A blog for Christian women to find hope and solidarity in their faith, identity, and mental health.
#43 Christians Get Anxiety and Depression, Too
If you love Jesus but live in anxiety, depression, or another mental illness—you are not alone. I share my story in hopes of offering you hope, solidarity and resources for your story.
#1 Through the Storm
Having faith in Jesus does not disqualify us from the difficulties of life. In this post, I share my story of being diagnosed with anxiety and depression in hopes to remove the stigma around faith and mental health and bring hope and solidarity to those who are living through this storm.
#42 Courage to HOPE
Jane Marczewski captured the hearts of millions in her epic AGT audition. She emanated the unmistakable truth that hope can be held in the midst of the most tragic circumstances. I’ve written about how her life and death have reminded me to fix my eyes on Jesus, no matter how big the mountain is in…
#41 Learning to depend
When you reach a point of life where become physically or mentally dependent on others, it can be very hard to embrace. But there is beauty and love in this season. We learn that from Jesus as He invites us to abide in His love.
#40 Reframing Medication: What Could Go Right?
Battling mental illness is hard enough. When we add the stigmas and confusion around it, it can be debilitating. When considering if medication is the right option, we often will get more anxiety and think of all the things that could go wrong. This post will help us consider what could go right.
#39 The hope of Advent and my need for the Savior.
It’s December and the hope of Advent is in the air. The reality of my need for the Savior is also cruelly apparent. Example: Do you attempt to decorate the house with your kids? Every year, I feel hopeful about how fun and meaningful our experience will be. The reality looks more like y sanity…
#38 Practicing Gratitude in the Messy Middle
Thankfulness is a hardfought choice. We are most inclined to behold our blessings after we’ve brawled with pain and loss. Our tears are often the cleansing agent that clarifies our perspective, helping us see the bigger picture, the grander work at hand.
#37 JUMPING IN AFRAID
Have you ever put your big girl panties on, stepped up to the plate to do something that totally terrified you but then froze in panic when it came time to actually DO the thing?? I’ve found myself in this predicament many a time. The most recent example happened at a swimming pool. My in-loves…
#36 REFRAMING OUR FREEDOM
Can I be honest with you? Sometimes, in my day-to-day life I feel stuck. I feel like a captive. I feel like I just want to get in my car, start driving and not look back. I crave freedom. I crave being able to do whatever I want whenever I want. I crave not having…
#35 TO YOUR HEALTH
Need some hope, help and resources to stay emotionally, physically, and mentally healthy during this strange season?
Then read on, friend!
#34 WISDOM IS A TREE OF LIFE
It is a particularly strange time to be alive, and our need for wisdom beyond what we face on a regular basis grows each day.
When it rains, it pours,” they say. And that is true for the hard times in our lives. But isn’t that also true of the wisdom, discernment, instruction and love…
#33 WISDOM FOR WHEN YOU NEED A BREAK
I think we can all relate to experiencing a place of complete uncertainty in the midst of this messy, marvelous life. From debilitating anxiety to the discomfort of not being able to plan ahead for the coming months, fear has a voice that is loud and obnoxious. Fear tempts us to doubt God’s goodness and…
#32 CONQUERING HATE WITH LOVE
Is your head and heart weary from all the grieving news these past few weeks? Mine sure is. I keep going back to John 16 where Jesus offers hope to His disciples just before He, Himself, is unjustly killed. Jesus tries to prepare His disciples for what’s coming: his death, burial, resurrection and ascension back to Heaven. But they are…
#31 JESUS IS STILL HOLDING EVERYTHING TOGETHER
I think we can all relate to experiencing a place of complete uncertainty in the midst of this messy, marvelous life. From debilitating anxiety to the discomfort of not being able to plan ahead for the coming months, fear has a voice that is loud and obnoxious. Fear tempts us to doubt God’s goodness and…
#30 Staying Connected to the Source of Life
In order to grow and move forward in our lives, we must recognize the things that need to be pruned (removed). Much of this for us right now is unhealthy thinking. Unhealthy thoughts are founded in unhealthy beliefs. Unhealthy beliefs ultimately lead to unhealthy behaviors. It’s a vicious cycle. And it can suck the life…
#29 For the mom who needs perspective
Each day we live, we are perpetually learning how to hold joy in one hand and pain in the other. And each day, with all of it’s mess and marvel, will pass.
