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Sometime in April of 2018, I was asked to write an article about my experience with clinical depression. I remember for the longest time I did not share my story with others because I was so ashamed of myself and my experience. There was this urge to write and start the conversations of mental illness and my personal story. The struggle with depression became a part of a beautiful story of God’s refining fire, His pruning, His taking whatever was broken in me and to share how He has turned my life around by healing and restoring me. Ultimately, the clinical depression became a partRead More →

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I recently finished 3 years of grad school pursuing my MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling-my final papers were due at exactly 11:59pm on December 10, 2021. It was a journey because for years, I had struggled with clinical depression. But due to years of struggling AND seeing others struggle with mental illness, especially seeing my brothers and sisters in the ministry struggle, even hearing the news of some taking their own lives because of depression, put fire in me to be able to finish, so that, eventually, I can help them too? Not just relate to their experiences but also help them! In myRead More →

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You may be familiar with the saying that grief isn’t linear or that recovery isn’t linear… In my studies, I have discovered as so many other counselors or anyone who does anything with their “helping” ministry, there is no “one-size fits all” method to any type of treatment to someone who is recovering or grieving. Someone’s outburst of tears can be a type of healing for them while for others, it’s an outward expression of the pain they are in or both! Someone’s way of coping with their mental illness may not work for Jane or John Smith who also struggles with the same thing.Read More →

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A long time ago, a story of the Kintsugi art of repairing broken ceramics with lacquer and gold or silver or platinum powder “related to the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi which states the importance of embracing imperfection in our lives and reminds us that something can break and yet still be beautiful, and that, once repaired, it is stronger at the broken places.”Read More →

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Dear Mama, I see you… I hear you… I understand your overwhelming feelings… Most of all, I understand that all you WANT TO DO is not feel guilty about the bond you don’t automatically feel right now or haven’t felt when you found out you were pregnant or when you first held your precious baby… In the next few pictures, you will see, I may have a smile on my face but with all my 4, I didn’t feel that instant bond. I didn’t feel a connection with the kids. While I held them physically, my heart and my mind were a million miles awayRead More →

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I was struggling. I cried myself to bed every night almost the whole month of November and I warned Chris that I was not doing well. “Something is wrong, I am sick.” He knows exactly what I mean when I say that. I was trying to figure out what was going on, but I had felt that for the first time in a long time, I was out of control. I would send late texts to two friends who knew my struggle with depression, but I wouldn’t come right out and tell them I was struggling. I would just text that I missed them. ThisRead More →

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  I have seen God’s faithfulness in my life…I have beheld His glory…I have tasted and seen the goodness of the Lord…   I have seen His Sovereign hand take a situation that in my mind’s eye would make me wonder if He was real or not…   I have seen Him heal when the doctors didn’t have answers and would just shrug their shoulders…   I have seen, I have heard and I have experienced all of who God is…   The past couple of months have been good for our family. We listened and obeyed God’s call to move to VA to enter into another chapterRead More →

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“Christian counselor, Mark Mounts says, “Christians feel guilty about being depressed. They feel they ‘should know better.’ This leads to denial, which only makes matters worse.” Leaders in ministry are always helping people. They have a heart for others. Who do they turn to when they also need help? Who keeps them accountable? Are they really immune to things like depression? If not, how do they handle it?”Read More →

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Dearest Momma,

First of all, I want to tell you that you are doing an awesome job raising your little one/s! You are an awesome wife! You do a wonderful job managing your home, you keep everyone on track. You make sure everyone is fed, you make time for everyone even when you feel like you have nothing left to give. You give that meaningful hug and kiss! Even putting a Band-Aid on that boo boo is important and life-changing to your little love!Read More →