God Wants Me Happy!

Tip of the Day! Sometimes a person gets depressed to the point that they refuse to look in the mirror.  For whatever reason, they may have, the idea of looking in a mirror repulses them.  This is one of the many signs to pay attention to with ourselves and/or our loved ones, just like sadness that has lingered for more than 2 - 3 days or failure to bathe oneself. Did you know that we are the mirrored image of God?  The issue that we face is that the mirror is dirty on our side because of our sin, flesh and emotions.  We sometimes work to clean the mirror.  We exhaust ourselves in an attempt to make the image better.  We struggle to create an image that we can be pleased with.  What is really important is that we recognize that our image is dirty to start with and it's through our daily presentation of our lives and our obedience to God, that God can perform the necessary cleaning.  We can decide to allow God to clean us, but we really don't...

It's hard to talk or write today.  I woke up to bad news and went to sleep to bad news (both nationally and personally) 2 days in a row.  Pray for America.  Pray for all of us.  Pray for me. I know we'll get through it and I comfort myself with this confidence, I just feel so hurt right now.

Good Morning! This is the 100th post!  Thank you so much!  I love you for following, listening and liking what God has given me to share with you.  Since April 19, 2016 there's been something to relate to, read about and think about posted on this page with the goal of defeating depression.  

Journal Each Moment! Sometimes the things that depress us are minor, other times they are major.  I have experienced times when I didn't even recognize that I had fallen into a depression.  Have you ever experienced this?  Have you looked back and said, "wow, I was depressed and didn't know it?".  I find it helpful to keep a journal and I'll admit that it's something that I need to go back to doing.  It doesn't have to be a journal of doom and gloom either!  You can write all of the wonderful things that happen in your life, your small victories, your happy times, etc.  Write how good God has been to you?  Write about the things that make you happy.  Write your plan to make your life better and how you plan to do so. Habakkuk 2:1-3  (KJV) 1  I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. 2  And the Lord answered me, and...

What do you do when life disappoints you...? We all experience those days. You never heard the alarm clock.  You running late.  Your pet vomits in front of the door way.  You forgot to sign paperwork that's needed today. The car is acting up.  You don't have the exact change for the bus/train.  You bang your bad foot against the door.  There's an accident on the highway.  Your boss/teacher has warned you about being late and to make matters worse, they don't like you. There are many other scenarios that we encounter that may differ from the ones above, but we do understand that there are days when everything seems to go wrong.  It feels like one big disappointment after another.  This situations may even seem minor.  We could be facing trial, losing our homes, dealing with the loss of a loved one or anything that makes the little disappointments seem pale in comparison. In the 15th and 16th chapters of 2 Samuel, King David, is de...

Yes, suicide I’m saying, “Goodbye” You’ve fought a good fight Oh yes, you’ve tried I’ll admit it, You almost won, But almost won’t stop me From saying, “Goodbye” When I think of your game, How you wiggled your way in, All of the time you spent with me, Playing a friend, You spoke to me daily And never missed a beat Showing me who hated me Replaying my defeat Several times I trusted you, I believed you with my life Did as you instructed, And tried to end my life Even then you were pitiful. The pills made me sleep The drinks made me weak The marks from cuts were deep Marks that remind me of your part In trying to ruin me You thought that you destroyed me I thought you did too, Even when there weren’t attempts You were in my mind too. You told me I was worthless, Rejected and of no use. I believed that all of my dreams, Died while listening to you Yes, I remember every lie that you told The memory has taught me To pr...

Are you self-medicating yourself to numb the affects of depression? What are you using to numb the pain of being sad and unhappy?  Without denying it, first look at the different forms of "self-medicating" that we're referring to: Sex Drugs Alcohol Unhealthy Relationships Food, i.e., over-eating, bulimia, anorexia, etc. Obsessive Actions, i.e., shopping, cutting, video game binges, compulsiveness, etc. Dangerous Activities, i.e., gang-affiliations, violence, etc. Hoarding Busyness There are others that aren't listed here but understand that anything can be used to "self-medicate" the pain that is associated with depression.  Many people don't talk about the things that they use to "self-medicate" themselves. So many hide how they are really feeling.  Depression hits more people than we know, every single day. Oftentimes, if the person is not a drug or alcohol abuser, the "self-medicating" aspect can go ignored for ver...

Today is a new day and another chance to do it! Job 33:29 Yes, God does these things again and again for people. (NLT)

Do you have a loved one who suffers from depression?  What do you do to help them?  How often are you their leaning post and closest friend? What are you doing for yourself? Are you allowing God to take care of you? It is important that you take time to pray and relax in order to be there for your loved one.  It gets hard especially during episodes where you are needed 24/7, however, you are not God.  God doesn't sleep nor does He slumber (Psalm 121:4), but you need to rest in God (Isaiah 30:15).  It is important to your loved one that you trust God to care for you both, understanding that God sees and He cares.  Take time each day (if only a few minutes to an hour) and reconnect with God through prayer.  Rest in His love, listen to His voice.  Sit outside and listen to the wind or go to the beach and listen to the waves.  Allow God to restore you in His love that you may be the best caregiver to your loved one.  It will brighten t...

Are you upset because you loved someone and it didn't work out? Let God calm you with His love.   The  Lord  thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

1. Pray .  Start your weekend, end your weekend and all throughout the weekend keeping an open conversation with God the Father.  Ask God to keep you this weekend.  Ask Him to protect you and lead you so that you make the right decisions, go places and do things that will honor Him and keep your mind in peace.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing. Psalm 10:17 Lord, thou has heard the desire of the humble:  thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: 2. Spend time with God each day .  Each day schedule an amount of time for just you and God.  It's probably best in the morning, but make the time.  Put it in your schedule on your phone or in your computer.  Find a quiet place-in your room, the bathroom, your car, etc., and sit with God.  You can pray, meditate on a scripture, listen to your favorite gospel song or hymn and just relax in His Presence.  Psalm 17:1 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therew...

Reasons We Don’t Address Depression!      • Christians don’t get depressed. This is a terrible misconception within the church.  Christians do get depressed when there is a breakdown in communication with God.  When we fail to pray and/or fail to trust God with our issues, depression will make every attempt to creep in. • People look at me funny.   We have the tendency to really care about how others view us.  We care what others say and do and consistently look for their approval of us.  This is a trap.  How does God view you?-That should be our greatest concern and in a very close 2nd place, How do you feel about you?  Leave people to their own thoughts that you have no control or power over. • People pretend to care.   Rejection hurts to the core, especially when we're depressed.  It hurts badly when someone pretends to care only for their own selfish wants or gain.  We must steer clear of those who are not inter...

1.  Elijah was depressed when Jezebel ordered for all prophets to be killed. 2.  Naomi was depressed after the death of her husband and children to the point of changing her name to Mara, meaning bitter. 3.  David was depressed during the sickness of his first child with Bathsheba. 4.  Mordecai was depressed when he learned of Haman’s plot to kill the Jews. 5.  Nehemiah was depressed upon learning that the returned exiles didn’t have a wall of protection at Jerusalem. 6.  Peter was depressed after he denied Jesus. And you thought that you were alone.  Read how they overcame.  Remember all of the great things that they are known for.  We are all more than conquerors!  God has given you the power to beat depression.

It's About Time for You to Be Happy! Are you determined to be happy?  Have feelings of depression bothered you long enough? Do you know someone who needs help with depression?  It's time to be happy!

Trust God!

Sometimes, we don't notice that we or someone close to us is depressed.  The symptoms are set aside by the busyness of everyday life and oftentimes by denial.  We rush pass the warning signs.