This is in honor for my friend going through a rough time. Stand strong my sister – you can do this. You are worth so much more.
Category: Depression
It has been a hard week. I have seen newborn babies born and saying in ICU. I have seen a friend have a family member diagnosed with cancer. A friend has her husband hospitalized. A baby went to surgery this week. A teenager attempted suicide. Teens have had anxiety attacks.
There is one thing that gets me through weeks like these. God is faithful. He is still in the healing business. He still sends the Holy Spirit to comfort us. God sees, God knows, and He still answers our prayers. God is faithful, when the world is falling apart.
These are the times I trust God to get me through the trial. I am not good at trying to do things on my own. I know I need help. God promised to help us in times like these. Just ask, and He will be there – in the middle of the mess, He promised. Choose to trust Him, He is faithful.
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23
“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:3
“I am the Lord that healeth thee.” – Exodus 15:26
” I will give you strength and bless you with peace.” Psalm 29:11
“He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.” – Psalms 91:4
There are days that the losses of so many in the world just bring tears. So many lives lost for no good reason. May the God of all comfort hold us close tonight.
Especially T – who list her sister at 911.
And my brother and sister and I who lost our Mommy 4 years ago today.
Help us all Lord.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
Beautiful new vocals to this song by Julia Schmidt, and a new mix from Nathaniel Jones of Protilius Productions!
Source: Connect to Independent Music
©2014 Music and Lyrics by Diana Rasmussen
Vocals by Julia Schmidt
Timbre Design,Engineering and Produced by Nathaniel Jones of Protilius Productions
“Raindrops fall from the sky because the clouds can no longer hold them”
There are tears my heart can’t hold
falling down soaking the ground
Water from my soul releasing pain
It’s our cry to begin again
You wept when I wept
You cried when I cried
From a secret place I see your face
Your raindrops are tears
Sent from above pouring out love
Your raindrops are tears
Drench my hurt heal my pain
You can call me by a new name
Soak the trees, heal all things
that are precious to a King
From a secret place I see your face
Your raindrops are tears
Sent from above pouring out love
Your raindrops are tears
You wept when I wept
You cried when I cried
From a secret place I see your face
Your raindrops are tears
Sent from above pouring out love
Your raindrops are tears
Diana Rasmussen
| Lyric Credits | |
| Music Credits | Diana Rasmussen & Nathaniel Jones of Protilius Productions |
| Producer Credits | Protilius Productions |
| Performance Credits | vocals by Julia Schmidt, Music and lyrics by Diana Rasmussen & Nathaniel Jones of Protilius Productions |
My husband Bob wrote this out for our friend. It spoke to my heart as well so I wanted to share it with you.
Our bodies respond to our voices. There are times we have to fight. There are times when our symptoms do not match up with the the Word of God. I have found that these are the times I need to declare the Word over myself and my body. Next is the hard part – giving God a minute to work it out.
Lord,
I have received You as my Savoir. You are my God. Your Word declares that by Your stripes I am healed! Your Spirit dwells inside of me, so if there is any sickness, I cast it out in Your mighty name.
I say to my body, get in line. My Savior died and says I will be healed. I plead the blood of Jesus over my health, and Father, if I have opened any doors to allow sickness, forgive me and I close them now in Jesus name. I cast out anything that dwells within me to be cast to the bottom of the sea, never to come back. In Jesus name, I call you out. Body, get in line.
I have the mind of Christ Jesus, Lord of all. If anything about my mind is not like His, I tell it to get out in Jesus name! Any damage that has been declared in my mind, I call it healed, in Jesus name. Lord restore my mind to how you would will it to be. I call myself healed in Jesus name. I call my mind whole, restored, and renewed.
Lord I ask for your holy presence to flow throughout my body, restoring, rebuilding, and renewing me. I speak to the pressure of my blood, and I say you must be lower, in the name of Jesus. Pain and soreness, you must leave, in the name of Jesus. Body, I call you to get in line with the word that says that I am healed!
