Beyond All Thinking JoAnn McElroy According to this octogenarian, one is never too old to dream big and accomplish goals. The writer of this memoir testifies to her personal quest to achieve her dreams through every decade of her life-even earning a PhD in clinical counseling in her late seventies. She looks back at the obstacles, the victories, and the lessons to be learned.

As a Certified Academic Institution, I have been able to use the N.C.C.A courses to help students discover their inborn part of themselves and reach their God-given potential. The remarkable results of using A.P.S. have together helped individuals determine why they react to situations, things, and people the way they do. In addition, it assists them to cope with significant mental health challenges, stress, unforgiveness, painful situations, and low self-esteem. As a Certified Temperament Counselor, Licensed Pastoral Counselor, and a Licensed Qualified Mental Health Professional, Licensed Professional Counselor, and Substance Abuse Counselor, I have discovered through N.C.C.A there is nothing more fascinating about people than their inherited temperament! What better way to know than to hear from the voices of P.V.I. students. For prospective students of Prophetic Voice Institute, a C.A.I. of N.C.C.A, this has changed the trajectory of their lives and the lives of those we are called to counsel. The A.P.S. approach is stellar; this approach assists us with counseling people from the place of who they really are and not what has happened to them. It is biblically-based and produces getting to the root of an issue and not just looking at the fruit. It also assists us in knowing our true selves, which allows us to understand our strengths and weaknesses. Knowing our strengths and weaknesses is beneficial to our clients and to us because we now know who we can and cannot counsel. As a C.A.I., we believe this type of training from N.C.C.A is equipping and empowering those in training to know how to interact with people and understand the person we are counseling at the time; it guides us into knowing why people do what they do and how to assist them in healing and moving forward to have God-given productive lives. This training gives us the advantage in our homes, communities, churches, and the marketplace to help people effectively and efficiently. P.V.I. and our students look forward to continuing our journey here and making an impact where God has assigned us. I honestly would recommend this training to anyone who is in ministry or has a counseling career. When individuals discover their God-given temperament, it leads them to the confidence they need to discover and identify the hidden behavioral problems within their lives. May Grace be with you!

By: Dr. Phyllis J. Arno Youth Intro Into Stress Regarding the Youth, the Holy Scriptures tell us: Matthew 18:1-6 “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him illstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew: 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16 “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Today’s youth are dealing with stress in their life brought on by factors such as: dysfunctional families blended families exposure to pornography and violence from the internet, movies and television and video games easy access to drugs and alcohol killings, threats, and bombings in school With the information from the APS report we can teach our youth how to identify stress in their life and teach them how to alleviate this stress. During this series we are going to identify some of the “Stress Triggers” in the Inclusion area of the Choleric, Melancholy, Phlegmatic, Sanguine and Supine temperaments. Review of the Inclusion Area The Inclusion area is the need to establish and maintain a satisfactory relationship with people in the area of surface relationships, association, and socialization and intellectual energies. According to Webster's II New Riverside Dictionary “stress” is defined as follows: “Stress means importance; emphasis; tension; subject to strain, distress or pressure.” Stress can be mental, emotional, physical or spiritual. Stress affects our youth in different ways; therefore, we must teach them how to identify this stress and teach them how to find peace in their life. We will first teach the youth that stress: does exist in their life. can occur when their temperament needs are going unmet or when their needs are being threatened. is detrimental to their life. if not dealt with, will make the body deplete its resources, leaving “no hope at the end of the tunnel.” factors which compound their life because of meeting their temperament needs in a non-productive way can be avoided by learning productive and godly ways to meet those needs. comes in two forms: Stress Factors that are outside of their control—external stress. Stress factors that are self-inflicted— internal stress. can cause physical problems such as stomach ulcers, diarrhea, constipation, chest pains, indigestion, headaches, etc. can cause mental problems such as lack of concentration, withdrawal from friends and family, moodiness, anger, etc. can cause spiritual problems and withdrawal from God. can be accumulated and can come from two major sources: School or Home NOTE: PLEASE REMEMBER, THESE ARE TEMPERAMENT TENDENCIES, AND, AS ALWAYS, WHILE YOU ARE COUNSELING WITH THE TEMPERAMENTS, YOU MUST TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THEIR WALK WITH THE LORD, LEARNED BEHAVIOR, PERSONALITY AND BIRTH ORDER. In the next issue, we will cover the possible stress triggers in school and in the home for the Choleric in Inclusion youth.

