More Than Conquerors through Him Who loved us

My friend took this picture at Saipan.

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by! Thanks for your prayers and encouragements.

I have not been able to participate in Thankful Thursday for a few weeks because I was unwell. I know I ought to be thankful to God always and to share my thanksgiving in praise of God's goodness and mercies. But I was afraid of unable to return visit to you when you visit me, and I will feel bad for not being able to do so. So I thought I will wait until I am better and more able to return visits. I truly appreciate every one of your comments, prayers and encouragements and I want to be able to visit you too and let you know how much I appreciate you.

Thank God for strengthening me. Here's my thankful list this week :)

♥ I thank God for preserving me daily and strengthening me. I have been having a relapse of clinical depression recently and been very unwell. I thank God for watching over me daily and giving me the grace to live for Him.

♥ I thank God for the blessed assurance of His love for us through all the changing scenes in life with its various ups and down. I thank God that nothing can separate us from His love and He holds us tight each day!

♥ I thank God for the comfort and assurance that He loves us and is in control though we may not sense it at times. He promised that He is working all things for His glory and our good, and therefore something good shall surely come forth from our sufferings.

♥ I thank God for His precious promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us, and His grace is sufficient for us. We are More Than Conquerors through Him Who loved us.

I took this picture at East Coast Beach, Singapore.

I created this More Than Conquerors Award to remind myself and everyone that loves the Lord Jesus Christ that we are More Than Conquerors through the Lord Who loved us. So if you love the Lord Jesus Christ and He is your Lord and Saviour, this Award belongs to you. Please take this Award and share it with every one of God's children Who loves Him. We are More Than Conquerors no matter what we go through or have to go through. What a blessed assurance! May this comfort you and everyone who belongs to our Lord!

♥ I thank God for giving me all of you to pray and encourage one another. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements! They mean a lot to me. Your comments always bring great encouragement to me and they always come at a time when I most need them. God is using you to convey His love and kindness to me, and I am thankful to you for your willingness to be His instrument of blessing to me. I am praying for you too upon every remembrance of you. May God bless you abundantly with His love and many blessings!

♥ I thank God for answering your prayers for me and for strengthening me. I am better though not fully well yet. I am learning to wait patiently upon Him daily, assured of His love and unfailing mercies. I know in His time, He will restore me. Thank God that He draws me closer to Him through this affliction and enable to know afresh His unfailing love and mercies.

To God be the glory!

 

Thank you for stopping by. Take care and have a blessed day!

Warm Regards,
Nancie

Finding meaning in a life with bipolar disorder

 I took this picture at Changi Beach, Singapore.

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements. Thank God for His many mercies.

The stress and strain of preparing for Chinese New Year (on 14, 15 and 16 Feb) plus the family obligations related to it have drained me and worsened my depression over the last 1 week. I was very unwell the whole week and especially so yesterday. Last night I began to question the purpose of life and began wishing the Lord will take me home soon.

Thank God this morning the Lord strengthened me. I felt better and was able to go for my church's morning service. The Word of God sang and preached comforted me. I realized that the sense of life being meaningless and wishing to be gone, are signs of worsening depression. Whenever I am better or well, I do find life very meaningful and fulfilling in Christ as I walk with Him and serve Him and His people.

I am thankful that my medicine is helping me and I am preserved from prolonged severe depression which I used to experience for months for some 18 years prior to my diagnosis 3 years ago. Now my relapses are more manageable though it takes time to get well and careful management while waiting upon the Lord. Occasionally it takes a dip and I go very down, like last evening. Strain and stress does worsened my condition and it is a challenge daily for me to learn to manage them. I thank God for His many mercies. I know I would not have made it this far without the Lord holding me tightly. Thank God that we have our Lord Jesus Christ!

Today I was re-reading portions of a book written by Marja Bergen, one of my fellow blogger, entitled "A Firm Place to Stand: Finding meaning in a life with Bipolar Disorder". I was greatly encouraged by Marja's sharing of God's goodness and mercies to her, and His abundant love in her struggles with the ups and downs of bipolar disorder. I am comforted by the reminder that God is with us through the ups and downs of life, and He is working all things for His glory and our good, even through such illnesses as depression or bipolar. He has a plan for our lives and even this is working together towards His divine purposes.

Marja has also written the following very encouraging article on finding meaning in a life with bipolar disorder. Hope you will be encouraged by her sharing too.