I ask all this in Jesus name!
Worry. It has a way of eating up your hope and joy and destroying your peace of mind.
WORRY – to give way to anxiety or unease; allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.
Worry is dwelling on our troubles or difficulty. The more we worry the worse things get. Worry can lead to anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. Excessive worrying can lead to physical health problems as well – headaches, sleeplessness, poor job performance, and hindered relationships. People may turn to alcohol, drugs, overeating, or other harmful habits to cope. I have even heard it said that worry is a lack of trust – in ourselves, in someone else, or in God.
When we choose to direct our thoughts towards someone else with worry we can bind them to us in fear. This does not help us or them. Most of the “What if” thoughts we have don’t happen. We play out all different scenarios and endings in our heads. “If he does this, I’ll do that” type of thinking is rarely productive. It is debilitating and paralyzing.
There are many actions you can take to relieve your mind from worry.
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Prayer – God listens and cares
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Counseling – talking helps
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Reading a book – helps with changing the atmosphere in your mind
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Going for a drive – seeing new things
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Listening to positive Music – the words and genre matters
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Exercise – going for a walk
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Mindfulness – being in the moment
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Watching a movie – changing the moment
No wonder God asks us to think about the good things and to be grateful. When we change our thoughts we change our actions. When we choose the good things to think about our feelings change. We begin to believe that good will come out of all things. There is hope my friend. Make a choice – to change your negative thought patterns and replace those old tapes with the Word of God today. It might be the beginning of a new life for you!
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8-9 NKJV
How do you deal with worry? What works for you?
RELATED ARTICLES
- How to Overcome Fear, Anxiety, and Worry (billygraham.org)
- How to Stop Worrying – 7 Tips for Christians (whatchristianswanttoknow.com)
- Why Can’t I Stop Worrying (justbetweenus.org)
(featured image source – theoriginalnetworker.com)
I See
-Copyright 2016 Diana Rasmussen
I see the scars upon your arms
My heart skipped a beat as I thought of what I could say
To take away the pain that brought you to that place
How I wish I could change the things that you’ve been through
I’m here today to sit and listen if you choose to share
I remember what it felt like
To be the girl with the scars
You are in my prayers each and every day
I ask God to shine His light
upon the darkness of your heart
Your story is not over
Things will change with a new start
I have carried you to Jesus
with my prayers to heal your heart
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Corinthians 5: 16-21 NIV
According to an article from TeenHelp:
The National Library of Medicine reports the following nonsuicidal self injury (NSSI) statistics:
- 1/3 to 1/2 of US adolescents have engaged in some type of self injury.
- Cutting and burning are the most common types of non-suicidal self-injury.
- 70% of teens engaging in self-injury behavior have made at least one suicide attempt.
- 55% had made multiple suicide attempts.
Let us bring light into the darkness and see the hurting. We know the Healer of Souls. Lord, use us today to bring hope and healing to those who cross our paths today, in Jesus Name.
Related Articles
- Stressed Out Teen Girls – Cutting to Cope (psychologytoday.com)
- My Child is Cutting – What Should I do? (understood.org)
- Why Teenagers Cut and How to Help (parenting.blogs.nytimes.com)
Busy, busy, busy. That describes most of us. School,work, sports, music, family, church, etc. We are overburdened with obligations. Whether you are an adult or a child committing to multiple things at the same time takes its toll on our peace of mind. We as a people are overworked, over committed, and over stressed.
Yet why do we do this?
What good does it do?
This past year I found myself getting sick again. I was overcommitted. I was trying to do too much with too little time. It affected my family as well. My kids started having issues with depression and anxiety. They picked up on mine. I had to make a choice to change. I had to trust God to lead me with what I could hold on to and what I had to let go of. I had to choose to trust Him with the rest. Let go and let God right?
I cut back on a number of things I was doing this year. I stopped recording every song I wrote. I gave myself permission to rest. I stopped going to every function I was invited to. I chose which times I could say “yes” and which times I could say “no.” I let myself say NO. That is huge for me. I was such a people pleaser for so many years. Thank you Lord for delivering me from that!
