Do you need encouragement or support?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by God's Helper on March 20, 2011 at 11:54am

hi

I'm not depressd right now but when i do get that way I just want to "go home" and when I feel this way I feel i'm a berden to everyone around me will you be able to help when I need it?

thanks

Permalink Reply by Bible Sword Words on July 26, 2011 at 2:53pm

Dear Laura,

      Everyone feels like & IS a burden some of the time. So what? When I was a baby I was a burden. Now my mom has dementia & she's a burden, but I'm glad she's alive. I bet you that most people you know are still glad that you're alive, at least some of the time.

 

I don't want to be loved all of the time, when I'm foul, complaining or stupid. Love me over-all or love me, because you like helping me. Like me when I'm kind, remember your birthday or buy you something that you like. Like me when you see how I never try to destroy you & only try to build you up. Love me some of the time & that is enough. We need to help people to carry their depression, poverty & physical illnesses. When I help others I don't feel so bad accepting help from someone.

 

Most people prefer that you accept your down moods, as normal, & still give them the love & assurances they need from you. You see, we are all a burden & need love, attention & most of all to be rescued by Jesus.

 

No one is asking you to be happy all the time, not even God.

 

When I feel depressed I take it as a sign that my source of love and happiness-God-is missing me. So I retreat to prayer, writing, meditation & the Bible. We must take some time away from family & friends & give it to God. It's so good that you have come here, because I love to share burdens with people & so do many people on this site.

Jesus shares our yoke & we share his yoke so the load is lighter for both of us.

Permalink Reply by Holly Kibler on May 23, 2011 at 6:25am

     I am new to this site but thank God for all of you here.  I suffer with severe recurrent depression, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder and bi polar disorder.  I am handling this pretty well with Gods help, a lot of prayer, medication and therapy.  My brother too had bi polar disorder and I did not know.  He commited suicide a few weeks ago.  I believe I am in shock over the whole incident.  For weeks now I have been praying that God carry me through this grieving process so that I do not have any setbacks in my mental health recovery.  My question is how do I stop feeling guilty about not being there for my brother?   Holly

Permalink Reply by Bible Sword Words on June 23, 2011 at 9:13am

Welcome Holly & All,

      When Jesus walked the earth there was more demon possession than at anytime before that or since, according to the opinion of "Footsteps of the Messiah", by Fruchtenbaum. Now that we are nearing the Tribulation period it will increase again. Mental illness has been increasing, especially since the 1960's.

    If I preach to someone & they convert, most likely the Holy Spirit has sent hundreds of people, Bible texts, & media to make a stinking good soil, rain, & sun to make the seed open up.

What makes someone commit suicide, when most people that have suicidal thoughts never do it?

 No one person is not responsible for someone's suicide, conversion, happiness or unhappiness. Somehow, some people are more prone towards this drastic & futile solution than others. What's done is done. Does your brother want you to add to your misery, by blaming yourself for his desperate solution, to his pain?

 On the cross Jesus suffered rejection, shame, humiliation, mockery, depression, fierce temptations & thoughts of jumping down from the cross by choosing his will & rejecting the Father's will. Because Jesus was 100% successful we win. We can & must accept Jesus' victory on the cross as our victory over all the things that torture us.

After all, we died to our natural will;  to crave pleasures & avoid pains when we were baptized in Jesus.

What is depression, shame, fear, guilt, feeling dirty to us? Its a temporary inconvenience, not an earth shattering, desperate situation. These thing will pass away after the resurrection. We win, so rejoice!! Let's force ourselves to rejoice. We have conquered through Jesus, even though Satan accuses us of being lost, mentally ill, blame worthy & worthless.

WE ARE HOLY PERFECTED SAINTS OF GOD IN THE FUTURE,

SO LET'S LIVE LIKE THAT TODAY, DESPITE OUR TEMPORARY PAINFUL REALITY.

Hope is our helper through the darkest of times, which you & many of us have. We sometimes experience feelings of separation, panic & hopelessness on earth, but not in Heaven.

When we accept suffering, disease & death as a part of life that will help us to draw closer to God, then we will become realists.

Satan causes his lost children untold suffering. God's children suffer also. Satan goes to hell with his offspring. God rewards his offspring with Heaven. Either way you must suffer on earth, so the sooner we accept the realty of pain, the sooner we will minimize & reduce the anxiety & our pain response. We are not too good, too protected or too coddled to reject our thorn & suffering in this life. Suffering, loss, & failure doesn't mean we are bad Christians anymore than St. Paul was a bad Christian.

