Tag Archives: Depression

What Are You Going To Do About It?

12 Jul

Well, Did You?

Revisited 7-12-2021

So, I am going to share a little of my point of view. Folks are sharing posts saying that they believe the Rapture is almost here – I disagree. I firmly believe Genesis 50:20 –

“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

Yes, these times have been hard and even a bit unfair – but God!!

  • How many times in years past have you said that you wished your family was all together for meals? Able to spend time together playing games and just talking? This gave you that opportunity – did you take it?
  • How many times have you prayed to God for more time to pray, seek, read the Bible and study? This gave you that opportunity – did you take it?
  • How many times did you say that you wished you had time to try new recipes or start canning or make a bunch of different sorts of desserts? This gave you that opportunity – did you take it?
  • How many times have you said (or thought) that you wish you had more time to connect with distant family and friends – send a card, send a letter, start a texting conversation? This gave you that opportunity – did you take it?
  • How many times did you wish that you had time to start a backyard garden or re-pot house plants or start a new hobby that you have always wanted to start? This gave you that opportunity – did you take it?

I understand the oppression and depression that has come with this time of our lives, I really do – I fell right in with everyone else. I had to stop watching the news on TV. I had to block pages on my FB that was FB spamming all sorts of negative things. I had to tell myself to get out of bed and make a difference in this chaos!

What can YOU do? Get out a piece of paper. Make a list of all of the things that you wished you could have done in the past, but never had the time to do.

  • If you don’t have the supplies for some of the, post a note on FB or the Online Yard Sales for supplies for – for instance – painting. Make a note that you needs inexpensive supplies – I bet folks will send them to you for free or for very little. You would be surprised at the number of people who will step up along side you – because – well – they are in the same pandemic as you !! Also, the dollar stores always have a small section of crafting supplies for really cheap – then as you get better you won’t mind spending a little extra on good supplies.
  • Send an encouraging email – or MEME on FB – or a text message to someone every day! Doesn’t have to be the same person, just pray and see who God puts on your heart.
  • Read a new book – lots of your friends will give you suggestions of great books to read, I have seen it over and over again lately.
  • Bake that dessert!! YUM.
  • Google a recipe for something you have always wanted to try – you will get a dozen hits! Read through to the ones that find your fancy and give it a shot.
  • Build that tent fort in the living room and gather the family for story time or desserts or old fashioned kids songs or ??? Well, just take a nap!!
  • Get that Bible out and a good Bible Study (hundreds are online) and a good “read the Bible in an year plan” – And Get Started!!
  • Your Turn: Put suggestions in the comments below – be “G rated” please.

What are you waiting for? What if you find out that there are actually wonderful things you can do while locked in at home. Yes, it is scary at times. Yes, financial burdens can be overwhelming. Yes, it isn’t always fun being alone.

SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?!?!?!?!

I am praying blessing over you. I am praying an enhanced imagination over you. I am praying peace over you. I am saying “Seize the time!” Refuse to live in fear. Refuse to live in depression. Refuse to live in oppression. Make every day count.

—–

Original Written 7-12-2020

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Pandemic 2020 – What Should You Do??

12 Jul

Coronavirus: What is a pandemic? - CBBC Newsround

 

So, I am going to share a little of my point of view. Folks are sharing posts saying that they believe the Rapture is almost here – I disagree. I firmly believe Genesis 50:20 – “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

Yes, these times have been hard and even a bit unfair – but God!!

* How many times in years past have you said that you wished your family was all together for meals? Able to spend time together playing games and just talking? This gave you that opportunity – did you take it?

* How many times have you prayed to God for more time to pray, seek, read the Bible and study? This gave you that opportunity – did you take it?

* How many times did you say that you wished you had time to try new recipes or start canning or make a bunch of different sorts of desserts? This gave you that opportunity – did you take it?

* How many times have you said (or thought) that you wish you had more time to connect with distant family and friends – send a card, send a letter, start a texting conversation? This gave you that opportunity – did you take it?

* How many times did you wish that you had time to start a backyard garden or repot house plants or start a new hobby that you have always wanted to start? This gave you that opportunity – did you take it?

I understand the oppression and depression that has come with this time of our lives, I really do – I fell right in with everyone else. I had to stop watching the news on TV. I had to block pages on my FB that was FB spamming all sorts of negative things. I had to tell myself to get out of bed and make a difference in this chaos!

What can YOU do? Get out a piece of paper. Make a list of all of the things that you wished you could have done in the past, but never had the time to do.

* If you don’t have the supplies for some of the, post a note on FB or the Online Yard Sales for supplies for – for instance – painting. Make a note that you needs inexpensive supplies – I bet folks will send them to you for free or for very little. You would be surprised at the number of people who will step up along side you – because – well – they are in the same pandemic as you !! Also, the dollar stores always have a small section of crafting supplies for really cheap – then as you get better you won’t mind spending a little extra on good supplies.

* Send an encouraging email – or MEME on FB – or a text message to someone every day! Doesn’t have to be the same person, just pray and see who God puts on your heart.

* Read a new book – lots of your friends will give you suggestions of great books to read, I have seen it over and over again lately.

* Bake that dessert!! YUM.

* Google a recipe for something you have always wanted to try – you will get a dozen hits! Read through to the ones that find your fancy and give it a shot.

* Build that tent fort in the living room and gather the family for story time or desserts or old fashioned kids songs or ??? Well, just take a nap!!

* Get that Bible out and a good Bible Study (hundreds are online) and a good “read the Bible in an year plan” – And Get Started!!

* – Your Turn: Put suggestions in the comments below – be “G rated” please.

