Healing of Depression

I want to talk to you about depression and what it entailed for me.

I never slept well, I would wake up throughout the night several times, time would seem to pass so fast, I would loose track of days. I would close my eyes and it would feel like 5 minutes as passed however it would be anything from an hour to four hours. I wouldn’t sleep well, I would struggle to get up in the mornings, and most days it would be after 12 noon and sometimes later. I struggled to do anything, most days, just getting out of bed, brushing my teeth, combing my hair, doing my ablutions, going downstairs, making breakfast was sometimes just to much to cope. I struggled every day for the last 30 plus years.

As a Christian, I trust and believe in Jesus as the Son of God… The Word of God which became flash, who came to earth and died for my sin (my wrongful acts and thoughts, which displeased and went against God’s will). Because of this, and because of Jesus’ teachings that He came to give life and life abundantly (John Ch 10: verses 9-11 ESV) I believe as many Christians believe, Jesus will heal me of the many health conditions I have.

At times this has been a real struggle, and at times I have believed the lies satan (including his demons) has told me, that I am worthless, I won’t be healed, why would God heal me? God doesn’t love me or He would heal me, God isn’t real. satan is a master manipulator and anyone who has been in a relationship with anyone who manipulates them, will know how those people will twist the truth and lie to get what they want. I learnt that the hard way.

Yesterday, I had a bad day, I broke down and I figuratively speaking, fell on my knees in tears and said to God.

“Lord, I’m loosing my faith. I have prayed for so many years, asking for healing and every time I do, my health gets worse or something else happens and I get another condition or health issue. I can’t take anymore, why won’t you heal me, you say you love me, and I’ve seen you work in my life, yet the healing I need, I don’t receive. Even if it’s just the depression you heal me from, I could do more and get some things sorted in my life and home. Please heal me”

After my meltdown and it was a meltdown, I won’t sugar coat it, I started to think about how Jesus teaches about praying for the sick, how Jesus and then the disciples healed the sick, the lame and the blind etc. I will add here, I’ve been using the YouVerson Bible app and reading Bible Plans by Nicky Gumbel and Joyce Meyer on healing, healthy mind, understanding Jesus and The Bible In One Year since lockdown. After all of these things, I reached out to the Church which Nicky Gumbel worships at, plus a Prayer network and I even contacted my minister as I felt I was loosing my faith due to these health issues.

I don’t know if the church or prayer network has had anyone pray for me yet, but I know my minister has. He responded with some Bible passages which I want to add below because they have helped me and if you are suffering with health issues, I pray they will help and support you in your faith.

Quote “There is much we don’t understand about God and his ways, But we can still trust him – where else can we turn? I have some verses of scripture to encourage you…Firstly remember this…
1 Peter ch 1: v6-9 NCV; 1 Peter ch 4: v1 NCV. Also when your faith is feeling week be encouraged to dig into the word and fellowship. Romans ch 10: v17 NCV and Romans ch 1: v12 NCV” End Quote

The one thing I want you to remember and like my minister said. Dig into the Word of God. Even if you do not know where to start reading, just start reading. Try starting with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), and trust and believe God has your best interests at heart.

This brings me to what I want to share with you today. A VICTORY OVER DEPRESSION.

Last night I kept waking up, and as I said previously, I normally I would close my eyes and several hours (like 4 hours would pass and I’d feel like it had been 5 minutes and felt I had no sleep), last night I kept waking up and I found only 30 minutes to an hourish would pass but I didn’t feel tired as much and it didn’t feel like 5 minutes had passed. This happened several times and I thought it’s not like a normal night. I was reminded this morning (I believe by The Holy Spirit) of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, where time can either feel fast or slow depending upon the circumstances. Normally I sleep a lot, even if it’s intermittently due to being overwhelmingly tired. I can loose hours at a time and feel like I’ve not done anything all day (most of the time) and says can blur into another making me lose weeks at a time. This morning I felt a change, I felt time was moving differently and that something chemically had changed. Overnight, I believe God has changed my chemical makeup in the brain and healed me of depression. I say this as I don’t feel the same as I did yesterday or previously. I have that nagging in the back of my mind that it will come back. “It’s only a temporary thing” but I believe that is satan trying to lie and make me disbelieve the Miracle God has Blessed me with.