   Will you reject the labels the mental health professionals want you memorize & cherish & instead memorize these labels?:

Daughter/Son of God, clothed in the white wedding garment of the groom-Jesus, destined for greatness & health.

   I'm not minimizing pain & suffering, but you can reduce your suffering. Life is cyclical & so is mental illness. Use the up times, the wide awake & the close to God times for praise, witnessing & resting, calmly, in God.  Get on your website & evangelize, encourage & give thanks to God.

 

Praising, jumping,  standing too much & over exciting your mind will wear down your body & your brain is part of your body. Don't  overdo, food, alcohol, laughing, working, sports & even religion.

Meditation is a calm period with God for 20 minutes-2.5 hours a day, everyday, everyday, everyday.

 

Take notes of how many days you were up or even just neutral or not suffering too greatly. Try to expand those times by an hour, a day, a week, a month & (who knows?) maybe a year. Don't compete with "normal" people, only yourself. Nail the shame of mental illness to the cross of Jesus where it belongs. Learn to openly say, "I have problems, like everyone, but I'm happy to be alive with Jesus. Even though I long to die & be with Jesus & must wait for him to call me to death & to Heaven, through natural means. His call, his method, his choice".

   Be prepared to fall back into illness, but stay in the ditch, less this time. "Five years ago I fell into the ditch & I was there for over two years, but last week, I got out in 3 days!! Thank you Jesus, Father & Holy Spirit!!!" That's progress, rejoice.

 

You're tired, but force yourself to pray & read the Bible. You're almost paralyzed, make yourself move. You're helpless, but God says, "I'm your strength". You're convinced that life is unfair, but Christians have Heaven. You're convinced that you can't go on with your obligations, then do them for others, not yourself. You haven't received your miracle, but any improvement was a miracle, why didn't you realize it & thank God? You say, "It's just too hard", but Jesus said, "Take my yoke & my burden is light".

 

If your soul was given a choice, before birth, of a life of suffering with the later reward of Heaven or a life of health, wealth & comfort with the punishment of Hell. What would you take? Some people will go to Hell, because they don't need God & don't think of Him on this earth. Thank God I realize I need Him, even if I must suffer, Heaven lasts a really long time.  Courage my friends.

The Garden of Gethsemane was no picnic, even though Jesus would have preferred some wine, fish, bread, humus, olives & figs. So let's submit to God's will & our destiny & keep our hope of salvation & victory in front of us.

 

Permalink Reply by autumn stacey fontenot on July 25, 2011 at 10:08am

well...seems like my horrible childhood will continue to bite me. I have posted before my battle with abuse and depression. I probably left out that as a teenager I was a cutter. My upper arms are marked with many scars that will never go away. They are a constant reminder of what I went through, but have also become a constant reminder that I am a survivor. However, often, when people get to know me and really like me, then they notice the scars and think Im crazy or something. I pray that one day I will meet someone who doesn't judge me by my past or think that I AM my past because I am not. I have struggled and gone to therapy for years and I am so proud of where I am now but others don't seem to see past the physical scars. So, I often feel the depression again and wish I could change what happened but know I can't. I would appreciate any prayers to help me see and feel that I am accepted no matter what I have experienced in childhood. Thanks!! Autumn

Permalink Reply by Bible Sword Words on July 26, 2011 at 2:43pm

Dear Autumn,

     There's nothing worse than feeling ashamed of the past or the present. You effectively double the stress & negative reactions on your brain. Jesus has to go through eternity with holes in his hands, feet, side & maybe little thorn holes in his sweet head. I know, Jesus is a male & females worry more about looks, but really it's you who aren't proud of yourself.

I know a woman who was overweight as a teen & had HUGE scars down both her arms. The scars were bright red & in the shape of stitches. She said she fell through the basement door that had glass in it. I always suspected that she tried to committed suicide. She, frankly, didn't care what I or anyone thought. What a blessing!! I was always so self-conscious. Oh, how I longed for immunity against real or made up insults against me. She knew what happened & was a cheerful & happy soul. Who can keep being suspicious when someone is social & fun to be around?

 

    Are you trying to impress humans when, you've died to the world & committed yourself to Jesus? Don't worry, I'm not judging, we all have that problem from time to time.

 

If you overwhelm people with how much confidence you have in yourself their will to hurt you will drop to near zero. Try this new attitude out,

 

"I could care less if they believe my scar story or think that I'm still a cutter or I'm too weird to be friends with them. I'm looking for people that I like & that also like me. When I'm alone I have more time to spend with God, journaling, reading the Bible, writing letters to God, meditating on how God loves me."

