FAITH AND MENTAL HEALTH “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” […]
Read More...MY JOURNALS – MY STORY I’ve gone as far as October 2011 in reviewing my journals. And looking back at what I’ve read so far, I’m surprised at how much I had forgotten about—totally. My memory has been unbelievably bad and this problem became one reason why I ended up retiring in 2015—fearing dementia. And […]
Read More...LIVING ROOM – MY STORY We called the group “Living Room,” a name coined by Dr. John Toews, a proponent of better church support who inspired its organization. The founding of Living Room became an outreach project in partnership with the Mood Disorders Association of BC (MDA), who trained us how to facilitate. We advertised […]
Read More...CHRIST’S WORK CONTINUES – MY STORY The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:17 Jesus called his disciples […]
Read More...DEVELOPING FAITH-BASED SUPPORT – MY STORY When I began writing A Firm Place to Stand, I had not thought of creating Living Room. Living room was born out of reflection and the writing process. God was working in me as I poured out my thoughts and as I was mentored, pastored, and prayed for. The […]
Read More...MY WORK, ALL HIS – MY STORY While I was developing plans for the Living Room ministry, I was hard at work writing my book, A Firm Place to Stand: Finding Meaning in a Life with Bipolar Disorder. I hoped that this would contribute to raising mental health awareness in the Church. With this autobiographical […]
Read More...LIVING ROOM LOVE – MY STORY G.K. Chesterton is quoted talking about “Beauty and the Beast”: “Unlovely things must be deeply loved before they become lovable.” And isn’t that the way in which Christ loves us? “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And I think of how much I loved my Living Room people […]
Read More...CREATING MANUALS – MY STORY In May, 2007, just over a week after the mental health service I sat down to start putting together a Living Room manual. But it took some courage getting started. “Help me, Lord, please, to get the juices flowing.” That morning, I was reading in Exodus about how Moses felt […]
Read More...BADLY NEEDING HELP – MY STORY – June 21, 2007 I talked to Peter Biggs from BC Christian News. He wants more stuff on faith and mental health—lots more. I think he would like me to be a regular contributor. The next month, he would ask me to write a series of four articles or […]
Read More...GIVING BIRTH TO LIVING ROOM One day in early 2006, I was attending a Mood Disorders Association meeting (MDA-BC) when the facilitator went around the circle asking each of us to tell what their best way is to cope with symptoms. I knew that my best way was to go to God, to trust him, […]
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