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, […]
Read More...MY LIVING ROOM DAYS During Living Room days I learned to be a good listener for people in trouble. But I myself also needed friends to whom I could complain about the many emotional problems I struggled with. And there were many. I have often grieved at how I must have come across to supportive […]
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...FAITH AND MENTAL HEALTH Part 8 of my story January 25, 2024 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.” […]
Read More...For Maiko, a dear friend, serving God to her utmost – soon to start the first Living Room group in Japan. Written in 2013 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but working […]
Read More...In my roller coaster blog I wrote the following on November 8, 2011: Tomorrow I take part in Sharon Smith’s lecture at Regent College, speaking to upcoming pastors. Sharon is the founder of Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries. I will tell them what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder. I will describe what my life […]
Read More...LIVING ROOM Something I found in a blogpost from April 2011: My thoughts have been going back lately to the Good Friday service exactly five years ago in 2006 when my pastor invited me to read a bit from my not-yet-published A Firm Place to Stand. With the reading I shared some of the emotional battles I […]
Read More...GROWING Written in my blog, in November 2009: My moods continue to go up and down. And when I feel ok, it’s as though I’m walking a tightrope, trying to maintain my balance so I don’t fall one way or another. Amazing how many symptoms there are to watch out for. And each time one […]
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