Reflections of P T S D: with my Perfect Flaws

Instantly corrects my assumption that I am the center of the universe, and reminds me that all this was here before I arrived on the scene. A more accurate perspective of reality. A cosmic conflict has been going on for ages. And now man and the earth are front and center in that raging war. He did not abandon them and start over somewhere else. And although He has had the power to at any time, for reasons unknown to us and He owes us no explanation God has continued to allow His enemy to wreak havoc on our planet and in our lives.

A key component of the real problem. All of which was set in motion long before we even needed Him. The Son of God. The only requirement is to believe and receive. He wanted us in the first place. He knew we would sin and need a savior. Yet He went ahead and created us anyway. He really wants us! And when He died and rose again, not only did He make it possible for us to be His children and with Him forever, He also defeated the enemy…all at once.

The scriptures tell us that the angelic beings are amazed as they look down on all of this. God has always had a plan and we are part of it! Until then, God allows the enemy to wreak havoc to a point, and for a limited time, and supernaturally uses the hard times and tragic circumstances for our ultimate good, which is to be close to God. And once the problem of sin has been solved and done away with permanently, and we are reconciled with our Creator and Savior forever, then and only then will we have all those things we will ever need or want. Purely gifts of His grace. Below are some of my favorite Bible quotes.

Just reading the beginning of the Bible and the end will give you an amazing big picture. And the parts in between bring it all together.

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Life will still be hard, and our bodies will die; but what a difference to see how it all makes sense in the big picture. There is no comparison between temporary hardship and permanent eternal darkness, evil, and separation from God. What keeps me going is the fact that we DO have hope for what awaits beyond what we can see with our limited vision right now. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. No one comes to the Father except through me. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.

If and when you are ready, here are some steps I took personally in response to what I had discovered. Acknowledge my helplessness as a sinner before God. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. Choose to believe that God loves me and Christ died for me.

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Honestly admit to God that I need Him. Trust Him to do as he promised. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. Begin my new life with good things that will help reaffirm my choice, and strengthen my relationship with the Lord, such as reading the Bible, praying talking with God , and connecting with others who also follow Jesus.

Remember the torture right before Christmas or a birthday of looking at all the packages and having to wait??? Life is a continuous series of unknown circumstances — packages — that loom in front of us, resulting in ongoing battles with anxiety. And will have executed it flawlessly, of course! When we tear open the package before its intended time, not only do we lose out on the beauty of living in the present moment, but we also forfeit the joy of anticipation, as well as the strength and faith that grow from waiting and trusting.

God never intended us to be in bondage to hurry or worry, neither of which are good for us. What if we were to change our mindset and visualize the object of our anxiety not as an enemy to conquer, but as a gift? A gift from God to be opened in His timing…and no sooner. The image of packages helps minimize the negative scenarios we so readily contrive, which ironically rarely come to pass. So how do we change our mindset?

What helps me most is filling my mind with a scriptural game plan. Do not be anxious about anything not even just a few things? And the peace of God which we so desperately need! It seems like the older we get, the more we dream about and search for the ideal place to live. Beach paradise Hawaii…tropical lazy Florida…sunny exciting California…rural relaxing Montana…the Greek islands…mountain peaked Colorado…beautiful British Columbia…and on it goes.

But not for long. We soon discover that every place has its hurricanes, snow storms, droughts, earthquakes, crime…and on it goes. Some people are fortunate to reap the benefits of multiple locations, such as arid Arizona in the winter and the cool Northwest in the summer. But even then there is no place that I know of that is perfect…here on earth anyway.

Reflections on #UnderstandingPsychosis

Looking back in time we can see that originally there WAS a perfect place to live. Adam and Eve had it all. But unfortunately they did not think so. And tragically they rebelled against the loving God Who had given them everything a human being could ever want or need. As a result, the human race and the earth we inhabit are under a curse until the promised time of a new heaven and new earth. Although there is no perfect place to live here now, the good news is that it is coming for all who believe in Jesus and his substitutionary death on the cross for us.

He promised that He was going to prepare a place for us. And according to the scriptures, the new layout will FAR surpass the original one…which as we know was and is amazing!

The Mental Elf

All around us we hear more and more of those we care about threatening, attempting or committing suicide. Many of which are our own loved ones. And then this post came across my feed. On average, how often does one person die by suicide somewhere in the world?

Most people who die by suicide are very strong, but they have untreated depression. No one is exempt. Depression, loss, grief and many other mental, emotional and circumstantial challenges can afflict ANY of us at ANY time.

