Author: Pastor Bryan Lowe

A repentant rascal with definite issues, but who is seeking to be authentic in his faith to Jesus Christ. An avid reader and a hopeful writer. Husband and father. A pastor and Bible teacher. A brain tumor survivor. Diagnosed with clinical depression, and now disabled. Enjoys life, such as it is, in Alask.a (Actually I have it pretty good.)

Blessed?

 

“Blessed … Blessed … Blessed … Blessed …”

Matthew 5:3-10

Extract all the blessings from Scripture, and you would be left with very little.  Remove the promises and it would become a poison to the souls of men.  We are in such a feeble state that we would be desperate for anything that would ease our pain.  Being crushed on the wheels of life without any hope is a grim prospect.

That is why He gives us the promises and blessings embedded in the Bible.  They are like diamonds in the clay, which must be released in order to make them ours.  The blessings of the Word await those desperate enough to abandon lethargy and to dig.  One time a treasure chest was buried in a field, and a poor man who knew went and sold everything.  He scraped all he had and purchased that property to gain access to the wealth within.

Some will never make the effort.  The blessings of scripture are never gripped and seized with any real alacrity or desperation.  Those vital promises swirl by their hearts, but are never comprehended.  They are so close to glory, but they will not reach for it.  The issue is not with the Bible, it is the folly and darkness of the human heart.

Having God’s blessing is a state of grace that elevates us to reality.  If you are “poor in spirit”. or if you mourn, you are in that state of blessed truth.  You might say that the Beatitudes are keys that will open the doors of truth.  They are not optional, we must receive them and the richness they give us.

There are those who will harden their heart.  That is a given.  They have a calloused mind and a stiff neck.  But the promises and blessings of God continue to call out, but if they are spurned they will become the property of a more receptive and eager heart.

 

ybic, Bryan

 

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Seeing Our Size

Comparisons of Planets/Stars

“Is not God high in the heavens?
    See the highest stars, how lofty they are!”

Job 22:12

“He determines the number of the stars;
    he gives to all of them their names.”

Psalm 147:4

Mongrel Poetry

A mongrelized poet.

I have been inspired (perhaps foolishly) by others who have stepped up and shared poems they have written.  They are great!

Shortly after being diagnosed as mentally ill, I started to write (or scawl) verses.  I could never get the rhyme down, but I did start to grasp the imagery.  I filled up a “composition book.”  I sincerely hope you will look kindly on these “mongrelized verses,” not judging too harshly.

*****

Spring

Young grass, a ferocious green that an artist could hardly grasp, dewy freshness and I resist a severe temptation to shed my shoes and walk into a place where I absorb a spring life into my being.

**********

Manic

Encountering a revved up edition of myself, I’m always moving in sky.  Just like superman or a jaded circus performer shot out of his cannon.  Gravity simply has lost its grip on me.  I am a law breaker of the worst sort as I flit and flash about in this blue limen that I now rule.

*********

Wife

She captured me with her 5000 kilowatt smile big enough and bright enough to blaze my black and white world with just her glance.  Her laugh takes me apart and I discover I have been completely dismantled.  (After all, I have just beheld the eighth wonder of the world.)  With feminine technicolor and an infrared awareness she sweeps me up into this place and my ears pop with a fresh sense of grace given to me.

***********

Ungrace Me

Ungrace me and then stand back as I implode, a million pieces of waste and ruin. All with a 20/200 vision of a heart that has suddenly lost its way into the hateful darkness.  It is at this that an epiphany pushes on me– Jesus, with pierced hands He draws me home.

ybic, Bryan

Double Trouble: A Dual Diagnosis

What is the relationship between drug abuse and mental illness?

Many chronic drug abusers–the individuals we commonly regard as addicts–often simultaneously suffer from a serious mental disorder. Drug treatment and medical professionals call this condition a co-occurring disorder or a dual diagnosis.

What is chronic drug abuse?

Chronic drug abuse is the habitual abuse of licit or illicit drugs to the extent that the abuse substantially injures a person’s health or substantially interferes with his or her social or economic functioning. Furthermore, any person who has lost the power of self-control over the use of drugs is considered a chronic drug abuser.

What are some serious mental disorders associated with chronic drug abuse?

Chronic drug abuse may occur in conjunction with any mental illness identified in the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV). Some common serious mental disorders associated with chronic drug abuse include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, manic depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. Many of these disorders carry with them an increased risk of drug abuse.

Disorders With Increased Risk of Drug Abuse

  • Antisocial personality disorder 15.5%
  • Manic episode 14.5%
  • Schizophrenia 10.1%
  • Panic disorder 04. 3%
  • Major depressive episode 04.1%
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder 03.4%
  • Phobias 02.1%

 Source: National Institute of Mental Health.

How prevalent are co-occurring disorders?

Co-occurring disorders are very common. In 2002 an estimated 4.0 million adults met the criteria for both serious mental illness and substance dependence or abuse in the past year.

Which occurs first–chronic drug abuse or serious mental illness?

It depends. In some cases, people suffering from serious mental disorders (often undiagnosed ones) take drugs to alleviate their symptoms–a practice known as self-medicating. According to the American Psychiatric Association, individuals with schizophrenia sometimes use substances such as marijuana to mitigate the disorder’s negative symptoms (depression, apathy, and social withdrawal), to combat auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions, or to lessen the adverse effects of their medication, which can include depression and restlessness.

In other cases mental disorders are caused by drug abuse. For example, MDMA or Ecstasy, produces long-term deficits in serotonin function in the brain, leading to mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Chronic drug abuse by adolescents during formative years is a particular concern because it can interfere with normal socialization and cognitive development and thus frequently contributes to the development of mental disorders.

Finally, chronic substance abuse and serious mental disorders may exist completely independently of one another.

Can people with co-occurring disorders be treated effectively?

Yes, chronic drug abusers who also suffer from mental illness can be treated. Researchers currently are investigating the most effective way to treat drug abusers with mental illness, and especially whether or not treating both conditions simultaneously leads to better recovery. Currently, the two conditions often are treated separately or without regard to each other. As a result, many individuals with co-occurring disorders are sent back and forth between substance abuse and mental health treatment settings.

Source: http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs7/7343/index.htm

For more info on the Dual Diagnosis see: http://bipolar.about.com/cs/dualdiag/a/0008_dual_diag.htm