For the past couple of days, I kept smelling something rotten in Denmark (i.e., the kitchen). I cleaned out the fridge, ran cleaner through the disposal, and took out the trash, but the smell remained. Then I saw the culprits: … Continue reading Small
Depression is lurking outside my door, and I do not want to let it come in. I did not invite it to invade the spaces of my heart, yet there it stands, tapping incessantly. For many people depression comes out of the blue, but for me it is the brother of the other thorn in my side, anxiety. Throw in some stubborn obsessive thoughts, and you have a whole stew of messed up mamma on your hands. A messed up mamma who learned at her first visit with a neurologist today that the very nerves that make her anxious … Continue reading A light in the darkness
(Warning: If you are my mother, do NOT read this post lest you worry needlessly about me. I will be okay. You have been warned.) ________________ I want to write today about mental illness. The Christians I’ve known in my life never really discussed mental illness. It has always been one of those things that we sort of think exists but deep down believe that if a person will just “get a grip,” “grow up,” “put on the big girl pants,” “trust Jesus,” or “relax,” then it will all go away. It’s all in the mind, and if your mind … Continue reading Climbing Mt. Laundry
Freedom. The Miriam-Webster online dictionary defines this word as the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action; liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another Last week’s battles with chains has led me today to a study of several verses in 2 Corinthians 3. During the fiercest battles last week, I felt removed from reality. It was like I read scripture but had something heavy covering me that prevented the words from sinking in. I was reading the words, but they were not penetrating the veil that had settled on my brow. As part … Continue reading Peeling off the Veil
I just realized that the calendar on my wall is still turned to September. In a blink of an eye, everything changes, doesn’t it? Blink. I was ten years old and couldn’t wait to grow up. Blink. I was twenty years old and couldn’t wait to get married. Blink. I was thirty years old and couldn’t wait for my four-year-old to be able to tie her own shoes. Blink. Six years later, I watch and listen as my own nearly-ten-year-old child professes her desire to be all grown up. Today I find myself wandering around in a depressing funk. I … Continue reading Shooting snapshots for my heart
EverFaith 