My spirit and my heart believes I am healed, even if my mind is lagging a little behind waiting for the other shoe to drop so to speak, however I am choosing to trust in Christ, My Saviour. As Joyce Meyer’s says, get your head in the right mindset.

I have prayed the following prayer for myself and I pray it for all who read this to. God has your back, even if you don’t feel Him with you, He never leaves you or forsakes you Hebrews ch 13: v5, Deuteronomy ch 31: v6

“Lord Jesus, Thank you so much for healing me. I know I have several conditions and even though they may not be dealt with yet, you have healed me of depression and I am truly grateful for that. Thank you for Loving me and Blessing me with this gift and a healthy mind. I ask for your Blessings to speak into every part of my life and make me whole like Jesus, in your name Lord Jesus I ask this, Amen”

Covid-19 (Coronavirus)

There is a lot of worry about Covid-19 and the rate at which it is spreading, including the amount of false information. The first thing is to stay calm, the second is to follow this link. It has the answers you need.

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

The symptoms can come across as flu and other viruses. This shouldn’t make you panic, so make sure you stay calm. If you think you have the symptoms, you need to isolate yourself and stay at home (DO NOT GO TO YOUR DOCTORS). Telephone your doctors and tell them your symptoms. They will be able to advise you on what to do next.

So follow the link above to the “World Health Organisation” to get the latest information and how to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

Yoga And Tai Chi – A Spiritual Deception

I was recently speaking with a Christian friend of mine and we talked about various fitness regimes and ways to get fit, she asked me my thoughts on Yoga etc, as a Christian, which to be honest, I didn’t know much about it. I know it was good for the body, however there are some religious aspects to it. This then lead onto a discussion about is it right for a Christian to be involved in such exercises and practices? This isn’t just about yoga, it is about tai chi and similar practises, where they are based in eastern (none Christian) spiritual and religious beliefs. My friend mentioned and sent me this (https://www.cai.org/testimonies/spiritual-deception-yoga). This opened my eyes more to these things and how it can effect us as people and as Christians. I’ve read some of the comments left by Christians too and there is obviously a pattern here.

I’ve also read some other items regarding this topic which can be found here: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/is-yoga-sinful This particular one which has Pastor John Piper speaking, shows we have to be aware of what we allow ourselves to be influenced by. As Pastor John says, an alternative exercise would be better and I will mention a few ways to get fitter later on as I want us to stay on topic. Pastor John via the link above gives some important points and if you read the transcript, you’ll see there are seven key notes (follow the above link for the seven key notes).

Another link to look at is this: https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/should-christians-do-yoga again it shows that the roots of Yoga are based in Eastern Spiritual culture. Ones which are not of God and will draw you away in your walk with our Heavenly Father.

We have to be so careful as Christians as to what we allow into our lives, what Holiday’s we celebrate and be SOOOOO aware of things which may seem so harmless.

One thing I’ve found is research is key and understanding the origins will open up new meanings and truth. Keeping our eyes and mind open to what The Holy Spirit is saying is also Key.

So, then, how should we exercise? Especially as Christians.

My advice is this, if you have two legs and able to run, run, if you have two arms, you can swim. Both are excellent for keeping fit. If like me you have some knee trouble, these may not be suitable, so in that case look at Cross Fit Machine. Now you can use one at the gym or buy one and use it in your home.

Some of the benefits of a cross fit machine is that it works the whole body, it helps reduce belly fat and in general helps keep you fit. An added bonus is, you can do this while watching the God Channel on TV or listening and singing worship songs on your phone, iPod or stereo system. If you want to do something which is also healthy and beneficial, try Pilates. A quick google search will find your local places which do this. You could also ask at your church and see if anyone there does this and see if you can get a group of you to go together. Once mastered, you could have a weekly meet at your church to help people wanting to keep fit and to help them stay away from yoga and tai chi etc.

