Category Archives: depression
Christian, Where is Your Umbrella?
Sometime ago there was a town which had experienced a prolonged and difficult drought. There was no water to be found for crops and livestock, and hardly enough for the people of this once prosperous village. There was nothing to be done, and is often the case the town fathers finally turned to the churches [...]
Let Him Take All
Jesus answered, ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. Matt. 22:37 Love is the exact thing God is looking for. It is the currency of Heaven. The Kingdom’s economy is ‘the gold standard’ of love. It’s the way business is done in eternity. Love! Without love, we [...]
Pain and Prayer in Poetry
This poem is an acrostic of sorts. When I originally wrote it I titled it Prayer, but the acrostic letters that begin each stanza spell PAIN. It was written at a time I was in a lot of physical and emotional pain, and found that prayer was the best way to find relief, if not [...]
Vessel to Vessel: What is God Doing to Me?
Being Poured from Vessel to Vessel “Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his lees, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither has he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.” Jeremiah 48:11 The expression, “emptied from vessel [...]
Elijah Had Some Issues
Then Elijah walked for a whole day into the desert. He sat down under a bush and asked to die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he prayed. “Let me die. I am no better than my ancestors.” 1 Kings 19:4 Poor Elijah. He was bold and heroic, taking on the enemy at Mt. Carmel. A [...]
The Scream
You’re probably familiar with Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream– yesterday it sold at auction for 120 million dollars. It is a profound painting, but do you know its inspiration? From the venerable Wikipedia, a quote from Munch’s own diary, written January 22, 1892: “I was walking along a path with two friends—the sun was setting—suddenly the [...]
Bragging Rights
“Three times I begged the Lord to make this suffering go away. But he replied, “My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 This is a very crisp idea, [...]
Are There Benefits to Being Bipolar?
Originally Published on July 20, 2010 in “Psychology Today” Let me start by acknowledging what is well known: Manic Depression or Bipolar disorder can be a devastating illness. Affecting at least 1% of the population, it can, untreated, result in suicide, ruined careers and devastated families. Bipolar disorder is often accompanied by alcohol and drug [...]
The Scary Part of Depression
“Must I then, indeed, Pain, live with you All through my life? –sharing my fire, my bed, Sharing–oh, worst of things!–the same head?– And, when I feed myself, feeding you, too?” Edna St. Vincent Millay The critical issue we face is the reality of living with ourselves through an acute episode of depression or mania. I [...]