“One of the Ways to become hope filled again is to Remember God has never left you in the past”

I remember it clearly- it was the last Sunday of the year and there I was, standing in the middle of the congregation at church. My right arm around my husband and my left arm around my children. It had been an extremely difficult year- the year I got diagnosed with bipolar disorder after a hypomanic episode that almost cost me my marriage. My eyes closed as I heard the voices united in singing the classical hymn:

“Great is Thy faithfulness
O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not
Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been
Thou forever will be

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
And all I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me”

Mixed emotions flowed inside of me. Had it not been because the meds I was taking made it difficult for me to cry, I would have been bathed in tears. Not tears of sorrow but of amazement at God`s faithful character. The year had been a rocky road. Hundreds of images crossed my mind like a movie of the best and the worst moments. One element stood out as the prevailing factor- God`s faithfulness towards me and my family. I could see that he had not forsaken us, not even for a moment. His ear had always been attentive to our prayers and sighs. His sovereign hand had always been our home. He had carried us through both the good and the bad, and no matter how foolish we had been, he had not left our side. 

It is true, he had allowed some trials to come our way, but He had set a limit on them. Not even my worst mistakes had convinced him to give up on me. I was reminded of the scene described by the poem called “Footprints in the sand.” Which ends like this- 

“He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you.”

While it is true that we should not allow ourselves to let our eyes get fixed in the past, it is important that, whenever thoughts from the past flash through our minds, we focus on the right thing- praising the Lord for His faithfulness to us. 

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.” – Psalm 136:1

Heavenly Father, Thank you for Your faithfulness. I honestly don`t know where I would be without you. I praise you for both the good and the bad and mostly I thank you because You never change, You are good and You have never left me. This fills me with hope and gratefulness and peace. Help me leave whatever is worrying me today in Your Faithful hands. I love You. In Jesus´ Name, Amen.

 

By: Jamie Meyer

Who could have imagined that a tiny virus could bring the world to its knees?  Every day brought more shocking news as the coronavirus spread like wildfire.  When we didn’t think it could get any worse, it did.  Like so many of us, my anxiety level ramped up.  Daily routines that help me manage my mental health were suddenly interrupted.  Having to socially distance from friends and family has been painful. Honestly, I can’t wait until life gets back to normal.

 

But what if it doesn’t?  I don’t want to think about that.  What if mask-wearing becomes the norm?  What if kids can’t go back to school in the fall?  What if, what if.  I want to get back to my normal, everyday life.  It feels like I’m living in a state of pause, like pausing a movie I’m watching to grab a snack from the kitchen.  Hit Play on the remote and pick up where the movie left off. But wait. What if a different movie came on?  I’m sure I’d be terribly confused.  Me and technology don’t get along very well, so I know I’d be frustrated and pushing all the buttons on the remote.  At this point I’m angry because I can’t see the rest of my movie. 

 

Right now, we’re all cast members in an unfamiliar movie.  Try as we might to bow out, there’s no escaping the story we’re living in at present.  This begs the question:  Am I going to be angry and frustrated until things get back to normal or will I accept life as it is right now?  Can I learn to live as if things may never go back to the normal I once knew?

 

I believe there are a few things all of us can do to stay fully engaged in the here and now, rather than putting our lives on hold until sometime in the future. As I see it, an important key is trusting in God’s unwavering faithfulness.  Looking back on my own life I can see that He’s brought me through many painful situations where the future was uncertain.  Whatever challenges lie ahead in your own life, God’s got you.  In fact, his Word tells us we have “hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Heb.6:19).  I definitely need an anchor right now.

 

My mind believes this is true, but to be honest, sometimes my heart is slow to feel it’s true.  I have difficulty sitting still with my feelings, especially the uncomfortable ones like fear, anxiety and helplessness.  I tend to look for distractions and a big one right now is food.  When the overwhelming craving for junk food hits, I can’t say no even though I’m not physically hungry.  The reality is that it’s a numbing escape from the uncertainties and losses I’d rather not think about.

 

Another way we can anchor ourselves to the present is to consciously look for what’s beautiful and good around us.  When you find it in people, express your gratitude to them.  Be intentional in looking for the beauty around you, whether in nature or in the kindness of others.  Take time to reflect on what you’re grateful for.  Jot those thoughts down in a journal or share them with the people you love.  Bring hope and kindness to others by finding little ways to help.  

