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Stephanie J Thompson

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Mental Illness

Why I Am Encouraged by David to Fight My Goliath

July 18, 2018 by Stephanie 3 Comments

He taunts me. The Goliath that stands before me. Oh he knows whose I am and the army that surrounds me. But he doesn’t care. He knows that one simple stone of fear cast my way could paralyze my senses. His voice has threatened my security in days past.  I have responded by resisting his […]

Filed Under: Sacred Connections Tagged With: army of angels, battle, David, disappointment, faith, fear, financial stress, God is enough, God's word, Goliath, Mental Illness, physical illness, sling shot, spiritual armor

Guest Post: Starting Over is Not a Sign of Failure

May 16, 2018 by Stephanie 2 Comments

Today Catherine Irwin shares how her family has navigated through the experience of supporting a family member living with mental illness. Please welcome her as she shares her story. Starting Over is Not a Sign of Failure. Starting over is not a sign of failure, but a mark of courage – a willingness to give […]

Filed Under: Sacred Connections Tagged With: Bipolar, joy, Mental Illness, road to recovery, self-care, starting over, stigma

How You Can Help a Family With a Child Who is Affected by Mental Illness

September 27, 2017 by Stephanie 6 Comments

  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 […]

Filed Under: Help! This was not in the book! Tagged With: anxiety, child, food, gift cards.pizza, help, love, medical, Mental Illness, neighbors, siblings, struggle

Thursday Thoughts: Why We Can Let Go of Fear in the Unpredictable Moments

August 14, 2017 by Stephanie Leave a Comment

Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever go. Joshua 1:9 How do you feel when you are driving along certain of your location and suddenly, without warning, you find yourself forced to take a detour? Many times the detour takes you to your […]

Filed Under: Sacred Connections Tagged With: control, detour, fear, God, Israelites, Joshua, Mental Illness, promises, unknown

Regarding Mental Health: How the Church Can Be Supportive

July 1, 2017 by Stephanie 1 Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Help! This was not in the book! Tagged With: Amy Simpson, body, child, Christian, Church, community, cross, educate, family, healing, health, help, illness, meal, Mental Illness, ministry, prescriptions, siblings, sin, suffering, support, theology, women

To the People Who Embrace My Daughter: Depression, Anxiety, and All

May 29, 2017 by Stephanie 2 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: Help! This was not in the book! Tagged With: anxiety, breath, child, depression, emotions, help, home, life, Mental Illness, risk, struggles, support, teachers, tears

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When my first child was born 20 plus years ago, I envisioned taking just a few years off from my role as Pastor of Youth and Family. While that didn’t exactly unfold as expected, God used my gifts and skills in other ways. Read More…

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s2thomp

Instagram post 17913282691674085 Instagram post 17913282691674085
"This moment for Jesus is a far cry from the one o "This moment for Jesus is a far cry from the one on the mountain. There, he stood with his two closest friends- Peter and John. There, God’s presence was affirmed in the bright cloud which appeared overhead. There, God’s voice proclaimed publicly, ““This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”

Now, God’s presence does not appear in such a tangible form. God’s voice is silent. No public affirmation of his identity. No reminder that he is God’s beloved." Read the rest: www.stephaniejthompson.com

#goodfriday #stephaniejthompson
“Then Jesus went with them to a place called Get “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” Mark 14:36-39.

He arrived at this moment baring his vulnerability. The implications of his possible next steps weighed heavily upon him. All of his being: mind, body, spirit. Divine yet human. Sitting in emotions does not equal sin. Crying out to his father demonstrated trust even in this dark moment. It witnesses to the intimacy of their relationship. God can hold us in all spaces and places.

The question Jesus asks sits with us because we have all been there. As Tish Harrison Warren writes in Prayer of the Night, “We don’t get to choose our preferred crosses or resurrections.” Embracing life in the Kingdom Jesus ushered in transforms us. Like Jesus promised, it is an abundant life. But not without it’s sorrows. Because the identity of being Theotokoi (God Bearers) means laying down our lives as daily rhythms.

 So we demonstrate, by transparently living our moments, the tension of living in this place of in between. But sometimes, the reality of the tension overwhelms our senses. We cry out in our anguished humanity for the cup to pass from our hands in the midst of fear, and uncertainty about the path forward.: Illness, loss, advocating for the marginalized, death.

But we can also cling to the hope in God who hears us, holds us, and sees the redemption at work in ways we cannot. All while entering into our moments of despair with a love that knows no bounds of time, space, expectation. Jesus took the cup. And we can because he did.

#Redbud writer #gardenofgethsemane #maundythursday #trustingod #stephaniejthompson
#stopasianhate #stephaniejthompson #webelongtoeach #stopasianhate #stephaniejthompson #webelongtoeachother #
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s2thomp

Instagram post 17913282691674085 Instagram post 17913282691674085
"This moment for Jesus is a far cry from the one o "This moment for Jesus is a far cry from the one on the mountain. There, he stood with his two closest friends- Peter and John. There, God’s presence was affirmed in the bright cloud which appeared overhead. There, God’s voice proclaimed publicly, ““This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”

Now, God’s presence does not appear in such a tangible form. God’s voice is silent. No public affirmation of his identity. No reminder that he is God’s beloved." Read the rest: www.stephaniejthompson.com

#goodfriday #stephaniejthompson
“Then Jesus went with them to a place called Get “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” Mark 14:36-39.

He arrived at this moment baring his vulnerability. The implications of his possible next steps weighed heavily upon him. All of his being: mind, body, spirit. Divine yet human. Sitting in emotions does not equal sin. Crying out to his father demonstrated trust even in this dark moment. It witnesses to the intimacy of their relationship. God can hold us in all spaces and places.

The question Jesus asks sits with us because we have all been there. As Tish Harrison Warren writes in Prayer of the Night, “We don’t get to choose our preferred crosses or resurrections.” Embracing life in the Kingdom Jesus ushered in transforms us. Like Jesus promised, it is an abundant life. But not without it’s sorrows. Because the identity of being Theotokoi (God Bearers) means laying down our lives as daily rhythms.

 So we demonstrate, by transparently living our moments, the tension of living in this place of in between. But sometimes, the reality of the tension overwhelms our senses. We cry out in our anguished humanity for the cup to pass from our hands in the midst of fear, and uncertainty about the path forward.: Illness, loss, advocating for the marginalized, death.

But we can also cling to the hope in God who hears us, holds us, and sees the redemption at work in ways we cannot. All while entering into our moments of despair with a love that knows no bounds of time, space, expectation. Jesus took the cup. And we can because he did.

#Redbud writer #gardenofgethsemane #maundythursday #trustingod #stephaniejthompson
#stopasianhate #stephaniejthompson #webelongtoeach #stopasianhate #stephaniejthompson #webelongtoeachother #
Load More... Follow on Instagram

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  • Advent
  • Easter
  • five minute friday
  • Help! This was not in the book!
  • Sacred Connections

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