How Can I Call God Father?

It's very difficult, because of early traumatic experiences, for many Christians to embrace calling God Father. My heart goes out to all, especially men, who are struggling with being repelled by God's title as Our Father. 

I recently shared with someone, who is struggling with this, that it has helped me to realize that My God in Heaven is not like the father that I had here on earth. He is the Father that I wish I had always had, the Father that I should have had.  

Thinking like this helps because it takes the focus off of the earthly father, who was never able to be the example of a perfect father. God in Heaven, the Father of Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father, has come to me to fulfill all that I did not receive through my earthly father.

I am not with my Heavenly Father physically but that is coming at the end of time. I can't yet touch him and hug him, but one day soon I will be with him in my new, physical, glorified body. 

For now, as I grow close to him spiritually, he fulfills all that I need in a father. Why call God father? He restores and repairs what was done, not done and what I did not receive from earthly parents. 

My growing spiritual relationship with God The Father supersedes the physical needs of touch as I learn to crucify my flesh and bring my body under. 

God is the key, the most important connection for us. Jesus says throughout the Word that he has come to restore us to The Father. He is the link to The Father. The only way that we can reach The Father is through him. He and The Father are also One. 

Knowing Christ and growing in Christ must include coming to accept and know The Father as The Father, even if we call Him something else because we haven't yet accepted the word father.

He is fully aware of the shortcomings of our parents, guardians, keepers and those adults who had such a huge impact on our formative years. 

He has come in the form of his Holy Spirit to comfort us and guide us into a new experience of love, fatherly love. Embrace him as Father. Call him Father, and be healed.

Receive Healing Now

Let us join together in believing for your healing. God's divine healing hand reaches out to you now. Have faith. Believe. Trust. Receive healing now. In Jesus' name!

Allow healing to show in your body, your mind, your life. Let it flourish. Let it manifest. Be healed now. In Jesus' name!

*************

Knowledge Equals Healing Quotes

That's why we read and study the Bible faithfully. That's why we ask God. That's why we pray for insight. That's why we make time each day to sit quietly with God. We do these things because the more knowledge that we receive the more healing that will manifest in our bodies and our entire lives. This artwork is a reminder that we have to seek to exhibit.

Click Buy Now below, or visit Draw Nigh To Hope Shop for more word art to print. 

...

Receiving God's Magnificent Blessings

Many of us were raised in the church, got baptized and/or saved but did not understand entirely what we were doing. In addition to that, adults pressed their personal ideas and hangups on us in an attempt to guide us in the name of Christianity. It caused most of us to reject the Christian life, especially during our teen-aged years when we wanted to be appreciated and accepted by our peers. 

In later years, when we began to seek God again, we learned about him for ourselves through personal Bible reading and consistent prayer. In the Bible, we found out things that we never knew were in there. We learned about the never-ending, unqualified love of God and how it can make a difference in our lives.

What Christ did for us began to personally touch us and we learned, and continue to learn today, how to relate to God. The great value  in growing in Christ is to not only read the Bible but to grow in learning how to practically apply what's in it to our everyday lives.

I'm grateful that through daily transformation and the ongoing renewing of our minds we learn how to receive the healing, deliverance and prosperity that God provides for us through his precious Son's sacrifice. The magnificent blessings for accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior are not only for the coming New Heaven and New Earth, but for our lives today. I thank God that we can learn to receive all that he offers.

How To Be Saved

Say with your mouth that you receive that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only Savior. Believe in your heart that He is alive because God Our Father raised Him from the dead. Now you are saved. 

Romans 10:9–10 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being Proactive About God's Word

Life comes from the spirit. Healing starts in the spirit. Hope grows with a spirit that is fed every day.

 

We feed our reborn spirits by reading God's Word every day, meditating on it, remembering it and choosing to believe it. We grow the most when we are proactive about God's Word.

