Blog
Mental health is an integral part of our overall well-being. Yet, for many years, it has been surrounded by stigma and misunderstandings, leaving countless individuals feeling isolated and unsupported. Every May, Mental Health Awareness Month offers a chance to shed light on these issues, promote understanding, and encourage compassion.
Holy Week is a time of profound reflection and spiritual renewal. While the world often seems to urge us into constant activity, faith invites us into restful stillness. Sacred stillness is more than just silence; it is the intentional pause to deepen our connection with God, reflect on Christ's sacrifice, and prepare our hearts for resurrection joy.
Grief can be an overwhelming feeling of sadness, depression, anger, and happiness all in one. We all grieve differently; some have lost loved ones, some have recently been healing from a broken heart, and others grieve someone who hasn't even passed yet. Typically, we think of grief coming after death, but it often comes long before death arrives. When the likelihood of death is presented, we often start the grieving process.
In a podcast I was recently listening to, the guest compared the invention of social media to the invention of fire. Back in the day when fire was discovered, I’m sure folks were totally amazed but also had to learn how to control and contain it. It seemingly had great benefits but without some boundaries it could easily become all consuming and even destructive. Sound about right? As we enter into the summer and possibly have some extra time on our hands, let’s consider some practical ways to manage our social media usage.
Thankfully mental health is becoming less taboo these days. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t still a lot of confusion about it. For this week’s blog I thought it might be helpful to provide basic information about depression. How is it defined and diagnosed and what are some healthy coping skills for managing it?
Grief: something I wish no one ever had to deal with. At the age of 29, I never thought I would have lost two very important people in my life. I look back at how I grieved the loss of my grandmother and now my uncle and at times I would find myself frustrated and angry with God. Frustrated of the unknown. The tests that did not get to happen, the unanswered lab results, and the other unknown questions. Although I know they are both with my heavenly father, I was frustrated that I did not spend as much time with them, that I worked more than taking the time off to visit them. I was angry that I had to live through holidays and big events without them cheering me on or walking through the difficult parts of life with me.
In recent discussion I shared with a friend how, in the last year or two, I’ve encountered more and more clients who cannot answer the questions “who are you?” and “in what do you find your value and worth?” I’ve come to realize that a history of rejection is linked and found in each individual’s past.
God never intended us to feel rejection, however rejection is truly a perfect tool that the enemy uses to cause us to not only question our identity, but to steer us away from our identity in Christ. God desires for us to know who we truly are and for us to know His love and acceptance for us. If we are not rooted in love, as God has intended, how can we truly experience all that Christ has in store for us?
Something that has been on my mind as of late is the subject of down time. I’m one of those people that tends to jam pack my schedule and try to maximize time, all the time. It makes life fun and busy but also overwhelming at times. Earlier this week, I had an unusual break during the middle of the week. Part of me thought hmm this is a great opportunity to catch up on paperwork or get some good exercise in. But then the other part of me saw the old, spotted bananas on the counter and thought they would be perfect for some banana bread. I decided to whip up some banana bread with my old bananas but then later questioned myself if that was my best decision.