Decision Making: How Do I Choose? (Part 1 of 6)

16th September 2019

Introduction:

I’ve felt the Holy Spirit lead me to this topic of “Decision Making”, and I feel it is a very important topic. The one thing which comes to mind, and I’m reminded of, is the amount of Christian’s I’ve met who cant make simple decisions, mostly about the right course of actions, which are in line with God’s will. I have seen so many Christians go astray and even fall away from Christ all together. Even, I myself, have fallen victim to this line of thinking, doing my will and not God’s, and I am eternally grateful that He (God) has brought me back to Him and I was wise enough to listen to His calling.

Now I am going to write this in a six (6) bite size, part series. This is due to several people who have read my previous posts, and said they were good but long. I want to make them, easier to read and understand, so you can read them on the go if need be. I would also like to ask, you listen to my words, I sense The Holy Spirit wants to speak with several of you.

Index:

Part 1: Where Does Wisdom and Understanding Come From?

What Is Wisdom?

What Is Understanding?

Where does Wisdom and Understanding come from?

This will depend upon who you ask. Some will say through life experience, some thought reading books and/or science journals, others through documentaries. But where do they get it from? I personally believe wisdom and understanding comes partly from knowledge. Now as I see it, knowledge comes from various sources, however, you have to look at who is writing these articles of information, and giving advice, including the motivation behind what they say and write, etc.

For example: If you wanted to learn about teeth, you would go to a dentist or/and veterinarian and look into dentist and veterinarian science journals etc. After all they know about human and animal teeth. You wouldn’t go to the local used car dealership and ask a used car salesman. On top of this, you NEED to know the person you are asking, has a good track record, for example: You wouldn’t ask a womaniser and wife beater, or a woman who mentally and physically abuses her husband and children about advice on how to have a loving and wholesome marriage and family life. You wouldn’t ask a manipulator who’s agenda is unknown to help you with something personal. So having the right information is important, from the correct sources.

So we know having the correct sources are important. However it doesn’t say WHERE wisdom or understanding come from. I want to start by looking at Proverbs. Now if you like ‘Quotable Quotes’ or Bumper Sticker Slogans, you’ll love Proverbs. It’s unlike any other book in the Bible. It’s mostly a collection of one or two short sayings on various topics like, Family Life, Work, Money, Being Honourable, Being Honest, Getting Along With Others, and soooooo much more. It’s worth noting though many parts of Proverbs don’t explicitly mention God, the sayings were gathered to help us follow God in everything we do. It’s also worth noting, Jesus used these type of short, to the point sayings regularly in His teachings.

So lets start by looking at Proverbs Chapter 1: verse 7 (NCV) “Knowledge begins with respect for the Lord, but fools hate wisdom and discipline“. We also need to look at Proverbs Chapter 2: verse 6 and 7 (NCV) “Only the Lord gives wisdom; he gives knowledge and understanding. He stores up wisdom for those who are honest. Like a shield he protects the innocent.“ You may also wish to check out the New Living Translation (NLT). So we see here, God gives wisdom and knowledge to those who are honest. Which for example, if you look at authors who write text books for learning, in this case we will look at a physicist who writes a study book for a university (College for those in the United States) students on string theory, then you know that author must have some integrity and be honest in their work, to be officially published. So through being honest God will give you wisdom and knowledge.

So what is Wisdom? And what is Understanding?

I’ve placed these two questions together, because I believe they can But not always go together. Let me explain by this example: The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘Wisdom’ as “Capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct”, and ‘Understanding’ “Is a psychological process related to an abstract or physical object, such as a person, situation, or message whereby one is able to think about it and use concepts to deal adequately with that object”. Okay, now I know some of you will probably went “WHAT???”. Don’t worry, I’ll break it down For you. The general idea is this and what I feel the Holy Spirit showing me. Knowledge is an accumulation of information. Understanding is how it works, and Wisdom is knowing how to use that information for the desired outcome. So for example, If you are told to boil an egg for 3 minutes, the white part would be hard boiled but the yoke runny and you want the yoke hard boiled too, knowledge has given you a time frame to work with, understanding the concept of boiling and egg in water is how it happens and wisdom would say cook it longer, however, how much longer? This then would come with experience and experimentation, so you may try an extra minute, if that wasn’t long enough, the next time you’d try one (1) and a half (0.5) minutes, and keep going up half a minute until you get it just how you want it. That then adds to your Knowledge. Likewise, we can be blessed with wisdom and understanding, with a side portion of experience.

