What is "Soul Wounded-ness"? What do we mean by ‘soul wounded-ness’?  Soul wounded-ness is the dysfunctional condition of our soul caused by our bondage to stubborn self-will. We didn’t start out that way!  When God created man in His image, He created him in perfect love to function in perfect love, whole and complete and entirely free…except for one command.  This one command was motivated by God’s love to protect man and to test his willingness to lovingly obey his Creator. BUT, when man stubbornly and selfishly disobeyed, his soul was damaged and deadened by sin. He was filled with guilt, shame and fear; he began to hide from God and blame others for his actions. This one act of disobedience distorted God’s divine design for mankind so completely that it wounded all the generations to follow. NOW mankind could not be reproduced through marriage and family designed to function in perfect love. So the first “dys-functional,” soul wounded family began in the very first generation with Adam and Eve and continued in the second generation with the murder of their son, Abel, by his sinful, soul wounded brother, Cane.  And all generations to follow have been born into the dysfunctional, soul-wounded “Adams” family… living stubborn, self-willed, soul wounded lives, …passing on guilt, shame, fear, blame, pride, self-pity and other soul wounded-ness to the next generation…on and on and on….   Today, deep and life-altering soul wounded-ness is most frequently caused by living in a home environment where active abuse (alcoholism, drug addiction, mental, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, etc.) or emotional deficit (parental discord, divorce, mental illness, emotional unavailability, work-aholism, neglect,   over-protective control, etc.) cause family members to develop negative (sinful) ways of coping with their thoughts, feelings and personal needs.  Although soul wounded people learn their negative coping behaviors as children in order to survive a difficult home situation, they tend to experience a great deal of emotional and spiritual pain and confusion in adulthood as a result.   In their efforts to survive, most soul wounded adults have developed many extremely positive characteristics: loyalty, dependability, compassion for others, self-motivation, achievement orientation, and perseverance in difficult situations, to name a few.  But they also possess many troublesome qualities, such as: perfectionism, fear of intimacy, inability to complete projects, compulsiveness, overly aggressive or passive personalities, difficulty relaxing or having fun, extreme resistance to change, over-reaction to criticism and stress, or extreme controlling behaviors.   Most soul wounded adults have an inaccurate self-concept because of inconsistent messages from their  family of origin. Because children are naturally self-oriented, they felt guilty for the abuses or deficits in their homes, as well as ashamed, confused, helpless, angry, and hurt by the actions of their loved ones.  Soul wounded adults generally report that they are dissatisfied with their lives.  Even if they cannot identify what is wrong, they often feel sad, empty, depressed, disappointed and confused, and suffer from extreme and rapid mood swings.   Here is the GOOD NEWS!!!  Soul wounded-ness is highly treatable!!!  God Himself made provision for the forgiveness, healing, restoration and reconciliation of souls by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  The sad thing is that many sincere seekers know this truth in their heads, but continue to live in defeat because they have been unable to experience it in their souls. Living Well Ministries, Inc. offers HOPE and HEALING for ABUNDANT living!!!  The Living Well Seekers Class is an educational, interactive class that employs a discipleship process designed to help individuals biblically address soul wounded-ness and actually experience the peaceful, purposeful, productive lives God wants them to have. Here are comments from former Seekers class members:   "Living Well Ministries, Inc. has helped me, in truth,, to do just that...live well! I have learned to be more intimate with God, to face and balance my responsibilities, and to eliminate debilitating resentment, guilt, self-pity and denial. I now live with gratefulness more often!" M.E.W. "When I was introduced to LWM, Inc., I was on the fast track to complete spiritual, physical and emotional burnout. I had served God and my family for many years, but was completely empty inside. God used LWM to show me that I had been giving out of my own neediness and that there were walls that I had built around my heart due to bitterness, anger and un-forgiveness. Through this ministry, I have learned what it means to truly forgive and to break down those walls. Now, I am able to freely serve God, my family, and others out of the overflow that springs from a life of close intimacy with Him! It is my sincere hope that others will come and drink of the living water that only Jesus Christ can give!" V.F.G.   "LWM, Inc. gave me a safe place to express the hurt I had lived with for so long. I came to know and love the Lord in a new way, one that I would never have thought possible. I now have a support group of friends that have given me such a sense of "belonging" and helped to diminish the longing for "love with skin on it." R.R.   "God has used LWM, Inc. to help me know myself and because of that, to know God better. I have also seen many positive changes in my marriage and for that I am truly grateful." C.C. "LWM, Inc. has been part of my life for four years and it has blessed me tremendously! Before Living Well, I was a very controlling, lonely, angry and hurting woman who was deep in the pit of denial. But, with the teaching, support, encouragement and accountability of women who have been willing to share their lives, I have found peace that surpasses all understanding. Praise God!" M.B.G.     Meet Me At The Well In John 4:7-26, you will read where the Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water. At this well, she met Jesus. He talked with her, shared with her, gave her encouragement and hope. Hope that by taking of HIS living water, she would never thirst again. Living Well Ministries, Inc. is that living water for me. I know that no matter where I am in my life...whatever trial, crisis, or circumstance I am in, that when I walk into Living Well Ministries, someone will meet me right where I am...talk with me, encourage me, and share with me the hope and assurance that Jesus Christ will always be ready to forgive and guide me if I only ask. For me, sometimes just the asking is the hardest step. But, once I step closer and meet Jesus at the well, then what more do I need? I have His promise that in Him I will thirst no more. Jesus also told the Samaritan woman to go and share with others what He had done for her. So, I share with you...come to the well! He will talk with YOU, share with YOU, and give YOU the same hope and encouragement that He gave me. The arms of Living Well Ministries, Inc. are open and willing to help you take those steps to the well. Pam T.