Broken Believers

Site Update

Well, some good news. NetworkedBlogs gives out rankings for the top 50 blogs on a variety of subjects. I honestly have paid it no mind, because this is not about having good numbers or popularity. I just want to be faithful.

Broken Believers was positioned #3 in a list of 50 under the topic of Bipolar Disorder and #1o under the subject of Depression. I look and shake my head in amazement. I did not imagine this. I have simply challenged myself to write a good, honest blog that would touch Christians in a sensitive area in their lives. Sometimes its been difficult, but most of the time it is a joy.

As of today, Tuesday, November 24th at 11:30 AKST we have had 1,387 hits. We started counting Sept. 1. These are distinct hits and don’t include me as I meander through the site.

I guess we tapped into a real need thats out there. Yesterday, I went ahead and purchased our new domain name, and moved the site. We are now at brokenbelievers.com. (Don’t worry, the old domain name will work for awhile.)

On a personal note; since I left teaching at ABI, and stepped out of being a full-time pastor, I thought I was finished. All I have ever wanted to do is be a Pastor, and to have that taken away was like having an arm or a leg amputated. I know I will never be a senior pastor again. But, I’m ok with that (sorta).

If I can serve you in any way, please email me, or send it through the “post” option where it says “Leave a Comment”. Thank you for your notes of encouragement, I save every single one of them. (I delete the negative ones, however, lol)

Sunday Funnies: Test Questions

Bipolar / Manic Test Questions

Answer as truthfully as you can. Keep a mental note of how you answer.

* The sun is too loud.
* Trees begin to chase you.
* You can see individual air molecules vibrating.
* You begin to explore the possibility of setting up an I.V. drip solution of espresso.
* You wonder if brewing is really a necessary step for the consumption of coffee.
* You can hear mimes.
* You can achieve a “Runner’s High” by sitting up.
* You say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you have said it before.
* You believe that if you think hard enough, you can fly.
* Things become “Very Clear.”
* You ask the drive-through attendant if you can get your order to go.
* You say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you have said it before.
* You begin speaking in a language that only you and the chandeliers can understand.
* The less sense matter and matter is more than sense.
* You keep yelling “STOP TOUCHING ME!!!!” even though you are the only one in the room.
* You say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you have said it before.
* Your heart beats in 7/8 time.
* You and Reality file for divorce.
* You say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you have said it before.
* You can skip without a rope.
* It appears that people are speaking to you in binary code.
* You say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you have said it before.
* You can travel without moving.
* Antacid tablets become your sole source of nutrition.
* You discover the aesthetic beauty of office supplies.
* You have an irresistible urge to bite the noses of the people you are talking to.
* You say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you have said it before.
* Losing your mind was okay, but when the voices in your head quieted, it was like losing your best friend.

It is very important to our recovery that we can find amusement wherever we can. We need to laugh at ourselves and often. Sunday Funnies here on Broken Believers is an attempt to lighten the load. You can read all of them by clicking “Sunday” category on the left hand side.

BB Thoughts for Saturday, 11-14-09

“The Lord afflicts us at times; but it is always a thousand times less than we deserve, and much less than many of our fellow-creatures are suffering around us. Let us therefore pray for grace to be humble, thankful, and patient.” John Newton (1725-1807)

Rambling thoughts….

For the person who believes, this can be a real thorny issue. Can a God who will and can afflict us for our good, can he be trusted? There are some who suggest that God is intentionally malicious; like a young boy pulling the wings off of flies in bored amusement, to watch them scramble about. I am certain this is not the case.

Those of us with mental illnesses who are believers will face this issue fairly often. I get terribly depressed, to the point of despairing and even suicide. One of the inner dialogues that happen, is “Why?” “Does God know?” “Does he care? ” “Why is this happening to me?” You know what? Only God knows, and he is not telling. Sometimes we just have to live with questions.

The believer must accept this at face value. It really doesn’t matter. You face the fiery furnace, and that is a fearful thing. But whatever transpires, our trials teach us about love, especially when we find a fellow-sufferer. I have found that mentally ill people are almost always good, gentle people. They have finally learned how to love, they generally have the scars to prove it.

To get stable, a prayer life should be established in our lives. (If you have tried and tried, I would recommend getting prayer beads.) Praying will clarify things and settle things. Luther once said that just like “a cobbler’s task was to make shoes, so a Christian’s is to pray”. Prayer is real-life for the believer. It is a shot of adrenaline into the heart of a dying man. I take my meds and I regard prayer as one of my other medications. Prayer for me is both an anti-depressant and a mood-stablizer. It is that significant.

Rising from the Valley of Death

Christianity Today interviews Steven Curtis Chapman as he opens up about losing his daughter, their family’s arduous journey, and a new album of songs chronicling the path of pain and hope.

Interview by Mark Moring | posted 11/02/2009

Stevencc It’s been a year and a half since Steven Curtis Chapman lost his youngest daughter, 5-year-old Maria Sue, to a tragic accident at the family’s Tennessee home. Maria’s death rocked her father’s world, causing Steven and his wife, Mary Beth, to question God and their faith, while also clinging to the hope of things to come. The grieving process brought Steven, like King David, to his knees, simultaneously shouting at God while also desperately grasping for hope. Chapman journaled the journey, which he likens to penning his own Psalms—and not surprisingly, many of them turned into songs, and now his first album since Maria’s passing, “Beauty Will Rise.”

Chapman spoke with CT about losing his daughter, the “black hole” of pain and despair, and the glimmers of life they’ve clung to through the last 18 months—including the opening of Maria’s Big House of Hope, a healing home in China for special needs children. The Chapmans had already adopted two Chinese girls before Maria, so returning to China over the summer to open Maria’s Big House was a bittersweet time to both mourn Maria yet again, but to celebrate her life and legacy.

For this interview you will need to go to the CT site at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/music/interviews/2009/stevencurtischapman-nov09.html

The death as reported by CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/12/steven.curtis.chapman/