Health Tips

written by Rachael Keefe Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10 Thanksgiving has come and gone. The last Sunday of the liturgical year (Christ the King/Reign of Christ) has been observed. While stores have had Christmas items out since before Halloween, before the sunset on Thanksgiving Christmas filled the stores. We�re in the midst of it now, the beloved or dreaded �holiday season

written by Rev. Megan Snell I am someone who lives with chronic mental illness. Many days I am stable, clear-headed, calm, focused, content. I�m a person who gets a lot done in a day. I live a full and fulfilling life full of ministry, music, friends, family, creative pursuits. But other days, I find myself sinking, weighed down by depression. I feel it in my body, in my bones. I feel like I

written by Karl Shallowhorn It was about a month ago that I received a text message from an old friend. She shared that a good friend of hers� son was in the midst of a mental health crisis and asked if I would be willing to speak with her. As is my custom I did not hesitate to reply, �Yes.� When speaking with the mother I could hear the pain she was experiencing. That feeling of

written by Lisa LeSueur I always wake my daughter up in the morning by gently touching her shoulder and giving her a five-minute warning that I�ll be back and expect her to be up and about. One day last week, when I touched her on the shoulder, she bolted upright in bed and sleepily told me �Mom, they shot Santa!� She asked me if she could have a few minutes and fell back on the pillow

written by Hannah Campbell Gustafson I thought I knew what I would write about for today�s post. And then, my 3.5 month old daughter entered into a phase of screaming every time we set her down and refusing to nap. And then, a white supremacist killed two African-American people in Kentucky. And then, a neo-Nazi slaughtered eleven Jews in Pittsburgh. I know that there are things

�Jesus stood still and said, �Call him here.� And they called the blind man, saying to him, �Take heart; get up, he is calling you.� � Mark 10:49 This coming Sunday�s lectionary texts contain the story of Bartimaeus, one which has taken on a particularly important meaning for me as I have learned to live with the invisible disability of bipolar disorder. On the surface, this is a standard

written by Karl Shallowhorn �But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint..� Isaiah 40:31 I was listening to an episode of NPR�s �This American Life.� One of the segments featured a college admissions director who was sharing about parents who have attempted to imitate