“Nine, ten, eleven,…eleven….eleven.” I burst into tears as I realized that I needed one less chair at the table. Then it was like an avalanche as I thought about those who would no longer be celebrating with us because they had recently passed away. I wanted the holiday to be such a happy one, but the grief seemed to have a mind of its own. It liked to come and go when I least expected it. I needed a strategy to get through this day without sinking into a melancholy. If you’ve found some things that help, I’d love to hear from you! I believe my readers would too. I’d love to add your thoughts to a follow-up post. Here’s my 2 cents’ worth: Continue reading
Author: Arlene
How To Pull Out Of A Bout Of Depression, Part 1
As the holidays approach, depression can be even more painful than normal. It’s a time of year when we feel more pressure than normal to be happy. And when we’re already feeling depressed, the holidays can feel like something to endure rather than enjoy. So how can we get back to a sense of emotional well-being and enjoy the holidays? Continue reading
It’s not too late to come to Jesus
Have you ever felt like you’ve sinned too much for God to ever accept you? If you have, you’re in good company. Before he was one of Jesus’ disciples, Peter felt that way. When Jesus invited him to come and follow him, Peter replied, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.” Jesus knew that Peter had sinned, but He was calling him anyway. Continue reading
Finding Emotional Satisfaction In God
“I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the LORD.” Jeremiah 31:14
I haven’t always believed this verse to be true, but I do now. It just didn’t look true to me. I spent so many years in emotional pain. I just couldn’t see it. I’d cry out to God from those places of anguish, yet it felt like my prayers just fell to the floor, unanswered. So what happened to me between that time and this? I want to share that with you. But first, let’s break this Bible verse down and see what it’s saying: Continue reading
What Jesus Taught Us About Dealing With Emotional Pain
Have you ever been in emotional anguish? I sure have…and I stayed there far too long. I just didn’t know how to leave that place. The depression and anxiety felt like too much to bear at times. I tried talking to friends. To counselors. To doctors. But their kindness and compassion wasn’t enough to pull me out of that pit. Continue reading
Overcoming Depression Through Restoring Trust
Have you ever wondered why you were doing pretty good emotionally, and then another bout of depression hit you like a tidal wave? I want to share a troubleshooting tip that I learned during the years that I spent recovering from depression:
Identify any areas where you may have felt or had the perception that God betrayed your trust. When troubleshooting reasons for a bout of depression, this is a very common reason. Continue reading
Surviving When Earnest Prayers Appear To Go Unanswered
I am so proud of my Church family. So proud of those who dared to go out on that limb of faith and believe God for the impossible. So proud of those who faced down their fears…”What if I stand in bold faith and declare, “I believe God for this healing.” “What if I hurt those I love by declaring healing and then it doesn’t happen?” “What if my credibility is destroyed by taking a position of faith, but appear to have been wrong?” “What if, what if, what if…” Continue reading
The School of Long-term trials And Suffering
I’ll be honest, I hated that school. But looking back, I’m thankful for the things I learned there. Would I choose it? No way.
My heavenly Father loved me enough to allow me to attend its’ dreaded classes. He knew there were things I’d learn there that I couldn’t learn anywhere else. Continue reading
Overcoming Depression After A Painful Life Event
She shouldn’t have said it, but she did. The words cut deep. Words that I would expect an enemy to say, not one of my closest friends. I spiraled. For weeks after, waves of depression crashed over me. Relentless waves of self-hatred and despair. Her words continued to ring in my ears, and I became fixated on them. I had a young family to care for, but I found it difficult to function. Every chore felt like a mountain. I felt helpless. Powerless to get up. Powerless to find joy again.
Life events can knock us on our backsides sometimes, leaving us feeling like we’ve had the breath knocked out of us. If you’re like me, I truly didn’t know how to get back up. I thought depression was just something that either happened to me or it didn’t. I felt like Continue reading
How To Steward Prophetic Words Spoken Over Your Life
Maybe you’ve had a prophetic word spoken over your life. It seems God has even bigger plans for your life than you did. It can be an exciting thing to be given a glimpse of what God has in mind for your future. You’ve been given a great trust. So, what does it look like to steward that word well? Continue reading
Walk Whole 