Dealing With Depression As A Christian

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Comment by Jeff Randall on July 19, 2009 at 6:36pm

Hi, Im a 35 year old Pastor who has been dealing with Bi-Polarism all my life, so I know the effects depression can have on a Christian, and I also know full well of all the other emotions that go along with it. I feel for all that battle this disease and pray daily for relief myself

Comment by Claire on July 19, 2009 at 5:13pm

And you to Donna dear.
Sorry Havent been around just a hectic week and weekend
God is So Good

Comment by Mary O on July 17, 2009 at 5:34pm

Hi Dee,
Awesome prayer, thanks!
God bless,
Mary O.

Comment by Claire on July 17, 2009 at 9:25am

Amen Dee .
Just prayed it many thanks for posting.

Comment by Claire on July 17, 2009 at 4:15am

Dee you are so right with thinking its a generational curse..I have found that through mine. As each new member of the family come s to Christ the stronghold is indeed broken. Your non believing family members are covered in prayer, their hearts are being worked upon 2 . My husband and 2 nd daughter are non believers, which was hard to take when I came to Christ but releasing them into God's hands and praying for his understanding to go into their hearts helps.Donna my husband doesnt understand either , he thinks I should'nt be taking medication and all the "stuff" that I am in counselling for is in the "past and just forget about it" but thats not how it works we have to go through these times and if we give it and trust in God ..he will in deed lead us through it.
My 2nd daughter also suffers from depression but is not willing to talk with anyone yet... But again these things have to happen at the right time .
I came from an abussive background and had suppressed it all so now re awakening to it. hence the diagnosis last year of Post Traumatic Stress.There is light at the end of the tunnel and we will all get there .Cling to the rock that is Jesus .. He know s it all ..

Comment by Claire on July 16, 2009 at 2:13pm

Do any of you guys subscribe to Mary Sutherland .. Girl Friends in God, she herself WAS diagnosed with depression and has come through it.
Here is today's I hope I dont infringe any copy rights if so I apoligise its not my intention but feel that you folks need to read it and maybe follow her for yourselves

July 16, 2009
Will Somebody Please Pick Me?
Mary Southerland

Today's Truth
Psalm 139:14-16 "I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well. You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother's body. When I was put together there, you saw my body as it was formed. All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old" (NCV).

Friend To Friend
I can still remember the terror I felt each time my elementary teacher announced, "Today, we will play softball at recess." My stomach clenched in dread as I contemplated the tortuous hour stretching out before me. I hated playing softball because I was a terrible athlete! Overweight, I huffed and puffed around the bases...if I ever got lucky enough to hit the elusive softball. I had no idea how to wear a softball glove, so the thought of actually trying to catch the ball was terrifying. I was always assigned to the outfield where few balls came and where I had the least chance of doing any damage.

The most horrible part of the whole experience was the dreaded team selection process. It was always the same. Two captains were chosen, usually Sarah and Tim because they were slender, attractive and popular - everything I was not. Sarah and Tim would step to the pitcher's mound and begin the process of choosing their teams. I can still remember trying to look as if I didn't care that everyone around me was defecting to the other side while I waited, praying that I would hear my name called by somebody ... anybody. I was usually one of three or four children left standing, staring at the preferred ones already taking their positions on the field. Sarah usually took pity on me and picked me before Jeff and Alicia. At least I wasn't the last one chosen.

We tend to find our identity and worth in the fact that we are chosen by someone. Take sheep for example. Every shepherd chose his sheep - one by one - with great deliberation, thought and care. A choice implies ownership, pursuit and a deliberate action on the part of the one doing the choosing.

Over the years, I have spent a great deal of my life energy and priceless time in an ongoing attempt to validate my identity. Much of the pain, frustration and stress I experienced could have been avoided by simply remembering whose I am - a chosen child, a daughter of the King, and an indispensable part of God's heart. That's right! I am indispensable to no one but God. No one can take my place in my Father's heart.

The knowledge that I am chosen frees me to serve Him whole-heartedly and boldly without bowing to the unrealistic expectations imposed by others and by my own fragile heart. The knowledge that He created me allows me to embrace the gifts He has given me and encourages me to strain every choice, every decision through the filter of God's perfect plan for my life. Knowing whose I am draws my attention away from both the critics and the cheerleaders in life and fixes my gaze on the only one I have to please ... God.