Finding meaning in a life with bipolar disorder
by Marja Bergen

Mental illness is not all bad. I have lived with bipolar disorder for over forty years and have found it has many benefits. I couldn’t imagine living without it and am not at all unhappy with my life. In many ways, I value what this illness has made possible for me.

With effective medication to keep symptoms under control, people with bipolar disorder can live a close-to-normal life. Yes, moods will fluctuate and cause occasional problems, and treatment will need adjustment. Suffering will always be part of my life. But I accept the way God, the Great Potter, made me. I am rich on many levels.

Like many people with this disorder, I am very creative. I receive a lot of pleasure from photography and using my imagination. The deep emotions I experience, although painful, are a source of richness; I feel completely human. My frequent hard times have helped me appreciate the good times and I make the most of them. Spiritually, I’m stronger for having had to deal with great trials. The fires I’ve passed through have refined me.

Most of all, I appreciate the compassion I am able to have for others who suffer from depression and other mental health issues. Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1: 4 hold true for me. I praise God “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received.” God has shown me his love, and I want to pass that love on to others.

Over the past few years, I’ve been fortunate to be part of a church community that has supported me and helped me grow spiritually. With the Christ-like love they have shown me, I have come to understand how great God’s love is. In turn, I now help others through a support group and one-on-one, in person and through my blog. I feel fulfilled. The language of suffering I’ve learned helps me connect with people in trouble. I am able to understand them in a way many others could not.

I feel a bit like Patch Adams in the Robyn Williams film. While Patch is a patient in a psychiatric hospital, he discovers his ability to connect with people. He learns to understand his severely disturbed roommate to see the person behind the illness and helps him through his problems. Not only does this delight Patch, it makes him a well man.

Patch eagerly tells his doctor he is well and needs to leave the hospital. I connected to another human being, he said. I want to do more of that. I want to learn about people. I want to help them with their troubles. I want to really listen to people. Connecting with other people gave Patch joy. It gives me joy, too. When God places you in this role a role he made for you joy happens. Walking with people through some of their toughest times is rewarding and a privilege.

Bipolar disorder will always be with me, and I suffer many high and low moods. But, I don’t feel I’m a victim of the disease. God has helped me find a way to make my illness work for me instead of against me.

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah 29:11) God has a plan for each of us. Though we might have a severe illness such as bipolar disorder, God has work for us to do. Eventually, we can use what God has given us even the bad and turn it into something good.

Marja Bergen is the author of Riding the Roller Coaster: Living with Mood Disorders (Northstone, 1999) and a new book for Christians about living successfully with bipolar disorder (to appear). She is the founder of Living Room, a faith-based Mood Disorders Association of BC support group. Her blog, marjabergen.blogspot.com, deals with mental health and faith issues. She can be reached at info@candidsbymarja.com.

This article is published on the website of CanadianChristianity.com and reproduced here with the kind permission of Marja.

Take care and have a blessed week!

Warm Regards,
Nancie

Living with Depression: The story of Fred Friedman - his loss and recovery

Recovery from Depression

Dear Friends,

Recently, I saw this encouraging video of a man, Fred Friedman, a former attorney who used to practice law who went through severe depression. He lost everything that mattered to him during a worst time of depression - he lost his wife of 24 years, his law profession of 20 years, and most of his possessions, including his home of 10 years.

Friedman spent five weeks in a mental hospital, ten months in a homeless shelter and more than a year in a nursing home. None of these placements helped him get better. Friedman’s recovery started with his move out of a nursing home and into an apartment, with the help of a social services agency.

Friedman has rebuilt his life with some help and he is now a leading mental health public policy expert in Illinois who can comment on a wide range of related public policy issues. His story of loss and recovery demonstrates how it is possible to rebuilt life and live a useful and purposeful life despite the illness, and even help others who are in the same dire need.




I am thankful to God for helping me to cope with living with depression and bipolar disorder in my own life.

It is sad that there is still such a terrible stigma, misunderstanding and ignorance concerning depression, bipolar disorder and other brain condition. As a result, many are suffering in silence and not seeking the helps that are available and able to help them live a more stable and functional life.

I am thankful that there are many helps available in this generation. Through the severe relapse in end 2006, I was led to seek medical and counselling help for the first time, besides praying and reading God's Words plus some other helps. I thank God that after so many years of roller coaster rides with extreme mood swings, I have finally understood the reason behind them. To know that I suffer from this medical condition, that it has a name for it, is helping me to learn to manage it better and live a more functional life.

Seeking early treatment is very crucial. Family and friends support is equally important. Here are some coping means that I have found useful in my own experience.

