Mental Health America: The Story of Our Symbol - The Mental Health Bell

Mental Health America: The Story of Our Symbol - The Mental Health Bell

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The story of the Mental Health Bell is one well worth reading. It's also a reminder. A reminder that those of us who are fortunate not to suffer with severe mental health problems should be the first to help those with illnessess that can suck the life out of a person. Mental health allows us to enjoy life. Mental illness and the stigma of mental illness continue to keep some people locked away in a dark place.

I challenge you to make an effort to reach out and do something special for someone who suffers from these devastating illnesses (depression, bipolar, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc.)in your church, your neighborhood, or your state. Make a difference this December as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Be a light.

Feel free to leave your ideas on what we can all do to make a difference. I think I'll give the gift of music and take that special person out to eat.

THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS

I count my blessings in your provision
and I praise your holy name.
I’m blessed by sun and moon,
friends, and family and a husband who cares
to share his life with me.

I love my books and pens and your indulgence
while I create my stories.
I hear your laughter when I write my comedy,
and your pleasure when I read my words to you.
I feel your encouragement and your praise for a job well done.

I see the changes over the years in a daughter I thought lost,
yet you’ve made her strong enough to withstand the wind.
You’ve rescued her and set her on her feet,
a second chance to play the game of life.

You’ve made my other daughter joyful
with a passion to seek your face.
She strives every day to please you and
shares her heart with those in need.

O God you are my soul keeper, my protector
in the storm.
You forgive and forget and lead me by the hand,
to talk quietly of dreams to come.

Does Fear of Rejection Encourage Writers to Self-Publish?

I was reading Michael Hyatt's Blog the other day on Thomas-Nelson's recent decison to help writers self-publish. http://michaelhyatt.com/2009/10/should-you-consider-self-publishing.html#more-3317

This is a sensitive issue in many ways. I was reading Laurie Alice Eakes blog this afternoon at http://seizethechance.blogspot.com/ on the same subject and answered as follows:

One concern I have for those who are self-publishing is all about fear. I know many writers who are confident in their skills and feel led to self-publish and some of them have been successful. But my caution would be that a writer should not resort to self-publishing because they are afraid of rejection.

No one likes to be rejected, but sometimes there are lessons to be learned via the old rejection letter. If those seeking to be self-published are not confident and filled with doubt and think this is the way to avoid criticism they could be in for a world of hurt when their reviews come out if they are less than complimentary.

It's hard enough to face rejection in any form, but it's down right insulting to pay a publisher and then face criticisms that could ruin a writer's career because they were afraid of the traditional route.

My hope for every writer is that they have faith and perseverance to make their words the best they can be, and to choose wisely their path to publication.

What do you all think about this? If you have the opportunity to self-publish will you do it and why? Do you see a big difference in self-publishling non-fiction vs. fiction? How do you think readers will respond? Will this cause an unhealthy split between those who publish traditionally and those who self-publish?

Colorado and American Christian Fiction Writers

LAKE DILLON


The week of September 12th was exceptional for me. I spent several days with a friend of mine in Denver and the Rocky Mountains. This picture of Lake Dillon is what it looked like outside our mountain condo. All of us need an opportunity to relax and fill our creative wells, our spiritual wells, and our friendship wells. If we don't take time to do these things we can become dry as the desert.

Following those great few days in the mountains I attended the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in Denver. I've been to this conference several times before and always learn something valuable. But this time God knocked my socks off. He was in every conversation and I recognized this.

My roommate, Vicki, my buddy Serena and I had a great time reconnecting. I got to meet several of my blogging buddies at http://www.inkwellinspirationals.blogspot.com and I would encourage you to drop by and visit all of us. I enjoyed meeting editors, attending workshops, volunteering, and participating in a great family reunion of writers who dream big, have a passion for Jesus, encourage each other, and persist despite obstacles large and small.

I returned home exhausted and bleary eyed, coughing and sneezing, and couldn't hear well for 24 hours because my ears were effected from the flight.

THAT'S WHAT I CALL LIVING!

