Thursday, May 29, 2014

Like a Good Neighbor, My Husband is There

I find it tremendously ironic that I was selected to give the Action/Evangelization talk on the Women’s Cursillo Weekend held April 24-27, 2014.  Not only was I on team with a number of people who have a great deal more experience in performing the corporal works of mercy than I do, but I’m also married to someone who is naturally not just a good neighbor to the many people who live in our building, but who is often a very Christ-like one. 
   
He goes above and beyond the usual, signing for a package if someone has asked you to hold it for them until they get back or letting someone know they’ve left their headlights on.  I can’t tell you how many times
he has helped the people who live in our building. 

He’s done work on their vehicles or assisted them with repairs, given individuals who are handicapped rides to the store, taken care of cats while their owners are out of town, provided bags of groceries when people were struggling to put food on the table, helped people network who were looking for a new job, let someone borrow his bicycle for several months so they wouldn’t have to buy one to train for a competition, changed light bulbs and did various other household chores too challenging for those who are elderly and/or have disabilities, reported suspicious activity to the police, listened while people tell them about their day or about their whole life story, provided encouragement and support to those who have been struggling in mind, body, or spirit…

He’s the one who knows everyone’s name and asks them how things are going then actually listens to the response.  We saw one of our neighbors in a wheelchair, and Kevin found out after a few different attempts (because my husband doesn’t speak Spanish) what had happened to him. 

The husband and father of two girls fell 20 feet off of a ladder, breaking both of his ankles.  Kevin noticed that the front tire of their car had been slashed.  It was completely flat and would need to be replaced, so he offered to go and get a new tire and put it on for them.  They agreed to this.  When he went to return the car keys, they wanted to pay him, but he refused any compensation for the new tire or the labor.  We agreed it was a very practical way that we could offer them assistance during a difficult time.
    
Kevin is preparing to give the Laity talk on the upcoming Men’s Cursillo Weekend being held July 24-27, 2014, at Sacred Heart, New Bohemia.  He’s got a number of wonderful descriptions of the roles of laypeople in the Church.  What amuses me is that he hasn’t yet included any of the number of day-to-day things that come naturally to him and count as ways to minister to others.  Isn’t that often the way, though?  The people who are best at doing something are the ones who question their aptitude, downplay their abilities, or doubt the validity of what they have to offer. 

When I see so much everywhere I look that I feel I could or should be doing, it’s refreshing to look at my husband.  He reminds me just by being who he is and where he is he’s glorifying the Lord.      

Friday, May 23, 2014

You Are Not Alone & A Partial Potter Update

Dear Family and friends,
     We want to be there for you always.  We want you to feel comfortable calling us for whatever you need   whenever you need it, especially during the most difficult times! For those of you who we have been there for at least some of the time, please know that you are not partially responsible or at all responsible for the times when Kevin and I are feeling worn out and/or rundown.  Even if we have not been as good about calling, visiting, or checking in with you lately as we could be, please rest assured that you our on our minds, in our thoughts, and certainly in our prayers.
     Our struggle has a lot more to do with being upset for the times we don't feel we have much to offer anyone, even each other and those closest to us.  We struggle with feeling like we’re not enough, not who anyone wants or needs us to be, not living up to what anyone would like or expects of us.  It’s painful when some of the ways we’d like to be able to reach out and help others, we no longer are in a position, physically, emotionally, spiritually, or financially that we can offer the assistance we’d like to offer and in many cases have given in the past. 

Still Searching

     Kevin’s been looking for work ever since he lost his job on Labor Day, and though he’s had some good leads and applied to a number of places, nothing’s come together, yet.  He’s networked with some great people and been given some prospects to check out.  He’s kept an open mind, kept praying, and kept pounding the pavement.  Last week, he received the letter saying that he’d been sent his last unemployment check.  He was hit with a wave of frustration, anger, and anxiety that he hasn’t found a new job, yet.    
     Regardless of what other things are going on, I’ve needed to take pretty much every subbing job I’ve been offered due to our financial situation.  Don't get me wrong; I love working at school with different age groups of children and a number of great teachers teachers.  I’ve learned a great deal and have come to appreciate the Montessori method as an ideal way of educating children.  However, as anyone who has served as a substitute knows, it can be more exhausting than usual when you don’t yet know the routine or all of the kids and specifics of the role played by the person for whom you’re filling that day.  There’s so much to try and remember and learning on-the-go can be a challenge in an environment where there are already a significant number of important Department of Social Services rules, regulations, and procedures to keep in mind. 