 

Freedom From Bad Memories

We've become adept at suppressing distressing and painful chips and chunks of memories. At the time when bad things happened to us or when we did something bad to others, we were not able to process it, so we buried it and hid from it. This is often the source of an unhealthy mental state.

 

Hurtful memories cannot be laid to rest as long as they are suppressed. Offending persons cannot be forgiven as long as the thoughts of them are suppressed. We can't forgive ourselves until we face our offenses. The results of trauma cannot be converted through healing and deliverance as long as they are suppressed.

God shows us how to get free of the debilitating effects of these hidden facts. When the Holy Spirit allows a memory to surface, it's usually at the most unexpected time. It's often something that you think would be long forgotten and in which you are surprised that it has come back to memory. It was always there and we are adept at fooling ourselves that anything that we are not conscious of doesn't matter.

Don't ignore the pop-up memories that God allows to plague you. Face the feelings that they unearth. God often asks us to relive painful memories so that we can endure them in a new state of mind that can go through and overcome them. No, it's not fun and it doesn't feel good but if any man be in Christ he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. All things have become new. (11 Corinthians 5:17) Painful memories can only be crucified by facing the origin of them.

 

I am on that journey of deliverance. Bad memories, the ones that we were able to bury deep inside, are like gray shadows behind a thick, gauzy, misty curtain. Something is there but consciously we don't know what it is. Despite that, it effects our personality and our daily life.

 

We would never open the curtains to see the trauma that doesn't exist but God is able. Our Father, in his loving kindness and mercy, would never force us to face something that would cripple or destroy us any more than it already has. We usually don't know but God knows when we are strong enough. 

You might say, Well, it sounds like I would have to relive the bad experience in my mind and emotions. Yes, you would to a certain extent. Experiencing some parts of traumas with a strengthened, spirit-filled heart again lays them to rest. God decides what we are to revisit in our emotions and to what extent. We feel these old but potent, living emotions with a reborn mind and heart, abilities we did not have back then.

 

As we grow in Christ we become more able to handle difficult circumstances. We were not able to handle what was happening before, especially in childhood. Because of that, the secret memories keep hurting us today.  The whole point is that we can't go back and change things but Our Loving Father will help us come to terms with the bad memories from traumatic experiences.

Allow God to take you through the healing process and purge you of bad memories because of past offenses. You don't have to keep hurting and suffering through things that you did or didn't do, or things that someone did to you or didn't do for you. Even though you are lost about it all, you are not alone.

 

Stand firm on your daily prayer life and determine to have faith in your daily Bible reading, because you know that the Word of God converts. It's the Living Word and no word goes out of the mouth of God without effect. All of God's words accomplish what he intends for them to. His words in you are life, healing and health. 

When he begins to lift that curtain on your memory, go with God. Our Heavenly Father himself will hold you with the right hand of his righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10) He does care. He will guide you on how to be delivered. Whether it is in private between you and God, whether he leads you to a good Christian counselor, whether he prompts you to join a support group or whether it is a combination of these and other things, he will lead and guide you into all truth. (John 16:13)

 

You might say, Well, I could never talk about my bad memories with anyone. Well, God knows that and he understands. You may not have to. Don't be afraid. He's ready and willing to help you on your own level, from where you're at in this challenge. He won't force you to do anything. He never does. He's kind and considerate and will always work with you. He wants you to be free.

 

Knowing God is supposed to make a difference in our lives. If we allow him to, he will deliver us from the evil of past traumatic memories, no matter what they are or how they came about. God does not want you to keep carrying that burden or burdens. Don't turn away anymore when he shows you a past memory. Trust him, draw nigh to him, obey him and get freed.

***************************

Stop bad memories from popping up, Stop bad memories, Eliminate bad memories

Dear Lord Help Us

A prayer and reminder for when you are feeling anxiety, distress, depression, hopelessness or unhappiness.

DEAR LORD:

Help us to keep our minds on you.

