More than a Case of Blues,...

I'm doing a series on Depression with my Dad and thought I would share some of my thoughts with all of you. This post will be up on  Intersecting Life in the next few days.
Enjoy!

     Depression, it's a heavy word for a heavy emotion. We have all suffered from depression; whether we care to admit it or not. Don't believe me? According to the NIH (National Institute of Health), depression may be described as "feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps."
However, some of us have experienced a deeper emotion/mood that goes beyond the normal bad day. It's called clinical depression. "Clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended period of time."

    Clinical depression is what stops us from living the joyful, Christ-centered life we were intended to live. It keeps us from being productive at work. This depression kills communication with our family, friends and peers. Sadly, NIMH says 15 million adult Americans suffer from clinical depression each year. That means nearly 8% of American population of age 18 and over, is currently dealing with depression. Specialists predict that by 2020, depression will become the 2nd most common health problem throughout the world.

     The question: with depression on the rise and daily affecting our lives, what can we do as Christians to combat it? I've come up with five things that as Christians will help us fight against depression. I have made sure that each is backed with the Word. Disagree with the point? Take it up with Him.

• Prayer: In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  We need to learn to take anything to God; our burdens, our fears, our anxieties and throw them down at Jesus' feet. His Word promises peace and rest. Read Psalms 51:12. We need to pray for a return of joy and pray for Him to sustain us. 2 Timothy 1:7, Luke 10:19 and Romans 8:37 speak of how we need to learn to control our fears and realize who we are in Christ. Do you have a consistent prayer life? Are you aware of who you are in Jesus Christ?
• Seek Help: You are never too good or too big of a super-star to seek help. Doubt it? Read your Word and study up on Moses. He was a leader to millions, the voice of God, and a bit of a doubter when it came to the promises of God. This man listened to the counsel of his father-in-law and surrounded himself with a group of like-minded leaders to help him. They enabled him to be more effective in the work place and focus on the main thing, God. Are you allowing others to help you?
• Exercise: Our bodies are living, breathing displays of God's creative power. Sadly, many of us distort the original design because we're too lazy to maintain. Check out the Word on that! Proverbs 6:6-11. Are you allowing laziness to create depression? "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20. It's been proven by numerous medical studies that physical exercise can ease the symptoms of depression. The Mayo Clinic has an article on how exercise has proven to reduce and eliminate mood disorders and physical illness. Find time each day to exercise and you will be amazed by the results!
• Community: Who are you surrounding yourself with? Are you surrounded by healthy, uplifting people? Or Debbie-Downers? The attitudes, emotions, and beliefs of those you are around will rub off on you. Read the story of Rehoboam, son of Solomon in 1Kings 12. He could have been a successful ruler but he listened to his unwise peers and ended up losing his kingdom. Are you surrounded by wise, emotionally sound people?
• Serve: Are you selflessly serving others? Key word: selflessly. Servanthood isn't about being seen or praised. This is about you giving someone else a helping hand. It's hard to be worried and anxious about your circumstances when you're serving a homeless family a meal at a soup kitchen. It's hard to be self-centered on your problems when you're providing groceries to a single mother. "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 Also, read Luke 6:38.

Take these steps. Apply them to your life and see if depression is still strong in your life.

*Please note that I do not suggest you disregard any of your practicing physican's medical advice.

Sixteen Years

“Everyone has a "best friend" during each stage of life-only a precious few have the same one.”

I'll never forget that fateful day a note slid over to my school desk,

 " Can we use clicky pencils? Yes or No."

That note started what is now an amazing friendship

with my best friend, Jessica M.

We've shared much in these last 16 years

From Nancy Drew mysteries to history books,

 Egyptology, Socialogy, and Psychology (we can analyze your socks off!)

Hideous sweaters, ugly glasses and shoes that should have never been designed.

Cute boys(who never gave us a glance) and jerks who stole our hearts,

90's Pop songs and corny movie quotes

One would think in Sixteen Years a lot would change

But it hasn't.

We're still nerds. Still klutzy.

Still hopeless, cynical romantics(Yes we can be both!)

Still fashionably hopeless.

 Still breaking out hideous sweaters.

We still sing 90's Pop with all the soul we can muster.

We still quote the lamest lines known to film.

We're still us. 

Just older.