Streams in the Desert

My family and I had walked through a spiritually devastating desert for several years. My oldest daughter had been diagnosed with a severe learning disability known as NLD (non-verbal learning disability similar to Asperger’s Syndrome). For more information you can go to http://www.nldline.com/ On top of that she’d developed a complicated depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She was eleven years old and in fifth grade. My youngest was eight at the time and so very scared about what was happening to her big sister.

This month my oldest will turn twenty and the severity of the problems continue but we are learning to trust God no matter what. Without Christ in our lives, our church, and many friends, I can’t see anyway we would have made it this far. But I’m a big believer in the power of prayer and in the power of hope. I even have a carved sculpture in my office that simply says, HOPE.





Several years ago, Robin Lee Hatcher, recommended I buy a copy of a daily devotional originally published in1925. That devotional is titled, Streams in the Desert, written by L.B. Cowman, and updated in modern language by James Reimann. Streams in the Desert is relief for the parched soul.

Yesterday was September 7th (Labor Day) and I posted over at http://www.inkwellinspirations.blogspot.com/ You might want to check that out as this is a continuation of that post. Streams in the Desert, begins with Psalm 46:1- God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. The first sentence: “Why didn’t God help me sooner?”




And then later the text continues.

"I once heard the following statement from a simple old man, and I have never forgotten it: "When God tests you, it is a good time to test Him by putting His promises to the test and then claiming from Him exactly what your trials have made necessary."

The text continues again: "There are two ways of getting out of a trial. One is simply to try to get rid of the trial, and then to be thankful when it is over. The other is to recognize the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger blessing than we have ever before experienced, and to accept it with delight as an opportunity of receiving a greater measure of God's divine grace.

"In this way, even the Adversary becomes a help to us, and all the things that seem to be against us turn out to assist us along our way. Surely this is what is meant by the words "in all these thing we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." (Rom. 8:37). A.B. Simpson Page 342.


Let me say it can be very hard to learn lessons when our children are suffering. I don’t even want to think about learning a lesson in those circumstances. I just want results. Fast! But looking back over the past nine years I have learned much. Okay, what you may say have you learned through this long, long, trial that still persists? Here’s my short list:
1) Patience
2) Prayer
3) Persistence




My long list begins something like this:
1) The need to let God work in a situation that I feel I need to control. That’s a tough one.
2) Wrestling God for a blessing and what that really means.
3) The need to REALLY take care of yourself even when things are awful because a long term illness of any kind will exhaust you as a caregiver and parent.
4) Hanging on to hope when you can’t find it.
5) Asking friends to stand in the gap and pray when you can’t pray one more word.
6) Finding peace in the Word, on a walk, in prayer, or in "being still."





Through all our trials as a family Christ has always been there for us even when we didn’t know it or feel his presence. Think about your trials and your “dry times.” What was it that you thirsted for? How did God provide?

Every morning on my way to work I pass a fountain that says: “Thirsty and ye gave me drink.” I roll my window down and listen to the calm of the water. It’s really nice when I get a red light and can enjoy it for a minute longer.

Psalm 46:1- God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

A Week of New Stuff

Hi Gang,

I actually got out of town this weekend and got some much needed R&R at Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. What a relief! You know how you just keep going and going and take care of everyone else but yourself? Well that's been me for a long time, and this summer it seemed that I wasn't making much progress on taking care of me, but that changed this weekend.



It started out with a migraine headache. Ouch! My gal pals gently settled me in the back seat of the car, and I wore my sleeping mask to keep the light out. Yep, I use one of those when the light is unbearable. It helps. I woke up about 2 hours later, a little south of Lexington and an hour after that we entered a great cabin at Woodsen Bend. The weekend was filled with laughter, boating, swimming, sunning and lots of eating.



Please stop by and visit the new http://www.inkwellinspirations.blogspot.com/ I think you'll find it interesting and you'll find me there too! Also, if you get the chance drop by and visit my agent's new site at http://livingwordliterary.wordpress.com/