 

The real danger of putting our lives on hold until the old and familiar returns is that it may never happen.  Today is here and gone.  There are no do-overs.  That reminder humbles me and brings to mind a book written by Pastor Joel Osteen.  It’s entitled “Your Best Life Now.”  There’s a lot of wisdom in those words, encouraging us to live our best every day in this age of coronavirus.   

 

We of course continue will continue to offer our online Fresh Hope support groups and most of our local groups that used to meet in person are now meeting online also.  People can register for our regular weekly online group meeting by going to www.FreshHopeMeeting.com

LOOKING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR

One of the best memories I have from childhood is going to Coatepeque lake in El Salvador every weekend with my family. My dad, who has always been a very athletic man, taught all of us how to water ski. While we all enjoyed it very much, I remember no one enjoyed it like he did. Why? Because he was an expert. As the boat pulled him by the rope, he would slide on the water, to the left, then to the right, with marvelous control on his speed and direction. The rest of us could not do that. We used to be lifted out of the water and then all we would do is stand still and try not to fall. 

Until one day he taught us what his secret was- and the secret, he said, was in his eyes. “Whenever you want to go somewhere, the first thing you must do is to look that way and you will begin to feel your whole self moving towards that direction.” At first I did not believe the simplicity of it. I remember I was impatient for the weekend to arrive so that I could try this new advice. Finally the weekend came and off to the lake we went. I was the first one to go into the water that day and try out what my dad had said. To my surprise, it worked!! I looked to the right, and suddenly felt my whole body leaning towards that side, and my whole self moving towards that direction. Waterskiing only got better from that day on!! I could control the direction where my skis took me, have more movement and enjoy the ride.

Something similar happens in our lives- we can’t look in the rear view mirror and expect to move ahead. Where are your eyes focusing on? Are you tempted to be fixed on things you cannot change? Are your thoughts lingering on goals that were underachieved? Or are you believing Romans 8:28 to be true for you? “And we know that God causes everything to work together  for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” 

This just reminds me of Lot’s wife- The book of Genesis in the Bible tells us that she “looked back” at the city that they were leaving, and “she turned into a pillar of salt”. Every time we allow our thinking to be focused on toxic remorse, every time we get stuck in the past, we are allowing ourselves to become like a bitter “pillar of salt”. 

So I encourage you to begin this day with your eyes set on the Lord and what He will do for you in the next days. His mercies are new every morning! Make a list of the most frequent toxic thoughts that are bothering you and meet with one of the persons in your circle of accountability. Try to find a Bible verse that confronts the toxic thought. This is the Lord’s promise for you today- 

“But forget all that—
    it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

Isaiah 43.18-19

Heavenly Father, Thank you for Your Presence in my life. I know not everything in my life has been perfect. I surrender everything to you today- my victories, my failures, my “if onlys” and my “what if`s”. I surrender my past and my future to you because I trust you. Help me keep my eyes on you every step of the way. In Jesus´ Name, Amen.

 

By: Stan Popovich

Getting professional help for dealing with your persistent fears and anxieties is the single most important step in your recovery. Many people are reluctant to get the help they need for various reasons. Making excuses of not getting the treatment for your anxiety problems will not solve the problem.

Here are a few reasons on why getting help for your mental health is important…

1.Getting professional help can lead to additional insights and suggestions to your stress and anxiety problems. A professional counselor can give you many ideas on how you can manage your fears and anxieties. This is important in getting better.

 

2. Most counselors and psychologists know how to get rid of your fears. They can recommend certain treatments that will make you feel a lot better. The only way you will get access to these treatments is if you talk to a counselor. Ask your primary care physician if he or she knows anyone that can help you.

 

3. You can not manage your fears all by yourself. Your anxieties and fears can be extremely difficult to manage and more than likely you will need some help. Remember when your boss showed you how to do your job when you first got hired. You needed help from someone to learn the ins and outs of doing your current job. This concept applies to managing your fears. Do not feel ashamed that you are getting help. We all learn new things from others on a regular basis.

 

4. You can improve. As you work with a professional, you will improve on your skill sets in managing your stresses. You will become better able to manage your anxieties over time which will benefit you later on in your life.