Holly Mutlu NCCA is pleased to introduce HollyMutlu. We look forward to hearing all the Lord has laid on her heart to share with us in her 2 sessions "Obedience Over Outcome". Her video above, by the way, is full of energy and guaranteed to get you excited about DC! We pray God will continue to bless you and we certainly hope you will join us online in Washington, DC this October 15-16, 2021. Click the buttons below to register now or hear more about our impactful sessions! Register Virtually View Speaker Highlights

Dr. Robert A. Horner, Jr. NCCA is pleased to introduce Dr. Robert A. Horner, Jr. who will speak about the role temperament therapy plays in the healing and identification of traumas. We pray God will continue to bless you and we certainly hope you will join us online in Washington, DC this October 15-16, 2021. Click the buttons below to register now or hear more about our impactful sessions! Register Virtually View Speaker Highlights

Drs. Richard and Phyllis Arno NCCA is celebrating 40 years in ministry! We are pleased to announce that Drs. Richard and Phyllis Arno will be with us in Washington, DC to relive some great memories and talk about...you guessed it - temperament!! We pray God will continue to bless you and we certainly hope you will join us online for this special celebration in Washington, DC this October 15-16, 2021. Click the buttons below to register now or hear more about our impactful sessions! Register Virtually View Speaker Highlights

I would like to share an experience I had driving to work recently. Here we go! Transparency time! Yay! There I was, driving along on the highway, with my worship music on, just singing and praising the Lord, surrounded by His Presence! It was great! All of a sudden…I see a truck’s headlights come up on me and start flashing, signaling me to get out of the way. Now I could have just pulled into the slower lane to the right and let the driver pass, but I was in the center lane on the highway and I thought they could have just as easily passed me in the left lane. The truck stayed behind me for another 15 seconds, continuing to flash it’s headlights. It did finally pass me in the left lane, blowing their horn at me as I was unwilling to move. (Here’s where I could have asked the Holy Spirit to assist me, but didn’t) At this point my flesh rose up and grunted and grumbled something about that person and I laid on my horn in response. I then proceeded to pass them and got in front of them again and sped off showing my superiority. I showed THEM, right? Then I went right back to singing and praising the Lord. That’s ironic, isn’t it? Well, The Holy Spirit spoke very clearly to my spirit, “Mark, what are you doing?” and showed ME, right there and right then this Scripture about the tongue: “With it we bless [our] Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come [both] blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.” [James 3:9-10 NASB95] I woke up the next morning with a fresh revelation of who I am, and Whose I am. I stopped and listened to The Holy Spirit and asked how I can pray for and bless the drivers on the road, no matter what happens. This will always result in what this Scripture says in James 3:18: “And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” [Jas 3:18 NLT]