We so often want to CLING to the splendid moments while rushing through the strenuous ones. And that’s fair. But I wonder what…
#28 Are you grateful *and* grieving?
Do you find it hard to balance feeling grateful while you are also grieving a loss? Read on for hope and solidarity!
#27 ARE YOU DONE?
Are you running on fumes? Read on for hope and solidarity!
#26 A Prayer for the One Feeling Ill-Equipped
A prayer of hope to the one feeling ill-equipped to hold everything they’ve been given.
#25 The Days “In-Between”
Yesterday was Good Friday. Sunday is Easter. But today is a day of silence, grief and mourning. Similar to the day between when Jesus died and rose again, we face a tension when we’re sitting in-between where we are and where we want to be. But there is a sacredness to this space that we…
#24 Audacious Hope
If you’re a Christian struggling with the confusion and pain of having a mental health disorder, this episode is for you!
#23 TO THE ONE WHO’S BARELY HOLDING IT TOGETHER
If you’re struggling with anxiety or depression and trying to wrap your mind around how to process this pandemic, read on. You’re not alone.
#22 Surviving Social Distancing During Coronageddon
The world is spinning in light of all the shutdowns and lack of toilet paper caused by this ever-changing, quick-spreading virus. There isn’t a corner of the world unaffected and this business is getting serious. It’s sobering to be living this out in real time, isn’t it? We got word this week that our kids’…
#21 “HOW DO I LOOK?” and other questions I need to stop asking my husband.
I thrive on words of encouragement. It’s my top score on the 5 Love Languages test. And wouldn’t you know it? My husband scores the lowest in this category. Help. Every time I get dressed up for a date, I make the same mistake of asking my husband “how do I look?” My desired response…
#20 2020 Vision: DOES YOUR NEW YEAR NEED A NEW LENS?
Happy New Year! We’re a few days in and I’m still trying to grasp it all. Where did October go? How is my 20 year high school reunion coming up this summer? How are we half way through the school year already? How about you, friend? What’s on your mind these first few days of…
#19 Thoughts on JOY: What it is, What it’s not and How to have it no matter what
As Christmas quickly approaches, we are on the lookout for the promised things the Advent season represents: Hope, Faith, Joy, Peace. This past week at my church, the third week of Advent, we looked at JOY. And I can’t get it out of my head. I can’t stop asking the questions: What is JOY? How…
#18 BE THE “REAL YOU” EVEN WHEN YOU’RE AFRAID OF REJECTION
If you had told me five years ago that this is what I’d be doing with my life, I would have laughed. How could God use a broken mess like me? Yet here I am. Being used by God to let others know they’re not alone in the messiness of life. This week, I gave a…
#17 I’M A BAD MOM BECAUSE I CAN’T GET A GRIP ON MY ANXIETY
Are you a mom struggling with anxiety? Are you scared your anxiety and ruining your kids lives? Read on for hope and solidarity!
#16 BEING HELD BY COMMUNITY WHEN FEARS BECOME REALITY.
