Cloud of Depression
January 27, 2010 by Standing on Truth
Filed under Christianity
My apologies to my faithful viewers who have been dissatisfied with my low number of posts so far this new year. I’m finding that I just do not have the time to post as frequently as some of the top-viewed blogs, and if I were to try to keep up a set number of posts per week (as I have done in the past), it will be to the great disappointment of my son, who understandably whines at me to play with him when I start to get tunnel-visioned in my writing. So I’ve been making a choice, in favor of motherhood, and to the detriment of my writing, but that’s ok. So hang with me. I will find a way to create more hours in the day, and will be back with more regular blog postings before long. Thank you for your support!
In the meantime, I would like to post an article that I wrote for a Caring Ministry at my church. It is on depression, and it is something that, I believe, could touch the heart of a lot of people, especially now that the excitement of Christmas has passed and the routine of a new year has set in.
The Christmas trees are down. Families and friends have flown home. The delicious food that we indulged in now sits, maybe not so comfortably, as a few extra pounds on our hips and stomach. We are returning to the daily grind of life, and for some of us, because of a growing depression, that daily grind feels like more than we can handle most days.
Maybe you are feeling a let-down after the highs of the holidays–a gloominess that you know from past experience is temporary and will be gone before long. This is quite common for all of us at one time or another. Maybe depression set in a year ago as the market plummeted and you are having trouble seeing past your financial circumstances to the promises of God. But maybe some of you are feeling a suffocating sadness, like a fog that has engulfed you and won’t lift–a sadness that has been around for a while, stealing your energy, motivation, and joy.
Depression, as defined by the Mayo Clinic, “is a medical illness that involves the mind and body. It affects how you think and behave and can cause a variety of emotional and physical problems.” It can be brought on by a variety of things-biological imbalances, an unhealthy thought-life, unrealistic expectations, difficult circumstances, unresolved anger, unconfessed sin, hormones, or physical factors such as a lack of sleep or nutritional deficiencies, to name a few. If you think you may be experiencing symptoms of depression, please click here to take a self-assessment quiz: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/MH00103_D
So what do you do if you find yourself in that fog? Where can you turn for help? I hope to offer you some short-term help here, and then some long-term hope.
Short-term help:
If we are to rise above and conquer the depression that threatens to consume us, we must build our hope on something other than ourselves and the shifting wind of circumstances. As the well-known hymn exclaims, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” Because of Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins and resurrection in victory over sin and death, we can take part in His life and His inheritance, now and eternally. If you do not have that assurance of new life and eternal hope, please click here, and begin today to build your hope on nothing less than Jesus.
Once we have that foundation sure and secure, there are some things we can begin doing today that will help to lift that cloud of depression.
We can change our thought-life. We’ve all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” Well, the same applies to our minds. If we feed on negative thoughts, we will begin to feel negatively. Are you aware of the things you are telling yourself throughout the course of a day? Are you aware of how those negative thoughts are then followed by negative feelings? The world teaches us to trust our feelings most of all, and then all too often our feelings become our truth. We need to, instead, cement the Truth of God in our minds and let His Truth lead us, not our feelings. “For as he thinks within himself, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7a).
We can seek God’s perspective on the hurts that we have. Take your anger, guilt, unmet needs, and expectations to God and seek His perspective on it. He has something healing and instructive to say about all of it in His Word. Ask Him to help you see things as He does and then find Him to be your strength, comfort, and guide out of the pain.
We can renew our mind with Scripture. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). We are commanded to hide the Word of God in our hearts, so that God’s promises can be recalled at any given moment when our minds, our circumstances, or the enemy try to get us in a negative mindset. We are in a battle for our minds, and often times, during periods of depression, this is even more the case. “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your mind and in your heart, so that you can do it” (Deuteronomy 30:14).
(Additional Scriptures to memorize and meditate on: Psalm 69:1-3; Proverbs 23:7a; John 14:27; Philippians 4:19; Philippians 4:6-8; Isaiah 26:3; Psalm 147:3; I Corinthians 1:3-4; I Peter 5:6-7; Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 43:2; Isaiah 40:29; Romans 8:38-39)
We can discover, or re-discover, our identity in Christ. God’s Word is overflowing with promises and declarations about who we are as Christians. For example, we are accepted (John 1:12, Colossians 2:9-10), secure (Colossians 3:1-4, 2 Timothy 1:7), and significant (Ephesians 3:12, Philippians 4:13). Knowing that our depression is not our identity and that there is hope is essential.
We can immerse ourselves in studying God’s never-ending love for us. The Bible says that God loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3) and that “perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). These truths go a long way in soothing our aching heart and healing us from the wounds of life.