• My Coping Strategies (14)

More resources about:

• Resources for Depression, Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depressive Illness) and others
• Mental Health in Singapore, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Special Needs people
  

Thanks for stopping by! Take care and have a great week!

Warm regards,
Nancie

Taking a break due to relapse of clinical depression

Dear Friends,

Thanks for your visits and prayers. I am taking a short break from blogging due to ill health.

I am down with a relapse of clinical depression. I think I have unknowingly overstrained myself. I am still learning to pace myself and it is not easy to manage this condition. I am looking to our Lord and hoping to return soon to resume communication with all of you.

I am thankful to God that with medical help, I am not as severely clinically depressed as I used to be in past years (I have experienced about 12 or so relapses over 20 years). Knowing that my condition is a medical condition also helps to remove false guilt. I know that my condition is not due to a lack of faith in God or scandalous sins. It is a thorn in my flesh which the Lord in His faithfulness has allowed for my sanctification and growth in Him, and in order too that I can be more useful in His Kingdom.

I am looking to our Lord daily and waiting upon Him for restoration. These few weeks are especially difficult because of some stressful and straining situations in my life. Please pray with me for grace and strength daily. Mornings are the worst part of the day for me. Thank God that there are pockets of time throughout the day which I am more functional and able to do some work as well as help my mother to prepare for Chinese New Year which falls on 14th and 15th February. Chinese New Year is the first day in the Chinese Calendar. My mother is very traditional and Chinese New Year means a lot to her. My siblings will be coming to visit us and we will be preparing meals for them. I am also doing much cleaning up these 2 weeks. My mother does not know of my condition as she will get very worried if she does. She is already very old and have many illnesses, so I can't let her know as it will affect her health. I need much grace from the Lord daily to conduct myself in such a way that will not worry her. Please with me for grace.

The Lord is good through all the changing scenes in life. It takes time to recover, and I am learning to wait patiently upon our loving and gracious Heavenly Father who is working all things for His glory and our good, and our Lord Who promised that His grace is sufficient for us.

Take care. May God bless and keep you.

Warm Regards,
Nancie

Relying upon God's Grace which is sufficient for us

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by.

Recently, the Lord has been reminding me that I live daily by His grace. Sometimes I feel so weak and so sensible of my many failings daily. I wonder how I can live for God's glory and be more useful in His Kingdom.

The Lord brought to my comfort and encouragement, through a devotion by Hoekstra, that it is found on relying upon His grace. I am sometimes preoccupied with my own ability and being sensible of my many weaknesses, I wonder how to live usefully for the Lord. But the focus of the Word of God is on His ability, not ours. I am a weak vessel but in the hands of an Almighty God Who is able to do exceeding abundantly! He Who loves me will keep me and give me the grace to live for Him and in Him daily.

"Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace" (Dan_3:17). 

"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him" (Heb_7:25).

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling" (Jud_1:24). "

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph_3:20).

When we rely upon the one who is able, God, we will experience His sanctifying grace abundantly in our lives. What a comfort and encouragement! Relying upon God Whose love is enduring and Whose mercies are new every morning gives me the courage to face each day, knowing that He is with me, and His grace is sufficient for me.

May this article encourage you too.

Access to Grace
Devotion by Hoekstra, 3 February

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all . . . And God is able to make all grace abound toward you.  (2Co_8:9, 2Co_9:8, and Rev_22:21) 

We have seen that abundant grace is available from the Lord, not only for justification, but also for sanctification. Yet, how does a person access the sanctifying grace of God? How does one actually live day by day by grace? Soon, we will consider the two relational realities that God wants to develop in our lives that we might live daily by His grace.

First, a reminder of where that grace is, and the ability upon which it all depends. The grace we need is always found in a person, not a procedure. "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ ."

Consequently, in order to access this grace, we must be seeking after the person in whom the grace resides. No wonder that many of the letters of the New Testament end with "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all" (Rev_22:21).

Our God is not one who wastes words. He does not speak vainly. Nor does He stand on human formalities. These repetitious conclusions are an emphasis from the heart of God. When all is stated on any subject to any people, the ongoing need will ever be that they learn to live by the grace that is found in Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, upon whose ability does the grace of God depend?  We so easily become preoccupied with our own ability. "Will I be able to please and serve God?" "Will I be able to be an effective witness?"

The focus of the word of God is on His ability, not ours. "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace" (Dan_3:17).  "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him" (Heb_7:25). "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling" (Jud_1:24). "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph_3:20).