Running on Empty

     Over the past couple months, I’ve most often felt like I’ve been running on empty.  We’ve had so much going on that it’s been hard to catch my breath.  I’m behind on a number of things as is really obvious if you look around our apartment or consult any one of my “To Do Lists.”  I can’t seem to relax much, because I always feel like there’s something else I should be doing.  Yes, I know that I just finished reading Crash the Chatterbox twice in a row, but it’s so flipping difficult to put it into practice day in and day out. 
     Anywhere I look, I see and think about something I should be doing for our marriage, our family, friends, to improve our financial situation, to straighten up our place, to minister to others, and it just makes me more discouraged when I get so caught up in all that I could be doing and some of what I should be doing that I haven’t yet. 

Enjoy the Ride

     A Cursillo friend of ours who is single and lives alone was recovering from knee surgery and then had shoulder surgery at the beginning of April and needed help with rides to and from her physical therapy appointments, and such.  I think of her regularly and get upset with myself for not having checked up on her recently or at the very least sent her a card.  Kevin and I were blessed to be in position that we could help. 
     I showed up to give our friend a ride and couldn’t pull it together soon enough before I got to her place that she could tell I’d been crying.  There are few things that make me feel as ridiculous and pitiful as feeling the least bit sad or depressed when I’m well aware that others are suffering way worse than I am.       
     Did my friend get in the car and ask me what could I possibly have to cry about since I didn’t recently have to have a series of IV infusions just so I could finally have the knee surgery, followed by shoulder surgery after a car accident a year before that wasn’t even my fault?  No.  Did she tell me that I should be wildly rejoicing because I’m able to move around without difficulty, have a husband who loves me, don’t live alone, have family nearby, and friends who care about me?  No.  She got in the car and was genuinely concerned about what had happened that made me feel so upset that I am not enough in any area of my life and that I can’t seem to do anything right.  (Unfortunately, these are beliefs about myself I have struggled with most of my life that sometimes drag me down further than other times.  I’m better at fighting them sometimes than others).
     I am amazed by this woman’s fighting spirit and can do attitude.  She is persistent and insistent that she get through these surgeries and get back to an active lifestyle.  She’s assured those of us who used to gather weekly for prayer group that come summer, she’ll be running circles around all of us again.       

An Influx of Family Visits

     The week leading up to the Women’s Cursillo Weekend was even busier than I’d expected it to be and more tiring.  Holy Week is usually a full time for us anyway, but we had even more packed in this time.  On Good Friday, Kevin’s sister and brother-in-law stopped in while driving down to meet their newest granddaughter, so we spent some time with them before heading to church for the Veneration of the Cross.  Saturday, we met them in the morning, then we headed over to my sister’s house to see my uncle, aunt, two cousins, and their two friends, who were in town for lunch and an afternoon visit at my sister’s house before they drove back home to upstate New York.  That evening, Kevin and I attended the Easter Vigil at St. Michael’s, which was quite beautiful, as always. 

A Window of Opportunity

     I spent a good chunk of time that week putting together blog posts, journal entries, and writing a very long letter to Michele Morris, so I could send her a package of things during the two weeks after Easter when she can receive, read, and respond to mail to let her know what’s going on in our area with Cursillo, mutual family and friends, etc.  In the letter I sent her at Christmastime, I’d let her know that I would be serving on team for Cursillo on the weekend of Divine Mercy Sunday, so I knew she would be praying for everyone participating on the weekend, especially during that time. 

A Loved One Lost

     The Wednesday before Cursillo began, Kevin and I had a funeral to attend that morning at Epiphany on the Southside.  Kay Marie Geiger, who had been really sick with cancer for a number of months, went to be with the Lord, so we gathered with her family, many friends, and Cursillistas to celebrate her life and legacy.  (Life has been so crazy, busy, and hectic since then that I have yet to finish writing my tribute to this wonderful woman who has been such a loving, compassionate presence in our lives). 

