I have posted before about a few things that are unhelpful to say to someone who is experiencing depression (here and here) and I thought I would draw together the ten least helpful things in one post. Similar lists can be found all over the internet, of course! 1) Pull yourself together. This, and similar […]
Flat-Pack Furniture and the Body of Christ
January 10, 2013 by 4 Comments
A particularly strenuous bout of flat-pack furniture making and carrying said furniture up the stairs has led me to reflect on weakness. The Bible is very clear that we all do different things within the body of Christ – that we all are different parts of his body, and all equally valuable. Paul wrote, in […]
A Good Enough Christian
January 4, 2013 by 1 Comment
My mother told me about a book she read some years ago about being a “good enough” parent. She said that, amidst the conflicting advice and all the well-meaning instructions about childcare, this book emphasised only being “good enough.” No one can be the perfect parent, and people can wear themselves out trying to be, […]
New Year, New You
January 3, 2013 by 4 Comments
The signs are everywhere, in the magazines, in the newspapers, online. Those signs which say that if you just resolve to do so, 2013 will be a different, better time. You can be thin, more beautiful, meet a new man, get that job, get some money, things will be better than they were before. Religious […]
The Obligatory New Year Post
December 29, 2012 by 3 Comments
We are nearly into 2013 now, so I thought I’d do one last post of 2012. Overall, I’ve had a pretty good year, and I thought I’d run through my ups and downs: Positive I have been mostly well this year, bar two dips (one around the time of my ESA tribunal, and another when […]
Merry Christmas!
December 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Things have been a bit hectic here recently, getting ready for Christmas. Tonight, Christmas Eve, we are finally ready. The presents have been bought and wrapped, the turkey is cooking, the vegetables are ready, we are ready for Christmas day. Christmas can be a hard time for those of us with mental health problems. Amidst […]
Prayers from Time to Change
December 20, 2012 by 1 Comment
As I mentioned in another post, I recently came across some worship ideas from Time to Change (pdf). I really recommend looking through this resource as it contains prayers, readings, a suggested sermon and so on. I am being a little bit naughty here, as I’m going to reproduce some of the prayers they have in […]
Hope in Hopelessness
December 18, 2012 by 2 Comments
Writing a speculative piece for elsewhere earlier today, I described how I felt that God gave me hope during my worst illness, that when I came to believe in him, I felt a change. God is indeed our hope and our deliverer, and trusting in him makes things better. But not always. There are times […]
Biblical Figures and Madness
December 16, 2012 by 10 Comments
I have quite regularly heard those who argue against Christianity say that Jesus, Paul, and other Biblical figures were mentally ill. Indeed, there were people who thought that at the time they were preaching – Mark 3:21 records that Jesus’ family thought he was insane and in Acts 26:24 Festus accuses Paul of insanity. It […]
Fear Not
December 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I have been meaning to write a little about Christmas. I know this can be a hard time for many, particularly for those who have little money yet see others feasting all around them, or few friends and family around them to celebrate with. There are, of course, also people who have lost loved ones […]
Believer's Brain 