Mental Health Awareness Ribbon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Just a quick note to say that I have won the Christian New Media Awards’ “Best Newcomer Blog.” (Here is the shortlist. EDIT: That link now takes you to the winners/runnersup/finalist list)
I wasn’t able to make it to London for the ceremony, unfortunately (I live faaar away)
I’m really pleased, I haven’t won anything since school so really happy right now. I hope it brings some more people to visit the site – and I hope they leave comments! (No one leaves comments!)
On the serious side I hope this means more people will read about mental health in a Christian context, either here or at mindandsoul.info, or any of the bloggers writing on the subject. I believe mental illness and mental health are important subjects too seldom addressed in church. I would like to see more people addressing what I think is a damaging problem – that of Christians who, while they may be well-meaning, teach that we shouldn’t take medication, or that we are more sinful than others, lacking in faith or otherwise deficient and that that is the reason we are mentally ill. We are people and we are Christians too – we are not more sinful because we suffer more (if you read Luke 13 you’ll see Jesus saying something similar)
Anyway, thanks very much to the judges, and thanks to those who read this blog.
EDIT: And this is also my 100th post!
Believer's Brain 
Firstly congratulations.
Secondly I’m delighted you won, not because I know this blog, but because of your win I now know of your blog!
I often blog on the intersection of mental illness and faith as a sufferer myself and so really look forward to reading your stuff.
Mental illness stigma and misunderstanding is an ongoing tragedy within the Church and it takes folks to talk openly about their experiences and condition to beat this.
Well done.
Congratulations! Very well deserved.
I hope the award does lead to more readers and more comments. I know I’ve been rubbish at commenting lately, but I just want to say I really love your blog. 🙂
No worries, I know things are difficult for you right now. Glad you like the blog, if there is anything you’d like covered, just say and I’ll do my best!
Best wishes,
Emma
congratulations!
i’m one of those people who have found your blog through seeing you had won the award. I’m so pleased i have 🙂
Its a great blog. I sometimes write about mental health issues over on my blog space, but nothing as brilliant as this.
well done!
lotsa love
Fragmentz x
Thanks very much! You’re very kind. I’ve followed you on twitter, so I look forward to seeing what you write, and I’ll pop over to your blog. Thanks!
Emma
Wrote a little post about your award:
“Christian New Media Awards: Best Newcomer Blog #cnmac12
Sorry that link didn’t work out:
Wrote a little post about your award:
Christian New Media Awards: Best Newcomer Blog #cnmac12
Thanks very much! It’s great to find someone else who writes about faith and mental health so I’ll be popping along to your blog, too. Thanks for commenting!
Emma
Congratulations Emma on beating me to first place! I too have discovered your website through the awards and it really is very good. I recommend you take a look at Stuart’s (eChurch) blog. He’s an amazing guy and writes a lot of excellent stuff on mental health too.
Once again well done!
Hi Gillan, thanks very much for commenting! eChurch is indeed an excellent blog. I have just rediscovered it – I visited ages ago, but didn’t put it into my blog reader so mislaid it. A welcome discovery!
Your blog is excellent too!
Thanks!
Emma
Emma! Congratulations! Very well-done indeed. A thoughtful, well-written blog, and v. interesting!
And thank you for kindly including my blog, Dreaming Beneath the Spires in your blog roll. I have moved to wordpress, and my new blog address is
http://anitamathias.com/. If you could make the change, it would be great, thanks.
Blessings, and keep writing. Increased visibility can be stressful, so respond by keeping writing, and if necessary, lower the bar by choosing simple easy subjects, instead of raising it,which can lead to writers’ block. (I get stressed when praise or increased visibility comes my way, and so deliberately respond by writing short, easy posts, so performance anxiety won’t freeze me! 🙂
Hi Anita – thanks very much for commenting. I like your blog very much and I’ll change the address. Thanks for the advice as well, it’s much appreciated!
Thanks!
Emma
Emma, thanks so much for visiting my blog (presumably through the nominated list for the Media Awards – I’ve forgotten, but you may have visited before), and thrilled to find that you blog on mental health and faith. As a co-pastor, there are folk in our church and friends I know who live with mental health issues and I particularly enjoyed posts of yours such as 8 ways of helping people with mental health issues. As a schoolteacher, it is also something I’m becoming more aware of: there is a theatre production we are hoping to book this year who do a show Threadbare Greebo covering some mental health issues. I want to raise awareness amongst my students so it is seen as normal and okay to talk about.
I will add you to my blogroll.
Thanks very much, Ben, and lovely to hear from you.
I wonder if you would be interested in something I heard at the Mind and Soul conference recently about a free CBT course meant for small groups with a Christian theme called Living Life to the Full with God. It is available from the Mind and Soul website (www.mindandsoul.info) if you’d be interested. I haven’t looked through it yet but it sounds interesting and I’m hoping to persuade my church to run a small group about it.
Thanks for commenting!
Emma