Now is the Time: ACTION

     The evening of April 23, 2014, we spent several hours at Shalom House unloading cars, moving lots of furniture and beginning to get things set-up for the Women’s Cursillo Weekend that took place April 24-27. 
Thursday, another team member and I arrived back at Shalom House in the early afternoon to continue preparations.  There was so much running around and taking care of things that I managed to go the entire weekend without having a really in-depth, intimate conversation with anyone at all.  I have a hard time keeping up with all the running if I don’t connect with anyone on a deeper level than discussing the weather, meals, logistics, and other surface stuff. 
     Everyone on our team was wonderful, pitching in wherever needed, regardless of their assigned roles, but we were down an “angel,” those responsible for making sure everything and everyone is where they need to be and where it needs to be at or by the time specified.  One of our angels had to have a double mastectomy a few weeks before the Cursillo, and she blessed us by coming for a few hours when she was up to it and to give her talk, but her work and offerings during the weekend itself, understandably, needed to be predominantly prayers since she was still recovering from surgery.  I should have visited her or sent her a few cards by now, but again, I haven’t.  She’s certainly been in my thoughts and prayers, though. 

Sharing Straight from the Heart

     Two of the talks given on Divine Mercy Sunday as part of the Cursillo weekend I knew would hit me really hard.  One talk was given by a woman who bravely shared the story of how she and her family have felt God’s presence and love in the months since last September when their youngest son committed suicide.  The second talk was given by the woman who has also found strength and hope in the Cursillo community when she was diagnosed for a second time with breast cancer and this time had a double mastectomy and will also need chemo and radiation.  I made it through each of these talks by sitting in the way back of the room, letting the tears stream down my face, then leaving the minute they were finished to go back and have some quiet time to myself in our room.  By Sunday evening, I was physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted and ready to collapse.

While You Were Gone

     Within the next couple days, we learned of troubling news about some of our close friends.  One friend, whom I had invited to come on the weekend and who discerned that this wasn’t the right time for her to go, informed us that the previous Thursday she’d found out that her ex-husband had been found dead in his apartment.  He had not been in good health, nor had he taken very good care of himself, but it was still unexpected and, of course, hard on the family.  Kevin and I devoted an evening to help clean out the ex-husband’s apartment, which we needed a mask and gloves just to enter.  There were a number of things that reminded me of my dad and his declining health and struggles at the end of his life, so that wasn’t easy to manage.  We attended the funeral Mass held at church which was quite beautiful, but again reminded me of losing my dad at a young age.   

Not much rest for the weary

     The Monday after the weekend, I slept and rested most of the day, then met several team members and their spouses back up at Shalom House to clean up, move furniture back, organize and put supplies away, and such. 
     We also found out that a good friend of ours had been hospitalized for the second time in one week.  That Tuesday, Kevin and I were on our way to Mass at St. Benedict’s.  Actually we were in the parking lot, when I happened to check my phone before going into 5:30 Mass.  I’d already turned the ringer off, but something nudged me to look at my phone again before heading in.  Our friend whose husband had been hospitalized called asking if we would be so kind as to pick up dinner and bring it over to her at the hospital.  We left to go be there for our friends while they were facing a difficult time. 

We’ve got your back

     As we've said to the dear friends of ours who are fighting some tough stuff, including one of them having recently been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, it's nice to be able to do some practical things to let you both know we love you.  Sometimes, it's hard to know how to help or what to do, so having specific things to take care of makes it easier.  I need or ride or a meal or for you to get this from the store for me are tangible things we can do to offer assistance.  We are saddened by the burdens that some of our family and friends are carrying, but we are also very hopeful for each one of you in the midst of these crises. 

Prayers and Presence

     Two of our friends each lost a parent in the past couple months.  We weren’t able to attend either of those funerals.  Another couple we know through Cursillo lost their 20 year old son who committed suicide a couple weeks ago.  When we arrived at the Ultreya that Friday evening that was at their parish, they were outside to receive an outpouring of love, hugs, and condolences.   I’ve prayed for all of these people, their loved ones lost, and the families in mourning.  I’ve given each of our friends hugs when I’ve seen them in person and expressed my sorrow over their losses, but I have yet to send any of them sympathy cards or letters.

