January 2016 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. […]
Read More...One of the worst forms of stigma against those living with mental health challenges is not having their truth heard. Not considered credible. Not believed. Not considered as much of a person as others are. Simply because they’ve been diagnosed with a mental illness with no consideration given to how well-functioning they might be. If […]
Read More...“ If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ” John 8:46 Can you “hear” the frustration in Jesus’ voice? He is speaking to the Jews who had for too long been tricked by believing the lies that appealed to their pride and ego. They were no longer capable of […]
Read More...Wouldn’t we all like to have a voice like Wilberforce or Dickens speaking on our behalf? Many of us do not have a voice of our own—a voice that is listened to and heard. Some of us are like the slaves in the time of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the children during the […]
Read More...When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Luke 19:5 Do you have a difficult person in your life? Or – could you yourself be regarded as a difficult person? I myself live with mental health issues that […]
Read More...An Excerpt from My Battle Against Stigma (revised version of I Will Not Hide) by Marja Bergen Perhaps it was my cries of pain that caused word about what had happened to get out. Stories about me spread like wildfire. I, the victim, was given the blame. The person in authority who caused my […]
Read More...I think a lot of us suffer more from how we have been hurt by others than we do from our mental illness. And how hard it is to find a friend who will understand. How often we lose friends because our need for them is more than they can bear. Pain like […]
Read More...John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” John 1:23 John the Baptist had been testifying about Jesus and he was questioned by Jewish priests and Levites, puzzled by what he was proclaiming. “Who […]
Read More...I’ve been criticized for talking too much about my pain. Criticized for writing too many stories about myself. But I believe it’s the only way I can keep on living. Each time a crisis hits, each time I end up in the emergency ward, not knowing how to go on, the only thing that […]
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