IN THHE NAME OF JESUS From a person with bipolar disorder. My roller coaster ride wouldn’t stop. I didn’t feel so depressed that I didn’t want to do anything. Just felt an overwhelming sense of sadness. Trouble with me is that I feel a need to reach out and draw comfort from others. Yet that […]

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IN THE NAME OF JESUS I have a friend who has a wide variety of interests. Using the internet, he studied various languages—not because he had to, but because he enjoyed it. And he wrote poetry—compassionate stories about peoples who were unjustly treated. He loves reading the Bible—not just bits and pieces here and there, […]

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IN THE NAME OF JESUS When a study group was being formed promising to promote deeper relationships, she wasted no time putting her name down. She needed friends and had been waiting for such an opportunity for years. But two days before the first meeting, she received a call saying she would not be included. […]

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IN THE NAME OF JESUS Words from a very insecure person: I’ve felt great pain at times when I sent emails to a good friend and didn’t hear back soon enough. Eventually a reply always came. Such a relief that was! I almost panicked, beginning to doubt whether she still cared about me. Such a […]

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IN THE NAME OF JESUS “I’m listening.” Those are my favorite words—words repeated frequently by a friend of mine. What else can a person say when they can’t fully understand what you’re going through? When they care but they can’t help in practical ways. When they know that advising wouldn’t be helpful. When a friend […]

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IN THE NAME OF JESUS Where do you go when you have an illness that medical professionals and counselors don’t want to deal with—treated like an untouchable in a more modern world? Have you ever thought what that would feel like? It’s happening all the time to people with borderline personality disorder (BPD). In their […]

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IN THE NAME OF JESUS A long time ago—before modern medications existed: One person’s experiences: I suspected there had been something strange going on with my mind for months—thoughts and experiences I wasn’t able to understand. I was confused, couldn’t make sense of what was happening around me or within me. Found myself doing bizarre […]

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IN THE NAME OF JESUS The radical changes Jesus brought into the world could only have been possible through his great love. In fact, generally speaking, probably the greater the love, the greater will be the justice that can be brought about. Is creating a just society even possible without love? A key part of […]

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IN THE NAME OF JESUS In the words of someone who has been there: I’ve told many about how stigma has affected me. My story. My pain. But I realize everyone has a story. Everyone has experienced some form of rejection. It must be one of the worst sources of emotional pain. For many of […]

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IN THE NAME OF JESUS We had an important rule at the support group I led for many years. It came from the Quaker writer Parker J. Parker: “No fixing, no saving, no advising, no setting each other straight.” That must have been the single most important rule we had, and we kept ourselves to […]

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