What are you waiting for. What if you find out that there are actually wonderful things you can do while locked in at home. Yes, it is scary at times. Yes, financial burdens can be overwhelming. Yes, it isn’t always fun being alone.

SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?!?!?!?!

I am praying blessing over you. I am praying an enhanced imagination over you. I am praying peace over you. I am saying “Seize the time!” Refuse to live in fear. Refuse to live in depression. Refuse to live in oppression. Make every day count.

Feel free to share!

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DEPRESSION

8 Sep

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.     Psalms 42:5-6 (KJV)

Depression started for me in my early teens. It is a dark consuming pain – beyond tears and hope. It is the feeling of helplessness – no control over any portion of your life, not your thoughts, your appetite, not even your emotions. It is difficult to focus, it is difficult to breathe. It is Satan’s greatest tool to stop God’s children from striving.

When I became a Christian my battle with depression ceased for a long time. I quit my well-paying, secure job and went into full-time ministry. What a delightful and faith-testing time. I dove head first into Biblical study and worship music (playing and singing). I think that God allowed me this peaceful time to build the strong foundation of faith that I was going to need to stand during the trials and storms of the future.

Challenges came – life changing events and situations that threatened to destroy our family and our faith – but we stood. Each time we grew stronger. The Depression there, but not consuming as it had been in the past, until recently.

For all the times we’ve faced life’s challenges in the past, this year has been a series of events that far surpassed anything we could have anticipated. I looked at our circumstances, I looked at our resources, I took my eyes off of our true Source – the darkness overtook me.

Well meaning friends offered words they thought would encourage – but cut like a knife. “If you have Jesus in your heart, you will never be without peace.” “If you have faith in Jesus you wouldn’t be depressed.” I guess they haven’t read passages in Psalm, Ecclesiastes or Job! Some of our greatest Bible leaders suffered terrible depression and wrote as they cried out to God.

I have a good friend and pastor who once told me that Depression was anger turned inward. I agree. You realize how little control you have over problems and situations and feel so helpless at your own inabilities; you turn inward.

I remember crying out to God for hours to help me get out of the dark hollowness. When I went into deep worship my darkness lifted. I asked God why He allowed me to go so deep into despair, why He wasn’t there with me. He showed me how He had been right next to me all the time, reaching a hand down to pull me up, waiting for me to reach back. He showed me where His hand had been moving on the situations all the time. I was able to see the miracles blooming all around. I could see His teardrops on my shoulder when He cried with me in my pain.

King David said that God taught our hands to war and our fingers to fight – I war with the enemy of our soul with my pen and paper. I will war for King Jesus – and hope my words will help others overcome the darkness that overcomes even the strongest saint. God, hold me ever near that I may never loose sight of You and who You are. I know You will always stand with me – and cry with me in my pain. Keep my mind set on you that I might never slip again into that pit.

 

 

Written 6-24-2008

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WAX MUSEUM

7 Oct

wax-museum-welcome-sign1

(THE EYES OF THE HOPELESSLY DEAD)

 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.                                                                                   Luke 11:34

Vacations are interesting entities.  They are times when you spend money you know better than to spend and visit places that you may have only had a vague interest in previously.

In our family, vacations are a valued commodity that arrive only once every 3 – 4 years.  It’s a time when we have saved and set aside so that we can travel off for a day or two and leave everything behind for someone else to care for.  This year was our year of VACATION – August 1999!!

We had been given our hotel room as a gift and part of that gift included tickets to the Movieland Wax Museum.  None of us had ever been to a wax museum – however, none of us had ever really been over-enthusiastic about going either.  But, it was vacation!  A time to see something new!  A time to . . . well, you know.

At first, I was intrigued by the replicas; life-size dolls, the exact size of a famous movie star, wearing the original costume from a movie or an article of clothing from the movie star’s personal wardrobe – or so they claim.

The tour began with the older movies.  What took me by surprise was the size of the stars.  The women were so tiny, petite (to compensate for the 20 extra pounds the camera add, I suspect).  Jean Harlow, Bette Davis, Kathryn Hepburn – all movie greats, up close and personal.

Then there were the men.  Characters that loomed so large on the screen were trim young men, not much taller than myself.  The illusion of grandeur diminished.  The overwhelming feeling of awe was reduced.  They were just people.  People who struggled with self-esteem and the pressures of fame.  People, just like me, who tried to juggle work and family and (prayerfully) devotions.

As I continued the tour I recognized depression setting over me.  Why, Lord?  What are you showing me that I can’t see?

“Look at them,” He said, “carefully.”

I began to look into the faces – past the aging clothing, the dusty sets, the fading make-up, and a few missing fingers.  I stood in one spot and turned a full circle, looking carefully into the eyes of the replicas.

“There’s nothing, Lord, nothing!”

And that was it!  Deep in the eyes was the absence of the soul.  They were exact replicas of the bodies of men – void of love, hate, joy, dreams and visions.  It was a morgue of dead bodies, dressed up to entertain people.

I walked through the “horror” section and felt nothing.  Even with the sound tracks playing in the background of some of the sets, there was nothing.  The eyes were dead and blank.  There were no demons, no tormented souls, no hate, no raging insanity.  They were the eyes of the hopelessly dead.

After leaving the museum I searched the face of every person I saw.  The daily anguish, joy and stresses were there.  It slowly relieved my depression.  It gave me new hope and a fresh battleground.  For in the tormented eyes there is hope for salvation.  In joy there is peace and encouragement for tomorrow.

No matter what the tormented soul is screaming out through the eyes – as long as there is life, there is an opportunity for Jesus to enter in.

Lord, let me always remember that every face I see could belong to a soul of little time.  Give me the courage to change the demons that dance in those eyes, before they become the eyes of the hopelessly dead.

 

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