How to Love Your Depressed Friend

As I was reading this article, I decided it was something I needed to share. I wish I had read it sooner so I could've shown some of the people in my life. Both, for my sake and theirs.  http://www.tosavealife.com/love-depressed-friend/

There have been times where I tried to comfort a friend who was depressed. I knew my attempts to "solve" their problem only made it worse. But I didn't know what to do; I felt helpless, too.

But, I too have been on the receiving end of that rope. I've had friends try to solve my problems when I was depressed when all I really needed was for them to listen and maybe just embrace me with comforting arms.

There have been many times when I wished they'd asked more than the simple "How are you?" and then accept the "I'm fine" like I'm actually fine, and then continued on about themselves.

Sometimes all it takes is an encouraging few words to expel someones sadness. Sometimes words alone aren't enough. Just being there for them, not ignoring or excluding them, and not leaving them to be alone is what they need.

One of the ones I wish I had known about sooner, and what might have saved my friendship was

• It's Okay to Go Away

I've always been the kind of person to never leave a friend behind or alone because I hate being alone. And people always tend to leave me because they found something better. I always want to treat people better than how I've been treated. But, sometimes, it's okay to take a break. I've slowly been learning that the last year. When two friends are depressed then you need to take a break from one another. Otherwise, it's just like trying to help a person drowning when in fact you can't swim yourself. You end up just dragging each other under. 

Taking a break doesn't mean its over. It just means we all have problems and not one person (except JESUS) can help you with those problems. Just knowing you will always have that friend be there when you get back is what you need. 

Next time you see a friend depressed or just sad, be there. Don't worry about fixing the problem or try to figure out what's causing it. Just wrap your arms around them and say "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere". 

And if you need a friend, maybe send them the link I shared in this blog. Sometimes, our friends are just as lost as we are and need some help on how to help. 

God bless and give someone a hug today! 

And if you're not close enough to hug them right now, send them one through prayer!

Valentines? Not a Problem!

Hahaha! This just made my day and completely inspired this post! Listen, listen!

Valentine's Day problems. ❤️

A video posted by Snoopy And The Peanuts Gang (@snoopygrams) on Feb 9, 2015 at 9:14am PST

Like Peppermint Patty, everyone asks the same question every day. Maybe even twice a day.

"Have you been given a lot of Valentines [Love] in your time?"

My answer, too, would be,

"No. I've never received a single Valentine." 

That is, if we were talking specifically, and only, about Valentines Day. But not today. Valentines Day is a great day to express our affections to the people we love. Sure, some say it's just a card industry day, but only if you make it that way.

However, there of many of us who don't believe that anyone cares about us or even loves us. Then, we go digging around others lives and comparing their love life to ours. Trying to find ways on how to get our own valentines, and love.

Peppermint Patty said it perfectly though!

"I should talk to someone who is used to getting [giving] Valentines!"

And, there is only One who does it perfectly every day: Jesus Christ!

Think about it, He is the giver and creator of Love. And, if you think about it, receives a lot of love too! {Psalm 18:1} Whom better to learn from then the master! The only reason love even exists and we know it to be real is because He loved us first! {1 John 4:19}

Turn to him for guidance in your life, and love. Take direction from Him and don't wait for others to love you before you love others. And take in confident reassurance, that you have the ultimate Valentine in your life, forever! He wants you to be His forever Valentine. {John 15:9}

From the ever poetic words of Veggie Tales:

"God made you special and he Loves you very much!"

God bless and have a wonderful day!

Let Me Remember...

Don't you just love when your browsing YouTube and God guides your cursor to just the perfect song to speak the words you needed most to hear?

I do.

As I mentioned in "A Shout for the Lonely" I've not been very strong the past year. Constantly battling this sort of sadness, emptiness, inside. I've been trying to figure out what I had lost that keeps me on this roller coaster. I've been searching for the answer for almost a year, but God gave me that answer today when he lead me to this song by Jason Gray.

HOPE.

I lost my spirit of Hope. Or better said, I forgot to hope. I forgot what it meant to me. I've always been one to look at the brighter side, to purposefully be optimistic.

The year before, I had been constantly let down by someone very close to my heart. By the time we went our separate ways, I'd been tapped dry of almost joy. I guess my hope went down with it.

Proverbs 13:12 (NLT)

 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.

What does Hope mean to me?

It means to trust and expect that what we desire for, wish for, pray for, could in fact happen. Remaining confident in my trust in that God will have the last word and make it good. 

You know, no matter how much things hurt we have to keep hope alive in our hearts. Hope is what carries us through our sorrows, anxiety, and pain. Being positive when the rest of the world screams to be negative. It's time to bring hope back to life!

God bless!

Romans 5:5 (NLT)

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

A Shout for the Lonely

I've really been struggling with loneliness the last month... No, for the last year. My hearts been broken one too many times by people who were my friends. Who lashed out at me for no reason or just abandoned me.

I'm not a social butterfly, my younger sister inherited those gene's. But, I don't like being alone. I'm best with close intimate friends and family surrounding me.

I've always been the strong one. The encourager. The shoulder to lean or cry on. To cheer them up and make them smile again. I've always been glad to be there for others.

But this past year, I just haven't been strong enough to be that person. Not because I don't want to be. I wish I could just say "Bibidi Babadi Boo" and revert back to being the strong one. I feel like all my reserves have been tapped dry.