We thank you for the peace that passes all understanding and for joy unspeakable in the midst of struggle, fear and disappointment. We know that our joy in you is where our strength will always lie, and that YOU will keep us in perfect peace, because we choose to bring our minds back to you always.

AMEN.

Where Is The Benefit In Feeling Beaten Down?

Sometimes we suffer and are sad because of circumstances that God allows upon our lives. Sometimes we don't feel that we can overcome the devastating feelings, which cause us to drag around listlessly doing our daily tasks. We know that we love God, and we still are able to make ourselves read the Bible and pray during these times, but we feel so beaten down by situations.

We know that God allows these things for our benefit, but where is the benefit in feeling beaten down? Well, we should remember that the beaten down feeling is not the goal of God. That feeling and the circumstance that brought it are being used to get our attention. There is something that he wants us to grasp that is above what the circumstance has caused us to feel. To have us look up to it, he had to spur us up. Like the pointy, sharp boot spurs that a cowboy presses into the sides of a horse to startle him with a little pain to get him moving, God spurs us to move our spirit and thoughts in a certain direction, away from and above the sorrow of what he has allowed.

So when we who are devoted to God enter into a period of trial and tribulation, we should not deny that we feel lost, hopeless and just plain tired. We want to benefit from the experience that God has chosen to use. We don't want to waste it, or have to take that lesson again, so we admit and accept how we are feeling. In the midst of it, we who trust God should then ask ourselves, What is it that would help me to feel better right now? For this exercise, the answer is not money, a vacation or anything outside of us. It is something within. It is thoughts or a way of thinking that will in turn control feelings. It is thoughts that go beyond what we could make up to feel better, because that is why we feel so depressed, because our own thoughts cannot handle it.

This is where being already built up in faith helps us tremendously. Reading the Bible and praying always, when things are going well and we feel great, builds up in us a strong storehouse of faith, hope and scripture references. So when we are suffering like this, if we can reach up and understand something that would make us feel better, a promise from God, a past answered prayer, a strong scripture passage that speaks especially to us, a revelation, a confirmation, that will be one of the things that God is trying to point us to, away from the actual crushing distress. This something that only we would know will pull us up inwardly (not by our own bootstraps which often break) to higher heights of strength, faith, victory and understanding of God. That is when we attain a new level in Christ, which was God's purpose all along.

What CAN We Change That Will Bless Us?

My great-grandmother was a three-time widow, who appeared to be very unhappy towards the end of her life. As I continued my genealogical research, my heart went out to her. How neglected and unloved she must have felt by God. She was blessed to find a new husband three times, only to find herself left alone in the end. Existing day after day, and though fit, caring for an elderly sister, and herself being elderly and alone.

As I thought back on the few times I remember being in her presence, I can see now what part of the reason could have been why she appeared cold and stand-offish. In fact, the last time I saw her, she looked simply dejected and miserable. She was born in the late 19th century, and married my grandfather's father in her 20's. By the time she was 61, he had died, she had married again and her 2nd husband died. A few years after that, and sometime between when I was born and my first memory of her, she had married her 3rd husband, who died before I remember him. Though I'd heard about 1 or 2 of her marriages, I'd only known her as a single woman.

As my heart ached for her, I thought about how it is these types of turns in life that cause many to feel that God does not care, that he does not love them. Some say in their hearts, "Afterall, why would he bless me with husbands who die and leave me? And here I am alone in the end. In the end, I have been left with years of loneliness, drudgery and boredom. No one to help me in my declining years, and  I have my single sister to care for. How cruel and unfair life has been to me!"

I don't know my great-grandmother's thoughts during that time. These are my general guesses on how anyone may have felt. From her demeanor when I knew her, it did not appear that she was happy, upbeat and optimistic. Not until I was well into my adult years, in fact, fairly recently, did I come to understand the course of her marriages, and how it must have been for her to endure it.