More than meets the eye   

     There are many crosses Kevin and I are carrying which only a handful of people know about at all.  Only a select few people know the weight and depth of these burdens and what we’ve gone through to keep moving forward despite them.   It's been a struggle for us to trust in God in these areas when it seems like there's no change or improvement, not just recently, but over a period of many months, even years.
     Seeing the hope and courage of others in the face of major challenges and drawbacks inspires both of us.  We are grateful that family and friends share their joys and sorrows with us.  That's how it's supposed to be.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God's Voice Above All Others

I love how humble, willing to be vulnerable, candid, humorous, and honest Pastor Steven Furtick is in sharing examples from his own day-to-day struggles with the chatterbox, the internal monologue that goes on in our minds that can keep us from living in the fullness of God’s love and freedom.  The lies we believe keep us from hearing, heeding, and accepting the Truth about God, how He sees us and others.  Identifying the lies is an essential step in order to “Crash the Chatterbox.”  Furtick explains that the lies we believe often fall under one of these four categories: insecurity, fear, condemnation, and discouragement.
    
Furtick offers Biblical truths about the children of God as proof that many of the thoughts we have that fall under one of the four categories mentioned above are contrary to who God says we are and how Our Creator sees us.  The importance of daily prayer and ongoing Scripture study are emphasized as keys to combating lies.
    
If you voiced aloud to someone else some of the exact same things that go through your mind about yourself, would they be horrified, offended, or hurt?  Probably.  The thing is the lies we believe not only affect us and our openness to God, but they also affect those around us in big and small ways.
    
Furtick doesn’t suggest that any negative emotion we have is a lie.  Sorrow, guilt, and regret are all very real, truth-based, and can be indicators of sinfulness for which we need to repent and accept forgiveness.
    
It’s rather freeing to find out that some things are intended to be part of our daily struggle to grow closer to the Lord and become more Christ-like.  There’s not some point at which we’ll have overcome all fears, temptations, lies, roadblocks and can coast along without any more obstacles internally or externally—at least not this side of Heaven.
    
I can identify best with people who are down in the trenches still fighting spiritual battles, though able to see and share some of the insights and grace God has given them to keep fighting.  I prefer to read about and hear from a fellow prayer warrior who may be a bit frazzled, but who continues on confident in Christ. 
    
Through humor, personal stories, and pound the chatterbox nuggets, Furtick reminds us that the negative influences, thoughts, and feelings in our lives aren’t going to disappear.  We’re in this battle against darkness and evil, but Christ has already conquered everything we’re fighting against.  We’re given the mercy, grace, forgiveness…all of the tools we need to win every fight we have with fear, discouragement, insecurity, and condemnation.  We just have to admit that we need these blessings and stock up on them through study and prayer. 
    
When a thought goes through my mind, it can be helpful to ask myself whose line is this, anyway?  If it’s of God, I may be called out and asked to change in some way, but, ultimately, I will be lifted up and affirmed as a beloved child of the Lord.  If the line of thinking is governed by fear, insecurity, condemnation, and discouragement without an ounce of hope or freedom in sight, then it’s time to suit up.  When all else fails, go get your armor!
    
I highly recommend Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God’s Voice above All Others by Steven Furtick.  It’s one of the few books that I have read twice in a row, because there are so many powerful truths and reminders about how to recognize and combat the lies Satan tries to feed us.  I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.  For more information about the book, or to order your own copy, click here.
    
There are some great links, interviews with some of the experts that are quoted in the book available on the www.crashthechatterbox.com website.  It’s another really good resource that will help you get the most from this book.

Friday, May 16, 2014

A Letter to Graduates

Dear Graduate,
    
Congratulations!  You did it!  Who knew that you’d one day make it so far, overcome so many obstacles, embrace so many new opportunities, and develop such wonderful friendships?  God did.  He’s known all along the passions in your heart and how you would and will continue to inspire others.   
   
My wish, hope, and prayers for you are that throughout your life you will grow in your awareness of God’s unconditional love, endless mercy, and unbounded joy so that you can continue being a source of living hope to all who come into contact with you.
   
There are some important lessons to remember as you move to the next step in your journey.  People and relationships are far more important than money, worldly success, awards, or prestige.  You are God’s Beloved Child.  I can almost hear some of you asking: "Who me?!"  To which I'd respond with a resounding, "Yes, you!"  
 
God has, does, and will always love you more than anyone else has, does, or can—even your parents, grandparents, family members, closest friends, or your spouse.  Almighty God is the only who one can and will always be with you, and, despite occasional thoughts and feelings to the contrary, He will never abandon or forsake you. 
   
