person

Christ does not save fragments.  He saves whole persons and then brings the fragments back into unity.  This is the promise of Psalm 86:11“Unite my heart.”

A unified person:

  • hears God clearly,
  • sees God rightly,
  • prays effectively,
  • loves deeply,
  • endures storms,
  • resists deception,
  • and stands with dignity and authority.

If Durable Souls Parts 1–7 exposed the fracture, Durable Souls Part 8 reveals the beginning of wholeness.

In the next message — Durable Souls Part 9:  The Durable Soul — What a Spiritually and Mentally Whole Believer Looks Like in the Real World — we will bring all the threads together into a picture of the fully integrated believer:  calm, clear, rooted, responsible, discerning, enduring, and unshakeable.

Wholeness is not a dream.
It is the covenant work of Christ.  And He is completing it in you.


[⚓ Floatie] [✒️ Forge] [⚒️ Anvil] [🔥 Ember] [🌿 Covenant Triumph]
This post follows the Forge Baseline Rule—layered truth for the discerning remnant.

8 responses to “Practical Christianity:  Durable Souls Part 8 — When the Mind Heals, the Soul Strengthens — Becoming One Person Again”

  1. cleaners4seniors Avatar

    Where do body signals fit in to this mix?
    For instance, with work, stress from a client or their family . (My neck pain ) flares up so I drop the client.
    Stress induced by unsolvable problems that go beyond my boundaries I set for myself.

    Fear of committing in a relationship
    My asthma (cant breath) flares up.

    Lastly
    Family/Friends who have unending problems without solutions.
    Nonstop verbally going on and on
    With negative talking, leads to false accusations against me and put downs. This causes me stress (my brain feels like it will explode)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Don Avatar
      Don

      Emotions are to the mind what the immune system is to the body. Emotions and the immune system speak to each other. Emotions can have physical reactions. Physical responses can cause emotional ones. The two systems can actually cause a feedback loop.

      If you are mentally stressed you already know how that stress presents in the body. It can cause muscles to cramp and not release. It can cause inflammation that can pinch nerves.

      For the ones who have problems with no solutions. It can either be a case where there truly is no solution without God, or it can be that they simply refuse to accept any solution other than the one they’ve chosen. It’s often hard to know which option is true. Discernment can help here, but it doesn’t always give you the answer.

      For the last part…

      Boundaries. Their negative self talk doesn’t affect you. You don’t have to take in their negativity. You don’t have to believe the negative things they say. The put downs are only valid if they are said in truth and love. It sounds to me like that isn’t the case. Put downs? Nearly universally not needed.

      My close family and friends bond over an odd game where we insult each other. The rules are pretty simple and entirely based on us knowing each other so well. One example, my cousin drives a Ford. I’m a Chevy guy. We constantly trash talk what the other drives even though we actually respect the choices the other made. We actually can appreciate the cool things about what the other drives.

      We never, repeat never, use insults to cover serious complaints. We always use plain talk if there is an actual issue that needs to be discussed. We have clear lines between play and actual conversations where we are voicing concerns or problems. Put simply, we all pick on people we like. We just don’t deal with people we don’t like.

      For you? Ignore the put downs. Ignore the negativity. If they keep pouring that out new boundaries might be needed.

      The placebo effect has a huge impact on our lives. If we don’t think something is possible then it isn’t. The opposite is also often true. This effect has been proven to help even when the person knows it’s just a placebo.

      You don’t deserve to live with the negativity of other people. You owe it to yourself to protect your own mental health.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. cleaners4seniors Avatar

        You are correct. My neck is brain stem / spine area (nerves).
        When it reaches that point.. I request removal from that particular job case.

        The brain exploding stress is a limit reached. Boundry set and violated. I have retreated away from these. Since my vertigo episode which was my brain & neck explosion which took me down physically.
        Not repeating that ever.

        The I cant breath is the one I won’t know until I have the opportunity to try again. Asthma is definitely emotional. I know the difference from my allergies flare.

        Im glad to know Im on the right track. I always feel bad when I dont know if avoidance is right or wrong.
        Understanding some new vocabulary here.. identifying and relating (past) , Is coming together slowly.

        Its great having others who share these same growing processes and learning together.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Don Avatar
        Don

        Asthma can be allergies, emotional, or physical. There is a nerve along the spine that can cause the symptoms of an asthma attack. It feels exactly the same. It causes the back muscles to tighten to the point that it restricts breathing.