Sometimes life just beats us down, and we become tired, period. But we should start early claiming all that the Bible says that God feels for us, and all that he wants us to think and have. Why? Because his love and promises are in spite of life's twists and turns. Some have more sorrow and suffering than others. Things never seem to work out for many, and they can't catch their breath before another crisis happens. It doesn't just rain, it pours for so many Christians, and often the torrent of trials don't seem to let up. Does all of this negate God's love for each individual? No! Does it mean that he has forgotten us? No! Does that mean that his Bible is worthless? No!

There are going to continue to be problems, sorrows, disappointments and devastation in this world, until it is over for all of us, living and dead. We may have dreams fulfilled, and we may have happiness at every turn, and we may not. None of us knows as we live, what will happen. We do know that his Word is always true, dependable and everlasting. We know that there is always an answer in Christ, and that we can always ask and receive, seek and find, knock and the door will be opened for us by God.

It is good to start early, and no time is too late, determining in our hearts and minds what the end of our lives will be, no matter when that will come. No matter what our situations or conditions, we can determine that the joy of the Lord will be our strength as we live and age. We can live out the conviction that he will keep us in perfect peace  because our minds will be continually on him.

We can grab hold to and confess joy unspeakable, because our hope is for something more than what we are living. We can confess that we live in the peace that surpasses all understanding, because we know that God said he loves us no matter what. He has our best interests at heart, though all looks like disaster. It is not easy, but our tending to these things will help us to present different personalities and attitudes than the ones displayed by those who are consumed by the sorrows of life's downturns.

My heart truly breaks for those who have successive sorrows in life. We don't know why some have to endure these types of things, and others do not. Anyone who comes to the altar of God, though, has something to bring, however different than the other. I don't know what my great-grandmother thoughts were about her life's course. I do know that had she been immersed and focused on God's love and glory, she would have been more able to reach out to others, and even alter some parts of the course of her life.

Some things we can never change, but we don't know what we can change unless we have the physical strength, the mental and emotional fortitude, and the spiritual growth to try. I truly believe this. None of us who love the Lord can have the exact, perfect life that we desire here in this fallen world, but we can grow in him everyday. His everlasting love can flow through us and out to others. He even helps us, for moments at a time, to forget our sorrows in favor of helping others with theirs.

I am sorry that the end of my great-grandmother's life was not better. Was it meant to be? Is it what she wanted? I doubt it. By the time I knew her, she was too old and tired to care. I have felt that way sometimes, and I'm not the age she was when I knew her. I am not professing that I can do better than her, because they say we all do the best that we can with the life that we are handed. That's why I say it's never too early to grab this life by the horns. Rather than determining to accept and react to what comes our way, work with God to make changes.

We are either resigned and have given up, or we are resistant to defeat and are always planning for the best, for what we really want, now and towards the end. There is a way to make life more of how we really want it to be, to make whatever changes are necessary to attain that. As we work with God to bring it about, we present a certain face to the world, one of true love, never-ending hope and Godly happiness. We cannot change everything, like the death of my great-grandmother's 3 husbands. The important question is, what can we change that will bless us, and make a difference in the way that we treat others?

 Image: Pixabay.com Free Images

God Is The One Who Is Winning Thank God

God is not a man, who would need to lie. You are safe, though you may feel distressed.

If you believe that God is for you and supporting you, then who can ultimately succeed with their plans against you? What evil influence means for bad against you, God is turning in to good for you. Despite the fact that it seems like all negative, damaging, destructive, distressing and evil forces leveled against you are winning,

God is the only one who is winning.

If you are connected to God through rebirth in his precious Holy Spirit, and growing and becoming more rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus, you are winning too. Those who are living in the darkness in which you used to be, who are allowing themselves to be used as instruments of harassment, mistreatment, conflict, exploitation, oppression and abuse in your life, think that they are winning. They are gleeful that their evil devices seem to be succeeding. Even to you sometimes, it seems like they are winning at every turn.

But rest assured, if you know God, and are drawing nigh to him daily, and seeking his face, then God is winning.