God is an up-close and personal God. He met Nicodemus at night; He met the woman at the well of Samaria; He met the crippled man at the pool of Bethesda and He touched the blind man, giving him sight. As He walked through Jericho, Jesus saw a little man perched in a tree and called to him, "Zacchaeus, come down. We have a lunch appointment." He met Matthew at the customs' table and told him, "Rise, and follow me." We come to Jesus alone. There are no "group rates" when it comes to knowing God. It's always one-on-one and very personal. What you believe about Him in the silence and stillness of your own heart is what makes the difference in your life journey. The heart is where all spiritual transactions are made and the transformation process begins.

Knowing whose we are settles our souls and directs our steps toward the path God intended when He shaped us. You and I were created as a living, fleshed out depiction of God's love. Just think of it! God Himself supervised our formation. We were created in love -- for love -- with a specific and holy purpose in mind. We can rejoice with the Psalmist who wrote, "Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep he tends" (Psalm 100:3 NCV).

Let's Pray
Father, I praise You simply because You made me. Thank You for loving me unconditionally. Help me to remember that love with every breath and every step. When others reject me, draw my heart back to the fact that Your acceptance and love cancels out that pain.

In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

* Write down five positive things about who you are and how God created you. Praise God for each one.
* Choose one negative opinion that you have about yourself. Hold that opinion up against the message of today's key truth.
* Make it a habit of prayer that you will learn to see your worth in Christ alone.
* Memorize Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart."


You can get to these and other by going to CROSSWALK

Comment by Jeanne Stapelberg on July 16, 2009 at 12:30pm

Hi Donna,
I also suffer from depression. I force myself daily to go to work but I'm not actually accomplishing anything. I cannot concentrate and I do not feel useful. I wear a mask however and those around me does not know wht goes on inside me. I know it is getting to much for me now and I'm seeking professional help. I made an appointment with a psychologist today. God carries me and help me get out of bed everyday. Without Him I would have given up long ago. But I believe He only wants what is good for us. So let us fight this cloud of darkness that weighs us down together. God I pray for Donna and myself - please help us to get out of this darkness and let us bathe in Your Light. God we cannot do it alone, please carry us. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Thinking of you Donna.

Comment by Claire on July 16, 2009 at 10:58am

Donna,
It will get better believe me it will.. I'm in that hole well in the tunnel now for the umptemth time but this time God is in control of the leading. Dont feel guilty about all the things you cant do (at the moment) as you get better so will your desire to do normal chore's etc. You have done the right thing joining aag and the group Seek God through ALL this stuff OK ..Your His child and he wants you well. xx

Comment by Jeanne Stapelberg on July 13, 2009 at 11:44am

5 Ways to Get a Grip on Your Mental Health
By: Stacey Colino


Reviewed By: Steven A. King, M.D.



When anxiety or stress threatens to throw you off kilter, it’s time to come to your own emotional rescue.

Step 1: Accept that stress and anxiety are a natural part of life. If you give yourself permission to experience and accept uncomfortable feelings, you’ll be able to tolerate them better, explains Washington, D.C.-based psychotherapist Jerilyn Ross, M.A., president and CEO of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America and author of One Less Thing to Worry About: Uncommon Wisdom for Coping With Common Anxieties.

Step 2: Consider what’s really bothering you. When you begin to feel tense or anxious, take a deep breath and ask yourself, “What am I really anxious about?” That’s when a journal can really come in handy. “To help you see patterns between your thoughts, your activities and your anxiety, it can help to write down what’s making you anxious in a diary,” Ross says.

Step 3: Seize control over what you can. Consider what actions you can take to ease your anxiety level. “If you constantly worry about being late to work, get up 15 minutes earlier so you’re not rushing so much in the morning,” Ross suggests. “Focus on what you can do, rather than on what you can’t do.”

Step 4: Change your negative thoughts. If you catch yourself thinking, “I can’t meet this deadline,” Ross recommends removing the “T” and restating the thought more positively: “I can meet this deadline. I just need to organize my time.” This makes the task ahead of you seem possible and less daunting.

Step 5: Be present-minded. “Stay rooted in the here and now,” says Ross, “and focus on the information you have rather than on the ‘What-ifs?’ that often accompany anxiety.” If you have trouble stopping the “What-if” habit, pinch yourself and say “Stop!” or visualize a stop sign, then consciously turn your attention in a more constructive direction.

These strategies may not solve all your problems, but they can help you change the way you interact with anxiety, worry and stress—and they can be remarkably effective at helping to defuse these feelings.



I myself struggle with staying in the here and now. I'm a dreamer and tend to focus on better things to come. Jeanné

Comment by Eileen on July 9, 2009 at 1:29pm

I just became a member. and I am looking to communicate with people through our belief in God. that we come overcome this depression. I pray that we all can work this thing out with our Savior at our side .. God Bless ou All...

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