Special Notes For Counseling Married Couples That Have “Like” Temperaments In The Inclusion Area By: Dr. Phyllis J. Arno As you know, “opposite” temperaments tend to attract each other because of their differences; however, we find that “like” temperaments can also tend to attract each other. And just like the “opposite” temperaments, the “like” temperaments need to learn to live with each other. The “like” temperaments need to understand their likenesses. In this issue, we will cover a Supine married to a Supine in the Inclusion area. In review, the Inclusion area is the need to establish and maintain a satisfactory relationship with people in the area of surface relationships, association, socialization, and their intellectual energies. The following are some words that describe a Supine in Inclusion: gentle spirit sensitive indirect behavior fear of rejection servant lonely hurt feelings (internalized anger) task/relationship oriented Supine In Inclusion Married To A Supine In Inclusion In the Inclusion area, there will be no “opposites attracting” since they are both Supines in Inclusion. They will have to learn to work together, not against each other. When opposites attract, they can bring out the best in each other and they can balance each other out; however, two Supines in Inclusion will have a hard time maintaining balance because of their indirect behaviors and lack of communication skills. Both will wait for the other to initiate. Both “feel” that they have “hurt” feelings rather than anger. Both need personal invitations to social events. Both need to have time to think and to “slot” their thoughts. Both want to be with people but tend to be stressed by them. Both want to do tasks but tend to be stressed by them. Both tend to be tenderhearted and gentle-spirited. Both Parties Have The Same Basic Needs 1. To Have The Other Initiate Both have indirect behaviors; they will wait for the other to initiate. This is because both have a high fear of rejection. I do not know how this couple met unless they were introduced by a third party. I also do not know how they got married because neither would propose due to their fear of rejection. Since they are both Supines in Inclusion, they may have dated for years, both waiting for the other to bring up the subject of marriage. Both will probably, after they are married, expect their spouse to “read” their mind. For example, if she wants yellow roses for her birthday, she will not say that she wants them and she will not even mention it; however, if he does not get them for her, she will pout and pull away from him—go into her “turtle” shell. This is because she feels that he “should have known” what she wanted. She feels that if she has to ask for the flowers, then the gift would not be genuine; he only bought them for her because she asked! Both parties tend to wait for the other to say that they want to go somewhere. This is because they feel that if they initiate, their spouse is only going because they had to ask, and that if they genuinely wanted to go, they would have mentioned it. Guidelines For Helping This Couple They must both come to understand that they are both introverts and have indirect behavior. They need to learn to communicate with each other rather than expecting each other to “know” what the other wants. As a matter of fact, most of time, they would not want their spouse to read their mind. They need to learn to initiate; otherwise, they are going to spend their whole life waiting for their spouse to initiate. Since neither will initiate, they will both become “hurt” and they will pull farther away from each other. It will be like a cold war, and neither spouse will understand what is going on. They will each nurse their “hurts,”all the while building up resentment which will then cause them to“explode” one day. 2. To Serve Both will serve the other; even if they both are sick, they will still try to take care of each other. This is because they have a servant’s heart. Both will also have the need to serve other people in order to feel valuable, and because they genuinely delight in serving others. Both will take on social obligations without communicating with the other and may often wind up with double commitments. This is because both of them have a hard time saying “no” because they do not want to offend anyone. She may determine that she wants to stay home Friday evening and clean the house, and he may determine that he wants to fulfill a social obligation at the church. They tend to be upset with each other because each “should have known” what the other was planning for the evening. Both will be “hurt” (angry) because their spouse did not communicate with them that they obligated both of them to helping out at the church dinner. They will think, “You should have known that I had already accepted another obligation to help at the community center.” Both will become exhausted as they continue to take on social obligations, all because of their inability to say “no.” Guidelines For Helping This Couple They both need to learn that it is all right to say “no,” and they both need to learn when to say “no.” Since they both have a great need to serve people, they need to learn to sit down and discuss their individual plans in order to lessen the conflict that might arise when they both make a commitment for the same day or evening. They both must learn to maintain balance when serving each other, as well as when they are serving others; otherwise, they can drain themselves physically, emotionally and/or spiritually. 