Mental Health Meets Faith
We have this hope as anchor for the soul, firm and secure. (Heb. 6:19) Hope is a powerful force and agent of change. It inspires us. It motivates us. It brings joy, faith, and confidence. But hope can be painful as well. Hope can be scary, uncertain, and leave us feeling vulnerable to disappointment and failure. Have you ever been let down over something you were hoping for? I think that relates to all of us and many of us have said, “I […]
Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in Him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope. (Romans 15:13) Have you ever experienced a moment of uncontrollable laughter? Despite all attempts to get it together and regain control, or a semblance of order, wave after wave of laughter continued to […]
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. (2 Cor. 12:9) Soon I am coming up on an important life milestone, I will graduate and move on to the next phase of my career, as a Marriage and Family Therapist. I get reflective at times like […]
Have you ever gotten caught up in a season of life where you feel like nothing ever changes? Have you ever felt disappointed due to thoughts that you should be somewhere different or doing something different than you are right now? Have you ever felt shameful of your progress, wondering why you haven’t achieved more, healed more, etc.? I think we have all been there at one point or another. This week I have been mediating on this […]
Recently, I wrote a creative piece entitled Letting Go of Control and Splashing into Life. This piece was birthed out of a recent experience I had, during which I felt the Lord speaking to me about the role control has played in my life. This was not a new theme for me, as I have dealt with “control freak” tendencies over the span of my life. However, it did uncover a new layer of a familiar subject and brought […]
With a clear purpose and destination in mind, I continue my journey. As I travel, the way becomes unclear. Before me is dense fog and confusion enters my mind. The thought, “You are lost. You’re too far gone,” causes fear to spring up into my heart. Still, I hear a gentle whisper declare, “This is the way. Walk in it.” I take another step. Peace washes over me and a bit more of the path comes into view. As I walk, I encounter noise […]
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:6-8) I used to look at this verse so differently. I used to read it something like this: “But when you ask, you better […]
With the wind at my back, I make my ascent up the Mountain of Life with my Lion King at my side. We enjoy one another’s companionship through the heat of the day and the cool of the night. Our hearts have become intertwined and with each passing day I feel more free and fully me. Along the way, we encounter the entrance to a cave marked Fear. I hear the whispered hush of voices […]
He leads me into the garden. This garden is my heart. I come carrying seeds. Seeds of dreams, aspirations, cares and all sorts of things that concern me. Each seed carries the potential for growth. Even the challenging seeds and the seeds produced out of places of difficulty, carry within them the potential to grow into something beautiful, if cared for by the right hands. I have fiercely held unto and protected the seeds. Fearing […]
Through our union with Christ we too have been claimed by God as his own inheritance. Before we were even born, he gave us our destiny; that we would fulfill the plan of God who always accomplishes every purpose and plan in His heart. (Eph. 1:11) One thing I have learned about myself over the last year is just how much I like control. I like to feel like I’m in the driver’s seat of […]