Marja Bergen

author, mental health advocate, follower of Christ

Category: Giving to others (page 1 of 2)

Riding the roller coaster

Picture – Saturday, February 24, 2007 HELPING OTHERS – My story Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just […]

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Fame and fortune did not satisfy

SHARING GOD’S LOVE Part 12 of my story I loved photographing young children at their most natural. Feeling a bit like a child myself, I could relate to them. But competing in camera club competitions was not enough. I wanted to see my pictures published. Many of them were good editorial material. I did find […]

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Other-directedness remembered

RELIGION PROMOTES OTHER-DIRECTNESS – from Dr. Harold G.Koenig, M.D. Religion influences mental health by directing one’s attention outside of the self. As noted earlier every major world religious leader has instructed his followers to support and care for one another—Moses, Jesus, the Buddha, Hindu holy men, and Mohammed. All emphasized this teaching as the key […]

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Is “godly” support such a good thing?

EQUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT I write this from a personal experience of receiving support from one or two kind people in particular—people who became dear to me. And I wonder if there might be other good Christian individuals like them who mean well when caring for a person with mental health issues, only to […]

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Once, a Riverview patient – Today, denied mental health care

SEEKING JUSTICE It has been seven months since my file was closed. I was cast out of the mental health system, having been a patient for all my adult life–in effect, punished for being too well. Why? Was it because I exercised my rights and tried to explain how a diagnosis I had been given […]

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My greatest joy

  The greatest joy I’ve ever experienced was during the nine years I led my Living Room support group for people living with mental health challenges. During that time, I also carried out the exciting work of pioneering mental health awareness in the church. The world is a much different place now. And yet, it […]

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God’s gift of creativity

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.  Genesis 1:27 I’m a creative person and it’s mysterious to me how ideas and inspiration come. I’m often in awe of what God has helped me produce. Not that I’m such a wonderful […]

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Oh no! I forgot about love!

    Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7   After I had sent out Monday’s devotional on FOLLOWING JESUS, I realized – to my great embarrassment – that I had missed talking about the best […]

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Trust God and do good

LIVING ROOM MEMORIES  270  (March 16, 2010) Big disappointment. We had to cancel the plans for a seminar because a couple of the speakers weren’t able to make it on the date we had planned. And there’s no other good time this year for me to devote to it. A trip in late May and […]

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A reason for living

LIVING ROOM MEMORIES  262  I’ve been thinking: I feel my best when I’m doing things for other people. When I’m living for something more than just myself. When I’m feeding into other people’s lives. And isn’t that the answer for all of us who have trouble finding a reason to live? Isn’t that the best […]

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