“She’s alive, but…”
These words stole my breathe and everything began to move in slow motion as my sister proceeded to tell me our mom had been rushed to the ER after being found passed out in her home by a friend. All we knew at that moment was they think she had suffered…
#15 UGLY CRYING IN UNEXPECTED PLACES
Are any of you hurting? Mourning the loss of someone you love dearly? I lost my cousin in June. June 2, actually. My wedding anniversary. Not that it matters much, but it was a stark reminder that on this earth we will continually be forced to hold joy in one hand and pain in the…
#14 REFRAMING OUR FOCUS FOR THE NEW YEAR
As a photographer, I spend a lot of time honing my craft. Owning a nice camera will not get you far unless you learn how to use it to its full capacity. Much of my energy and attention is dedicated primarily to three things: Light, Settings and Focus. Understanding how to find light, adjust settings…
#13 THE GLOW OF A CHRISTMAS TREE
There is something inexplicably captivating in the soft glow of a Christmas tree. It is welcoming and warm. Each tiny light holds power that pierces the darkness. Yet it gently welcomes me to sit close and stare in awe and wonder. The longer I sit and stare, the further away the worries of life seem.…
#12 TO THE CHRISTIAN WITH ANXIETY + DEPRESSION: HOW TO PRAY
#TransformationTuesday #AndreaNSpeaks #ThePrayerOfFaith #ChristiansWithAnxietyAndDepression #ReframedThroughTheLensOfLove If you’re a Christian struggling to understand how to pray about your anxiety, depression, chronic illness or any other painful reality – I urge you to give this message a listen! This is one of the most powerful teachings I’ve heard on prayer. Especially from the perspective of someone who…
#11 CHANGE THE TAPE
WHAT ARE THE TAPES THAT PLAY ON REPEAT IN YOUR MIND? WHAT ARE THE VOICES YOU BATTLE EACH DAY? Fear? Insecurity? Uncertainty? Your past? If you’re anything like me, you don’t realize the tape is toxic. The voices are so familiar they seem like truth. But they are pulling you under and making it seem…
#10 IN THIS WORLD, YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE…
Today, I’m met with strong emotional strife over some hard realities in my life. I’m reminded that Jesus was clear to us in His Word that we WILL face troubles. Jesus declares in John 16:33 (from the Bible) that we WILL face trouble in this world. He doesn’t say “You MAY face troubles” or “You…
#8 YOUR PAST DOES NOT DEFINE YOUR FUTURE.
There’s no denying our pasts shape who we are. For good and for bad. The list of experiences goes on and on. But no matter what your past holds, it does NOT limit what God can do with your future. You are never too far gone. You are not “unfixable”. You are not a lost…
#7 CONFIDENCE BLOOMS IN THE BATTLES
“Just as a butterfly has to work her way out of a chrysalis in order to build the strength she needs to fly with her newfound wings, the confidence and beauty that is innately within us often only shows itself after having been met by tension and hardship. These become the untradeable experiences that build…
#6 THE HOPE OF EASTER
Easter is about hope, renewal, new life. The miracle of God coming as to Earth as a baby at Christmas is made complete with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. Christ DEFEATED death and ROSE AGAIN on the third day. Easter is pivotal because without the resurrected Christ, there would be no…
#5 TURNING YOUR “I COULD NEVER” INTO “OH YES I CAN!”
One my Mammaw’s classic lines was: “Well, the thing about is, is that…” Oh how I miss that sassy gal! She’d begin with this statement when defending an argument, pondering a question, or just plain ol’ wanting to have the last word. I recently changed up my diet in hopes of relieving some ongoing health…
#4 LOOK AT YOU NOW!
I had breakfast with a fellow MOPS Coordinator today and as I reflect on our sweet time together, I’m left with her words to me at multiple points in our conversation… “And look at you now.” This was our first time sitting down together, but it was like we’ve been friends for years. We each…
#3 GET LOST! REPLACING FEAR, SHAME + GUILT WITH CONFIDENCE, JOY + FREEDOM.
Remember those old Special K commercials where they asked, “What will you GAIN when you LOSE?” When people stepped onto the scale, instead of seeing a NUMBER they were shocked to see WORDS. Words like: CONFIDENCE. JOY. FREEDOM. I don’t know about you but those are the words I desperately wanted to GAIN in regards…
#2 FEAR OF WHAT OTHERS THINK
When I first felt God calling me into a leadership position with the MOPS group at my church, I was frozen with fear. I sat silent for months with this ever present nudge in my soul because I was afraid; Afraid if I raised my hand to volunteer for the position they would only see…
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