3. To Say Their Feelings Are Hurt They both will internalize their anger in the Inclusion area. When one of them has angered the other, they will say “He/She has ‘hurt my feelings.’” Both will pull away from the other if their feelings are hurt. This is because they do not want to be hurt anymore! They feel immense rejection. Both, after they pull away, will think about how they were “hurt.” They will, in their mind, want to emotionally and physically run away. Therefore, because of their “feelings” of intense rejection, both of them may tend to have physical problems such as an upset stomach, headache, etc., after an argument. Guidelines For Helping This Couple They both need to learn to admit that they are angry. They need to learn that when they say, “My feelings are hurt,” they are actually saying, “I am angry.” They must both come to the understanding that it is internalized anger by saying to themselves, “I am angry because….” Then, after they determine why they are angry, they should sit down with each other and talk about their anger. Many times, it is just because they wanted their spouse to read their mind. In other words, it is a misunderstanding that could have been cleared up immediately if only they had communicated. Internalized anger must not be allowed to grow, since it will result in bitterness and resentment. They need to learn to sit down and discuss their weekly schedules so that they do not make conflicting commitments. 4. To Alternate Between Doing Tasks And Being With People Both of them enjoy doing tasks and being with people. Both of them, after several hours of tasking, will want to be with people since the tasking will start to stress them. This is because, when they are tasking, they feel a pull towards people. Both of them, after several hours of being with people, will want to do some tasks since being with people will start to stress them. This is because, when they are with people, they feel a pull towards doing tasks. Both of them can appear preoccupied at times and even a little aloof, because they are thinking about what they need to be doing next. If they are tasking, they are thinking about being with people; if they are socializing, they are thinking about the tasks that need to be done. They think like the Melancholies, Cholerics and Phlegmatics—almost all the time; however, a Supine will pull away emotionally, and it will be transparent enough that you know that they are not with you when they are thinking. Both spouses have a conflict because they both want to do tasks and they both want to be with people. Both of them want to be organized; however, due to their inability to say “no,” they wind up being unorganized because of taking on too many social obligations. Guidelines For Helping This Couple They must both come to recognize that they have the same needs regarding doing tasks and being with people. They have a tendency to think so much that they sometimes believe, because they were thinking about something, that their spouse should know what they were thinking. They both need to do tasks and socialize together; this way, they can be together. When one says they are ready to go home, they usually know the other is, too. Setting Boundaries For This Couple They both need to learn to initiate. Expecting their mate to read their mind and know what they want is called ungodly expectations. Temperament information is vital to this couple because it reveals to them that they both have indirect behavior and that they have to learn to express their wants and needs. Both have a great need to serve each other, as well as friends and those with whom they work; however, they must learn to maintain balance. They must also learn to be considerate of their mate and communicate when they are going to be off serving others—so that their lives are not so conflicted. Both must learn to say, “I am angry because…,” rather than, “My feelings are hurt.” This internalized anger must be dealt with. It is like a poison in their soul and will kill their relationship. Both need to recognize the other’s needs for tasking and socializing. They really need to come together on this so that their life is not in total disorder. If they take on tasks and socialize together, it will work for both, since both become stressed from doing tasks and both become stressed from too much socializing. Communication and maintaining balance is the key! PLEASE NOTE: These are temperament tendencies, and, as always, while you are counseling Like Supines in Inclusion, you must take into consideration their walk with the Lord, birth order, learned behavior, and personality.