 

Show them & yourself that the total package of Autumn Stacey Fontenot is so much more than a few scars. Who can resist the born-again you? Only evil, ignorant or people who haven't  suffered like you will be afraid or horrified by your past. Do you really want to be friends with people who can't understand you?

 

The Father can't resist you & he kisses your scars everyday.

Can you feel Him doing it? Do you know how much it hurts him & most people when we see someone wait for the approval of others? Give yourself approval, acceptance & love. It's not cheating. Most people who like themselves have a positive inner monologue & many of them are so screwed up & some aren't even saved, but they self-encourage anyway!

That's the greater pity is a person who isn't saved. What if instead of seeking friends & relationships, for a while, you gave Bible studies or did good works for Jesus, bring someone to church, help out in Vacation Bible School or Sunday School, etc.? Putting your mind on the salvation of others will take it off of yourself at least for a while.

 

Do you know much He hates to see you torture yourself & ignore His whispered assurances? When you are crying or hurting you aren't loving God & appreciating the wonderful, body, mind & soul He gave you. Appreciate what you have. Speak the truth to yourself the way God speaks of you to the Heavenly angels. Will you try?

 

How do I know that the problem is not your scars, but what you think of them? I'm still friends with the women with the scars on her arms. I've known people with all kinds of physical, emotional & mental problems. Those who love or like themselves are fun, interesting & rewarding to be around.

I also tend to put myself down, it's a terrible habit, but I also try to make people laugh, return affection & be helpful.  I'm not looking for friendship on my terms anymore. I accept whatever they feel comfortable giving me. Most of the time, if I look within, I realize that I really don't want a long term relationship with most people I meet. I still want them to love me, suffer terribly that they can't be my friend, and bring gifts to me, LOL! But, that's silly. Jesus is the only friend I'm sure will be in Heaven. Once I'm there he'll introduce me around to solid, holy & loyal people. Hurray!

Permalink Reply by autumn stacey fontenot on August 21, 2011 at 4:35pm

Hi Debbie. I have been dealing with Major depression and PTSD and generalized disorder for a long time. I have posted some things abuot my experiences and for the past few years have done so well with the help of the Lord. But the last three weeks, I have fallen into a pit,. Im not at the bottom yet but Im far enough down that I cant grab the top and pull myself back out. I have been in psychiatric hopsitals years ago and thought I had this all under control. My psychiatrist says my anti-depressant has run its course and is no longer effective and I have been placed on new medication this past thursday. So far, not much change. I can remember when it was really bad several years ago when I woke each morning and prayed to God to take the breath from my body. I feel like I may be headed there again. Im taking my meds and going to my therapist and praying. I know that for so long I have felt that God reached into my heart and helaed me from this horrible disease, but right this moment I feel completely alone and miserable. I didn't even make an effort to go to church this morning. Any advice on how to get my joy back. I know it is all about having christ in my heart and I feel like i do but these horrible feelings of dread and despair are overtaking my mind and I can't seem to get rid of them. Thanks for listening!

Permalink Reply by God's Helper on November 22, 2011 at 10:06am

hi guys I really need your help. I Feel so lost alone and unwanted by god and those around me.   I so want to go home but I know it is a sin to kill yourself.  I so want to go home and be at peace and feel loved by god and people I'm so lonely and I want to die. Please pray for me!! I so want to be at peace but I know I won't be till father calls me home one day, I know this sounds selfish but I hope it is soon that he calls me home.

again pray for me please I will do the same for you.

Laura  

Permalink Reply by autumn stacey fontenot on January 15, 2012 at 11:55am

Something brought me back to this site this morning. I re-read the words from each of you and the phrase "God kisses your scars everyday" just finally hit me like a ton of bricks. Thank you so much for those and all of your words. I am a child of God and I am perfect in His eyes. What's a few scars, right, they are only a reminder of the things he has brought me through. I will start today with a new attitude of being the person God wants me to be regardless of any imperfections to my body or how they got there. Those scar do not define me, God defines me. Thank you so much again, it just took a while for me to accept all of this and I know that you are right. When you typed my name, my whole name, I realized I AM a real person, I matter to God as much as anyone else and re-reading this post has brought joyful tears to my  eyes today as  I try my best to get into His word and feel his blessings. I've been doing all the wrong things, maybe even praying the wrong prayers. I just pray today that I can find my  special time for God everyday and have a closer relationship with Him. He is the one who matters most in the end, no one else or their opinions of what I've done or where I have been. Bless you for bring this to me even though it took a while for me to see.