Walking Through Depression

Have you ever had a time in your life when you were depressed?  I have.  There was a time before I knew Christ that I had really messed up my life.  In fact, I believe I had to go through that season to find Christ. 

Looking back now, it still was a very difficult season.  I remember one morning during my depression, I was half awake.  I was up, but I was not aware of anything because I was not completely coherent.  Then finally, I woke up enough to know I was awake.  I'll never forget what happened next.  This weight, this burden, fell on me.  Everything I was facing and feeling fell on me like a ton of bricks.  It was as if God gave me a taste of what it was like not to be depressed because I had been for some time.

I remember some things from that season.  I remember that I just wanted to talk alot about what I was feeling and facing.  It was as if I was trying to get it out like a sick person trying to vomit something bad they have eaten. 

I don't have a magic formula to get a person through depression, but I can offer a few tips that eventually helped me.

1.  Pray.  Sometimes people won't be around or they won't want to listen.  God is not that way.  You can pray over and through your pain.  You can cry out to Him and even vent when you need to.  God is bigger than your pain.

2.  Psalms.  I know this may be difficult for some, but reading aloud Psalms has a dramatic effect on people.  There are verses in Psalms where David cries out to God, celebrates God and is even frustrated with God.  In depression, sometimes, we cannot find the words to say, so in this, the Psalms are the words given to us to speak.

3.  Basics.  Sometimes, before depression hits, life has become complicated.  Simplify your life for a time.  Focus on breathing and eating and just learning to be yourself again.  Many people in a hectic schedule or in a relationship lose themselves.  Go back to the basics and determine who you really are (or who you are not). 

4.  Small steps beyond depression.  There are times when you will not feel like doing anything but an opportunity will present itself for you to go do something out of the norm.  Your depression will take away desire to participate in those opportunities, but you need to ignore depression and change your surroundings anyway.  It may not be an easy task, but stepping beyond the grasp of depression, even for a short time can have dramatic effects.

People tried to help me through that season.  They would listen.  They would offer advice, but really, I did not take much of their advice.  I'm not saying they should not have given it to me, because their advice was proof that they cared.

Some were frustrated with me and I can really understand why.  I was a broken record, continually trying to "vomit" out the pain.  However, some people in depression are very quiet and very withdrawn.  It takes a deeper commitment to reach out to (or rescue) people isolating themselves because they will have to be sought out. 

People try so many different ways to reach those going through depression, but instead of giving you different ideas, this video really summed it up for me of what to do or not to do if you have a friend dealing with depression. 

Whether you are going through depression or you are a friend of a person depressed, my hope is that you will lean on God to get through this.  Sometimes, the only answer is time.  You will never know all the answers why, but all you need to know is that you are loved and God loves you in a way no person ever could.  You are never alone.


God bless,
Dave

Just Passing Through

I was thinking about this phrase "Just passing through" and what it really means to live that way.  I found this verse in Hebrews 11

Hebrews 11
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.
14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.

When I thought about this concept, I felt that we've not taken this far enough as Christians in American society.  When I hear the phrase, "in not of" the world, I have to start asking myself what that means.

I look at my life and I really feel like I have made my home here.  I have a house, a routine, stuff, you name it.  I have alot of things that really make me think my home is here.  So what do I do with that?

I don't think I'm hopelessly lost at this point, but I really want to live as if my resources, time, talents and devotion belong to God.  So what does it mean to be a "stranger on earth" as noted in Hebrews 11?

Have you ever gone on a trip overseas?  Maybe you've taken a vacation to even a different state.  When I was sent to Mexico to manage a network installation, I got my first feeling of what it was like to be a stranger on earth.

I was the only American I saw in this area.  I did not speak the language and I did not look like the people there.  I was one chocolate chip on a cookie if that paints a picture for you.

I was there for a two week job and I really did some things differently in my life away from home.  Here are a few examples and how they translate for me today:

I only went where I was directed to or for basic necessities.  I was not out exploring due to possible danger and even getting lost in an area I did not know (this was pre-GPS :) )

When we live our lives God focused, we are here to fulfill basic needs, but our paths and travel should be God directed, not our own choices.  Living as strangers in a strange land requires us to ask God for direction, otherwise, we are lost in that land.

I contacted home regularly.  Home really was my hope in that situation.  I was not interested in being away any longer than I had to be.  I was not hoping in my work project, but in the life I had at home.