REFOCUS COUNSELING MINISTRY, INC. An NCCA Certified Academic Institution Refocus Counseling Ministry, Inc. is located in Wasilla, Alaska. Dr. Kristi Hughes is the Founder and Director. Refocus Counseling Ministry, Inc. is a Certified Academic Institution established in 2003 with the National Christian Counseling Association (NCCA) Sarasota, Florida. In 1989 when I was introduced to Dr. Richard Arno and the temperament analysis was explained to me in my Dad’s counseling office in Kremmling, Colorado, I had no idea the impact this easy questionnaire would have not only on me, but my whole family. Seven children, twenty-one grandchildren, and forty-two years later, taking the APS has become a tradition (or almost a rite of passage) in our family. Adult children can’t wait to find out “what their kids are” as soon as they turn 9 years old. It is time to take “the test!” “What am I?” Nannie, “What am I?” “Am I like you or am I like Papa?” “Well let’s see! You are just like me in Social, and you are like your Auntie Rebecca in Control and you are like Papa in Affection,”” I respond with delight!” “What’s that mean? What’s it say, they exclaim?” “Well come here and let me tell you all about your strengths and how God made you! You just love people like I do, you are such a butterfly, as we hug each other and my Sanguine heart fills with joy and my love bank is overflowing! Oh yes, I love hugs!” “What else, what else? How am I like Papa!” “Well, you have a sense of humor. You are very dry and tell funny jokes just like Papa and sometimes you like details. You know, like how you love to put your Legos together.” “Yes, that’s right, I do love my Legos! Who else am I like Nannie? Who else?” “Well, let’s see… you are like your Mama. She is the same as you in affection and so is your Auntie Randi! You are like Papa because you are like the energizer bunny and you just keep plodding along! You don’t give up very easily, and sometimes you can even be called a rebel!” “What’s a rebel, Gramma what’s A rebel?” “Oh, that is like when you don’t want to follow the rules just because someone told you to follow the rules.” “Oh, not like Kris. He like the rules, doesn’t he Nan?” “Yes, Kristian likes to follow the rules and he likes to know what everyone thinks before he decides what to do.” “Is that why when his friend told him to ride his bike off the cliff, he did?” “Yes, that is why he did that! He couldn’t come up with a rule on why not to and his friend kept telling him to jump off the cliff with his bike, so he did! But you won’t do that because you are Melancholy in Control and you know it would not be the right thing to do and you like to do the right thing.” As I sit with my 9-year-old granddaughter and explain temperament to her I am satisfied. I thank God for the connection I have with her and how she thinks I am so wise in my “old, old age!” I remember the time my 9-year-old son who was a very serious and methodical young man was so thankful that I found out “what he was.” The M-M-M little child born to a G-G-G Mama was thrilled to be allowed to leave a party to read his book quietly in his bedroom. I remember when my 9-year-old youngest daughter asked me where we were going after driving for over an hour to get to a friend’s house. I told her we were going to visit one of my friends. She reported loudly, “Why mama? Why do we have to go to a lady’s house?” I said, “because she is my friend.” My daughter retorted, “but Mama, you know I hate people! Why do you make me go? I want to go home!” I laughed and told her that she loved her close friends. She then promptly told me she had enough of those! “Can we please go home?” Of course, Sanguine that I am, I dive into telling you all about my family and how the APS has impacted our discussions and our time! The NCCA, however, coupled with the great foundational temperament work done by the Arnos and others, has provided a wonderful ministry opportunity and way for my family to make a difference in the lives of others. I graduated from Evangelical Theological Seminary through the NCCA program in 1991 and began ministering in the field of Pastoral Counseling for Refocus Counseling Ministry, Inc. I genuinely love people and love the insights and depth of understanding that the APS affords me in the first 2 sessions of counseling. I get excited when I explain the APS to a rebellious teenage girl who does not want to talk with me and is forced to sit there in my office by her missionary parents whose chief complaint is that she is “head strong and very much so at church.” When she looks up at me with those eyes that say, “I am not telling you anything” but I begin to explain her M-C-M temperament back to her, she stops me in the middle and says, “ARE YOU PSYCHIC? I have never told anyone any of this!” We then go on to a great conversation for the next 2 hours! I reassure her parents she will be the President someday! Not to worry, she loved Jesus since she was 3, and God has a hold of her heart. However, their parenting skills could probably use a little more fine-tuning with lots of choices being offered, because they are not going to be controlling her ☺ (by the way Love and Logic Parenting works great for strong willed children and teens, www.loveandlogic.com )! The more I incorporated Temperament into my life, both personally and professionally the more I loved using it! You can’t be one of my friends in life and not know about temperament. In fact, I can remember people by their temperament better than I can remember their name. So, when the NCCA offered the opportunity to become a Certified Academic Institute and a Clinical Supervisor, I jumped at the opportunity! Over time, many of my adult children have joined my husband and me in ministry. Dr. Krystal Banks works with many of the families, beginning with understanding temperament as the foundation. Rebecca Sparkman does experiential sand play therapy with kids. Understanding the parents’ temperaments is so important as you work with children who are not quite old enough to take the APS. Rebecca is finishing up her Doctorate this month. Joshua, my oldest, just came on with us at Refocus and has been commissioned by their church to minister to couples through marriage counseling. Once again, the NCCA programs have made it possible for him to jump right into ministry in his MA program and begin working with couples right away utilizing the APS. We had the privilege of working with 6 couples up at Victory Bible Camp in Alaska this winter staying in cabins at 20 below outside! It was both beautiful outdoors and what was taking place in our warm lodge was even more beautiful as couples learned about their temperaments, their emotional needs and how to deliberately deposit into each other’s “love banks” by understanding and meeting each other’s needs, being intimately the “source of each other’s happiness, not being the source of each other’s sadness, and creating a lifestyle they both love (see www.marriagebuilders.com ,Willard Harley; his material compliments the APS theory so wonderfully) in the Wilderness of Alaska. These are just a few of the family interactions centered around the NCCA Arno Profile System. However, the NCCA continues to run deeper yet in our veins. I remember the day I was visiting with Dr. Phyllis on the phone, and she was writing one of her articles on the Sanguine temperament. She asked me what kind of temperament could handle being married to a pure Sanguine? I laughed out loud and exclaimed, “Well Phyllis, my husband of course!” She laughed light heartedly, “Oh Kristi, I forget you are pure Sanguine. You are just so disciplined for a Sanguine!” Now it was my turn to laugh, and I decided that she was right. The discipline however, I assured her was a learned skill, due to being raised by a Melancholy father and a Supine mother. It took me back to looking at the temperaments of our family members. My grandfather, was born in 1904, and at 75 years old he took the Temperament Analysis Profile as it was called in the “good ole” days, and he scored P-M-SP. Summarized in one statement, “I can tell you all of my grandkids’ APS scores but don’t ask me to remember thier birthdays!”