In “Decision Making: How Do I Choose? (Part 2 of 6), we will look at:

Part 2: “Who Do You Ask For Advice?”

“Why Ask Them?”

“Make A List Of Pros And Cons.”

Cat Nuisance – Pooing Where They Shouldn’t

Anyone whom has a pet which poos where it shouldn’t, knows of the lack of joy when having to clean up after said pet and its little, (or large) presents they decided to leave you.

Recently before Christmas (2015) had to take on my auntie’s cat (my auntie passed away due to cancer), long story short my aunties cat Ellie (aged 15 years), did not get on with my 2 year old cat “Angel”and my 20 month old kitten “Verne”. While Ellie was at mine, she used a cat litter (what I got with Ellie), which is the little gray dust pellets pictured below

  
I personally don’t use this as the dust which can plume from the cat litter tray can cover the house in the dust and it isn’t the easiest dust to clean up if it gets damp.
The cat litter I usually use is a compressed wood pellet sort, which is pictured below.

   
 
These come in 30ltr bags and can be bought from B&M for about £6 a sack (30ltr sack) and is bio-degradable, which is great for the environment.

Due to Ellie not getting on with my cats, I had to give her to a cat sanctuary who would be able to give her a loving home where she could live happily.

Since Ellie had left, I changed back to the normal cat litter I had been using before, however soon after for no apparent reason Verne started to poop on the bathroom floor and in the bath tube, yet he would urinate in the cat litter tray. I tried various ways and followed Verizon’s advice on how to stop this behaviour. No of it worked.

While doing some clearing out of rubbish at my home, I came across a bad of the gray clay like pellets cat litter. In the back of my mind I heard a voice. This voice said try Verne with this cat litter… So I did. I have found Verne has stopped pooing where he shouldn’t and is now doing all his business in the cat litter tray.

Sigh of relief lol.

My next task is to slowly mix the two cat litters and try and get him onto using the wooden cat pellets.

I would like to add here a conclusion I came to.

Don’t give up, and don’t get upset if you feel you can not find a solution to your problem. There is always an answer, it may just need to be investigated more.

I found a solution because I eliminated all other possibilities.

If you have a similar issue or concerns, please feel free to message me and I am happy to offer advice to resolve your concerns and issues

Black Dog

For several years I have suffered from depression, and as anyone knows who suffers from this, it has it’s good days and bad days.

A friend recently sent me a link called “Black Dog”, which helped me understand the depression I have. I wanted to share this with you and I hope and pray it helps you or someone you know.

Be Blessed
http://youtu.be/XiCrniLQGYc

Don’t Be Inflexable

UCB Word For Today.

Don’t Be Inflexible20 OCTOBER 2015

‘…Naaman…went away in a rage.’ 

2 Kings 5:12 NLT

As a general in the Syrian army, Naaman was accustomed to having things his own way. So when Elisha told him to dip seven times in the muddy Jordan River to be healed of leprosy, he ‘went away in a rage’. He said, ‘Aren’t there cleaner rivers? Couldn’t the prophet just lay hands on me and heal me?’ Fortunately, he listened to his servants, swallowed his pride and received a miracle. There are important lessons here. Since all progress calls for adapting to change and overcoming obstacles, ask yourself: 1) What’s at the core of my fear and anger over this situation? Am I afraid of the unknown and the changes it may bring? 2) Am I being inflexible and trying to impose my will and wishes in this situation? Am I willing to forfeit God’s perfect will by resisting a change He’s orchestrating? Many of us miss God’s best. Why? Like Naaman, we are accustomed to being waited on and having our ego stroked. E.G.O. means Edging God Out! Are you doing that? 3) Am I being lazy or incompetent, not wanting to invest the necessary time and effort into the change? Unless you’re willing to change, you won’t grow. And if you don’t grow, you won’t position yourself to receive the blessing God has in mind for you. Charles Franklin Kettering said, ‘The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.’ Today ask God for the emotional and spiritual strength to embrace the changes He’s bringing into your life, and to help you to see them as being for your good (Romans 8:28).

