Health Tips

written by Bob Griggs While I was in worship recently, the officiant during the invitation for communion invited us as a �broken and hopeful� people to come forward to be served. As I waited for my turn, I looked at those who were in line in front of me, wondering how in their lives they had been broken and where in their lives they had found hope. This helped me to feel closer to them and

written by Hannah Campbell Gustafson My husband and I have been parents for almost seven weeks now, to a wonderful baby girl named Leona Joyce. Back in April, I wrote a post about post- and peripartum depression, and the stigma I sensed and feared, as well as some scripture that gave me comfort. I�m only at the very beginning of parenthood, but I thought I would report back briefly. I

written by David Finnegan-Hosey Scripture has a funny way of reading us. My first post for the Journey blog was called �Taking the Armor Off,� a reference to the ill-fitting armor Saul tried to get David to wear before his battle with Goliath, and to the different types of ill-fitting armor that we wear in order to try to make ourselves invulnerable. So I had to chuckle when I looked

�...then your light shall break forth like the dawn, And your healing shall spring up quickly...�Isa. 58:8 written by Alan Johnson The obituary said the young man had lived with bipolar disorder and had ended his life. It was clear, honest and direct. It was published in the local newspaper for all the world to see. That was a couple years ago now. In the obituary, the family

Recently I heard someone tell how the word �hate� is like a swear word in their household. They talked about how the idea of hate can often be used to give license to do bad or cruel things. I was completely on board (and in fact, came home and told my husband that we should have a similar rule with the child who is due to be born in the next few weeks). I remember as a child feeling that

Written by Bob Griggs This is my first post on our United Church of Christ Mental Health Network blog. I am honored to be part of the group writing for this blog. I believe that my own experience with mental illness and recovery� my diagnosis is major depression and anxiety disorder � will allow me to make a contribution to our ongoing dialogue around mental health issues. I also want to

�While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.� Ps. 32:3 I am convinced that offering a spiritual support for mental health in our congregations is one of the essential components of a mental health ministry. I believe this is true because one the major hurdles that we all experience when we come across mental health concerns is the stigma that is carried by

written by Karl Shallowhorn "Perhaps this is the moment for which you've been created." Esther 4:14 �Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.� Soren Kierkergaard If only I had known these two things when I was in the depths of my despair in my late adolescence and early adulthood. It was during this period that I suffered (and I mean really suffered) from

written by Alan Johnson As we approach the New Year within a month, sometimes it is good to look back before going ahead. I never thought I would be offering an adult forum on my experience with mental illness in my family and have my son speak from his point of view as a person who lives with bipolar disorder. When our church started the Mental Health Ministry Team almost 9 years ago, I

written by Alan Johnson There are times when a person just can�t find the way through to provide assistance when someone is acting unusual or when a person is faced with a situation that is confusing and it is unclear what to offer. One of the arenas in which this may arise is when encountering or being confronted by a mental health challenge in someone who may be in your own family, a