If I make my hopes earth centered, then I'm really not hoping in God.  I would be missing the point in being someone passing through.  I believe sometimes, we have areas or periods of our lives where our hope shifts when it shouldn't.  We must remain focused on our hope in Christ.  To contact home, we need to pray.

My purpose there was for my employer.  I was not there for myself.  I wanted to be home with my family and friends.

We have to realize we have a purpose here, and it's not for us.  It's understanding that God saved us and that we are here for His glory, not our own.

Most of all, I was never comfortable.  I only unpacked what I needed and I only used what I had to.  I was not staying.

In our country, it is easy to get comfortable, but we are not supposed to be.  Our comforts are elsewhere, not here.  God is our comfort and our peace, not our stuff or ourselves.

When I returned home, it was a joyful reunion.  I saw my family and friends and they were happy to see me.  It was then that I felt like I was myself with those I loved.

When we live as strangers here and our work is accomplished, God will call us home.  Some people see death as an ending, but really, it is a journey home.  According to the Bible, it's a quick journey.  Blink an eye and you are there.  We will rejoice with loved ones who have gone before us and we will all be with Jesus forever.  Home is beautiful.  It is our destination.

Have you heard the phrase, "You can't take it with you?"  Mostly, that phrase is correct and we should live as if we can't.  However, there is one thing you can take with you.  People!  God loves people.  We should be about His business to show the love of God to everyone we can and fulfill His purposes in our lives.  When the job is done, He will receive us and we will be home.

The Tale of Desperaux: A Reminder of Heroes

Ok, Michelle talked me into seeing this film because I really wasn't about it at all. It looked good enough, but I never thought that I'd like it. It was going to be a labor of love from me to my wife by watching this movie.

At the end of it, I was floored. I won't give the details of the movie, but Desperaux basically is a mouse hero. They try to make him conform to his society, but he doesn't and refuses to. Desperaux desides to be a gentleman, noble and heroic.

The princess asks if he's a mouse and his reply is "I'm a gentleman." Really, she tried to define him by what his species was, and Desperaux replies back with who his heart defines him as.

Do you remember super hero movies growing up? The super heroes had it all together and they did what they did because they choose to be noble, heroic, people of character.

Today when we see a super hero, we see people focusing in on vengence, or they are trying to right a wrong or something has happened tragic in their lives and it has transformed them. It's all well and good, but some heroes today even come across as being evil themselves.

So the question is: Where did all the old hero stories go? Well, when it's said and done, they aren't "deep" to people and the hero stories of old have been forgotten.

The reminder is: We need real heroes. We need people who choose to forgive, choose to be noble, choose to rise above their circumstances and make a point to honor God with their lives. Our world needs heroes to feed the poor, help the homeless, become politicians and maintain integrity, run businesses honorably, become notable husbands, wives, fathers and mothers. We need people willing to sacrifice... to stand.

I walked out of this "kid's" movie with a reminder of what that is. My prayer for us is that we are intentional about being heroic. There's so much more I could mention here about Desperaux and the parallels of honorable people and the Christian walk, but go see the movie for yourselves with this in mind and the comparisons are in your face. Some are not comparisons at all. Some are direct lessons.

Thanks honey for making me "endure" this one.

God bless,
Dave

The High Places

2 Kings 12

1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother's name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.

2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

3 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

I've been going through the Old Testament and it is interesting to hear of all the kings of Judah and Israel. They chose to follow God or they did not. But every now and then, there is this exception of those who follow the Lord but they keep the high places, allowing others to sacrifice to Asherah a mother goddess, Baal and other idols.

This may seem awkward but, do you have high places? I know that my audience is predominantly Christian, but if you walk the high hills of your heart, what do you see? Are there things you hold out for yourself? Are there idols in your walk that you have not torn down yet?

If we are honest, most of us can find something that is a high place. Is it money, time, television, places you go, what you listen to, unforgiveness, etc.  This is a question for you and God. He already knows the answer anyway.

My hopes are to be like Josiah. When my days are done, I want to know I tried my best to hold nothing back. Feed the poor, help the homeless, the widow, teach, serve, laugh, study and sing all in the name of Jesus.

Holy wars never were very effective in bringing people to Jesus, but the church today needs to lead a war campaign for the hearts of people. We must tear down our high places and shine like Josiah. In our obedience in removing the high places, we will honor God more than we ever thought we could.

