"Be afraid." "You are alone." "You're going to fail." "I am a failure." "How will I get through this?" The things we think and say when we feel anxiety often serve to deepen our fears. We can be our own worst enemy, and Satan is only too happy to help by feeding us lies. Take up the Sword of the Spirit and fight back.
Tag: loneliness
The Lies of Loneliness
Spring is here, the sky is blue, Birds all sing as if they knew Today's the day we'll say "I do" And we'll never be lonely anymore The Dixie Cups - Chapel Of Love Lyrics | MetroLyrics My friends and I used to break into a hearty rendition of Chapel of Love whenever someone got married.… Continue reading The Lies of Loneliness
You’re Not As Alone as You Think
This is part 4 of the series “God’s love is the Greatest Love.” For the previous post, click here. "But who knows what she spoke to the darkness, alone, in the bitter watches of the night, when all her life seemed shrinking, and the walls of her bower closing in about her, a hutch to trammel… Continue reading You’re Not As Alone as You Think
The Trouble with Comparing Pain.
Over a month ago, I read some comments on a Facebook post discussing the damaging effects of vaccines. As is common with all vaccine-related discussions, the comments were awash with both sides of the debate. There is always someone bashing "anti-vaxxers" as being anti-science/stupid/ignorant/hateful/child-abusers/fill-in-the-blank-with-an-insult. One comment read, "I would rather live with a child that has autism than to have my child die of whooping cough."
Expanding the Core: Building relationships with Christians in the Church
Every congregation has a core---an unofficial group of members who show up to nearly every function, work party, moving help, or bible class. These are the folks who are actively involved in the church in whatever capacity they are suited to. Sometimes they are noticed, sometimes not, but they are familiar, reliable faces and their absence is felt if not always acknowledged. No matter what the situation, our congregations should seek to expand this core, bringing the fringe members in so that there is no longer a core, but rather an entire group that works together as a family. This begins with building meaningful relationships.
Does anybody care?!
For people like me who wage a daily war with depression, there is a phrase that pops up every so often, and we grow weary of saying it: "I'm depressed... Again." It's frustrating, upsetting, and draining. "Will this ever completely disappear? Surely people are sick of my black cloud... I know I am." You know you have to face the day again tomorrow. You know you'll likely wonder why you bothered to get out of bed. You feel like nobody cares. There is One who always cares. He already knows you're hurting. He holds all your tears in a bottle. He watches the ongoing fight.
Stuck, alone and helpless. [The Effective Prayer 9.29.15]
Imagine for a moment being on end-of-life care or severely immobilized. You're stuck in a wheelchair or confined to a hospital bed. You have no driver's license. You don't have the physical capability to get around town at all. You feel like a caged bird. A world that used to brim with possibility is now beyond reach. You can't sally forth on a new adventure unless someone is willing to take you along. You feel stuck. Alone. Helpless.
Elihu's Corner 