We can develop an attitude of gratitude. It may take practice, or maybe beginning a gratitude journal, but a grateful heart is one of the best ways to see past your circumstances and see the blessings in every day. “Instead be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-20).
We can look at our diets and activity levels throughout the day. Research shows that sugar, for example, in most people can cause the blues. And, although many of us have trouble finding the motivation to workout, exercise releases endorphins that help depression.
(Adapted in part from Victory Over Depression by Bob George)
Long-term hope:
The Bible tells us that God “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” ( 1 Corinthians 1:3-4). Many wise men and women, committed to comforting others through the troubles they have either experienced or watched others experience, have written books that can be of great instruction and consolation to you. Consider checking them out:
If you think that you may need more than the help this article offers you, please contact a caring biblical counselor in your area, so that someone can take you by the hand and walk you through some of the healing hope of God’s Word. Above all else, know that you are not alone. Even in the darkest hours of the night, Jesus is there with you. Resist the temptation by the enemy to devour you in discouragement and isolation. Let others know of your struggle and draw comfort from the body of Christ.
If you would like help locating a counselor in your area, click here.
Helping Haiti
January 15, 2010 by Standing on Truth
Filed under In the News
Yesterday I explained to my 4-year old son what an earthquake is and how it can devastate a family, a neighborhood, and a country. I showed him where Haiti is on a map in relation to where we lived in the United States. I delicately told him that there were people that were hurt, without doctors nearby; people that were thirsty, with no bottled waters to drink; people that were starving, and couldn’t go to their refrigerator 8 times a day like he does. Then I let him know that with a click of the computer mouse, we could do a small part to help those hurting people. I asked him if he would like to give some of his money to send bottled waters, food, and doctors to Haiti. He quickly got his wallet and pulled out $2 and handed it to me. That was 16% of his total money.
When devastation occurs in other countries, whether it be by natural disasters, famine, or wars, I can’t seem to shake this helpless feeling I get. What can I possibly do? How can I help? Is anything I do making a difference? I am convinced beyond any shadow of a doubt that money given to Samaritan’s Purse makes a difference. So if you are wanting to help the Haitians and are skeptical of groups that have been shown to be more excited about your money than about helping the helpless, let me vouch for the integrity of Samaritan’s Purse.
They are an international relief and Christian evangelism organization, and at the helm is Franklin Graham, well-loved and respected son of Reverend Billy Graham. They say this about their ministry:
The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) gives a clear picture of God’s desire for us to help those in desperate need wherever we find them. After describing how the Samaritan rescued a hurting man whom others had passed by, Jesus told His hearers, “Go and do likewise.”
For over 35 years, Samaritan’s Purse has done our utmost to follow Christ’s command by going to the aid of the world’s poor, sick, and suffering. We are an effective means of reaching hurting people in countries around the world with food, medicine, and other assistance in the Name of Jesus Christ. This, in turn, earns us a hearing for the Gospel, the Good News of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Our emergency relief programs provide desperately needed assistance to victims of natural disaster, war, disease, and famine. As we offer food, water, and temporary shelter, we meet critical needs and give people a chance to rebuild their lives.
What could be a better use of God’s money than to provide for someone’s basic physical needs during their greatest desperation, and also have a chance to point them to the answer for their greatest spiritual need? If you can’t think of any better use, and are feeling led to help, I encourage you to donate to any of the reputable charities that are helping Haiti right now, most especially Samaritan’s Purse. (For those of you watching Greta Van Susteren last night, you might have seen her interviewing Franklin Graham while he was on a plane circling Haiti’s airport.)
Father, we pray for those hurting men, women and children in Haiti right now. Please provide the means for as many rescue workers as possible to get safely on the ground there with all the necessary equipment and pull as many people as possible from the rubble. Guide the money that is given into caring, honest hands, and ensure that it is used for what it was given; for the medical supplies, food, shelter, and water that will save Haitians and restore them to health. You are the Great Physician, God. Please bring healing to their bodies and touch them with the Truth of the Gospel. Please comfort the friends and relatives of those who lost their lives in this tragedy, and comfort those who still wait for word from those loved ones. In Jesus name, Amen.
Cancer Takes Too Many of Us
January 8, 2010 by Standing on Truth
Filed under Nutritional Living
Today I am a little bit sad. . .as well as a little bit mad.
Yesterday afternoon, a woman I know and respect from church, who served as my Mentor Mom in a Mother’s ministry group, lost her lifemate and husband of 47 years to liver cancer that had spread to his lungs. Today I grieve with her and her family, and I’m also mad at cancer. As Christians, we know that to be “away from the body” is to be “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8), so I hope and pray that John’s family is rejoicing today that he is out of pain and dancing with Jesus! But in honor of him and the battle he fought against a disease that ravaged his body, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight a few things from a phenomenal book I am just finishing up.