I am more grateful now. I am more thankful now. It was worth it. My family and I have more time together. We may not go out every night, but we have simple times together. A trip to Dunkin Donuts for coffee for my daughter or a trip to McDonalds for hash browns for my son. A grill and Netflix night with my husband is our date night. A visit with my older girls every two weeks and my granddaughter has brought me such joy. My life is much simpler now. Thank you Lord for REST!
God’s Word for You:
Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed. – Exodus 23:12 KJV
Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” – Mark 6:31 NIV
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. – Matthew 11: 28-29 NIV
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God ,which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4-7 NIV
(Image source – healthywomen.org)
My Prayer for You:
Dear Lord,
Show us which things to hang on to and which things to let go of. We want to enter the rest of the Lord. Let us lay down our people pleasing selves and accept the newness of life you died to give us. Let us rejoice in peace that surpasses all understanding, in Jesus name.
Related Articles:
- How to Deal with Stress God’s Way – Charisma Magazine
- 7 Ways to Overcome Stress – Christianity Today
- How to Deal with Stress the Right Way – Relevant Magazine
(Featured image from communitytable.parade.com)
Sad, Tired, Unmotivated, Overwhelmed. These are some of the things I felt while going through depression. Feeling like I was doing everything wrong and I couldn’t do anything right. Depression is probably the worst thing I have ever gone through. There were a lot of issues going on in my life and that was like an open door for the enemy to come in […]
via The Lord Has Given Us Freedom — Time 2 shine!
This blog post was written in 2011 by a 7th grader. God bless them Lord!
There are some things that only God can heal. He knows. He saw what happened. Only He can heal the brokenness in our spirits, soul, and body. We had a wonderful Bible Study today on Jesus the Wonderful Counselor. The whole body of Christ looked up verses and shared how Jesus is our Counselor. It was beautiful.
I admit, I have been abused physically, mentally, financially, and emotionally. There are some stories only God and I know. Yet He is the One who can come into those rooms of my heart. His presence takes out the hurt and replaces it with healing. I don’t want to stay broken. I want to be well and receive all that God has for me. God loves us all enough to heal us. He is able. Today let us welcome Him in.
(Image Source – Pinterest)
God’s Word for You:
Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given;And the government will be upon His shoulder.And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
John 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
Proverbs 20:5 – Counsel in the heart of man [is like] deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel, plans go awry,But in the multitude of counselors they are established.
1 Timothy 2:5-7 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth
Romans 11:33-36 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! “For who has known the mind of the Lord?Or who has become His counselor?” “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
John 15:7, 26-27 John 14:16-18, 23
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”
Psalm 73:23-26 Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
My Prayer for You:
Dear Lord,
You know. You saw what happened. I choose to trust you today – for healing those parts of my heart that only You can. I let go of the abuse. I let go of the hurt and I cling to You Lord. Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can’t heal. You are my Wonderful Counselor and your Holy Spirit will heal me from the inside out, in Jesus Name.
(Featured Image Source – www.treybailey.net )
This song started from a picture on a Facebook post from a fellow traveller. I still have to come up with some chords and a melody, but here are the lyrics. Here is the picture and the post -“Write the saddest story using only 4 words”
How about it?
Posted by Clay Owens on Friday, January 22, 2016
Abba’s Love
-Copyright 2016 Diana Rasmussen
Grief echoes like broken windows
In her abandoned heart
Sulking in the darkness
she doesn’t know where to start
She’s not sure how to move on
Fears whisper in the wind
Ever since he left this world
and crossed over to the next
That’s where the Light breaks through
All the shadows of darkness flee
Abba’s love makes all things new
Abba’s love makes all things new
She crawls out of the corner
Leaving behind the despair
One touch from Abba
gave her strength to stand
She walks freely through the doorway
into her destiny
The ugly past behind her
Her future’s brighter and secure
That’s where the Light breaks through
All the shadows of darkness flee
Abba’s love makes all things new
Abba’s love makes all things new
Surrounded by love
Surrounded by mercy
Surrounded by peace
She lifts up her head
That’s where the Light breaks through
All the shadows of darkness flee
Abba’s love makes all things new
Abba’s love makes all things new
- For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. – Romans 8:14-17 NIV
We are all fearful at times. Life can be overwhelming some days. But when we are afraid there are promises of God that we can hold on to.