Josiah was given the book of God and realized the sin of his people. He tore his clothes as king and repented of the people's sin and his own sin. Here is an account of Josiah the king's reaction to the knowledge of God. (Keep in mind that he was only 18 years old):

4 The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel.

5 He did away with the pagan priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.

6 He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people.

7 He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes, which were in the temple of the LORD and where women did weaving for Asherah.
8 Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the shrines at the gates—at the entrance to the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which is on the left of the city gate.

9 Although the priests of the high places did not serve at the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

10 He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.

11 He removed from the entrance to the temple of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the room of an official named Nathan-Melech. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.

12 He pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts of the temple of the LORD. He removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley.

13 The king also desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption—the ones Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the people of Ammon.

14 Josiah smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones.
15 Even the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin—even that altar and high place he demolished. He burned the high place and ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole also.

There's more, but Josiah, when he learned of God, he went for it. He trashed everything that set itself against God in his land. My challenge today is for you to clean your lands. Remove your high places. Fight the places in your heart and life that don't belong to God and conquer them for God's glory. Your inner battles won will have an outer effect.

In verse 25, the final thought of Josiah was this:

Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.

You are writing the story of your life right now as you live and we all are living in a generation where those who believe in Christ must stand to make a difference or what we have will be taken from us. We can't stand for what Christians have bickered over in the past. We can't fight about doctrine differences, Rapture timings, ceremonies, etc... It has to be about what a real relationship with Jesus means.

We must vow to remove the high places from our lives and turn our hearts in serving the King. It matters more than anything, even our own lives. It is for His renown that we set ourselves as ambassadors for in this world.

The Morning Alarm

A few years back, I went to Israel with my church and I thought it would be cool to have a shofar! I mean, the full blown deal here. The first one I got... stank bad. I mean, a shofar is the horn of a dead ram... Who knew?  Well, I think the first one I got had too much dead ram in it and Michelle and I spent the night in Jerusalem with a heavy "warm meat locker" odor going on in our hotel room. You could imagine how much she was in love with me that evening! I took it back the next day and exchanged my first shofar for one that was not so stinky.

You know, when I got this shofar, I had some pretty religious purposes for it. I wanted to blow that sucker on Jewish feasts (yeah, I know, I'm not really Jewish at all) or for something like that, but to be honest, it really didn't pan out for me. 

I did finally get to where I could make a note come out of it. At first, when I blew it, it sounded like an elephant was in my bathroom. I'll let you get the sound you hear in your head at this point. Got it?  Good! You can thank me later :).

Since I was not blowing the horn well until about 6 months after getting it home, I lost hold of the religious reasons to blow it and I just decided to have fun with it. The biggest use I got from my shofar was an alarm clock.

My son Briggs sleeps in the bottom bunk of a bunk bed, so at 5:55AM, I creeped into his room, pointed the horn at his head and let it rip. I've learned something: When you are under the covers, the covers act like a safety net when you scare the mess out of someone unconscious. After I blew the horn, Briggs probably jumped at least a foot and a half. The momentum of his shock would have landed him face first attached to the underside of the top bunk, but the covers acted like an air bag and pulled him back down to his bed. "DAAAADDDD!!!" is what I heard next.

Some day, he's going to get me back, but also, I've realized that there will probably be end times ramifications for my periodic prank. You see, Jesus is coming back and with the blast of a horn. My fear now is that Jesus is going to come back in the morning, the trumpet will sound and Briggs is going to say, "DAD!! QUIT IT!!!!"

Please pray for me! (oh yeah, and Briggs too)
Dave

What Really is Church?

I was in a Hardee's this weekend (trashing my diet of course) and I saw a large group of people sitting at a few of the tables together.  I heard one of the ladies say, "I haven't been to church in three weeks.  I really need to get to service this weekend."

It struck me because I am currently dealing with a lifetime of teaching that I have realized is wrong.  I have always been taught that church is a building.  The lady at Hardee's had a point worth analyzing. Do we "go" to church?  So I looked.  Nowhere in the Bible does it say, "the believers 'went' to church." 

After doing some research, I realized that it was during the era of Constantine did we really get the concept of church buildings.  After Constantine came to power, he then created Christian religious buildings that were called churches.  So really, it was two hundred years or so after the New Testament was written that the word "church" transferred from being people to a building.