I found it to be so easy to get caught up in my own hopes and dreams or to make my decisions and assess my worth based on the evaluations I receive from others.  Above all, though, we are to seek the Will of the Lord in all areas of our lives and accept the abundance of blessings He provides for us to live that out.  It is the only plan which is best for everyone involved in time and eternity.  We are encouraged and created to move, grow, and have our being in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Any good gifts we have come from Him. Any good we can do for others flows from Him through us.  Only in uniting yourself with the Source of All Love and life will you be a most effective vessel and conduit of love, compassion, generosity, and kindness. 
   
May you keep prayer a source of hope and healing in mind and heart as you seek and guide others in search of goodness, beauty, and Truth. 
     
It can be a little nerve-racking at times to move from one stage of life to the next, especially when it means saying goodbye to loved ones, a particular way of life, a gathering place for friends, but you’re well-equipped to go out into the world and continue making a difference doing what comes naturally to you. 
   
Be gentle with yourself during times of transition. 
   
Who you are is your gift to others and God’s gift to the world. Embrace that truth and live your life to the fullest.  God danced the day you were born and has been elated by you ever since.  Remember that you are loved and lovable because of who you are and whose you are—not because of what you do.  Your value has already been established as a child of God.  No other accolades, honors, or awards are needed to establish your worth.  It just is.
   
The greatest gifts bestowed upon us are those most precious in time and eternity: a love for family and friends, a true compassion for others, a concern for those less fortunate, an active prayer life, ongoing study and faith formation, being part of Christian community, performing actions that provide for the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs of others, and a yearning to do God’s will that are fueled by a desire to spend all of eternity with the angels, saints, and the loved ones who have gone before us to Heaven knowing that Christ's life, death, and resurrection have bought us eternal salvation.
   
“All things work for good for those who love God…”  The best in your life is yet to come.  Trust me—the wildest adventures, the most longed for opportunities, the most ecstatic joys, the most unusual challenges, the deepest love, the most profound mercy, and the best blessings beyond all of your hopes and dreams are yet to come for you!  
    
God bless and love from your sister in Christ, Trisha

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Prayer to Mary for the Conversion of a Loved One

Written by: Ishbel McGilvery McGregor and included in the book Praying with Mary: Sacred Prayers to the Blessed Mother for All Occasions by Janice T. Connell

Your prayer group of sweet loving where I gave myself to you
Has filled me with a wonder that is full of thoughts of you.
My life is now poured out, in love and work and prayer
And yet, there is a sadness, for I long to help and share.
The one whom Heaven gave me to share this life on earth
Has not received your gentle kiss and does not know your worth.
I long to share my happiness, to talk of all your words,
To plan our lives around them and bring others to the Lord.
But my love views me with sorrow at all the time I take
In chasing after visions and praying for your sake.                                           
O gentle Mother, hear me, please touch “my love” for me
That together we may journey with your Blessed Son and thee.
Let our family be a haven for the lonely and the weak
That we may bring your blessings when a messenger you seek.
May our home be full of laughter, may our journey be a prayer.
Let our lives reflect the beauty of your loving and your care. Amen.


Note to readers:  I began praying the little known “Prayer to Mary for the Conversion of a Loved One” by Ishbel McGilvery McGregor the minute I set eyes on it. I prayed the prayer which I found in Janice T. Connell’s book for my loved one several times throughout the day in addition to praying the Rosary for his conversion. Through the grace of God, the power of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the intercession of the Blessed Mother, I am grateful to say that this Easter (2014) marked the fourteen year anniversary of my then boyfriend, now husband’s returnto full participation in the Catholic Church.  Praise God!
 
I have since shared this gem of a prayer with a number of family and friends over the years.  I've also continued to pray it for some of my loved ones who have not yet discovered the value of a relationship with God's Mother as a way to get to know and love Christ more deeply.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Our Lady of Fatima Visions and Message

On May 13-October 13, 1917 the Blessed Mother appeared to three shepherd children, Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta, six times in Fatima, Portugal.  To read about the Message of Fatima she gave to the children and the world, click on this link to the Vatican website on these apparitions.   
   
Both of my parents and my grandmothers have often prayed the Rosary and turned to Mary, the Mother of God, to ask for her prayers and intercession.  Devotion to the Blessed Mother has been a tradition in our family since long before I was born.  
   
The two prayers that I prayed daily in hopes to bring about Kevin's return to the Catholic faith in which he was raised were the Rosary and "The Prayer to Mary for the Conversion of a Loved One," a prayer which I first came across in this amazing book.
   
