The impending threat of Hurricane Irma has caused an increase in anxiety for many people — understandably so. What do we do? Do we stay or evacuate? Will we lose our homes or our jobs? These are just a few questions that people along the path of the storm are pondering. I want to remind everyone first of all that Irma is no surprise to…
There are times when grief threatens to swallow us whole. It seems like it will never end. Recently, I’ve walked through the valley of the shadow of death alongside several people who long for peace and healing… This week I went to the funeral of a precious woman and I was really moved by a post by her son regarding the bereavement process. “We lost…
Chester Bennington. Chris Cornell. Friends. Both died by suicide just 2 months apart. Individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide are at an increased risk of suicide themselves. One study reports that people bereaved by suicide (Survivors of Suicide, aka SOS) within the past year were 1.6 times more likely to struggle with suicidal ideation, 2.9 times more likely to create a suicidal plan,…
People who have endured traumatic experiences often complain of recurrent nightmares. The good news is that this is normal and it is the brain’s way of trying to make sense of what happened. The bad news is it can invoke painful emotions such as fear, anger, and depression and can lead to insomnia. Nightmares often unmask subconscious thoughts surrounding the traumatic event. It can be…
About fifteen years ago, my world was rocked when mental illness began to rock our home. Until that day, my life had been relatively simple. After years of watching my husband as he sought to control his bipolar disorder, the battle ended with his suicide. My quiet, unassuming life had been thrust into a world of darkness and pain. There were times when I didn’t…
I have been struggling to write since I returned from Africa. There is so much to tell and to process that I have put off writing until now. My husband provided devotional thoughts for me to read while I was away so that we would both be meditating on the same scriptures from different continents. This was the perfect start to my days — connecting…