Marja Bergen

author, mental health advocate, follower of Christ

Category: Living Room (page 2 of 41)

Where have our voices gone?

STIGMA – My book, ONE SUCH AS ME? describes how I spoke extensively to Christians about how individuals with mental health problems need the support of those who know God’s love. I helped them understand the importance of sharing his love with those who were being rejected by the world. The story I tell in […]

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Jesus said . . .

“FEED MY SHEEP” Think you have read this before? Yes, the first half you did, not too long ago. But read further down, about half way and you will find the real reason for my posting this. There’s something there that I believe some of you would find interesting –  something that some of you […]

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Almost ready . . .

ONE SUCH AS ME? – In my book ONE SUCH AS ME? I quote Philip Yancey, one of my favorite authors, when he said, “For a writer, nothing really counts in life until you put it on paper.”  And that’s so very true for me too. I also wrote, “There are very few things that […]

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Rebuilding that which was lost

LIVING ROOM – I sent this devotional out in 2019. And when I look at it today in 2024, I realize that my passion is still the same. I still believe to the depth of my being in the peer-based approach of Living Room. Still believe in Jesus’ unconditional love that we talked about at […]

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With thanks to New Life

MY STORY – From my journal, written in 2006, as the plans for Living Room were unfolding: My disorder had made a regular job impossible for me. I had never dreamed of doing anything like forming such a group. I had never heard of faith-based support groups addressing mental health problems. This was a brand-new […]

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Living Room and Sanctuary

MY STORY – A network of faith-based support groups sprung up, starting in 2008, only a couple of years after I founded Living Room in 2006 at Brentwood Park Alliance Church in Burnaby. It had the potential to be a huge ministry, but I could not carry it forward. I was glad to have the […]

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I wouldn’t be afraid to die . . .

JESUS THE FOUNDATION I was reading a journal entry from May 31, 2010, and read what I have repeatedly written there. “I wouldn’t be afraid to die—but before I die I want to build Living Room into something firm and strong. With its foundation being Jesus Christ—all he is and was. All he showed himself […]

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The message of Christ’s healing power, lost

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.” […]

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Thank God for memories kept safe

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 […]

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Faith-based mental health support is born

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 […]

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