If God is for you, who can be against you. In the end, who is able to succeed against God? If Lucifer was not able to defeat God, then how could your enemies ever be able to? Why fear what man can do against you, or to you. Eventhough the problems, issues and afflictions may be very difficult, and seem at times to be unbearable, somehow, sometime, eventually, sooner or later, it is going to work out for your good. What is happening is not good. It is not God's will for your life, but he is allowing it to happen. This is very hard to accept in many circumstances. Remember that God knows the end of it, whatever that end may be and whenever it may come, and he has planned for the result. This suffering is going to be used to bless you in some magnificent way. It will be magnificent whether the blessing is small or large, and whether it is here, in this life, or the next.

If you read his Holy Word, you know that we have promises from God, and God is not a man, that he would need to lie. You know that there are promises designed to manifest in this world, in this life, and those that will be delivered when you are gone from here, and living with God forever and forever. His Word says that he who delivered up his Son for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things? You know that the blessings of God are also for this world, as well as the world after this one. We don't know, as we are living here, what blessings we will receive along our life course, and which ones will be given in the New Life.

So, continue to open yourself up to all of God's blessings, today and everyday, the blessings that come in good times, and the blessings that come in bad times. Remind yourself in the most difficult of times, and never forget, that,

If God be for you, who can be against you?

Who can ever succeed against you, really?

Scriptures: Romans 8:31, 32
Image: Pixabay.com Free Images

No Rock Like Our God

Neither is there any rock like our God.

Was finishing up my morning devotion, and arranging the pages of my Bible that's falling apart, when it fell open to I Samuel 2. Verses 1-2 blessed me so much that I made this scripture graphic to encourage you too!

God bless you with a special type of encouragement today! Believe and receive, in Jesus' name, whatever your need is! No one can stop you. If God be for you, WHO can be against you? In other words, who can succeed in their plans to discourage, defeat, depress, hinder, destroy or oppress you when you know God? Who can succeed with these evil plans against you? No one. They have not won, they will not win, they cannot win, though sometimes it may appear to be so. They will fall into their own traps, while you are rejoicing in your Lord.

There Is No Rock Like Our God! 

If you would like to be sure that you are Saved, say this simple prayer:

Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God, and the only Savior as it says in The Bible. Come into my heart, and save me now. I confess all of my sins to you and believe that you died for me so that I can come to know God. I believe and I receive all that you have for me. Thank you for my new life. Show me the way and help me to understand. Thank you that I don't have to fear death anymore, and that I have eternal life in you.

Scripture Graphic: Artsy Craftery Design Studio

Background Image: Pixabay.com Free Images

It Will Pay Off

 
Whenever you feel overwhelmed, go apart and read a little of the Bible. Even if you don't feel like it, and you just don't think you can, do it. You'll feel better. Just as you have, I also have asked why God allowed certain hard things to happen in my life, especially things involving my son when I was raising him. So much seems unfair. Some Christians say that we should never ask God why, but it is hard not to when we have suffered significantly throughout life.

God understands our hurt and frustration. Usually, there is no answer at this time for what seems senseless and unfair. But we, who choose to love God, believe that there is a reason for these things, because the Word tells us so. We hold on because there WILL be an end, whether we die or experience the Rapture first, and we don't want to be left out. We want to be with God forever and ever, so we hold on, through the pain of daily life in this world. We know that if we keep reminding ourselves of our faith in The One True God, the God who provided the Savior Jesus Christ for us, it will pay off in the end, and all pain and tears will be wiped away, forever.

HAPPY EASTER! HE IS NOT THERE. HE AROSE!!!