Illness and Death

Recently I ended up in hospital due to a virus, along with lack of sleep, poor diet and stress. I was so ill I ended up with high ketosis and was told if I had been an hour or two later getting to hospital, I could have died. 

I am now back at home and been here for the last couple of weeks resting up.

I wanted to share this with you because it makes you think when you have a near death experience and this is the second in my life (the first was an overdose of insulin when I was a teenager… A story for another time), and it hits some home truths.

I am a Christian, I know when I am called to leave this world, I know I will be with Him in Heaven. I know a lot of people whom have gone through similar things as I and that they are also thankful to God to still be alive. Praise His name.

There are however people out there who do not know God or His love for them and this is where I want to challenge you today. To speak to someone, a family member, a friend or even a complete stranger about God and what great things He is doing in your life. Show through your actions that you are a Child of God. Help those who need help, even if it is just sitting with someone and listening to their day. Build up relationships with your neighbors, the bus driver, the local shops etc. God will always give you opportunities if you are receptive to them and allow God to work through you.

Pray daily, read your Bible daily and if you don’t attend a bible study/house group through church, find one. God will guide your path. God has a hunger for you to have communion with him daily.

If you need help in spending time with God, Google UCB Word for today, you can sign up for free to receive a daily email and most smart phones now have email on them so you can get it sent to your phone. Use this, it helps build you up and helps teach you God’s will and helps you have communion with him.

There are some great Bible apps to for your smart phones which are also free to download from the apps store. Check them out, the one I use is by a company called YouVersion and has multiple versions of the Bible so you can find one which you can easily understand. You are also able to communicate with friends via the app and do bible studies together.

I hope that I have inspired you to step out in your faith. As Jesus said, “… Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossib 

  

 le for you. ””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

http://bible.com/111/mat.17.20.niv

How To Overcome Doubt

UCB Word For Today
20 Jun 2015

HOW TO OVERCOME DOUBT

‘…If you have faith and do not doubt…’ Matthew 21:21

Doubt is a doorway through which satan enters your life. It causes the ‘fight of faith’ to become the ‘flight of faith’. When fear, confusion, discouragement and despair take up residence within you, they rob you of confidence, joy and peace. But isn’t doubting just human? Of course it is and it’s also satan’s ploy! ‘…whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given…’ (1 John 5:10 NIV). Your doubts reveal a lack of confidence in what God says. So how can you stop doubting? The same way you deal with other sin-by acknowledging you have a problem and doing something about it. Doubt cannot be conquered by reason or even resistance; it will only submit to complete relinquishment. Trying to overcome your doubts one by one is like an alcoholic trying to reduce his or her alcohol intake one drink at a time. It doesn’t work. The solution is two-fold. 1) It begins with a once-for-all decision. It calls for a total relinquishing of your right to doubt anything God promised. It’s saying, ‘From now on, I will not doubt God!’ It’s believing that when you surrender a thing to Him, He takes it and deals with it. 2) By faith declare, ‘Lord, I absolutely trust Your every Word!’ Will doubt come knocking again at your door? Yes, but instead of letting it in, ‘…[take] the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked’ (Ephesians 6:16). Don’t fret, wrestle, or reason with your doubts. Instead, repeat your Scriptural declaration of faith, disregard your feelings, and trust God to do what He says.

www.ucb.co.uk
  

My apologies, depression

I apologise for not posting over that last few days, I attended an event and for the last few days felt quite down and depressed. I’m now looking at getting back on the horse so to speak and moving forward.

I thought this was informative. Thanks to my friend Shirley for sharing

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/04/depression-allergic-reaction-inflammation-immune-system