To answer the question "What is Church?" for myself, I had to go back to the book of Acts and the Gospels.  There I learned some aspects of the early church.  First off, the Bible states that they met in homes and marketplaces together.  When we look at archeology, we find that they also met in remote places and caves during times of persecution.  There was continuous discipleship going on, God given direction and displays of His power, faith, relationships, caring, teaching, leading, mentoring and feeding and praying for the poor and each other.  Not only that, this was a daily thing for them, not a one day a week thing.  There really was no emphasis on a building program or worship styles.

Somehow, when it comes to church, we have really missed the mark.  The church is people.  You are the church.  You can't "go" to church.  You are already there if you have given yourself to Christ.  I really don't think there's anything wrong with buildings, worship and gathering together on Saturdays or Sundays.  However, don't let the mold limit your view of what church should really be.  When I read the two greatest commandments:

Matthew 22
36  "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
37  Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
38  This is the first and greatest commandment.
39  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
40  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

I realize that the motto of our group of believers is perfect:  "Loving God, Loving People, Serving Both".  I think that if I try to generalize all that the apostles did in the book of Acts, this general statement covers it all.  When we remember that we are the Church (with a capital 'C') and that church is not a location, we will live out our faith every day.  When we love God and love people, when we serve them both, we are the church. 

The Sound of Silence

A friend once was listening to a conversation.  Her friends were talking about someone, so she listened, but she did not agree.  However, she didn't speak up either.  In the end, she walked away with something just nagging at her on the inside. 

Have you ever been in a situation like this?  For some reason, you know something is wrong, but you are not sure what to do about it.  Maybe you are non-confrontational and don't want to start an argument.  Maybe you are afraid of rejection or afraid of repercussions.  There are many reasons why we sometimes do not speak up.

There is a feeling I get when I am quiet and don't want to be.  When the conversation stops, sometimes, there is something lingering in the air in the silence after a statement is said or an action is taken.  People say and do things sometimes that just are not right and sometimes our inner alarm goes off and we do nothing about it. 

Do you know that in politics, there is a way to be silent that is a little more formal?  When a highly political bill comes up for vote, the congressman really has one extra choice.  Besides "yes" or "no", he can vote "present". 

Basically a "present" vote means that he showed up that day, but chose not to vote.  In a way, it's the same as being silent.  Some politicians will vote "present" when they are worried about their careers or don't know enough about a bill to have an opinion.  There are other reasons, but really, a "present" vote is one of silence.

We've come to a time and place in our country where we as the Church have voted "present" on many issues.  It is time to break the awkward silence. 

Sometimes, we can respectfully disagree with an opinion.  Other times however, taking a stand for Christ and the people He cares about means not being popular.  It means that people may ridicule or hate you.  It means that we stand against behaviors and opinions that are not compatible with our faith in God.  And for too long, we have remained silent when we should have spoken.

My prayer is that we choose no longer to vote "present" when dealing with the hard issues.  My hope is that we express a Christian worldview in a respectful and dignified way.  We should all pray that God gives us the courage to stand when the time comes.  In this, silence is replaced with truth.

What will your new name be?

This is a blog entry from my lovely wife Michelle.  I wanted to share it since it was written a few years back:

I came upon a verse in Isaiah during my Bible study last week and it struck a chord with me. It's found in Isaiah 62:2

The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. (NIV)


What struck me was that I will be given a new name from God. It took my breath away.  Have you ever read a verse or a portion of a verse that just captures your attention? Well that one did for me.

My mind wandered back to an audio theater that I listened to a while back called "Affabel". Some of the characters had earthly names like Deceived, Faint Heart and Selfish.  All were attributes of their personality.  This really got me thinking about what would I be known as if my parents hadn't given me the name "Lisa Michelle". It's a sobering thought and made me thankful for my given name that I'm called by.

It made me even more thoughtful and reflective about what name I want my Lord and Savior to bestow upon me in Heaven. Names like Compassion, Forgiven, Charity, Loving, Praiser, Faithful, Finisher come to mind.  It makes me realize that my actions, thoughts, deeds, reactions, all my characteristics here on earth are going to determine the name that God gives to me.

It makes me think further about how I live my life each day.  Am I reflecting all the goodness that He has so freely given to me?  Am I showing Christ' love to others in need? Am I forgiving others with the same forgiveness He has given to me? Or, am I being petty and holding grudges against my brothers and sisters over things that aren't really going to matter in the end? Am I being His hands and feet to an unsaved person? It's alot to consider, but we are called to be salt and light to the lost and dying world.  Does that make you wake up and take notice of your life like it has me?

My biggest desire is for me to hear the Maker of Heaven & Earth to say to me,"Well done, thy good and faithful servant".

