Marja Bergen

author, mental health advocate, follower of Christ

Category: Giving to others

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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God pours his love into our brokenness

LIVING ROOM MEMORIES  234  (April 22, 2009) I’ve got to share something with you here, something that came as a revelation to me and it might to you too. I have a good friend who is a troubled person, having suffered a lot of abuse as a child and later as the wife of an […]

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Comment on transforming love (2019)

I believe transformation takes place throughout our lives, not only through love, but also through suffering. But when we suffer we must not let go of God. We must keep him close. When we do that he will make us stronger and better able to serve him. I’d much rather have love transforming me than […]

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