Posted in Christian, Mental Health, Self Help

Laugh Out Loud

Posted on by anewsense57

As a little girl, I was always curious.Whatever people were doing, I needed to know why they were doing it and I had to experience it for myself. I watched my mom a lot and needed to know why she did the things that she did or had the things that she had…….aaaannnnd I got in trouble for my curiosity. For instance, I’m guilty of eating multiple pieces of “candy” from her purse one night. Each piece was colorful. Each piece was sweet. After one would dissolve, I would press another one out of the foil as I watched my VHS of recorded music videos from “Video Soul.” The consequences of my actions was that those sweet pieces were not candy at all….they were laxatives!!!! Oh the horror!!! My mom still laughs at me.

Another example would be going through my mother’s mail and completing forms that I had no business filling out. I remember believing the slogan that I could get 10 CDs for ONLY 99 cents! I was so confident that I filled out 2 forms. I could afford to give $2. Out of those 20 CDs, I ordered No Doubt, Aaliyah, Subway and some rap music…perhaps a Celine Dion album too. I was feeling ecstatic!!…until my momma got the bill in the mail. Turns out that it was a lot more that $2.

How does this apply to mental health? Life is not always easy, but somewhere in the rubble is a LOT of laughs. For me, I have a lot of memories that can shut my whole day down. Memories that have left a lasting impression to the point where I can be to scared to put one foot in front of the other. But in spite of all the muck and mire lies memories that will keep me laughing about life.

It’s ok to laugh and to do it out loud!!!

I will leave you with this. I have always suffered from low self esteem. But I remember in middle school that I was in “strong like” with a boy whose name I will not mention.He never knew my “feelings for him.” We had indoor recess and some girls challenged me to race them in the gym. I was a fast runner. I heard, “On your mark! Get set! Go!” We were off! I ran full speed ahead. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of him and my eyes stayed on him. I forgot that I was running…..BAM! Full speed ahead into the gym wall. Do you think he noticed me? Hahahahahahaha!!!!

Everything that you have experienced in life is what makes you YOU! The good times and the bad times. These were uncomfortable moments, but I am so grateful that I have them. SMILE and LAUGH OUT LOUD!

Psalm 139:14

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

Posted in Uncategorized

Continuous RIP

Posted on by anewsense57

What is freedom? The Merriam-Webster’s dictionary says, “the quality or state of being free.” So what is “free?” “Not costing any money, not held as a slave or prisoner, not physically held by something,” says the dictionary. We all know the saying that freedom is not free. It costs you something. It will even cost you your life. Given the recent, horrendous, shameful and racist events, we have even more evidences that freedom has more than one side. The word itself and the meaning behind it carries different meanings depending on who has more of it.

I believe that the same is true for those who struggle with mental illnesses. Depending on your symptoms, some may experience “freedom” or remission from their symptoms a lot sooner than those who have more severe cases. Freedom becomes only a dream. Constantly attending session after session and being prescribed more medication. Yet freedom seems so far away. We often try to rush the progress of getting well….healed.

Imagine with me. Are you ready? Imagine that you are in an open field. The grass is low  and freshly cut. You can smell the scent of the grass as you walk onto the field. As you are walking, pacing every step, you notice that the sky is blue and you can feel the gentle breeze on your skin. You can hear the birds chirping in every direction. Ahead, you notice there is  something that appears to be a small hole in the ground. You keep walking to get a closer look. As you get closer the hole appears more and more distinguished. You have finally reached the hole. Your heart and mind says, “Stop! Quit walking!! You’re going to fall in!” You want to listen but your legs and feet keep moving. What happens next depends on the main character……YOU!

The hole represents relapse; the times we are feeling depressed, tempted to do harm, drugs, etc. There are times when we are feeling great and other times we are faced with a choice of falling into the hole. Sometimes it just happens. No matter how hard we try we will NEVER be perfect. We will NOT be the perfect parent, spouse or child that we swore to be. We will mess up. Guess what? That is no reason to stop trying. We are to forever rest in the fact that each day there is an opportunity for progression. Galatians 5:7 says, ” You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?” Our minds can be our greatest enemy. If you want to be “free” you have to work for it. It’s going to cost you something. Embracing new habits such as spiritual discipline, exercise, healthy food, and medication prescribed by your doctor might be the cost. If you survived for this hour, I believed that you can survive the next hour. Keep going! Let’s see what happens next.  Keep trying and if that doesn’t work then try something else. Give the new method time. Your heart is still beating which means there is another opportunity to progress in this journey. I thank God for you because there is only 1 you. God has not forgotten you and I believe that He made you and me in His image. Struggling with mental illness is painful and misunderstood, but, my friend, continuously rest in the fact that you are making progress.

