This month, I’ve jumped into the conversation on mental health, anxiety, and depression. A couple of things I’ve read listened to and pondered are listed below. Feel free to download and enjoy yourself.
- Presentation on DEPRESSION by Dr. Gary Oliver – Fellowship (the church I work for) has hosted a 4-week class this spring on Emotions and Christian Maturity. The 3rd session focused on Depression and the realistic look at what about our IQ, emotional quality and situational influences affect our emotional well being. He also reminds us that God calls us to something higher and has prepared a life for us that can be full and thriving.
- Tony Evans – Overcoming Anxiety, Part 1 and Part 2
Let me close with this challenge:
- be the voice of truth when you need to be. Sometimes we just need someone to notice we are not ok and gently, kindly (from a deep core friendship) say, “..hey what can we do together?”
- get in the trenches with them and be support
- speak TRUTH – God’s Truth, your experiences and the words they need to hear that no one will tell them
- this looks a lot like the conversations we had around Domestic Violence
I remember when and where I was sitting in 2013 when my dad looked at me and said, “Girl, you’ve gotta snap out of this.” He went on to tell me I was more than capable of doing the things I was doubting. The things that had me down, depressed and overwhelmed. He filled me full of His wisdom, God’s Truth and a fresh reminder that I’ve usually been capable of doing anything I put my mind to do.
But, I needed the truth speaker.
I remember when and where I was sitting when my friend RJ, said: “You aren’t yourself.” (several months after my dad said the same thing) It first takes a good friend to “know” who you are. But it takes a great and brave friend to look you in the face and tell you, you’ve veered from that course. It wasn’t judgment or condemnation. It was truth followed with a brownie and some brainstorming. And there, in that cafe, on the other side of the state, I began digging; putting on my big girl panties, pulling up my proverbial bootstraps and reaching for the hands that were reaching towards me.
Get in the ditches, it’s ugly, but its life-giving!
