It’s a long running joke that pastors don’t really work, but two days a week. Being married to a minister, I must say that nothing could be farther from the truth. Most pastors are on call 24/7 and are asked to help in a vast array of circumstances – from holding someone’s hand while they die to rescuing cats from clandestine places. Sadly, many ministers…
I recently interviewed with a fellow suicide survivor, Leah Slack Stirewalt, on her blog. I met Leah a couple of years ago at SheSpeaks (a writer’s conference). We both felt instantly connected as we shared our stories and enjoyed a sweet time of prayer together. She too, lost her husband to suicide. We have stayed in touch over the years, and it is so refreshing to…
Did you know that nearly half of all children with a single mother — 47.6 percent — live in poverty according to the U.S. census report? This number is staggering to me. A friend recently told me that she heard a report that nearly 90% of single parent families end up homeless at some point. Granted, this includes families that move in with other family members,…
My heart grew heavy as I read about the double suicide of the radio hosts in New York City last night. So many people were shocked – especially because the woman was a former psychotherapist. We tend to think that certain “types” of people are immune to suicidal ideation – counselors, ministers, teachers – but the truth is, there are times when we are all…
A group of students were hanging out in my office laughing and talking in my office one morning – a pretty normal occurrence. As one of the students walked out, he said, “Man, this is like facebook in real life!” This generation is so wired, so connected technologically that many are lacking in social skills. When I was in school, if the teacher finished early,…
(Picture from nami.org) May is National Mental Illness month, and I’ve been receiving lots of emails about the importance of raising awareness this month. I recently watched Silver Lining Playbook (lots of language and crude scenes, I’m not endorsing the movie), and was impressed by the way that they demonstrated someone with bipolar mania. When someone with bipolar disorder is manic, they have excessive energy…