It is a book called Knockout, by Suzanne Somers (yes, Chrissy from Three’s Company). She is a breast cancer survivor and has made it a life mission to inform herself about everything there is to know about cancer and its prevention. Knockout is an excellent (cannot stress that enough) and resourceful book in which Somers interviews a dozen or so doctors and nutritionists who are curing cancer, treating patients to “manage” their cancer (live symptom free for decades) and teaching the average layperson simple things they can do to prevent cancer in the first place. 
One of the doctor’s that she interviews is Dr. Russell Blaylock, with whom I was thoroughly impressed. Of all the things he reveals in this book, some quite shocking, these were some of the most informative:
1. Prostate and breast cancers are being overdiagnosed. “If you look at a woman age fifty, about 40 to 45 percent of them will have breast cancer cells in their ducts. Most of them will never get breast cancer, or at least it won’t spread. The same thing is true for prostate cancer.” He goes on to say something even more shocking. “By overdiagnosing, they improve their statistics. It makes it look like the war on cancer has made headway, when in truth they haven’t made any headway. And then these poor patients go through all this hell” (p. 149).
2. Mammograms may be increasing one’s risk of breast cancer–because of the radiation, as well as the fact that “every time they squash it (the breast during a mammogram), the cells are pushed out into the lymphatic system and also the blood vessels, and you are more likely to cause metastases” (p.151).
3. “Cancer is fueled by sugar,” yet “some of the biggest cancer centers in the world tell their patients to eat sugars. . .so they don’t lose weight” (p. 155).
4. Some of the things that can help prevent cancer: folic acid, addressing chronic inflammation, glutathione, melatonin, vitamin D3, omega-3, tumeric, flavonoids
The most disturbing information to me that was revealed in this book is the underlying belief from many of these doctors that chemotherapy and radiation do very little (or nothing) for most cancers, and that it is just the “standard of care” given, even though alternative treatments exists and are working. Why are they not being used in mainstream medicine to a noteable degree? Another shock–there is a massive amount of money flowing to medical centers through funding from pharmaceutical companies and a massive amount of money to be made in chemotherapy. “The government and the pharmaceutical companies are making billions of dollars off the improper treatment of cancers” (p. 156).
Dr. Blaylock’s website, which includes a wealth of information, appears here.
Another chapter which I found invaluable is one in which Ms. Somers interviews her own personal nutritionist, Cristiana Paul, M.S. She has created a resource, and it is reprinted in Knockout, that outlines nine interventions for cancer–nine ways to intervene and interrupt the path of a cancer cell before it becomes destructive. I am thrilled at this information and will be referring to it often for my own health and that of my family. What I appreciate is that these are things any one of us can do, and can do easily, and they are the same types of things that promote good health in other ways as well. She addresses the importance of drinking water, of getting adequate protein and fiber, of detoxifying our bodies, enhancing our immune system, supplementing with various vitamins, and more. You can find Ms. Paul’s website here.
This book is filled with astounding (and supported) claims that make a whole lot of sense to me, the average reader interested in nutrition. I highly recommend it. And to all of those who are struggling with cancer, or know and love someone who is, you are in my thoughts and prayers today as I honor a man whom many termed their “best friend” and a strong man of faith.
The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck
January 5, 2010 by Standing on Truth
Filed under Book Reviews
As a writer myself who has tried writing fiction and found it personally challenging, I find myself routing for any author of a first novel. While Sara Evan’s The Sweet By and By was not quite the home-run I was hoping for, it was a noteworthy effort and an entertaining read.
The plot for this novel is an often used, but interesting story of relational strain between a mother and her daughter. Beryl, a middle-aged, many-times married mother of three decides to attend her daughter’s wedding, even though there has been years of silence between them. Her daughter, Jade, is buried in resentment for the many years her mother left her at home to follow one boyfriend after another. Jade is also drowning in her own pain and guilt from decisions she made in her past.
The Sweet By and By is a story about forgiveness and redemption, with a one-step-up-from-subtle parallel to the forgiveness and grace that Jesus offers to us all. My personal feeling is that the story started out a bit too slowly and ended a bit too abruptly. However, it effectively illustrated just how long and far-reaching pain, guilt, and resentment can go, and how destructive it can be to our hearts and our relationships. I gave this book 3 1/2 stars and give the author applause for a good first novel.
You can check out the details of this book and order it at Thomas Nelson Publishers, where I am a Book Review Blogger - http://brb.thomasnelson.com/.
