In the last post I wrote “I’m committed to seeing more Living Room groups spring up. I want to see many Living Rooms to serve people who need faith-based support. I want to see this movement securely in place to continue long after I’m gone. Because it’s a valuable ministry, a ministry that all Christians with mood disorders should have access to. A place where they can talk about both, their faith and mental health issues – probably the only place where they can feel safe doing so. I could never give up planting new Living Rooms.”

This was what I had always believed and worked for. Through my many writings and events like the 100 Huntley Street appearance, the news about Living Room spread widely. There was interest, even a couple from as far as South Africa and New Zealand. Quite a few groups were formed in Canada and a couple in the US. In a recent search of the internet, I saw that four groups that had started outside the Greater Vancouver area during the time I was involved, are apparently still operating.

But, as you’ve read in the previous post, it was hard to keep it going on my own. Although God had made his presence known and I trusted him, I struggled constantly with bipolar symptoms. Eventually, in July 2014 I was grateful to be able to relinquish care of the Living Room ministry and the work of forming new groups to Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries. All I could manage was to continue as facilitator of my own group. For a year I managed to do that until poor mental health made me decide to retire in March of 2015.

What happened after that is part of the history you’ve been reading about.

I started emailing Reflecting on God’s Word in 2013, initially for the benefit of those who were not able to attend Living Room groups. It’s only with God’s help that I’ve been able to keep that ministry going through my many ups and downs. It’s still going, mailings going out every Monday to 270 individuals. (If you’d like to be on the list you can sign up at the bottom of this page.)

Through everything that’s happened with me and with Living Room, God has been there. He is good. Always good. Though I’m older and not capable of as much as I was, my mental health has been improving. I pray that God will help me use it to carry on serving him well.