Bible Images: Pixabay.com
Church Image: Artsy Craftery Studio, "Village Idyllic" watercolor detail

Grab Hold To Courage Today

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

(Psalm 31:24 KJV)

Just ask The Lord God for courage to face what is before you. Courage is yours for the asking and receiving. We often don't have it in ourselves to face with strength the trials, sorrows, disappointments, requirements, tribulations, unfairness, rejections, horrors and struggles in this earthly life. God, in his mercy, that is not always evident, has provided help for us. He has opened the door for us to come to him at any time of the day or night, in our minds. Our minds are often very weak, and we just don't feel like coming to God's open door, even if it's just a thought away. The thoughts of this life and what many of us face every day overwhelm us. As long as we know, without a doubt, that we trust in the Lord, we know that we have help in any time of need. It may not seem like it at times, but our faith requires that we believe it. With that ever present belief will come change.

  

Ask him for courage today, and receive your strength. You may not feel it, but it will rise up and enforce in your circumstance God's power, and the power of all of his angels in Heaven, who encamp around you, because you have a Holy fear or reverence and appreciation of the Most High God, the Only Wise God, and the One True God.

Have You Made Jesus Christ your Savior? Have you wondered about it? Longed for it? Played around with the idea of becoming a Christian? Have you wondered if God could and would really ever help you? God the Father has made it possible for you to come to him and be saved forever in only one way, through accepting his only Son, Jesus Christ, as your Savior, and the only Savior of mankind. Choose to believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so that you can be safe in God's kingdom, safe in his loving arms. That's it. No matter what all of the different denominations and Christian organizations call it, it is the same. Say with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead for you, for each of us who choose to believe, and you shall be saved. Then you can go confidently before God at any time, and know that he hears your prayers and will always answer, according to his will, because you acknowledged his Son. You will never again have to fear death, because Jesus conquered it at God's request.

Image: Pixabay.com free images

You'll Feel Better Right Away

One of the most wonderful things about God's Word is its ability to remind us of the help, love and abundant provision that we have.

~

When we don't feel like reading, and we're not feeling particularly faith-filled, if we will just pick up something and begin to read, we'll be refreshed. This uplifting and renewal can come from Christian books, pamphlets, devotionals, scripture cards, and even song books,

not only from the Bible. 

The Holy Bible, however, is the best book to incorporate into our daily schedules. His Word restores and invigorates. It is everlasting and endures to all generations (Psalm 119:89-90).

 ~

So pick up something of God, and start reading, even if your heart is not into it. You'll feel better right away.

Image: Pixabay.com free images

Scripture text added by: The Handmaid

Receive The Ability To Do Anything

Dear Lord: I don't know how to be humble, and to forgive,

but through your precious, Holy Word, I can learn how.

 

Do you read the Bible everyday? It has the answers on how you can do the impossible. Do you go to God's Holy Word when you feel so very inadequate? It gently shows you how human beings can succeed in the things that need to be done. 

God's Word, the Holy Bible, will slowly and gradually change you so that you can be happy about the person you are. Don't be afraid. Everything that God does is good. You will never be sorry about the change that God's Word will bring about in you. All of your longings and desires will be fulfilled through the gentle washing of your being and your spirit as you read  His Word each day.

 

God loves you and His Word is alive and able to heal, deliver, strengthen, fortify, enable, empower and fulfill. The best part is that you don't have to do anything, except read. You don't even have to be able to read very well. God's Spirit, who works along with His Word, will help you. Just read, and receive the ability to do anything!

  Images From: Pixabay.com Free Images

The Christian, Mental Illness & God

When suffering with emotional and mental challenges, Christians often ask questions such as is something wrong with me? Who will help me? Should I see a doctor and get a diagnosis? Why is this happening to me? Does God really care? Will I ever be free from this horrible suffering? 

There are many reasons that we struggle mentally. Some of them are hereditary, trauma and tragedy. The environment in which we grew up can cause and/or increase mental struggles. Despite the severity of these challenges, the Christian has a source of help that others do not have. Chantal C., a Christian blogger and artist who has managed her mental challenges for many years, shares,

"When we suffer tragic events and huge changes in our lives that lead to trauma, and on top of that have a mental illness, life can overpower us. We may even be in therapy and taking medication but due to our inner suffering, our support network does not seem to be enough.