 

5. You will get better quickly. Getting help from a counselor will save you a lot of suffering in the long run. You will get the answers you are looking for which will help manage your fears and anxieties. You will get better a lot faster by talking to a mental health professional.

 

6. You will not be alone. You will have a person in your corner who will be able to help you overcome your mental health issues. You won’t feel as alone when attempting to get rid of your fears. It is best to have somebody help you with your fears and anxieties instead of doing it by yourself.

 

 

Fresh Hope is a faith-based non-profit that empowers people to live well in spite of their mental health challenge.

YOUR gift will provide a person with God’s Fresh HOPE for daily living. Click here to donate, today.

Have you ever struggled with how to talk with someone who is in the middle of a crisis?   Do you ever feel that you don’t know what to say or how to respond, afraid that you will say the wrong things making matters worse or possibly give bad advice?  The church should be a place where hurting people can go and share their burdens with someone willing to carry their sorrow but frankly, most of us feel inadequate in how to respond.  Our goal with Hope Coaching is to equip the church to be able to respond well to those in crisis.

Fresh Hope is excited to introduce Hope Coaching which is designed for the church and ministries to offer certified coaches to be able to talk people in crisis.  This is a short-term relationship that guides a person in crisis from hopelessness, being stuck and not seeing a way forward, to having hope and seeing a way forward.  Our Hope Coaches are certified and trained in compassionate listening, asking meaningful questions, helping participants self-discover solutions without giving advice or fixing their problems. 

This ministry within a church can also be of great help to a pastor who often feels overwhelmed and inadequate in ministering to the hurting people in the congregation because of lack of time, with all other pastoral duties, and sometimes lack of knowledge of how to really help these people.  When a church has developed a Hope Coach Ministry, this team of trained and certified congregants, walk along side of the pastor, relieving him/her of much of the load of this time consuming portion of the ministry.  Often pastors feel they are not adequately handling people in crisis and feel those  that  he/she has been called to shepherd are falling through the cracks.  The Hope Coach Ministry has select congregants go through the training and set up a plan for the church to handle those in crisis, thus lifting the burden for the pastor.

You can contact a Hope Coach on Fresh Hope’s website.  There will also be trainings for churches and ministries that would like to have Hope Coaches available through their organization.

Click here to book an appointment with a Hope Coach!

 

By: Katie Dale

Understanding the Phrase, “Choose Joy”

Let’s be real for a second. When I hear “choose joy” I think of denying my current emotions.

I also think it’s a blanket statement that could confuse people, especially Christians with mental illness. We could easily start thinking we must feel happy and choose to think positively all the time, despite our chemical imbalances and episodes of severe depression.

I don’t want to get rid of the phrase, but I’d like to provide what I feel is some much-needed context, much like when we consider the Lord’s command that “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48, ESV) The Lord knows we can’t simply be perfect, otherwise we wouldn’t have needed Jesus’ sacrifice; but He does command us to strive for perfection, and just as we are commanded to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4, ESV), the Lord want us to consistently rely on and choose His joy as our strength, especially during tough times, when we don’t have joy inside ourselves.

What Is Joy?

So let’s define “joy”:

(According to Merriam Webster Dictionary)

“a : the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : DELIGHT
b : the expression or exhibition of such emotion : GAIETY
c : a state of happiness or felicity : BLISS
d: a source or cause of delight”

In the context of the Christian life, joy is when our saved souls rejoice and take comfort in knowing we’re given the promises of God. It’s also a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), a quality of contentment, preceded by love, followed by peace. It’s liberating. It gives us strength when we come to the tough times in life.

You’re probably thinking, “Yeah, joy is great, and I want the joy of the Lord. But, come on, it’s not that easy!”  And you’d be right. But while it may seem incredibly difficult during our darkest moments, joy is always there for the taking.

However, it’s not a light switch we can just turn on and off.

When Feeling Joyful Isn’t An Option

In clinical depression, our joy can be stolen. We can lose our confidence. We can forget the contented feelings and state of peace. As our brains become more chemically imbalanced, and we’re drowning in an almost debilitating excess of sadness, “choosing joy” can become what feels impossible. I’m not saying that there is a point of no return, or that once you lose your joy it’s gone forever…on the contrary, it is up to us to seek out help for our condition that impairs our livelihood and wellbeing.

Feeling the emotion of joy may be all that a clinically depressed person wants. When we focus instead on the source of joy – namely, Jesus – things are put into perspective.