Prayer for Comfort
Lead us to the Rock that is higher than I Lord. When my heart is overwhelmed I will cry to the Lord and He will hear me.
Judges 6:12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
Lord your ways are higher than mine. You are my Strength and myShield and my Protection. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want. You will never leave me nor forsake me Lord. Comfort me Holy Spirit and let me lean on You as we go through this day, in Jesus Name
Ruth 3:11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.
Not every thought is good. Not every thought should be acted upon. With the prevalence of depression and anxiety in our culture, there are ways to intervene. I have been there. I have had situational depression and have been treated for anxiety. So have many members of my immediate family and many friends too.
According to the ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Society of America)
Did You Know?
- Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18% of the population. (Source: National Institute of Mental Health)
- Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only about one-third of those suffering receive treatment.
- Anxiety disorders cost the U.S. more than $42 billion a year, almost one-third of the country’s $148 billion total mental health bill, according to “The Economic Burden of Anxiety Disorders,” a study commissioned by ADAA (The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry,60(7), July 1999).
- More than $22.84 billion of those costs are associated with the repeated use of health care services; people with anxiety disorders seek relief for symptoms that mimic physical illnesses.
- People with an anxiety disorder are three to five times more likely to go to the doctor and six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than those who do not suffer from anxiety disorders.
- Anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events.
We are made up of body, soul, and spirit. When our soul is overwhelmed many times our thinking is not based on truth. Worry and fear overtake our thoughts and we spin in a cycle that is not healthy. Sometimes we even believe lies about ourselves or others. When that happens we are often feel overwhelmed and hopeless. Feelings are fickle, they come and go. And just because we ‘feel’ something doesn’t mean that it is true. Feelings can lie. Especially when they are not based on truth.
This is not the life that God has intended for us. Jesus came to bring life and bring it more abundantly. The enemy is the one who is trying to get you to give up on yourself or others. And he is the father of lies.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2
There may be many causes. It may be due to a physical lack of chemicals in our brains. It may be emotional – there may be trauma or abuse that needs to be healed. Or it may be spiritual – we may be believing lies from the enemy of our souls.
In my experience I have dealt with all three. I have had to learn to change my thinking and take every thought captive. And I have used the Word of God, along with CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) to change the way I think. God gave us Doctors. Jesus is called the Great Physician. God gave us wisdom and knowledge in the medical fields. And I for one, am for getting help on all the levels I need.
According to NHS Choices:
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave.
It is most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, but can be useful for other mental and physical health problems.
CBT cannot remove your problems, but it can help you deal with them in a more positive way. It is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle.
And the Word of God will renew our thoughts and attitudes towards ourselves and others. Not every thought is good. Not every thought should be entertained. Not every thought should be given life.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
It has been said that as a man thinketh so he becomes. If you continually tell yourself you are stupid – you will act stupid. If you tell yourself you will overcome – you will overcome. Our self-talk has amazing results, either for the good or the bad. Change the way you see yourself and you will change your thoughts. And with new thoughts, you will change your actions. I had to use all the resources available to me. That included the Dr, the Therapist, and the Word of God.
Get help today. Your life – the abundant life that you want – is one truth and one choice away.
Here are Some Free Downloadable Flashcards that I made to help you if you are battling anxiety or depression. Simply click on the picture and it will bring you to my Quizlet page. You can download these or even have them read to you – there is audio!
ANXIETY BIBLE VERSES
(Click to download)
(Image source -Pinterest)