Nowadays, if someone comes to me, needing advice or a friend to lean on, my mind draws a blank. I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like whoever I used to be has withdrawn into the deepest cave and is nowhere to be found. And, I feel everything I try to say or do isn't real. Like, I'm just acting what I think I know. Maybe I am subconsciously just second guessing myself. Every where I turn is another blank space. And, that that's why I can never find her.

I wonder.

Am I not meant to find her again and merely grow into something new?
Or is that my heart has hard chiseled edges now that need to be smoothed out?

I don't know which one it is, but what I do know is that they both need Jesus.

Jesus to lead, Jesus to rub off those rough edges.

It's hard. It hurts. Sometimes, a lot. I have to keep remembering, learning, building, keeping my foundation in Him.

And right now, that's all I can do.

~~~~~

A challenge to all of you.

Be patient with those around you.
Initiate with people who surround you.
Don't wait for them to come to you.

Let them know you are thinking about them, and keep interacting without expecting anything in return.
Sometimes, all they need is a pair of arms wrapped around them and to be reminded that "everything is going to be okay".

It's as simple as that.

~~~~

A shout out to those of you feeling alone.

Jesus knows your pain, He too suffered, but not just because of that. Because of his love for you, he hurts whenever we hurt. Have you ever hurt when you saw someone close to you hurting? That's how Jesus feels about you. He seeks to comfort you every time your heart feels empty. To catch every tear you shed. He know and never leaves your side.

So, really, you aren't so alone.

God bless and be with you, Amen.

Valentines Gift from Denise Hunter!

Denise Hunter posted on her facebook today with an amazing Valentine treat!

Her first book in the Chapel Springs series is free! All month long!

This book has been on my wish list for a while. I'm glad to be able to read it (though I will probably end up buying it in paperback before I'm through with it).

For those of you who love reading eBooks though, this is a great treasure to your collection! Denise Hunter is an amazing author!

Don't forget to share with your friends and family!

It's the Small Things

It's amazing what blessings God sends to us in our every day lives. Things, people typically don't notice or maybe even take for granted.

Last night, my family decided it was a good night to get a pizza; I couldn't have agreed more. So, we stopped by the store to grab some soda's before picking up the pizza and that's where I met my blessing.

This man and his 9 (I think) year old daughter were waiting in line. The line was really long! So, there was time to kill just standing there. The father struck up a conversation with me about the lines, the stores, and just casual conversation.

See, my family and I just moved up here just before Christmas. Now we're in a much bigger city, a metropolis, from our last home of 10 years. I thought I'd miss it a little, because I knew where everything was and when to go and how to get there, etc,. But, I've realized I not only don't miss it, I like our new home 10 times more then I ever liked our last place.

Sure, it's busier. I don't know where everything is, yet. It takes longer to get to places and there are some days you shouldn't go because traffic is so bad. But here's what I've noticed in the short time I've been here.

The people.

They talk to you. They are more polite. They are just friendlier people.

A couple of times when I've been to the grocery store people ahead of me have done things for me, though they may seem simple, mean a lot to me. Asking if I need help or putting the bar to separate our orders for me, making room for me to put my things on the belt.

With a smile.

It makes me want to cry on the spot.

Things I found out in my ten minute conversation last night:

The man was from Guatemala. He's been here since 1991. In our part of town since 2001. We both agreed Walmart was a crazy place to shop, for many reasons. There's a Walmart (or 2) in the second capital of Guatemala now. The farmers market downtown used to be three times the size of when it first started, you couldn't even find parking. And you can only find replacement toothbrush heads at Publix.

Just having someone initiating a conversation with me made me not fill invisible. Or unapproachable (sometimes I'm too self conscious or maybe believe no one will talk to me because of my size)

That was major part of the blessing. Here comes to icing on the cake.

He finished paying for his and his daughters things. They used some gift cards and the last one had $1.88 left on it. He handed it to me and said to use it. He said it wasn't much, but it was something.

And he was right. It wasn't much in one hand to card wasn't much, but in the other the gesture was worth its weight in gold. It was so kind and genuine.

Then he said, "God bless, you".

So sincere. Not like when some people say it in passing, like they've just made that their signature for every day conversation. But that he meant it, he was asking God to bless me.

Ever since my family and I moved up here, I've felt like God brought us here to start over. That he gave us a new and empty book to start writing the next Arc in our story for his Glory. Haha, that rhymed.

I feel fresh air coming back into my lungs, and it really feels good to breathe again.

~~

Take time out of your day to talk to someone. Someone you don't know or don't ordinarily strike conversations with. In the store, down the road to a neighbor. Engage them with Christ's love and sincerity. Bless someone with your time and attention, even for just a few minutes. You have no idea how much that will impact someones life. It's the small things, too.

Have a wonderful day and

God bless you all, from the bottom of my heart. <3

Lord, I Lift Up My Friend To You

I came across this song just a few minutes ago and it made me think of my best friend, Christina Jamison, that I mentioned in a Prayer Request.

It's the prayer that is now imbedded into my heart, put into song, and worship.

Please continue to pray for her. It's been a hard couple weeks for me, being unable to talk to her, share my joy and laughter with her. To see and know how she is doing. I miss her, a lot. More than any other friend before.

Lord, I lift up my friend to you, my best friend in the world I know. I know you love her more than I ever could. I know you can and will take care of her, because you love her. And because you know how important she is to me, too. Send your angels to surround her, protect her. Show her the way, Lord.

In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.