Rest In Progress.

Posted in Christian, Mental Health, Self Help

He Kept His Promise

Posted on by anewsense57

basketball 2

It has been the most exciting and historic week that Northeast Ohio has seen in 52 years. On 06/19/2016 the Cleveland Cavaliers brought home the NBA World Championship!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am NOT a sports fan. I never understood getting my emotions deeply involved in unpredictable odds based on one athletic ability. However, this week…..WHAT A RUSH!!!

June 22, 2016 was the once in a lifetime parade to celebrate the Cleveland Victory. On a Wednesday, hump day, people had something to look forward to and I’m sure that many folks did not experience the “case of the Mondays.” And because it was the middle of the week, many people will still feel the high from being a part of the historic event that drew a crowd of over 1.3 million people.

One thing deemed true. LeBron James kept his promise. In 2010, James announced that he would leave Cleveland and play for Miami. It felt like the ultimate betrayal. There were tears, people burned shirts, protested and spoke badly of him and his family. Little did they know that he had a plan all along….to get better, to get stronger, to find out what how the rest of the world operated…in order to fulfill the promise to Cleveland. Although it did not feel that way at the time, now that the promise has been kept, people are now more understanding. The companies can’t make shirts fast enough from consistently selling out, praises from left and right and tears of joy that James had kept his word in breaking “the curse!!!” But, why not through the fire? We don’t like abandonment because it doesn’t feel good, even if there is a benefit in the end. We cannot see past the unfortunate circumstances because pain is blinding and teaches us not to trust or keeps us from learning something new. How dare we think that something good will come of this?Our experience becomes truth. Joy is also blinding. We want everything in our lives to be good and easy. My Pastor recently spoke about how we don’t want to work for anything anymore and that we believe that everything should be easy and convenient. Seems as though the world refuses to allow others to make mistakes and under the belief that nothing bad should happen. James left. He was rejected. James came back and delivered. He’s the hero. I believe the same is true for God.

As I look back over my life, there are many events in which I could have said that God must not be real. Before the age of 13, I had experienced many trials and tribulations that many (including family and friends) will never know nor will they understand. Some of those events include changing elementary schools 5 times, divorced parents, being homeless 3 times, abuse and some other things that many wouldn’t believe. Being a licensed therapist, I understand through research, that my life should not be the way it is at the moment. Studies suggest that the mind of a child is not yet developed and the more they experience, whether positive or negative, will greatly effect their mental health (Time Magazine 2014). If I take into account all that I have witnessed and been through, research says that I should be a different person. A statistic perhaps?  Though I may have residue from the past, I can see that God has kept and continues to be the promise keeper.

I am still a firm believer that God has kept his promise to me. One of the most quoted scriptures is  Deuteronomy 31:6 “He will never leave you nor forsake you.” In the midst of it all, there were many times when I thought that God had left me. How can these horrible things keep happening and yet He’s supposed to be loving. Then I thought of another popular scripture  that promises something that we avoid. John 16:33 says, “In this world, you will have trouble….” He never promised that I’d never experience hurt or to be my personal magician. There had been many times when I wished for God to “end it all.” I prayed for him to take my life and even attempted to make this happen myself on a number of occasions. But, I thank the Lord for unanswered prayers.

So how did he keep his promise? The promise is NOT in all the material things that I have possessed or all that I’ve accomplished. In the midst of it all, he was there. He could have stopped what was going to happen, but in the end I would not have learned what he needed me to learn…..and still learning. Interestingly enough, we are also talking about this in church. I need the “thorn” in my side. I need by struggles to keep leading me to “Godly sorrow” which leads to “Godly repentance” which leads me to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10)…so I can tell others about His mercy and grace. I would not be the wife, mom, sister, daughter, friend, therapist that I am without the ups and downs. I am grateful for them all!  Am I perfect? Ha! Not in the slightest. Life cannot be full of positive gratitude, delightful smells, bright colors and delectable goodies (Starbucks and cookies!). How else will I learn? The good will never be “good” if I can’t distinguish from the bad. He is a promise keeper, according to His will and not my own.

“Listen to advice and accept correction, and in the end you will be wise. People can make all kinds of plans, but only the Lord’s plan will happen” (Proverbs 19: 20-21)