Blog
When Unruly Thoughts Refuse to Be Taken Captive
Violent, deathly images flashed through my mind. I gripped the cold porcelain and gritted my teeth as the images pelted me. I first imagined myself holding up a shield against them, yet they simply punctured it. Then I sought to gather each of them up and stuff them in a cage like vermin, but they continued to break free.
Navigating Church as an Autistic Person
What does being an autistic Christian look like, when church spaces are so often hard for me to be in? What does my relationship with God look like, when sometimes I have to fight my own mind and body just to sit with Him? Four years after my diagnosis, I’m still figuring it out. And so is the broader church, I think.
Misery Needs Company
By the time it was my turn to share, fear and panic had subsided within me. Listening to my friends’ anxieties and frustrations made me realize I was not alone. I didn’t need to hide my bitterness or sorrow from my friends. Their authenticity gave me the courage to be genuine.
To The Christian Who Self-Harms
I know I’m not the only believer who struggles with self-harm and suicidal thoughts. I’m making myself vulnerable here with the prayer that whatever you’re going through, you won’t feel so alone. This is my prayer for you, from the depth of my own struggle.
When My Thoughts Lie to Me
When my inner world was so gray and cloudy, was it any wonder that I perceived everything around me through the same dark lens? Was it any wonder that, a few months before this when my therapist tasked me with making a list of 100 good things in my life, it took me almost a month to do so?
3 Lessons God Taught Me in Managing My Bipolar
Learning to manage my bipolar disorder has shown me that God’s faithfulness will prevail, even in the worst circumstances. These lessons did not come overnight. Through two years of battling severe mood swings, figuring out the right treatment plan, and strengthening my faith in low moments, I am where I am today because of God’s grace.
Elmo’s Wholesome Question That Broke the Internet
Elmo (yes, the red fuzzy puppet from the show Sesame Street) tweeted on the 30th of January: “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” The answer? Not good, Elmo. Not good at all.
How to Be Helpful When a Loved One Tells You They’re Anxious
I understand how anxiety can hijack physiology and rational thought at any time, in any place: at the grocery store, at work, in mid-conversation on a coffee date — it has no regard for students’ classwork or adults’ busy agendas. It doesn’t care. Everybody’s anxiety is different, though, which is why this post is about asking the right questions, rather than giving the right advice.
6 People in the Bible Who Struggled With Their Mental Health
Each of these people in the Bible is a reminder that those of us who struggle with our mental health are not alone. But beyond that, we can also learn valuable lessons from those who’ve gone before us in how they dealt with and responded to their struggles. Let’s take a look.
It's a New Year, but I'm Exhausted
I don’t know what you’re facing. Maybe you’re looking forward to what’s coming. Maybe you’ve written the lists and set the goals and so far you’re actually sticking to them. But, if you’re like me, you’re feeling a little worn out. A little on the back-foot.
What’s My Next Step?
You might find yourself feeling like you’re treading water. You aren’t in the places that you’ve left behind, but you aren’t yet in the places that you thought God was calling you to. There’s a constant back and forth between what was and what is not yet, but all the while you feel like you aren’t really anywhere.
Clinical Anxiety Isn’t What the Church Thinks It Is
All I knew about anxiety had come from my church. And all my church taught was that anxiety was worry. It was a failure to trust God with my future. And if I prayed and ‘genuinely gave it to God’, it would go away.
I Wish I’d Known It Was Religious OCD
I grew up in an unhealthy church environment, and I believe that is one of the reasons my OCD latched onto faith. It started with scary, intrusive thoughts about the devil, and crippling doubts about the reliability of scripture and whether Christianity was something I truly believed.
10 Surprising Things I’ve Learned About Having Good Mental Health
I’ve never struggled with depression or anxiety – until a few years ago. I had a panic attack on a small aircraft as it was flying through a storm, bouncing around like a dodgem car. And for a good year after that incident, I felt incredibly anxious whenever I boarded aircraft. But I sought help and began the journey of responding well to anxiety.
When It Feels Like We're Drowning
When I’m in a place of utter chaos, floundering around and feeling like I’m going under, who am I calling out to? Am I jumping on social media and looking for validation and safety in other people’s content? Or am I catching my breath and calling out to the One who never left me in the first place, the One who was present from the beginning telling me I could “come” despite the chaos of the storm swirling around me?
What is Mindfulness and How Can It Help Us?
We wanted to find out from Dr Katherine Thompson what “mindfulness” is, where it comes from, whether it can be used by Christians, and if there could be harm in engaging with these practices. She also takes us through a scripture-based meditative exercise towards the end!
Is Self-Care Biblical?
Some people's alarm bells may go off as soon as the topic of self-care is mentioned. It may be because you think that because it has the word ‘self’ in it must be selfish, and therefore not good or from God. But here’s the thing; looking after ourselves means that we build our capacity to cope with the stresses of life and better love those around us.
Suicide and Suffering: Asking the “Why”
After my father’s suicide, I wrestled with the “why” questions to the point of utter exhaustion. When bad things happen, we automatically ask why, as if finding out the answers will give us comfort and peace. I don’t find they actually do. The far more significant question, from a Christian standpoint, is not “Why?” but “What is God doing about it?”
I Lost My Father to Suicide: Al’s Story
When my mother called me with the awful news, she wailed in grief and pain. I was in shock. Numb. It didn’t seem real. How could this have happened to our family? And how could we go on?
What the Bible Says About Peace
There’s so much going on in the world, and it can be overwhelming. Whether we’re struggling with troubles in our own lives or feeling the barrage of bad news every time we look at the headlines, peace can feel elusive – if not impossible. All that can leave us wondering, “How can we find peace with everything going on?”