In Sixteen Years, we've learned a lot.

 We've learned that Truth Guns may possibly

be the best thing ever invented.

We've learned that there's a difference

between Besties and best friends.

We've learned what it means to love

someone with all you have, 

we've learned to forgive that person

when they rip the heart from you.

We've learned to cry, straighten our shoulders and face the world.

We've learned life is tough. Get over it.

We've learned when listen and when to speak.

We've learned we can agree to disagree.

We've learned that our Mum's had reason

to raise us the way they did.

They definitely created two strong, independent women.

   

  

 Bestie, thanks for sixteen years of unselfish, unconditional friendship.

My Thoughts Thursday

It's Thursday, thank goodness! I am so ready to shed this work week and take on a lovely weekend! AR weather is GORGEOUS! It's time to soak up the vitamin D and relax!

Being that it's Thursday(which is of no major significance), I've decided to start having " My Thoughts Thursday."  A posting about my thoughts on a random, mix of topics.

And here we go!
BTW: the order of the list is not by importance.

• Alexander Dumas- The man could write! I try to read  Count of Monte Cristo each year. One of my favorites! I've read the book over three times but I still get lost in its pages. On that note: I think that book is going on my summer book list.

• White Sand Beaches- I miss the ocean. The sounds, the sand, the smell,.... all of it. Cannot wait until May for the annual Girl's trip. This year we revisit the beach. I'm ready! Favorite part of it? Watching the sunrise and the sunset on the ocean. Normally I'm an earlier riser and I will venture out on the beach for some God time. The beach is quiet and deserted. Just me and God,...
• FPB- The First Pentecostals of Benton is booming! God has been doing amazing things here. I'm glad I am apart of one of the friendliest churches in the world! Don't believe me? Come visit, I dare you.  I love how God has been raising up people in the church. Pray Matthew 9:38 and watch what happens!
• Painting- One of my goals this year was to create at least one decent painting.I want to try my hand at some abstract work. Note: I've never painted. Ever.  We'll see what happens. If anything, I'll have fun getting paint all over me.
• AdoptUsKids- I follow AdoptUsKids on Twitter and they wreck my heart with each tweet about a child who needs a home. If I currently could, I would. Someday,... If you are going to adopt, please consider adopting a foster child. Those kids need it!
• Matt Wertz - "I'm waiting, all of my life been waiting, ...Maybe, if I had a Somebody, maybe...Until then I'll be the one pretending I'm perfectly fine with all this living life here on my own." Aptly spoken, Mr. Wertz.
• John 15:1-11 Especially this seventh verse: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[a] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."  hmm,... check out the verses before #7. Questions raised: Am I abiding in Him? A sign of abiding in Him, is fruit. Is fruit evident in me? And if I'm abiding in Him, am I correctly exercising the authority I have as branch of the Vine?

Thus concludes My Thought Thursday.... I told you it was a insane mix!

Do you matter?

    I am now a huge fan of Scott Ginsberg thank to my friend Nathan Sexton. I have started following @nametagscott and reading http://www.himynameisblog.com/. I dare you to go check the man's words!

His words make me personally challenge myself. Today I was reading one of his enlightening posts and decided to share it with all of you. Hopefully this inspires you as much as it did me! By the way, it's a long post but well worth the time spent reading!

*I have underlined the points that stood out to me.

Enjoy!

