Sometimes, the stories in our heads need a new frame. Recently, I visited my home town to visit family. It was a week of hard conversations intertwined with impromptu moments of fun. However, truthfully, I was longing to return to my own home. I felt tired, emotionally and physically drained, and always get a bit […]
help
How You Can Help a Family With a Child Who is Affected by Mental Illness
Families with a child affected by a mental/neurological disorder often live a chaotic and stress filled existence. Often, the struggle is invisible to the public. Unknown to even neighbors, a series of chronic storms erupt inside the home. Furthermore, stigmas make seeking support challenging. Parents struggle to give time to all of their children […]
Regarding Mental Health: How the Church Can Be Supportive
T This piece was originally posted on http://forum.covquarterly.com/how-can-the-church-be-supportive-a-response-to-amy-simpson/ in response to an article published in The Covenant Quarterly. Amy Simpson’s article, “Supporting Families Living With Mental Illness” resonated deeply with me. Her story speaks of a journey that many walk in silence; one with which I am all too familiar. I am ordained in the […]
To the People Who Embrace My Daughter: Depression, Anxiety, and All
Words barely express the ways your actions have breathed life into my daughter. Movement into unknown territory involves risks. Your willingness to do that does not go unnoticed. As you know, she’s not one of those outgoing social butterfly types. She’s an observer. In addition, her mental illness makes identifying and controlling emotions challenging. She realizes […]
Sometimes God's Purpose for You is Right in Front of Your Eyes
Have you ever dreamed up big plans concerning how you can be used by God to change the world? Sometimes God puts big plans in our hearts. Plans so big and so overwhelming that the immediate reaction is to run; or at least find excuses. (Let’s not forget that Moses, Jeremiah, Saul, Peter…. encountered those fears). […]
