Mental Health Meets Faith
Nobody wants to be seen as needy. In our society, we pride ourselves on our independence and our ability to be successful and to hold our heads up high, whether or not we have anyone to support us and to do life with. We use the word “needy” to describe people who are desperate, clingy and attention-seeking. We perceive “needy” people as weak and vulnerable. And nobody wants to be that girl. It dawned on […]
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They […]
I’ve always been bothered by the “getting wasted”and “getting high” mentality. Coming from a family background where alcholism and drug abuse is not uncommon, I have seen the damage that substance abuse can wreak on lives and homes. But the underlying cause for the deeply unsettling feeling I have over drugs and alcohol is nothing overly dramatic. It’s not because I think an individual will die from overdose from one night at the club or […]
You’ve heard it said that sometimes life is two steps forward and one step back. I’m sure you’ve experienced it first hand at some point. I recently started a new job working as an employment specialist. I work with low income individuals and families on welfare. My job is to get these individuals back on their feet, in order that they can become independent and self-sufficient. When our participants start with us, they are required […]
In worship about a week or two ago, we sang the song Your Love Never Fails. The familiar chorus goes like this: “Your love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me.” It was that last part that really struck me. “Never runs out on me…” Previous to this, when I had sung those same words, I had always pictured God’s love as a well that never goes dry. If it were a […]
photo credit I remember when Sia’s “Chandelier” single was released. There is something about the song that grabs my attention. The song is about living the life of a party girl who doesn’t have to think too much, or feel anything, so long as she keeps knocking back the drinks. However, despite the attempts she makes to drown out her hurt and pain, her brokenness always comes seeping through. In one verse, she writes, “Sun […]
Lately, I have been reflecting on how my life is similar to a puzzle. Weird, I know, but hear me out. One thing I am extremely confident of is that God knows everything from the beginning to the end of my life. If he were to be blindfolded, He could put together all the pieces of my life without even needing to pause. I know that He can and will lead me from where I […]
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel; “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1 I’m afraid of spiders. Not so much the small ones anymore, but definitely anything medium sized and up. Anything with hair or anything even remotely resembling a baby tarantula is enough to provoke a blood curdling scream that would […]
It’s no secret to anyone how important social media has become in our world. Social media helps us to achieve a sense of connection with family and friends, even those we don’t see on a regular basis. Facebook, twitter and instagram apps help us to stay on top of what’s going on in the personal lives of old and new friends alike. The danger of social media is that it carries the potential of connecting […]
Have you ever had a wound reopened? So not fun. We all have been broken by situations before. We have all been hurt or let down by people. We get past it. We move on. We heal and we grow. But then there are those times when out of nowhere a memory resurfaces. Someone makes a comment or you see a picture and all the feelings come rushing back. Wound opened. Salt applied. Ouch. […]