        The nerves in the neck can cause heart palpitations and near heart attack feelings as well as headaches that feel exactly like migraines.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. cleaners4seniors Avatar

        So feeling healthy is a good choice. I listen to my body once I started to breakdown. Literally had to choose light duty at work, learn to say no, set boundaries and altogether stop connecting with anyone who lacked self control or chose not to heed to my requests. (To stop particular conversations). I understand patterns in my family we all have , so I tried my best to show compassion and mercy and non stop forgiveness, until my episode.
        Then drew the line and took the extreme measures to completely stop contact.
        This process has been three years now. This last year with my mothers passing really topped the cake. Sadly and unfortunately all emotions in everyone go haywire.
        Which didn’t help.

        My concern is , me .. constantly questioning myself if I did correctly.
        A tug of war within as I go over my feelings. Self examination; my hurt my anger , resentment? Discouragement again …
        My question Is; I think there is a point where I shouldn’t take on responsibility for other people’s personal issues, so its ok to feel and enjoy my peace and good health.(?)
        I have no desire to talk to anyone about this. Not one of them. Only because I believe I would only have to listen to (stuff) I don’t want to hear and/or (everything thats wrong with me) , or most recently… all of a sudden (they bring Jesus in). Which has no bearing. Makes it worse actually because their Christian narratives are not Biblical.

        So
        I’ve always felt Im between a rock and a hard place. But still wouldn’t change anything I’ve done .

        These family relationships are my number one problem. (Me questioning self. And working these feelings out).
        And
        How this life long dysfunctional system is related to (these steps).

        **The broken family has always been (conditional love).
        Which ultimately Jesus 🙌 is my first love… for real.
        Anyone else has only used (abused) the word. They say it only.
        Then nothing substantial follows.
        I always felt my dad loved me. How ironic that .. he wasn’t affectionate and never said ” I love you”.
        Even when he passed when I told him for the first time , dad I love you. And that (for me) was a breakthrough ❤️✝️🙏

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Don Avatar
        Don

        The hardest part about taking responsibility is know what you are truly responsible for. If you actually caused harm instead of simply telling the truth then you are responsible for that harm. If you told truth that caused harm then you have to test the spirit behind the telling. The cuts of a friend…

        If they want to blame you for telling the truth then that’s on them. There might be some truths that are better held back, but those are extremely rare. A lie by omission is still a lie.

        It is always OK to enjoy the peace the God gives. You should pursue that peace with a zeal that others won’t understand. Paul was at peace even in prison. He faced trials and even death to pursue that peace.

        Now, if you are only avoiding hearing things because you worry that they might be true then you have some searching to do. We seek truth even when it hurts. But we have to be able to discern truth first. Words from family often bypass those filters and we risk believing lies because of the source instead of testing them for truth.

        People who only tear you down are not good to have you around. There is no love there. Seek love. Give love. If they have no love then Jesus isn’t a topic they need to bring up as an authority. They tend to be the kinds who use the bible as a hammer.

        I bounced all over on this one. Sorry. That’s what I get for trying to carry on several conversations at the same time. It’s a bit unfair to all since my attention is divided.

        Liked by 2 people

      5. cleaners4seniors Avatar

        You answered my questions
        Thanks. Appreciate your time and everything you do. I do not intend to drain you .. cause high b/p or drag you through my life scenarios.

        I’ve been dealing with this a very long time and know now, how to be brief. I do not intend to air anyone’s personal things ever.
        As for being truthful and honest , yes. Im upfront and pretty straightforward once Im clear on what to say and how. Im not inclining its been perfect or ideal but the motives and intent of my heart sincere. Someone is slways hurt because I know we are all sensitive. But have the hard exterior, stubborn and survival instincts. Just keep trucking on.
        Anyhow I have put alot of time and effort in and only gave up because my brain literally… can no longer tolerate chaos and confusion. Im done. Im sure. Im older now and really feel changes , so I need to.

        Its not the way I would want it to be. But its something I cant change.

        Putting this to the side now As I work through these steps, they dont always apply. But Im on it where I find connections.

        The shame part is problematic for me. I feel because my family is such a mess , because I was a single mom , because Im never married, part of me carries that shame. I hesitate to bother getting involved with anyone who I feel wouldn’t understand my life. I feel like being around people who look down in people like me … I can live without.

        Liked by 2 people

      6. Don Avatar
        Don

        I have a tendency of trying to carry on three or more conversations at the same time even though I know that I’m not capable. That’s totally in me.