During His ministry on earth, Jesus of Nazareth spent most of His time healing the sick, casting out demons, training disciples, teaching the people, and preaching the kingdom of God. But what is Jesus Christ doing today? What is His present-day ministry? In Jesus Now, bestselling author Frank Viola gives us the first comprehensive treatment of what Jesus has been doing since His ascension until His second coming. In an easy-to-read format, Viola explores the seven aspects of Christ's ministry today and shows how each one benefits the saved and the unsaved. Find out more here!

Can I share something the Holy Spirit just shared with me now? "The One who breathed life into you wants you to breathe His praise back to Him". His Scripture declares, 1 Hallelujah! Praise God in His sanctuary. Praise Him in His mighty expanse. 2 Praise Him for His powerful acts; praise Him for His abundant greatness. 3 Praise Him with trumpet blast; praise Him with harp and lyre. 4 Praise Him with tambourine and dance; praise Him with strings and flute. 5 Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with clashing cymbals. 6 Let everything that breathes praise the LORD. Hallelujah! [Psalm 150:1-6 CSB] This is where I say, Praise The Lord!!!! If you respond to this, let me hear your “Praise The Lord!” I know you’ve got one! Come on and shout back to me!

As I was praying with a group of brothers and sisters from church a few weeks ago, God gave me an amazingly clear vision. This is what the Bible says about visions. “After this I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. [Joel 2:28 CSB] So, according to the scripture, I must still be a young man then. I love it! Please, let me tell you the vision and I hope it will bless you as it blessed me. I watched as God’s presence was swirling, circling and surrounding me and I saw Him lovingly holding the face of a baby in His hands. God was the cloud and I was in the cloud. I knew it was God, but I could only see the backside of His face. As He drew the child’s face closer to His face, He breathed as a whisper, one word upon the child, “Believe”. He then released the child and the vision ended. It took me a day or two of pondering upon this vision and seeking the Lord before I received the meaning from the Holy Spirit. I was that child, but it was clear to me that this vision also represented each of us who are created in God’s image. I believe God speaks this word over all of humankind, His creation - “Believe”.