I personally know 3 individuals who have attempted suicide recently, much to the shock of everyone. And they all happened to be teens. How can this be? According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and And each year approximately , of youth between those ages receive medical care for self-inflicted injuries at Emergency Departments across the U. Suicidal thoughts or attempts are one of the many typical symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress.

Anyone at any age. And we also need to be aware that people of faith are not exempt. Suicide prevention sounds quite noble and politically correct. Sorry to sound skeptical, but I have wondered if it is possible to prevent suicide? Whether or not you know someone who may be at risk for suicide, or even you yourself at some time, it would be wise for ALL of us to have these 3 helpful tips on file.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but just enough to get you started with some helpful resources and ideas. If you know of additional resources, please e-mail me at info loveourvets. Here are a few resources to consider if you do not already have good mental health care. The more we can be surrounded and supported by our loved ones who are caring and helpful, the better we all do.

Here are a few ideas: Thank you for taking the time to read this and to be prepared. Formerly A Wife Help and hope for men and women recovering from the devastation of divorce. Goodbye for Now All-in-one practical guide for impending loss, or grief following the loss of a loved one. The good news is that birth pangs are temporary, both for the mother as well as the baby, and lead to life and unimaginable joy!

She is also a contributing author to Chicken Soup for the Soul: Divorce and Recovery, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Join Welby and thousands of others on Facebook: Photo courtesy of Brittney Waugh. In pondering this, several things come to mind: What can I do to be sure I have this hope?

How many people attempt suicide each year in the U. Are people who die by suicide weak? When the pain and agony of living becomes unbearable, the only way some people can see relief is through death. Welby has been welcomed as a guest speaker across the country, and on radio and television. Our natural inclination as human beings is to fight! After all, we are entitled to the best. We will do all we can to make things right!

Elect the right politicians. Hook up with a better life partner. Get a better job, or better yet: And for many who are tired of fighting, the final and only option they see is to give up. Death must be better than life. Unfortunately, these futile efforts have failed throughout all of history to deliver what we truly need. The real problem is that the original entitlement premise is flawed, and all our attempts to solve the problem are at best only temporary.

I too, began my own life with this mindset. I pretty much planned to live happily ever after. After all, I was entitled to! But over time, abuse, betrayal, life-threatening illnesses, failure, grief, and broken relationships were woven into my life story. To this day, all around me and in my own life and home, I see the visible and invisible wounds of trauma. And in spite of my best efforts, I have not been able to solve these problems. I need to understand WHY I am here, and what life is all about. Is there hope or not? And that answer has to come from something outside myself, independent of all my futile efforts.

In my own life, however, in spite of how disillusioned I had become, I was determined to find that hope. The first step on my journey was to search and research for the source of truth. After much time and hard work, my conclusion was that of all I have seen, heard, and read, the Bible is by far the most reliable source, and I have chosen to bank my life and future on its words.

According to God , the real problem is that He is holy perfect, flawless and we are innately flawed aka sinners , bent on our own way, and entitled only to death, and ultimately eternal separation from God. Our sinfulness has permanently blocked us from a relationship with Him, and there is nothing WE can do about it. No temporary need or want can even come close to the enormity of our profound need that most of us are not even aware of.

Formerly A Wife

The best way for me to envision the real problem and its solution is rather than viewing all things from inside myself looking out, to project myself as if I am looking down at the earth from space funny how small I suddenly appear. Instantly corrects my assumption that I am the center of the universe, and reminds me that all this was here before I arrived on the scene. A more accurate perspective of reality. A cosmic conflict has been going on for ages.

And now man and the earth are front and center in that raging war. He did not abandon them and start over somewhere else. And although He has had the power to at any time, for reasons unknown to us and He owes us no explanation God has continued to allow His enemy to wreak havoc on our planet and in our lives. A key component of the real problem. All of which was set in motion long before we even needed Him.

The Son of God. The only requirement is to believe and receive. He wanted us in the first place. He knew we would sin and need a savior. Yet He went ahead and created us anyway.

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He really wants us! And when He died and rose again, not only did He make it possible for us to be His children and with Him forever, He also defeated the enemy…all at once. The scriptures tell us that the angelic beings are amazed as they look down on all of this. God has always had a plan and we are part of it! Until then, God allows the enemy to wreak havoc to a point, and for a limited time, and supernaturally uses the hard times and tragic circumstances for our ultimate good, which is to be close to God.

And once the problem of sin has been solved and done away with permanently, and we are reconciled with our Creator and Savior forever, then and only then will we have all those things we will ever need or want. Purely gifts of His grace.