HOW TO MATTER by Scott Ginsberg

1.  Make soaring unpreventable. The first time I heard Dave Matthews play the song he wrote for his wife called Loving Wings, I was brought to tears. The chorus goes: “I give to you my everything. You’ve given me these loving wings. And angels have all gathered round to hear me sing my love out loud.” That’s your job: With your customers, your employees, your kids, your friends – to help them paint a picture of what they know they can achieve. In short: To give them wings. People don’t need Red Bull – they need you look them in the eye and say, “I believe in you.” How are you empowering people to become the person they were created to be?
2. Be fresh air. Unless you live in Tasmania (which, according to Weather.com, has the cleanest measured air on Earth) most of the oxygen surrounding us is stale, recycled and tastes like the Sunday morning redeye from Vegas. So, just imagine how much of an impact you could have on the environment around you if your ideas, words and actions brought even the slightest amount of freshness.Are you saying the same thing as everyone else? Hope not. Because freshness doesn’t just matter – it makes money. However, as you tip toe along the lunatic fringe, remember what Jim Flowers says, “Carefully and deliberately consider the raves, rants, fashion, science, and art of the avant garde. Explore the world of ‘too much.’ There is a very, very fine line between goofy and prophetic.” Are your ideas stale?
3. Bring solid value. Not just talk. Not just shtick. The word “matter” comes from the Latin materia, which means, “substance.” And you owe it to the world to let it ooze out of you. If you were charged with the crime of adding value, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
4. You must teach. Teachers are heroes. And anyone can be one. The two questions are: What is the teaching you are called to do? And what’s your teaching style? Couple of choices. Through your beliefs would be good. Through your words would be great. Through your actions would be awesome. But through your personal being – now that would be positively devastating.Not to mention remarkable, since 90% of the world teaches through the first three approaches. My best suggestion for doing so is to write, memorialize, revisit and embody the living document known as your Personal Constitution.
5. Pry your life out of the jaws of average. There’s pervasive pressure to embrace mediocrity. For the love of God, don’t give in. Wage a war against boringness. Violently refuse to become a follower of the common ways of the mediocre masses. Instead, joyfully and loudly occupy the margins.As Seth Godin explained in an interview with Selling Power, “Mediocrity is for losers. The big win is when you refuse to settle for average and you say I’m going to give up 90% of the opportunities.” Are you vanilla?
6.  Be a person of consequence. This reminds me of a gorgeous song by Jose Gonzalez called Cycling Trivialities: “Don't know which way to turn, every trifle becoming big concerns. All this time you were chasing dreams, without knowing what you wanted them to mean.” Do you know someone like that? A person with no apparent goals or dreams? I bet you do. And I bet they don’t matter. Ouch. Your challenge is to continually ask yourself this question: Are the ideas, issues and problems I’m dedicating my time to trivialities or substantialities?
7. Be of duty and destiny. You’ve been given a divine assignment. A mandate. A job to do. And your mission is to find the small corner of the universe that is yours to transform – touch it – and then set it free. It’s like Paulo Coelho said in The Alchemist: “Follow your personal legend and the world will conspire to help you attain it.” People who do that matter. Why are you?
8. Be a relevant, noticeable shaper. I recently read a 2006 article from Business 2.0 Magazine called, “50 People That Matter Right Now.” What I find telling, however, isn’t the people on the list – but the people who wrote the list. In a sidebar, the editors reported the following:“The names presented here weren't selected on the basis of fame, net worth, or the accomplishments of yesteryear. Instead, our goal was to identify people whose ideas, products, and business insights are changing the world we live in today. Those who are reshaping our future by inventing important new technologies, exploiting emerging opportunities, or throwing their weight around in ways that are sure to make everyone else take notice. In assembling this list, we emphasized one key question: What have you done for us lately? We also considered its important corollary: What will you do for us tomorrow?” What are you shaping?
9. Success isn’t the end. I learned this lesson from Um Hong-Gil. By the time he was forty, Um was the first South Korean to reach the summit of all fourteen eight thousand meter peaks in the world. In March of 2010, I had the honor of sharing the stage with Um during last week's MDRT Conference in Seoul.“Success isn’t the end,” he said in front of four thousand people. Wow. Coming from a guy who lost dozens of climbing colleagues – not to mention three frostbitten toes – that message certainly struck a nerve. It reminds of what Seth Godin (also) mentioned in the aforementioned interview:“Life is like skiing: The goal is not to get to the bottom of the hill, the goal is to have a lot of great runs before sunset.” When it comes to success, are you a repeat offender?

REMEMBER: Nobody said mattering would be easy. 

That’s probably why not everybody does it. Like Tom Hanks said in A League of Their Own, “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard everybody would do it. It’s the hard that makes it great.” 

LET ME ASK YA THIS… Do you matter?

 Wow. Do I believe I matter?Because when I truly believe I hold significance in the world around me, I will change the world around me.



Learn a new doodle

I read this today on Miss Moss and had to smile at the humorous truths in this little "article."
My favorites: "Look up at the stars." & "Learn a new doodle."
I hope you enjoy and apply these steps to your life!


( compliments of Miss Moss)





Sing it like you mean it

I recently read this on one of the blogs I follow, Whole Latte Life. She posted an EXCELLENT bit about creativity and I had to share! Enjoy!

