Trip Debrief
The orphans with disabilities had so much fun with all the activities. Pray that we continue to have involved caregivers as we move to different rooms of children each day.
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?
International Children’s Day
June 1st was International Children’s Day. This day was part of the 1925 Proclamation in Geneva at the World Conference on Child Welfare, to bring awareness to serious abuse, oppression, and depravity of children. Today, millions of children are malnourished and exploited, especially those that are disabled. These children are a blessing from God, but unfortunately, our churches are not welcoming places for these families.
Challenging Verses Series: Philippians 4:6-7 (and many other verses)
There are many verses on anxiety in the Bible. These verses can be incredibly difficult for those afflicted with mental illness because of the misunderstanding of the clinical definition and Biblical definition of anxiety.
Let’s End Awareness and Begin Acceptance
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Although awareness is a good thing, it is time to move on to acceptance. One in four suffer with a mental illness, and most Americans are aware of mental illness.
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.
Mission Brief
I traveled to Gdansk Poland on March 15. I met an amazing new friend, Nancy. She invited me to share with her home Bible Study groups on a future trip. What a small world: Nancy knew Lon Solomn from Jews for Jesus, and she encouraged Julia to attend McLean Bible Church. What an amazing God we serve!
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…
National Children’s Craft Day
Today (March 14th) is National Children’s Craft Day. This day could have been established by my mom. She used crafts to keep me busy, because when I had too much free time, trouble always followed me.
Love: Learning and Allowing
Emotions are a strange labyrinth within a rabbit hole for Aspies. Often, we struggle with the interpretation of social cues, missing jokes as the room fills with laughter.
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.
Thankfulness
When we are thankful to God, it is not just a polite “thanks.” Our thankfulness is an outpouring of praise to God for who He is and what He has done. We need to be grateful for ALL that He has done, whether we see it as good or bad. God’s ways are beyond our understanding. The world sees many disabilities and afflictions as inferior, inadequate, and imperfect…
The Digital Contagion
I have been reading about the effects of social media and digital technology on people, and it reminds me of the cultural climate after World War I. In no way, am I making light of the brutal reality and deaths of World War I. Like many Aspies (code of someone with Aspergers), I think in pictures, but many times my mind relates to artwork…
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)
Love One Another
Jesus gave us a new commandment to love one another as He loved us. Believers are to be known by their love for other followers of Jesus. Although these followers may be from different ethnic, tribal, cultural, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds, our love for one another transcends all.
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…