What it comes down to, is that when we feel overpowered, trapped and defenseless by situations that are happening in our lives, the one we must go to is God. He is the one that will empower us, free us and give us strength to live the life He wants us to.
We must also ask Him the difficult questions we cannot figure out and understand. Why the torment? What purpose does it serve? With God there is a reason and as painful as our torment is and as hopeless as we may get, we must remember to always trust in Him. He provides for us a way out of our anguish through prayer and Scripture. Let us not give up on His love and salvation, the grace He has given us. Let us always strive for that newness of life in Christ."

I met Chantal through a Google+ Christian group, and was impressed by her insight, progress and honesty in journeying through the painful valley of Christian mental illness. I consider mental illness to be a challenge more so than a death sentence, though sadly it has resulted in death for many. It is, however, no more difficult to manage than other life challenges that also have resulted in death for Christians.

We don't know the answer as to why some Christians are crippled beyond repair by damaged emotions and mental processes, just as there is no understandable answer as to why some people in this world suffer so much more than others. Whatever the level or severity of the mental challenge of any Christian, the answer is always to look to God through Jesus Christ and what he did for us on the Cross. There is always hope in suffering, but some are so damaged as to not be able to grasp this hope, to go about obtaining help, or even to pray. It is important for us who can to always pray for those who suffer mentally and emotionally and who cannot help themselves.

Chantal graciously agreed to answer some deep questions about living with and healing from mental illness and emotional challenges. Here are her heartfelt, insightful and profound answers.

1.  When did you first know that you needed help with your mental processes? 
Though I struggled with mental illness most of my life, it was not until seven years ago, in 2008, that I realized I needed help. My world came crashing down on me and I needed hospitalization. I no longer had the mental and physical health I once did. My body shut down and depression settled within me. I felt like I was failing at life, making one mistake after another—broken relationships and lost of employments. I was once very motivated and had my own photography business but as time went on, it seemed like I was fading away from all that was positive in my life.

I realized I needed extra support when I overdosed twice in 2011. I was living with many life-changing experiences all at once and my mental health could not handle it.

I remember when I came out of the psychiatric hospital how ill I still was. My mind was filled with dark thoughts all the while I felt so alone inside. My emotions where still out of control as they wrestled within me. However, four months later I received the support I needed.

2.  Was there anyone to help you? 
I had many counselors since 2008 but it was in January 2012 that I finally found the right therapist. I started to work on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for personality disorders. This helped me tremendously to understand negative thought patterns, emotions and behavior. I am still in therapy as it takes many years to recover from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Nevertheless, I am healing and doing better than ever.

I also received spiritual guidance. This helped me to seek deliverance as I became closer to God. I also learned many things about myself and God, especially that there was hope for me and that I could find it in Jesus. I was encouraged to read Scripture such as Psalm 51. Eventually, I knew God was giving me a fresh start—a chance at recovery.

3. Did you have formal diagnosis and treatment, and what advice do you give about seeking it?

When in hospital in 2011, I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), later confirmed by another psychiatrist. The diagnosis was a relief to me, as I finally knew what mental illness I suffered from. This explained why I had such a chaotic and distressing life. Receiving a diagnosis helped me to realize I was not the only one struggling this way. This gave me hope. I then started my recovery journey consisting of therapy, medication and spirituality.

In my opinion, I think it is important for a person with mental illness to receive a diagnosis. This guides them in the proper direction for their healing process. Accepting what illness they have and seeking the right support are the first steps to recovery.

4.  How long have you known the Lord and how did you become a Christian? 
I have known the Lord since my early childhood years. My mother was there for me and shared her beliefs about God. As I got older, due to my symptoms, I often drifted on and off my Christian path. One thing I have always known throughout the years was that Jesus was my Savior. I always found consolation in knowing this, especially through the difficult times.