Supreme Words from Diana Ross

"  Sometimes, when we least expect it, the perfect piece of advice comes our way. And if it comes from an American icon, so much the better.

  A couple of weeks ago, I saw Diana Ross perform here at The Bushnell Theater in Connecticut. Ross has sold more than 100 million records, and this night she told us she was going to "touch on each chapter of my career." What a songbook it was, filled with music that's been so much a soundtrack to our lives.

  One of the night's finest moments came with her spoken words. At one point when she invited the audience to sing along with her, she added this suggestion ... "Sing it like you mean it."

  "Sing it like you mean it." Couldn't that one line sum up all the creative advice we have ever heard? If we don't mean it, with whatever we're creating, the rest of the advice really doesn't matter. Creating has to come from our hearts, from our souls, where the deep pool of meaning begins.

  To me, Ross' words were "supreme" advice, and I'm happy to share it with you as you continue on your creative journeys ...

  "Sing it like you mean it." Write it like you mean it. Paint it like you mean it. Photograph it like you mean it. Play it like you mean it. Cook it like you mean it.

Whatever you create, let it be supremely you."

Thank you, Joanne... "sing it like you mean it."

Applying Mary moves....

   These last few days I have been thinking about Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was a young girl chosen by God to be the biological mother of Jesus. Why her? What qualities set her apart from the other Jewish women of her generation?

After a bit of studying I came up with the following list of Mary traits.

1. She wasn't afraid to ask questions. When the angel came to her and told her that she was chosen to be the birth mother of the Messiah, the Bible says she wondered at the greeting and message of the angel. And then she asked this question in Luke chapter one "³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”  Wow. She questioned God's purpose for her life. Knowing the Mother of the Savior questioned her calling lets me know questions are normal. It's okay to occastionally question your calling, your divine purpose, or your dream. Questions are good, they allow you evaluate your life and find out if you are still on the correct path.
2. She was willing to be used. Wow. This one is huge! Mary was willing to be used by God. Luke chapter one  "³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her."  I find it interesting that this verse comes after Mary has questioned God using her. She questioned and then accepted His purpose. We don't need to get so caught up in the questioning of God's will that we forget to be available for Him to use us. Mary was willing to play a much larger role in the Grand Story; a role she never dreamt she would see or play. Note: God's dreams for us are MUCH LARGER than any we could possibly dream up.
3. She stepped outside her comfort zone.  Once she accepted God's will in her life she took a huge step away from her comfort zone. There was NO way Mary would be blending in with "normal" society from that moment forward. She was noticeably different; fitting in was no longer an option. She had to withstand the societal criticism, the danger of being an unwed mother, and the rumors. She had been set apart for a greater purpose.  Note: When you step outside of a comfort zone, there will always be criticism. Get used to it if you want to be used.
4. She was a worshiper.  Check out Luke 1:46-55. The lady KNEW how to worship in her circumstances.  "And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,  for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant." 
5. She trusted God. Luke 1:45 ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”  Incredible words spoken by Elizabeth!! Mary believe that what God had promised to her, that He would perform. She was outside of her comfort zone actively trusting God with each step. Inspiring!
6. She was a miracle enabler. Check out John 2:1-12.  She had full confidence in the abilities of God. She saw an opportunity for a miracle and showed it to Him.She then stepped back and faithfully waited for Him to act. John 2: 3-5 "When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Woman,[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you."   When you see an divine opportunity do not sit back. Act. I wonder what would have happened if Mary hadn't stepped up and enabled the miracle? Probably nothing.  Jesus reacts to faith; He can't help himself.
7. She was an environment creator. This lady knew how to create an environment where she could reach God. Need proof? In Acts it talks about how when Peter was arrested she opened her home to the believers and they gathered to pray. When they began to pray things began to happen. Peter was taken out of jail by angels without being noticed by the jailers. 12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

A few posts ago I talked about how I needed to "pull a Mary move" and hold dreams & thoughts in my heart, but after reading and studying about her life I have realized I need to begin "applying Mary" to my life. Imagine what could/would happen if I began to apply this list of traits to my life??  ....wow....

Okay, enough with the imagination, it's time to start actually applying.

Folks, I'm breaking out the Mary moves.