Health & Body
-
Lessons Learned from Fasting
[Guest Post by Elise Boggs – We met many years at North Coast Church. She worked on staff with the College ministry, and I was serving as a volunteer in the 20-something ministry. It’s pretty amazing to see how far she has come. If you find yourself like Elise, unfamiliar with fasting — I think you will like to hear her story.] Miracles do happen. Last year was a challenging year. I made the decision to leave my role in ministry, I ended a two year relationship, and I became overwhelmed with anxiety to the point of being issued a mandatory three month sabbatical by my doctor. I felt like…
-
Why Not Celebrate?
[Guest Post by Heather Von St. James – When Cameron, Heather’s husband, reached out to me asking if he could help share his wife’s story — I was inspired. I wish all husbands were excited to celebrate life with their wives. Today, if you are struggling with life — why not celebrate? Don’t wait for tragedy to strike! Celebrate today.] Fear – we’ve all faced a form of it at some point in our lives. I’ve learned that your fears don’t define the person you are, but rather how you deal with them. Humor is the way that my husband Cameron and I handled one of the most terrifying and…
-
How to Treat Your Body as a Temple
[Guest Post by Amy – I love this thought from Amy today, and if you haven’t read her first article entitled The Pit of Depression, you won’t want to miss that one either! I always appreciate it when guest posters ask to post again (hint hint).] I grew up in what I like to refer to as the “The Deep South Land of Southern Baptists”. I learned the books of the Bible, about Abraham and Moses and all the other Biblical heroes, and of course that drinking or dancing would lead to complete moral destruction. I also learned about the all important Pot-Luck Dinner. One of the main theological tenets…
-
Keep Moving Forward
Guest Post by Jayne Richards – How many of us have made a New Year’s Resolution or goal to lose weight this year? And how many of us have already given up? I am encouraged by this amazing woman who calls herself an old broad who runs, and I hope you are too!] My twenty-four year old daughter was digging around in one of our junk piles recently, and came upon what she thought was a treasure. It was a beautiful hardcover book entitled “Our Christmas Memories”. She very excitedly sat down to reminisce, only to discover that just the first couple of pages had been completed. It had a…
-
How to Love Your Body Through the Holidays
[Guest Post by Rebekah Snyder – We tend to judge our bodies most during the holidays. It’s supposed to be a time to celebrate with family and friends, so why are we so quick to judge ourselves and weigh ourselves? Maybe it’s because we eat too much. Maybe it’s because we can’t help but enjoy those Christmas cookies or Thanksgiving turkey. No matter what happens this holiday season, I hope you are able to stay focused on how to love your body. No matter your body type. Because your body is good! Right, Rebekah?] Please don’t judge me for my skinny body. “Oh my gosh, Rebekah, you are sooo skinny!” She said…
-
The Daily Struggle With Anxiety
[Guest Post by Angela McNeil – My friend has been through so much and I always appreciate when she shares parts of her story because I just know it will encourage at least one person.] Most of my childhood memories are of my sick mother working 2-3 jobs, and my dad sitting in his Lazy boy recliner. Starting at the age of 8, I picked up most of the chores around the house like cleaning and cooking, while my father sat in his recliner drinking a beer or a Jack n Coke. I remember one day my mom was in tears. My father was arrested for stealing drugs from the…
-
Mental Health Boot Camp
[Guest Post by Anonymous – My heart goes out to people who feel like they have to hide their story. Obviously it’s a good thing to protect your child(ren) or family, but I hope this person’s courage will help you find true healing in Christ.] As a mom with a physical chronic condition I am familiar with the complexities of having a demanding disease. I have long admitted that although I could see how God has worked through my physical ailment, I still did not understand mental illness. It was a world I had not been a participant of, a language I did not speak. And then my young sons’s struggles…
-
Clinical Depression: From Curse to Blessing
[Guest Post by Celine Diaz – I always appreciate it when when people are brave enough to come forward and share their story. Here’s Celine’s story. Be encouraged.] I could hardly recognize myself. I had gone from a spirited 19 year old, passionate and ambitious, on fire with life and always progressing, to a paralyzed, immobile wraith, numb to joy, and suddenly so fearful and exhausted that I lapsed into inactivity. I hid from my loved ones, locking myself up in shame, afraid of dragging others down with my low mood. I was like a flower that had been cut from its roots: devoid of vibrancy and life, now wilted,…
-
Panic Attacks: My Fight Against Fear
[Guest Post by Dr. Gail Bones – We met through our mutual friend and mentor Pam Farrel. I appreciate Gail for her heart of integrating ministry between older women and younger women. Also, this is an excerpt from her new book that JUST RELEASED this month on Living Cross Wise. Hope you are encouraged!!] I’d just put my baby down for a nap when a tsunami of irrational dread and fear swept over me. A feeling of impending doom, accompanied by a terrifying sense of unreality took hold, and my heart began to pound. As the room spun, a suffocating panic gripped me. My mind raced to find an explanation…
-
The Pit of Depression
[Guest Post by Amy Schaffner – This post is for anyone, like Amy, who has ever felt trapped in the pit of depression. Be encouraged.] There is a pit of depression that I sometimes desire to fall into. The lure can sometimes be so overwhelming that I don’t know how to combat it. The days that nothing seems to go my way, when I my body feels like an 80 year old woman, when the kids just won’t stop yelling, my bed calls to me. Tears call to me. Do I like this? No. Is it my personality to battle this daily? Yes. For the longest time I thought struggling with depression…