        Back to you. If you are being honest and not intending to harm others then it’s truly up to them to learn how to handle the truth. This doesn’t always mean that you have to offer truth to those who would not accept it. This comes down to the “does this dress make me look fat” question that nearly every married couple fights over. If she asks me a question that she doesn’t really want me to be honest about then she shouldn’t ask the question. My wife knows that I will be honest with her. I won’t be mean about the answers, but I will be honest. I’m blunt. I answer honestly and directly. I don’t pad my responses with layers like normal people do. I say what I mean and mean what I say. I always worry that I’m not being direct enough for people to understand the intent of what I say. I’m afraid that people will think that there is an ulterior motive when there isn’t. I had to give up on that notion. Most people layer their speech to almost hide the meaning behind the layers that make it socially acceptable to ask for things. I can’t do that. It makes no sense to me. I ask for what I want. I say what I think. I have no filter. I’m not very concerned with emotions. Emotions are just data points that give information.

        On the chaos… I’ve lived a life of chaos. That was an early promise my wife and I made to each other. I told her that I didn’t want a lot of chaos and drama so we both actively work to avoid it. We both want to protect the other from drama and chaos. This has caused us to fail to communicate sometimes, but those are rare. The lack of chaos and drama has been nice. It’s given us a space where we can both trust the peace as we relax, heal, rest, and grow.

        On the shame…

        Your family being a mess isn’t you. It might involve you, but it’s not you. They have to take responsibility for themselves. Even your kids eventually have to take full responsibility for their life. I love my mom. She was not a great parent. That doesn’t mean that I can go through life blaming her for everything. I have the full authority to make my own decisions. I might have had some disadvantages based on the decisions my parents made, but I’ve had to make my own decisions for a long time now. I’ve been responsible for where I go and what I do for decades. I can’t blame them for the results of my decisions. If I don’t like the results of my decisions then I have the power to make different decisions that will get different results.

        You being a single mom isn’t a shameful thing. You’ve lived with the consequences of the decisions surrounding that for many years. Name the sin. Ask for forgiveness. Jesus will forgive. He already has. If He has, why haven’t you?

        As far as people looking down on you? I would feel sorry for them. I don’t care how a person lives their life or the decisions they make. I don’t care about the mistakes they make or the sins they have in their lives. If I am to love them as Christ loves them then I can’t beat them up over their sins while I have my own. “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone” and “why do you speak about the spec of dust in your neighbors eye while ignoring the plank in your own”. I can’t worry about your sin. I have own to contend with. I have no time to look down on you. I’m far too busy working to improve myself. If I am truly to improve myself then I have to put a hand out to help others struggling with the issues that I have overcome because I know that one of them will probably help me overcome some of the issues I am currently struggling with. I know that the space between the lowest point in the valley and the top of the mountain is only a single step. It goes both ways. The highest of highs is one step away from the lowest of lows. If I look down on someone now then I should expect them to look down on me tomorrow when we trade places.

        This is a topic that I’m extraordinarily passionate about. I have little tolerance for people who look down on others. If Jesus thought I was worth going to the cross for then that tells me my worth. I don’t know a single person who Jesus didn’t go to the cross for. That’s pride. I have no room for pride. People who want to look down on others tend to only want to build themselves up. That prevents love. It’s hard to look down on others if you love them.

        I’m not going to push you one way or the other, but I will say that I would not want to see you let fear keep you from living a fulfilled life. We are not meant to do life alone. I also understand the problems with finding someone who is worth the effort. The quality of people has gone down a lot. Most people have ulterior motives and only want to help themselves. They aren’t willing to put in the effort to actually build something that is worth having. It’s sad.

        Liked by 1 person

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Who am I?

I’ve walked a path I didn’t ask for, guided by a God I can’t ignore. I don’t wear titles well—writer, teacher, leader—they fit like borrowed armor. But I know this: I’ve bled truth onto a page, challenged what I was told to swallow, and led only because I refused to follow where I couldn’t see Christ.

I don’t see greatness in the mirror. I see someone ordinary, shaped by pain and made resilient through it. I’m not above anyone. I’m not below anyone. I’m just trying to live what I believe and document the war inside so others know they aren’t alone.

If you’re looking for polished answers, you won’t find them here.
But if you’re looking for honesty, tension, paradox, and a relentless pursuit of truth,
you’re in the right place.

If you’re unsure of what path to follow or disillusioned with the world today and are willing to walk with me along this path I follow, you’ll never be alone. Everyone is welcome and invited to participate as much as they feel comfortable with.

Now, welcome home. I’m Don.

Let’s connect