I have recently started a program at Light University to become a Certified Mental Health Coach. It walks through:
The role of a mental health coach in the church
Faith & Spirituality
Ethics and coaching responsibilities
Crisis intervention
Coaching skills
Small groups
Addictions
Mental health difficulties and disorders
Light University recognizes the need for Mental Health Coaches in churches and faith communities and is giving away scholarships for this program. If you have a passion for people with mental health difficulties and want to do something about it, consider this program. Check out the link below to receive a scholarship to become a Certified Mental Health Coach through my referral link.
1 Kings 19:3-5a
“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, LORD,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.”
Elijah had just experienced what one could call a spiritual high; defeating Baal’s prophets by showcasing God’s power in having fire coming down from heaven and burning up a wet altar. Shortly after this, Elijah runs away into the wilderness because of fear and wishes to die. This was a mighty prophet who raised a boy from the dead, performed other miracles and great works, and was taken into heaven without dying. And here he is praying that he would die. He is at the end of his rope. This biblical hero, who is mentioned several times in the New Testament, is often seen as the representation of all the prophets, and appeared with Jesus at the Transfiguration, expressed a desire to die. (So did Moses who also appeared at the transfiguration but that’s a topic for a different time.)
Just because you struggle with suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar, OCD, or any other mental health challenge does not mean God can’t use you. It didn’t negate all that Elijah had already done or would do. God didn’t stop using Elijah because he was suicidal. God sent an angel to give him food and water and let him rest before calling him to the next thing. Your experiences and feelings don’t need to define you or stop you from serving God and others.
I currently run an in-person mental health support group in Winnipeg and am considering starting an online one as well to run either once or twice a month. For the in-person group, the format is to start with a check-in with how people are doing, watching a video from a series or other material, and then discussion, and closing with prayer. If you are interested in an online mental health support group, please fill out the form below.
I am excited to announce that my audiobook based on my self-published book Gasping for Air is now available for purchase on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. Be sure to check it out
Click here to sign up for an Audible account if you haven’t before and listen to the audiobook for free.
I also have a select number of promo codes I can give away to readers to get a free copy of the audiobook. Contact me if you want a code. All I ask is that you review it after you listen to it.
If you want to see the other formats available, visit Amazon where you can choose between an audiobook, ebook, or print book.
Upcoming on Saturday, February 11, there is a FREE virtual mental health conference for peers, by peers. It will be available for 12 hours to watch on your time or you can buy an all access pass to be able to watch the conference videos for a year.
This conference is for:
Anyone who is either experiencing a mental health challenge or has a loved one who does.
Anyone needing to heal trauma and grief
Those experiencing Post Pandemic Distress who are searching to improve their emotional health.
Churches and Ministry leaders who are looking to increase their church’s capacity, awareness and offer hope to their community.
There will be 6 different tracks that you can follow or watch more than one:
Living with a mental health diagnosis
Resources for loved ones
Trauma and grief
Parenting when there’s a mental health challenge or a disability
I am excited to announce that my audiobook based on my self-published book Breaking Free is now available for purchase on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. Be sure to check it out
Click here to sign up for an Audible account if you haven’t before and listen to the audiobook for free.
I also have a select number of promo codes I can give away to readers to get a free copy of the audiobook. Contact me if you want a code. All I ask is that you review it after you listen to it.
If you want to see the other formats available, visit Amazon where you can choose between an audiobook, ebook, or print book.
I entered another art contest and got 2nd place with the following short story. You can read the short story in The Recorder, the publication for the group that put on the contest.
Job 16:19-21
Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.
Romans 8:26-27
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
Praying Squirrel
God…
Words failed me.
I closed my eyes as tears leaked out. Why would God ever listen to me? It had been several years since the last time I talked to him. Too many things had happened to test my faith and the line of communication had been shut off.
Sitting in the privacy of the trees on an early autumn day, I let the tears fall freely without wiping them away. Absent was the sound of my beloved golden retriever tromping through the trees or showing me his affection. He died only a few months prior after a two week long bout with illness and I missed him terribly. He was the third in a line of deaths – a close aunt and one of my sisters also dying within the last year.
I needed God now but I no longer knew how to pray. Last month, I lost my job and had no idea where to begin looking for a new one. Living near a small town didn’t give a lot of job opportunities.
The tears stopped and I slowly opened my eyes. Looking up into the trees, a laugh escaped me. Sitting not five feet above me was a red squirrel with its head bowed and his little paws near his mouth. It looked like he was praying. As if he was praying on my behalf.
A smile spread across my face. I don’t know if God had sent that squirrel to pray for me but I’d like to think he did.
I pulled out my journal and pen I had brought with me and the words seemed to tumble out of me.
Lord, thank you for the praying squirrel! If it hadn’t been for it, I don’t know if I’d be able to pen this prayer.
Help me to get rid of my apathy and everything else that gets in the way of me talking to You and all other aspects of our relationship. I don’t remember the last time I read from Your word that wasn’t at church. Make the Bible fresh to me and speak to me every day.
Break down the barriers that have been put up by me and my sin so that our relationship can thrive and deepen.
Send a praying squirrel or whatever else You see fit to pray on behalf of others who need prayer but are struggling to find the words or struggle crying out to You themselves.
Bring good out of my struggles and trials for the good of Your kingdom.
Thank you for holding onto me with Your iron grip no matter how far I fall and no matter how loose my grip.
Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.
Guide my path and show me where you want me to go. Help me step through the open door when You open it in Your timing.
In the name of Your most beloved child, Jesus, I come before You and bow at Your feet, unworthy, but redeemed.
“I try to challenge people to think in terms of care receiving. Because care receiving requires the interaction from another human being. I think that is far more richer than self-care.”
In the mental health support group I lead in my church, we’ve been watching a series of videos on various mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, bipolar, addiction, eating disorders, PTSD, suicide). The last video we watched, the above quote caught my attention. For some reason I missed it the first time I watched the video but ever since it has stuck in my mind.
I’ve had problems with the concept of self-care for a while now. Not that I think self-care is bad. I don’t necessarily but I have seen it too often been used as a way to applaud selfishness or as an excuse to avoid people who don’t agree with them or avoid responsibilities.
I like the idea of care receiving better and I think it can often be much harder for people. I know that it is for me. With care receiving, I have to open myself up to receiving care from others which is not my first inclination. I want to protect myself and stay in my bubble. To keep the risk of getting hurt as low as possible.
Most of us received care as children, no problem. But somewhere along the way, we internalized how we aren’t supposed to need others. We need to do it all ourselves. That it’s weakness to accept care from others. There are people who become “needy” and rely on others completely whether there are circumstances that make it a necessity or not. But most of us should get to the point where we are the care receiver sometimes and other times we are the care giver.
With self-care, it started out as a pushback to being the care giver all the time. It recognized that always being the care giver isn’t healthy. That there are times when we need to be cared for as well. But there we are still doing the caring, just for ourselves.
As humans are made for connection, for community, I believe that care receiving is much more rewarding than self-care. Now I just need to work on removing the barriers I put up so I can receive care from others.
“I try to challenge people to think in terms of care receiving. Because care receiving requires the interaction from another human being. I think that is far more richer than self-care.”
Mental Health Faith Liaison 