Concerning grace we may even be thinking, "Will I be able to live by God's grace?" Again, God's ability is the issue, not ours. "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you."  If we are willing to rely upon the one who is able, God, we will experience His sanctifying grace abundantly in our lives.

Prayer
Dear Lord, Teach me these great matters of access to Your grace. Remind me often that grace is found in Jesus. I confess my tendency to explain the Christian life by a formula, instead of by a person. Help me to remember that living by grace depends upon Your matchless ability. I admit my inclination to hope in my inept ability. So, Lord, I now look to You to abundantly pour out Your grace upon my life, through Christ Jesus, my Lord, Amen.

Thanks for stopping by. Take care and have a blessed week.

Warm regards,
Nancie

Our unchanging God...

I took this picture at Hort Park, Singapore

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by. Thank God for seeing us through another week.

This morning, I was pondering over the great changes between my thoughts, feelings and actions in the different phases of my mood swings - manic and depression. Whenever I am well or manic, I am filled with the joy of the Lord, have more energy, more creativity and enjoy relating to people and doing things, and able to accomplish much for the Lord and for others. Whenever I am unwell or in clinical depression, I am the total opposite - so miserable from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed, so slowed down and exhausted that I have no energy to do anything, can hardly get up of my bed, my mind is so empty and unable to focus that I can't get anything done properly, hate to relate to people and just want to be alone. How terribly inconsistent are my behaviours! I must have confused lots of people around me! Thankfully some of them are beginning to understand that with bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), some of these things are beyond my control. I am trying, by God's grace, to manage this condition better but it is not easy. I do get discouraged at times in the difficulties of managing this condition.

The Lord reminded me that as frail creatures in a fallen world, we are always changing, all the time. So it is not just with bipolar disorder that I experience so much changes, even a normal person experience changes daily, though not as dramatically as I do. The Lord brings this Psalm to my remembrance:

Psalm 102
11 My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.
12 But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

Hebrews 13:8 
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. 

Knowing how weak and inconsistent I am, I am learning to look to the Lord daily for grace to live for Him. I realized that I also need to lower my expectation of myself and others as we are forever changing and have many limitations.

I am reminded that though I am always changing and so are the people and circumstances around me, God is unchanging. The Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever. I can rest in His love, mercies, grace and faithfulness. What a mercy and encouragement!

I like the ways Spurgeon put it "The Christian knows no change with regard to God. He may be rich to-day and poor to-morrow; he may be sickly to-day and well to-morrow; he may be in happiness to-day, to-morrow he may be distressed—but there is no change with regard to his relationship to God. If He loved me yesterday, He loves me to-day. My unmoving mansion of rest is my blessed Lord." Amen! Thank God that His love is unchanging :)

Hope this article by CH Spurgeon will encourage you just like the way it has encouraged me.

“Thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation.”
Psalm 91:9

THE Israelites in the wilderness were continually exposed to change.

Whenever the pillar stayed its motion, the tents were pitched; but to-morrow, ere the morning sun had risen, the trumpet sounded, the ark was in motion, and the fiery, cloudy pillar was leading the way through the narrow defiles of the mountain, up the hillside, or along the arid waste of the wilderness.

They had scarcely time to rest a little before they heard the sound of “Away! this is not your rest; you must still be onward journeying towards Canaan!” They were never long in one place. Even wells and palm trees could not detain them. Yet they had an abiding home in their God, His cloudy pillar was their roof-tree, and its flame by night their household fire.

They must go onward from place to place, continually changing, never having time to settle, and to say, “Now we are secure; in this place we shall dwell.” “Yet,” says Moses, “though we are always changing, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place throughout all generations.”

The Christian knows no change with regard to God. He may be rich to-day and poor to-morrow; he may be sickly to-day and well to-morrow; he may be in happiness to-day, to-morrow he may be distressed—but there is no change with regard to his relationship to God.

If He loved me yesterday, He loves me to-day. My unmoving mansion of rest is my blessed Lord.

Let prospects be blighted; let hopes be blasted; let joy be withered; let mildews destroy everything; I have lost nothing of what I have in God. He is “my strong habitation whereunto I can continually resort.”

I am a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God. In the earth I wander, but in God I dwell in a quiet habitation.

Taken from CH Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, 27 Feb, Morning

Hope you enjoy the reading of Psalm 102:



Thank you for stopping by. Take care and have a blessed week!

Warm regards,
Nancie