David Strengthened Himself in the Lord and How You can too

David Strengthened Himself in the Lord and How You can too

David Strengthened Himself in the Lord. How did he do this and what can we learn? I love old saints. People who have been there, done that and have got the story to tell. It was a couple of retired missionaries that strengthened me and got me through a tough […]

When Women with Depression Discover their Beauty

When Women with Depression Discover their Beauty

Women have a God-given beauty within them that, when squashed and sullied, grows a depression. When we discover God’s view of what is beautiful, then hope can blossom in a seemingly barren field. She was 1.52m (5ft) high, never applied any makeup, no fancy hairstyle, diamond earrings, or expensive gowns. […]

Why Male Depression feels like being Impotent and Weightless man men

Why Male Depression feels like being Impotent and Weightless

Underneath the depression of a male is a feeling of being impotent and weightless. The man has lost connection with his potency, and the spirit has been crushed.  ‘Have I made a difference’? and ‘Has my life mattered?’ are two questions that sit behind the stage curtain of many men’s […]

Mental Health is ... Giving Grace to Failure and Rethinking Expectations

Give Grace to Failure and Rethink Expectations

When we have realistic expectations, we can build resilience and an internal wisdom that is gentle with our humanity. We can grace ourselves and others when there is a failure to meet expectations. What caused the breakdown? Was it a genetic weakness? The piling up of expectations? Lack of sleep, […]

Mental Health is … Accepting the Pain to Get the Gain

Mental Health is … Accepting the Pain to Get the Gain

If you want long-term gain, you need to accept short-term pain. We want ‘quick-fix’ solutions and instant gratification but reaping never comes before sowing. When my counselor said we would have to go through this unbearable feeling, I felt a kind of pulling back. Did I really want to go […]

Mental Health is … You Taking Ownership of You

Mental Health is … You Taking Ownership of You

When we take ownership of the choices, we have made and their resulting consequences we can take a huge leap forward in our mental wellness. It’s called self-determination. We discover we are indeed the captain of our own soul. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments […]

Wallowing in the past won’t add to your future

Wallowing in the past won’t add to your future

There is a time for everything, but wallowing in your past will create an endless rut of misery. Isn’t it time to allow God, who knows all, to take the unknowns and allow you to walk in today? I always like a good wallow, don’t you? It’s like a warm, […]

Pregnant and in a Wine press. How God meets us when we are Anxious

How God meets us when we are Anxious

When God says ‘don’t be anxious’ it’s not a command it’s an invitation to grow closer in trust. We see a small corner of the picture, but God sees the whole.  I was living in the sense of dread. I didn’t know what the next day would bring, and my […]

rules-regulations-relationships-rebellion-resentment-grace-forgiveness

Rules + Regulations – Relationships = Rebellion + Resentment

Developing a relationship with God where we feel loved and graced upon is the most precious gift you can give your mental health. Rules and regulations without relationship will only lead to rebellion and resentment. Grace and forgiveness bring healing. Isn’t it interesting how early experiences shape your view of life […]

To be grounded in reality requires a commitment to side with the truth. It's seeing the lies we have been telling ourselves and moving into them with truth

No More Lies. Stay Grounded in Reality

‘If you really knew me, would you still love me?’ A grounded reality of knowing God speaks ‘You are loved no matter what’.

For some reason we prefer fabricated realities to the
strong and sensitizing face of what is.
The spiritual life begins with accepting and
living our reality. Richard Rohr

I know someone who lies and embellishes the truth. They want to be known and loved but the facade of lies they have built up around themselves has become their truth.

Sometimes, when they feel safe, they let their guard down and the honesty flows. It’s beautiful to watch.