Blog
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?”
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?”
Losing a Son to Suicide: Pippa’s Story
It wasn’t what Pippa expected to find when she woke up on January the 3rd, 2019, but there he was; her 15-year-old son Dominic, tragically lost to suicide. Now, four years later, Pippa shares about losing Dom and what it did to her faith. Though Pippa and her family are still facing the pain and grief of losing Dom, they pray that their family’s story will help others walking a similar road.
I’m Haunted by Intrusive Thoughts
Intrusive thoughts are far more prevalent than many of us realise. Perhaps you’re one of those people who struggles. And perhaps like me, these thoughts rattle you and your faith at times. What’s wrong with me? How can I, one redeemed by Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, experience these kinds of disturbing, violent, or sexual thoughts?
With Trauma Came OCD, but Then Came Jesus
I knew I had anxiety, but I couldn’t help but notice mine was different to what my friends would describe. While theirs seemed to be about a consistent worry or fear, mine changed when something more traumatic or worrying than the last thing reared its ugly head.
4 Reminders When God Seems Silent in Our Suffering
What can we do to overcome the pain? How do we worship God in the storms of life? If thousands of innocent people suffer at the hands of a crazed killer or a sudden change in the earth’s atmosphere, why does God seem to remain silent?
Filling Our Bellies With the Bible: A Guide to Biblical Meditation
Many people associate meditation with the idea of ‘emptying our minds’, achieving a state of inner peace, or a focus on ourselves and not others. But biblical meditation is different. Biblical meditation is pondering the words of Scripture with a receptive heart, trusting the Holy Spirit to work in you through those words.
My Bipolar Disorder and God, The Redeemer of My Story
After being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder at 18 and descending into a deep depression, I felt like a shell of a person. I dropped out of college, stopped working out, had no job, and was quickly gaining weight. I was desperately grasping for a lifeline, something to calm the fire in my mind, something to live for.
Learning to Love God in the Midst of Grief
My friend passed away last week after suffering from a sudden and very unexpected stroke. When I heard the news, the only words I could muster were, “Why, God?” Here was a young woman in the prime of her life—a 29-year-old with an amazing intellect and dreams to transform the world. She had so much left to live for. Why did she have to die so young?
My Healing From Depression Came Slowly
Depression came for me when I was 16. Not overnight, but over a period of months; a gradual descent into a darkness so deep that it consumed everything in my life. I withdrew from friends, and disconnected from church. The things I used to love doing took energy I didn’t have, and I stopped enjoying them.
When It Felt Like God Wasn’t Fair
Night after night, month after month, I’d cry out in prayer, asking God to help. I didn’t ask for full and complete healing from mental illness, but for Him to make it even just a little better. An incremental step was all I wanted; something to ease the pressure and burden I felt. But even that didn’t come. And after crying out for as long as I could, I stopped. God had left me.
If Jesus Is Enough, Why Would I Need Psychology?
“But the gospel should be enough.” These were words a younger Chris once uttered to a fellow church leader who suggested that a church member who struggled with mental illness should see a psychologist. At the time, Chris had completed two theology degrees, was working on his Masters, and pastoring the church.
How I Learned to Find Beauty in the Chaos
God rescued me from a dark time in my life a few years ago. I was struggling with life and in survival mode, both mentally and physically. My relationships suffered because of it. I even remember admitting to my husband one day, “I’m just not a happy person.”
Asking God “Why?” in the Midst of OCD
In the midst of the peak of my OCD, there was a very deep fear that I couldn’t bring myself to face: Where was God? And why was He letting me go through this?
Help! I Can’t Stop Overthinking!
This issue of destructive thought patterns has been on my heart for some time, and I have learned that we can claim back our imaginations—we have to! The reality is, our feelings are extremely misleading and can’t always be trusted.