Nevertheless, it was not until three and half years ago that I truly became new in Christ and felt like my life was being transformed. I grew stronger in hope and trust towards God, and my recovery. I started to live that intimate relationship with Jesus, even in the midst of illness. 

5.  During your hardest times, have you ever felt that God does not care, or wondered if He even exists?

I know God always exists, but I felt like God did not care so much, when I lived through spiritual emptiness. These were times where I felt a deep emptiness within my core.  Moreover, I could not sense Him, feeling lost in my spiritual life and on my recovery journey. During the past four years, I have experienced spiritual emptiness many times. I either experienced it for hours, days or even months. Nonetheless, this emptiness would not last, my soul would resurface to God’s Light and I would be in awe of Him—knowing that He is always there even in the darkness.

6. How do you justify the suffering of mental illness with God's love? 
God loves all His children. The suffering that Christians with mental illness go through, is due to this fallen world we live in.  God does not want us to feel the agony of mental illness; He wants us to be happy, healthy and holy.

In order for this to happen, we must realize that we have a recovery journey to undertake and that an essential part of it concerns our relationship with God. We must seek Him with all our hearts in order to heal. Just as we have to accept our mental illness, we have to accept that God’s love is there for us, no matter what we have. Moreover, that His love is stronger than all our weaknesses.

7.  When did you start writing about your journey? 
I was inspired to write about my recovery journey during the year of 2012. When I became new in Christ, I felt called to share God’s Word, especially in a way that would help others with mental illness. Through my lived-experience and this newness of life, I decided at the end of the year to publish my blog. I not only wanted to express my healing process but also give others hope that recovery is possible. 

8.  What is your goal when you write about being a Christian with mental illnesses? 
I want people who are Christians and have mental illness such as BPD, to not feel alone with their inner pain. I know from my own experience the confusion and self-condemnation I struggled with concerning symptoms and faith. I believe others may feel the same way, therefore my goal is to be real, ease the suffering, give hope, offer compassion, and share God’s message. Therefore, to bring them closer to God with a better understanding of themselves within their Christian faith.

9.  When did you start painting and what do you do with your work? 
I have been painting on and off during my life, but the work that I treasure most is what I have worked on during these past four years. My paintings have expressed my pain with mental illness but also the hope of recovery.

I presently share my work on my blog and with Google+ communities.

10.  Are you trying to share a message through your paintings? 
While viewing abstract art, a person can see many things and feel different emotions. Therefore, it is something one lives for themselves. However, what I hope for others to experience when they see my paintings is to be moved in a positive way, and that the artwork may speak to them personally.

11. Can the Christian with mental illness be completely free of it? 
I believe that Christians who suffer from mental illness can find freedom from the torment of their symptoms especially if they have chosen a spiritual life along their recovery journey. Besides therapy and medication, finding our spiritual identity in the midst of the healing process is essential to that freedom.

I believe that individuals with BPD can recover, without a doubt, from their mental illness. I say this because I have always believed from the beginning of my recovery journey that I would recover someday, and I am gradually, three years later. Besides therapy, I knew I could only recover with my ultimate Healer—God. 

I think that recovery, for Christians with mental illness, becomes a success when they have stopped suffering from the majority of their symptoms, and they have started to discover and accept their individuality and the truth about themselves—who they really are without the illness. It is when they have finally found their way to that happier, healthier and holier life. They are free from the inner pain, they sense joy and peace in their lives, and the wounds that their soul suffered from, are finally healed.

Chantal C.

Chantal C. has lived with mental illness since her early teens. Her turning point came in 2012, when with therapy and spirituality she gained insight into her illnesses. Though she had drifted in and out of her faith as a Christian, during this time she found new life in Christ. Her desire is to offer hope to other Christian mental illness sufferers. She enjoys painting, photography and writing, and considers these activities to be healing therapies. 

Chantal has discontinued her two blogs,  Mental Illness & The Christian Faith, and Chantal's Art & Photography, and is working on a new blog presence.