We can, we should, look to Jesus for healing and rejoice in the sense of “I’m standing on His promises to redeem my mind and restore my joy.” Though, there is a distinct difference between “choosing” to believe God’s promises, and recognizing our feelings when they are influenced by an illness of the mind. In mental illness, the feeling of joy can be stolen and its presence forgotten. It’s at these times we have to focus less on the feeling we can’t attain, and re-focus on the source of true Joy.

Sometimes, the feeling of joy is not an option because severe depression has beaten our minds to a pulp.

Often we simply resign ourselves to letting depression take its course, i.e. believing the enemy’s lies about ourselves (“you’re worthless”), choosing to live unwisely and making foolish choices in life (reaping behaviors and feelings sown by negative thoughts). In these cases, we forfeit joy.

How To Tap Into The Source Of Joy

It can be impossible to choose the feeling of joy in severe depression, but that’s when we need to focus less on the feeling aspect of joy, and focus on the source aspect of joy.

Philippians 4:4-7 ESV, tells us to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

How Paul continues this passage hints at how to rejoice, and find that peace:

 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8, ESV) 

The key to rejoicing is to think on those virtues.

Notice how in John 16:24 (ESV), Jesus said, “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” Again, God is encouraging an inquiring, a petitioning stance from His children.

A Process, Not A Light Switch

In the darkest times we need to focus not on feeling joy, but on the Lord. Through focusing on the promises of God, the blessings of God, the victory of God, that peace and joy will be sown back into your heart.  But it will still be striving, as the verses above say, “by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving” and “ask”…it’s not a light switch, it’s a process in the hard times, but the Lord promises He’ll bring you through it and restore your joy.

So instead of telling yourself or others to “choose joy,” consider the implications of this message, and reconsider. As with any feelings of happiness or contentment, these don’t originate from the pursuit of them in and of themselves. Rather, feelings of joy and happiness follow a thought life that dwells on the richness of the goodness of God. Feelings follow thoughts, so redirect “choose joy” to, may I suggest, “think Jesus.” May that be your path to finding joy. That’s certainly our choice to make: we do or don’t dwell on Jesus.

 

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

-Helen Howarth Lemmel

Fresh Hope is a faith-based non-profit that empowers people to live well in spite of their mental health challenge.

YOUR gift will provide a person with God’s Fresh HOPE for daily living. Click here to donate, today.

By: Stanley Popovich

Almost everybody worries about what will happen in the future. The prospect of not knowing if something good or bad will happen in the near future can produce a lot of fear and anxiety.

As a result, here is a list of techniques and suggestions on how to deal with fear of the unknown.

1.No one can predict the future with one hundred percent certainty. Even if the thing that you feared does happen there are circumstances and factors that you can’t predict which can be used to your advantage. For instance, you are at work and you miss the deadline for a project you have been working on for the last few months. Everything you feared is coming true. Suddenly, your boss comes to your office and tells you that the deadline is extended and that he forgot to tell you the day before. This unknown factor changes everything.

2. Learn to take it one day at a time.Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week or coming months, try to focus on today. Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems. When the time comes, hopefully you will have learned the skills to deal with your situation.

3. Use Self-Visualization.Sometimes, we can get anxious over a task that we will have to perform in the near future. When this happens, visualize yourself doing the task in your mind. For instance, you and your team have to play in the championship volleyball game in front of a large group of people in the next few days. Before the big day comes, imagine yourself playing the game in your mind.  By playing the game in your mind, you will be better prepared to perform for real when the time comes. Self-Visualization is a great way to reduce the fear and stress of a coming situation.

4. Remember to take a deep breath and try to find something to do to get your mind off of you anxieties and stresses.A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper, watch TV, play on the computer, or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things. This will distract you from your current worries.

5. One of the ways to manage your fears is to challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make you fearful or depressed, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense.

6. Worrying can make the problem even worse.All the worrying in the world will not change anything. All you can do is to do your best each day, hope for the best, and when something does happen, take it in stride. If you still have trouble dealing with anxiety of the future, then talking to a counselor or clergyman can be of great help.

 

Fresh Hope is a faith-based non-profit that empowers people to live well in spite of their mental health challenge.

YOUR gift will provide a person with God’s Fresh HOPE for daily living. Click here to donate, today.