This month we will discuss:
- Take Care of Yourself
- Quotes
- Chesapeake News
Take Care of Yourself
Recently a local high school student took his life. The school and the community will grieve for a while then move on leaving the family and close friends to continue agonizing. Last year a friend of mine killed himself. His life accomplishments are through the roof outstanding, and no one expected him to harm himself. Everyone was shocked. We all know of someone close. It is too common.
The major goal of our blogs is to try and be relevant and add value to the reader. If we get some business out of the deal that is fine, but not the driver. If I am not mistaken, mental illness and the effects are the leading cause of death surpassing heart disease and cancer. Unfortunately, mental illness/depression is not viewed the same as other ailments.
Our pastor, Chris Hodges, who has suffered from depression, spent time researching the topic – not just spiritual sources but also secular. He claims that there are nine causes of mental illness, seven of which we can control and do something about.
What is my goal for this blog?
- To do a small amount of education to let you know some things you might not have known.
- To point you in a direction for you to learn more.
- To provide some hope for a positive direction if depression affects you or someone close to you.
To view Pastor Hodges’ sermon on this, go to www.churchofthehighlands.com then to the sermon on September 24, 2023, “Dealing with Anxiety.”
I will populate the quote section of the blog with ones relative to this topic, many of which are scriptures.
I will skip to the end of his sermon where he talks about things we can do:
- Stop doing so much. Find the pace of grace. “Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:6
- Cultivate the presence of God in your life. “When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God.” This could be as simple as giving God the first 15 minutes of your day; five minutes of reading your Bible, five minutes of listening of worship music and five minutes in prayer.
- Let the narrative I believe about myself come from God’s Word. “God wants me to give Him my anxiety.” Many times, our “self-talk” can be negative and destructive.
- Find or renew my God-given purpose in life. “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but by lack of meaning and purpose.” Victor Frankl. There are two wonderful dates in our lives; the day we were born and the day we discovered why.
- Maintain my life with godly relationships. “Don’t be you. Don’t be yourself. Be us, be we. Be part of a group.” John Hari
Quotes:
- Worship reminds me how much bigger God is than whatever it is I am facing.
- When I choose to trust God, I am on the pathway to peace.
- My situation is not a jail that imprisons me, it is a school that shapes me.
- Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. Proverbs 3:13
- 95% of your emotions are determined by the way you talk to yourself. Brian Tracy
- God wants me to give Him my anxiety. 1 Peter 5:7
- God is fighting for me. Isaiah 35:4
- Anxiety doesn’t get to win. Isaiah 54:17
- God is greater than my anxiety. 1 John 4:4
- There will be peace in my life. Philippians 4:6-9
- Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose. Victor Frank
- Don’t be you. Don’t be yourself. Be us, be we. Be part of a group. Johan Hari
Chesapeake News:
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