Blessings,
Michelle

God? Maybe After I live a little..

Something hit me this morning as I was listening to a song.  It made me think about how teens approach God and even how I approached God as a teen and young man.  I said this:

"I'll follow God later after I've lived a little.  There's so much of life to experience first."

I've heard young adults say the same thing on a Christian radio station I listen to when they had a late night talk show for teens.  The teens would talk about how eventually they would settle down and then follow Christ.

I really had to think about that comment this morning.  I know from my studies that most Galilee fisherman died within 30 miles of their birth during Jesus' times.  When the disciples followed Christ, that commitment took them to the ends of the Earth.  Many disciples saw things they could never see on their own.  They lived more than a little!  They lived in such a way that could only be described as God directed.

We have taken Christianity in our generation and we've made it something we do when we settle down.  We have conveyed that message to our kids and we never should have!  Following Christ is vibrant, spontaneous, even dangerous.  Somehow, we have created a routine faith.  One that does not require you to actually follow God, but observe Him.  This teaching tells us that following Christ is for families with routine jobs and routine dreams, not for dreamers with ambitions to change the world.  It sounds like a cage to me.  If I thought being a Christian meant this, I may not be one.

I think when we are young, some actually prefer to go make mistakes.  There are so many temptations in our country that look like ultimate fun on the surface, but most of these temptations are empty and usually lead to only wanting more.  There is no lasting satisfaction in what they offer.  These temptations can lead to huge mistakes in our lives.  Some of those mistakes we pay for years later.

Jesus called us to much more than living for ourselves.  If you want to step outside of that cage, try this: Go on a mission trip.  Serve with your family in your community together.  Help someone you know only because you love God.  Feed the hungry on the street.  Teach your kids how to share Christ.  Study the Bible together.  Go to a conference. These are just a sample.  There's so much more.

There is fullness in being a Christian and I never would want to live any other way again.  A full life is knowing a lasting peace in who you are and who God is.  It is knowing that you are going to be all right no matter what happens as you live.  It is even understanding suffering and walking hand in hand with God as you face trials, experience joy and even shed tears.  

Unlike the misconceptions given in this church generation, following Christ is not for the faint of heart.  It is not a cage to walk into and shut the door.  Following Christ will take you places you could never go on your own.  You will feel greater joy than you would living for yourself and you will do things you could never imagine doing.  You will have a friend in God for this life and beyond.  I can't imagine living any other way.

When God told me "no"

I recently started praying about something I wanted to do for God and started praying for confirmation.  That began a journey of "no" for me for the last 2 weeks.  It's not like God verbally told me "no", but there were things consistently in my path that really pointed me to "no". 

The problem is, I really wanted to do this.  After my first prayer, and the pretty definite "no", I prayed what many of us pray:  "God, are you sure?" and of course it was again... "no".  This led to a conversation of course that may have went like this:

"God, can I?"
"no"

"Is this really you?"
"yes"

"Can I?"
"no"

How about now?
"Still no."

But if I don't do this, It will be harder.  Don't you think I should?
"no"

I have to stop and laugh for a minute.  It's reminded me of my teenage son asking me me over and over for something and to make my point, I had to keep telling him "no" and I told him "no" for 30 minutes straight!  I spent alot of time listening to what I call "But dad's".  My son was trying to break me!

I think we do that with God.  We try to break Him.  We try to get Him to change His mind.  He says no and we say, "but dad"!  Imagine the whole picture now.  Have you ever looked down from an airplane at a highway?  The moving cars look like ants.  We are the small dots inside the cars.  So now, with that picture, imagine God, the creator of the universe is listening to my prayer.  Me, a little dot on the earth, pouts to the creator and He hears this dot saying "But dad!".  I know, not so bright really.  There are days I wonder why He doesn't just take His finger and squash me like a bug.  I'm glad He never does.

After I was done pouting and my "but dad's" were exhausted, I realized something.  There is a comfort when God says no and I can understand Him telling me no.  There is a comfort in knowing that He's guiding my life and not me in control. 

There were times in my life that I was more upset at God for telling me no.  I believe it was because He wasn't my first love all the time.  It's taken me time to get to this place where what I want most is Him.  The hard fact is that sometimes we can want things more than we want God. 

After putting this all together, I'm really ok with no.  I'd rather Him tell me no if that's what He wants for me.  I think sometimes, no will be hard, but in the end, He is my Father and I'll try my best to cut back on my "but dads".