I Trust When Dark My Road

Below is a nice article I ran across about giving thanks during the upcoming holiday season. The next six to eight weeks are the most difficult for the clinically depressed. Food, alcohol, family togetherness, money, stress, all of these things come in large doses during this time of year. Here are a few tips:

Be Mindful. Know that this is a difficult time, pray over it, and prepare for it.

Be Intentional. The more you react to situations, the more likely they are to control you. Think in advance as much as possible about how you will handle difficult situations. Rehearse in your mind how you will address them.

Be Prayerful. Never underestimate the power of of intercessory prayer. Pray for yourself, and ask others to pray for you. Especially if you are going down the slope. Drop me an email if you need encouragement. Been there. Done that. I will reply if it is humanly possible.

What am I missing? Help me out here, readers.

-DMR

PS Read the article!

Kicking Depression: Giving thanks, remembering this is a wonderful life: “”

(Via PalmBeachPost.com.)

Below is a nice article I ran across about giving thanks during the upcoming holiday season. The next six to eight weeks are the most difficult for the clinically depressed. Food, alcohol, family togetherness, money, stress, all of these things come in large doses during this time of year. Here are a few tips:

Be Mindful. Know that this is a difficult time, pray over it, and prepare for it.

Be Intentional. The more you react to situations, the more likely they are to control you. Think in advance as much as possible about how you will handle difficult situations. Rehearse in your mind how you will address them.

Be Prayerful. Never underestimate the power of of intercessory prayer. Pray for yourself, and ask others to pray for you. Especially if you are going down the slope. Drop me an email if you need encouragement. Been there. Done that. I will reply if it is humanly possible.

What am I missing? Help me out here, readers.

-DMR

PS Read the article!

Kicking Depression: Giving thanks, remembering this is a wonderful life: “”

(Via PalmBeachPost.com.)

A post on religion and mental health. Enjoy.

-DMR

O Wisdom from on high,

You alone teach us all things, and you alone can bring knowledge of your word where there is none,

Give me the knowledge of your word so that I may preach it faithfully to hurting souls, including mine.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Heavenly Father,

You alone are the source of all knowledge and truth, and you are the One who makes us wise, using what you have given us to your glory and the edification of all.

Teach me to use the suffering and hardships that I have faced for wisdom, learning to love my neighbor as myself, and to make me a better, more faithful pastor.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

Heavenly Father,

You are long suffering and kind toward me, your wayward son.

By your mercy teach me to be long suffering and kind toward others, as you are toward me.

Help me to see their lives through your eyes, so that I may come to love them all the more.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

Lord,

You alone know what is best for me.  In your Son, Jesus Christ, your will for my salvation finds its completion.

Teach me to know your ways, to find your will for me in Your Son, and to accept Your will as for my good, even when I don’t fully understand it.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Heavenly Father,

We know that you suffer with us in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ;

Help us to know that if we suffer with Him, we also will rejoice in Him,

Give us faith to trust in your mercy, no matter what what the heart may fling at us,

And bring us at last to your heavenly mansions, where our suffering will end forever.

Through the sufferings and mediation of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Heavenly Father,

We know that you suffer with us in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ;

Help us to know that if we suffer with Him, we also will rejoice in Him,

Give us faith to trust in your mercy, no matter what what the heart may fling at us,

And bring us at last to your heavenly mansions, where our suffering will end forever.

Through the sufferings and mediation of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

This is one of about a dozen books I’m reading right now.  It is a series of devotional meditations based on the prayers of: Jonah, Job, Mary, Jesus and Paul.  I’m just starting on it, but thus far I like it very much.  He has a good grip on the theology of the cross.  I’m not sure how Christological yet, but I think it’s coming.  I’ll do a more complete review as we get through it.

Check it out!

-DMR