SHARED COMPASSION Weeping with another person is love at its most powerful—especially when that other person who shares with us is Jesus. It’s compassion going two ways—flowing from Jesus to us and from us to Jesus. It’s a fellowship. There’s comfort in it. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she […]
Read More...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...UNCONDITIONAL LOVE – Psychiatrist Harold Koenig, M.D., in his book, New Light on Depression, wrote: “Love—unconditional love—is the ultimate long-term antidote for depression, for at its core love is connected with faith and hope.” I’ve liked that statement ever since I first read it. I have found out how important it is to have the love […]
Read More...EXAMPLE OF SPIRITUAL FOOD – Stories like this about individuals to whom Jesus brought healing can do wonders for those who are feeling the effects of stigma. Ask a person you’re supporting to put themselves in the place of the person in this story, and they will most likely be able to relate to her. […]
Read More...EXAMPLE OF SPIRITUAL FOOD for a person who feels rejected by the world When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan […]
Read More...YESTERDAY AND TODAY Long ago, on May 29, 2011, I wrote the following in my journal: My devotional planner posed the questions: What is your goal? What do you want to win? Will you gain the prize? You know what my goal is, Lord. Removing stigma. Christian support for mental illness. But it is a […]
Read More...I SURRENDER ALL MY STORY My journaling, which I started in May 2006, consisted mostly of prayers. I wrote to God at all hours of the day, telling him of my passion, my hopes, and my dedication to serve. During the summer and spring of 2006, while preparing to begin Living Room, I was greatly […]
Read More...STIGMATIZED . . . STILL? MY STORY 2011 was a busy year for me as a mental health advocate, offering quite a few speaking engagements, something I welcomed, even though I was sometimes nervous about it. I’m just so very grateful that God has given me the passion and the desire to speak. So grateful that […]
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