A NEED FOR JESUS – MY STORY I have lived with bipolar disorder as a person who didn’t believe in God. And I’ve lived with bipolar illness as someone who learned to have faith in Jesus Christ. And, though my faith did not “heal” me, I have become a stronger person because of it. Trusting […]
Read More...SUFFERING FOR DOING GOOD Part 11 of my story In Thursday’s message of My Yoke is Easy, I wrote: “The road is not always smooth. In fact, it can be extremely rough at times. We might suffer.” That’s very true. And I must tell you here that I’ve suffered much as I’ve followed Jesus. But […]
Read More...BEYOND THE PAIN OF STIGMA I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:12-13 Years ago, The Land Between, a book by Jeff Manion made […]
Read More...EMOTIONAL DISTRESS CAN DRAW US CLOSER TO GOD – from Dr. Harold G. Koenig, M.D. “C.S. Lewis said. “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain. It is his megaphone to a deaf world.” (The Problem of Pain) Indeed, it is emotional stress that gets our attention […]
Read More...SENSITIZED TO THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS – from Dr. Harold G. Koenig Until one has undergone pain, discouragement, isolation, confusion, and fear, it is difficult to really understand and appreciate these experiences that people with mental illness must deal with on a day-to-day basis. Having gone through such experiences, a person is more able to […]
Read More...WHEN DID THE CHURCH LOSE DIRECTION? In 2005 Harold G. Koenig, M.D. published Faith & Mental Health. It happened to be the year before the faith-based support group, Living Room, was founded in 2006. I look forward to re-printing some of the highlights of Dr. Koenig’s book here. Followers of Christ should find his thoughts […]
Read More...IN THE NAME OF JESUS When first getting to know us, love might be hard to show without first understanding . But do show kindness. Show you care, as you would for anyone who isn’t feeling good about life and about who they are. Yes, we who struggle need kindness most of all. If we […]
Read More...IN THE NAME OF JESUS You have probably heard me say the following before, but it bears repeating. Much is being done to reduce stigma. But reducing stigma is not nearly enough. Something important is being overlooked. The voices of those who are to benefit, those with lived experience, are not being heard. And it’s […]
Read More...ACTION REQUIRED The pain caused by stigma can no longer be ignored. It needs to be addressed by all who care. All who want to follow Jesus are called to be involved in a supportive care ministry—a ministry to serve the stigmatized people of today in the way Jesus once cared for those the world […]
Read More...IN THE NAME OF JESUS When I consider the many who receive unjust treatment, the collective amount of pain is huge! The resulting damage done to their sense of self-worth and ability to lead a meaningful life is considerable. So good that God carried me through to where I am today, where I can share […]
Read More...© 2025 Marja Bergen
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