Challenging Verse: Luke 10:2
Luke 10:2 is about the mission field and serving; those with mental illness can’t see how they are a part of God’s mission. God loves us so much that He wants to include us in His plan - missions. God doesn’t need us for His plan, but we need God. We foolishly think He needs us, but His plan will happen with or without us. How do the mentally ill participate in missions?
Challenging Verses Series: Psalm 119:11
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you. – Psalm 119:11
In my last blog on challenging verses, I talked about Spiritual Fruit and abiding in Christ. To be able to abide in Christ, we need to know His Word.
Challenging Verses: Galatians 5:22-23
Galatians 5:22-23 are difficult verses for Christians afflicted with mental illness, especially Bipolar, but these verses are so misunderstood by many. We may arduously strive all our lives to…
How to Love Someone Afflicted with Mental Illness?
Mental illness takes a toll not only on the sufferer, but on everyone around them. Stigma and shame make it very difficult to find…
Challenging Verses: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 are difficult verses for those afflicted with mental illness or/and autism. This verse contains four items that the afflicted struggle with in their Christian walk. How can I rejoice always when I feel depressed, manic…
Just Start with Hello… My Name Is…
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year is an old Christmas song made popular by Andy Williams. For most, Christmas is a wonderful time of gathering, giving, and most importantly grace - His grace. For some, Christmas is difficult and lonely. The song itself illustrates the dreaded social aspects of Christmas - parties for hosting.
Dialogue
It is always hard leaving at the end of a mission trip. I love serving others, and this trip was no exception. It has been a wonderful God-glorifying trip.
Last week with our SALT Ukraine partners was amazing. It was exciting to have face to face fellowship with partners I had previously only met on Zoom.
Two Years…
Who would think that someone afflicted with bipolar and Asperger’s would live on mission? Who would think God would call someone with such afflictions for His Kingdom? God knows and we can never understand His ways and plans for us. Who are we to comprehend the wisdom of God? (Illustrated in Job 38:4-42:6)
Madness Within the Inferno
Suicidal Ideations are a numbing, deafening isolation from reality, an all-consuming fire erupting within my brain. My skull can barely contain the burning inferno, mindlessly submitting to the raging flames. These thoughts are involuntary and submerge logic and reasoning into a helpless, drowning consent to lunacy.
August: A Month I use to Dread…
August has always been my least favorite month. As a child, August meant the return to school. The free days of summer quickly passed, and the dreaded complexities of the school days arrived. I hated school for different reasons than…
What Comes to Mind When You Think of Serving on the Mission Field?
What comes to mind when you think of serving on the mission field?
Feeding people, clothing people, helping people in need… these are all the traditional images of serving others. My years serving in Ukraine, God has shown me other ways, ways that seem insufficient to us. I took photographs of those…
Beginnings
In 2005, I graduated with a MFA from Maryland Institute College of Art, but my life was full of what seemed to be endless discouragement. My mental health was borderline stable. In the summer of 2009, I was invited to serve…
Four Hidden Aspects of Bipolar
1. The side effects of my medication really bother me.
Medications are essential for stability, but their side effects can be very intolerable. I have developed a twitch…
Different. Not Less.
God creates us in His image. (Genesis 1:27) He creates us man and woman. (Genesis 1:27) And He creates us wonderfully. (Psalm 139:14) He weaves us in our mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13) He knows every hair on our head. (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7)
He creates us all different, but not less. (John 9:1-3) We are all perfect in…
Six Lies… I use to Believe.
After episodes of mania or depress, I hated myself. My bipolar manifests mainly into mania. Many outsiders may mistakenly believe mania is fun. My manic bouts turned into psychosis, which is states of delusions, hallucinations, and incoherent…
Restless Dreams
Mulling endless hours, mindlessly gazing at my ceiling which is summoning sleep. One night turning into a week of sleeplessness. Unable to calm my mind to focus, the loudness of my thoughts interrupting my ability to rest. At first, I do not concede…
What is Hope?
The secular definition of hope is much different than how God defines hope. The Webster dictionary first defines hope as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Through our worldly eyes, we see hope…
Being Thankful and Giving Hope!
Thank you for helping me serve the Lord’s Kingdom for many years. In October 2020, I answered God’s calling to live on mission and partner with SALT to be a full-time…
Thankfulness
November is a time that Americans give thanks as we celebrate Thanksgiving in a few weeks. Thankfulness is defined by our praising God in all things, the storms, and blessings. Blessings are from God or others…
Bipolar is a Blessing!
Bipolar is a blessing from God, and I would not have it any other way. I would not give up the hardships, because that really has glorified God, using my mess for His message. What the world sees as a curse, God…