Out Of Order

Be hope. Be hospitable. Cinnamon boiling on the stove. The succulent aroma of homemade sweet potato pie. Carols playing throughout the house. This is Christmas to me. My Christmas this year is going to be very different now that I'm away from my family. I'm going to have to do some major adjusting to what will be my very first Christmas (and birthday) without my mom and sister present. While it's going to be very different, thankfully I'm not going to be alone for this beautiful holiday. I'll be celebrating with the warm and lovely people with whom I share a house. I have been very blessed and am very grateful to have housemates who practice hospitality. That brings me to the amazing message at church this morning. It wasn't too deep nor was it full of hard to understand Biblical jargon. It was easy to get and put into practice. The message was about hospitality. Christmastime is a time where others so often open their homes to friends and family and maybe...

Suicide Prevention Month Today is the first day of Suicide Prevention Month. This is so important to me because it can be so easy to pass by someone who is hurting and not even notice their pain because they hide it so well. The picture of me above is from 2014 (if I recall correctly), Christmas time. Something that everyone knows about me is that I love Christmas and it is the happiest time for me. And that's what you'd get from looking at this picture. You'd see how I was very thorough in making sure that I was dressed in accordance with the holiday, even down to a jingle bell ring on my finger out of picture. What you wouldn't see is the evidence of the tears I shed moments after having taken the pic. You wouldn't see the gripping pain that accompanied me out of the bathroom and downstairs to where my mom and sis waited. And you wouldn't guess that I wanted nothing more than to be done with life. Nope, you'd see a happy, excited and ready-for-Christ...

What to do If you are a support for someone with a mental illness of any kind, you have probably been told numerous times what not to do when dealing with that person. But often, there is little clarity in what we should do. It can be draining and incredibly time consuming caring for a loved one who suffers mentally and I can imagine that constantly hearing "No, don't do this. Don't do that! " would become frustrating. You can begin to feel helpless and even hopeless that they will ever get well again. Now, I will never attempt to speak for everyone, but this is what  I would find beneficial. You are not alone ... Just like the picture up there states, remind me that I am not alone. That no matter how separated from others my illness makes me feel at times, you are here supporting me and I am never alone. Give me a hug or cry with me. Let me know that you are aware of me and what weighs on me. Acceptance ... One of the worst feelings for me is havi...