Kevin gave me a beautiful pink crystal Rosary even before he returned to the faith, because I’d asked for one.  I once said another Rosary wouldn’t mean as much, though I now have another one that means a great deal to me.  The Rosary case I have is still the one my mom gave me years ago, and the Rosary I keep with me all the time belonged to my dad.  He used it a lot during his life, so I’m very grateful to carry on the tradition of the Catholic faith and devotion to the Blessed Mother by using it regularly to pray for family, friends, and all who are suffering in mind, body, and spirit.
   
Here is the trailer from the original film The 13th Day: The True Story of Fatima is a beautiful portrayal of the events including and surrounding these apparitions:
      

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Celebrating Moms, Grandmothers, Godmothers, "Other Mothers," and Spiritual Mothers

I've been working on a reflection on mothers, grandmothers, Godmothers, "other mothers" and spiritual mothers.  It has started with me remembering one of the spiritual mothers in my life who recently passed away, so I'm going to take some more time with it. In the meantime, I'd like to share with you a beautiful song about the most amazing, most loving, most holy mother I know.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Depression Is a Taste of the Agony in the Garden

Depression is a taste of what Jesus experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane.  The profound sense of feeling worthless, useless, unlovable, unwanted, unneeded, rejected, abandoned, judged, condemned, on the verge of despair, lonely, in so much pain you just want your life to be over.  These emotions come together in a way that completely overwhelms the sufferer at times.
      
It’s the utter loneliness and desperation of feeling isolated, cast aside; that the people closest to you seem millions of miles away—far too distant to comfort you in your time of affliction no matter what they do or say. 
      
A painful ache and brokenness remain in the head and the heart that keep the person from thinking about forgiveness, mercy, or redemption.  All that’s present are the past mistakes, indiscretions, injuries inflicted on others or by others, as well as those which have been self-inflicted.  Thoughts and feelings swim around creating a vortex of negativity spinning out of control, becoming increasingly powerful as each sin, pain, hurt—emotional, physical, and/or spiritual is sucked into the abyss feeding the frenzy of fear and helplessness.
      
Time moves painfully slowly.  The seconds go by, but the clock’s ticking is the sound of a time bomb about to explode.  Neither friends nor family nearby can comprehend or alleviate the suffering.  Past sins and recent mistakes loom large and appear overwhelming, a heavy crushing weight bearing down. 
      
It is wanting desperately for the pain to cease while feeling stuck—that there’s nothing anyone could do or say to bring you around.  The only way beyond it is through it.  Any brief glimmer of hope, inclination to smile or laugh is sucked out of you, leaving no trace of mirth or even a clear memory of it.  Each moment is empty, devoid of pleasure, joy, or consolation. 
            
Dark shadows lurk in every corner and black clouds block the sun’s light and warmth.  Worry consumes until unfettered panic sets in.  The tiny, pitiful spirit within screams, but no sound comes forth.  The warmth of someone’s hand, the gentle tenderness of a kiss, soothing words mean nothing, can’t reach the ache deep inside.
     
I wrote this reflection on Holy Saturday of Holy Week, March 30, 2013.  I have suffered from bouts of depression ever since the age of 9 years old.  I know many people who are struggling or have struggled with some type of depression at some point in their lives.  Often people in the midst of it feel that they are isolated and alone, that their life is useless and worthless, but it's not.  If you're alive, then God can still work in and through you, whether you feel or think that's the case or not.  
     
Here are some of the books I have found to be most helpful and hopeful in dealing with depression and/or in being a loving presence to someone who is struggling with it:

Surviving Depression by Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP

Holding on to Hope by Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP

Healing Life's Hurts through Theophostic Prayer by Dr. Edward M. Smith

Never Give Up: My Life and God's Mercy by John Janaro

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen

Home Tonight by Henri Nouwen

Fresh Bread and Other Gifts of Spiritual Nourishment by Joyce Rupp

Burst: A Story of God's Grace When Life Falls Apart by Kevin Wells

Life Without Limits by Nick Vujicic

Unstoppable by Nick Vujicic

My Personal Prayer for Depression Sufferers: Lord, draw close to Your heart all who have all but lost the will to live, who have lost hope, and/or who can see no reason for their lives, no greater purpose or significance.  Help them reach out in honesty and truth to those around them.  Give them the courage to voice their thoughts, feelings, fears, and hopes to someone they can trust.  Open the hearts and minds of those who are in a position to offer them help, hope, encouragement, support, and prayers.  
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