Do you have iTunes or a similar program where you can design your own playlist of favorite songs?

Something that I did while I was sick was to put together a playlist of songs that encouraged me.  On days when I thought I was not sure I make it through, I’d play this list or CD that I made from it, and be encouraged that I was not the only one and that God knew. 

As a musician, music speaks to my heart and soul very easily.  It can calm me and motivate me very easily.  Even if you are not a musician, I think music speaks to everyone.  God, as the Creator of everything, created music!

Here are a list of songs I find very encouraging:

• Praise You in the Storm by Casting Crowns
• Cry Out to Jesus by Third Day
• If You Want Me To by Ginny Owens
• It Is Well – (I love the version sung by Shane and Shane
• Be Near by Shane and Shane
• Strong Tower by Kutless
• Never Alone by Barlow Girl
• Breathe on Me by Todd Fields, and Christy & Nathan Nockels

There is another by Bethany Dillon but I cannot think of the title.  What are some of your favorite songs that encourage you when you are down?  What music do you play?

Encouragement, Self-care & Healing, Videos & Music

The old me would have broken down.  Freaked out.  Frozen perhaps.  Cried?  Not sure…

Apparently the new me, the healed me, handled it just fine.  Talked myself through it with logic.  Sure, I was sweating a little.  But, I made it.

Maybe the average mom would have thought it was no big deal, but I felt victorious.

I was at my brother’s house this past week and yesterday I was watching my own two children (nearly 2yrs old and nearly 4 years old) and my brother’s youngest two (3 week old baby and nearly 2 year old) while my sister-in-law took their oldest girl to preschool and went to a doctor appointment.

As these things happen, both two year olds had poopy diapers at the exact same time.  Of course.  And then the baby started screaming.  Brain starts to go into overdrive – the old me wanting to freak out – but no, this is the healed me, the new me.  I can do this. 

One step at a time. 

Poopy diapers need to go, and its ok for Baby David to cry for a bit until its done.  I pick up David and balance and bounce him and shush him in the crook of my knee (sitting cross-legged on the floor) while I have a system going on the other side with the girls.  Wipes, diapers, you-lay-down-toes-to-nose-wipe-new-diaper-NEXT!

My sweatshirt comes off.  Isn’t getting hot in here?  This was work!

I’m surprising myself at my calm.  Wow…I CAN do this.  No sure I could do it everyday, but I CAN do it. 

I find the baby’s pacifier, we have a good thirty minutes before mama can come home to feed him – better get him back to sleep or it would be a loud 30 minutes.

Success.

*sigh*

*grin*

I feel good.  Really good.  I did it. 

The old me would have been crying at this point, desperate for the mom to return, wondering how I could’ve deluded myself into thinking I could have been any help at all, babysitting this many kids including a newborn for the love.  The new me, the healed me, is happy that all that is behind me.  That deep, dark tunnel is gone and I have stepped into the light that used to be a distant pin-prick at the end of the tunnel. 

It is a peaceful place. 

And I could not have gotten here without the help of health professionals, the support and prayers of faithful loved ones, and the grace and love of my Savior. 

I am thankful today.

If you are in that tunnel now, please know that you too will be out of it sooner than you think.  Keep taking one more step forward at a time.

Encouragement

Matthew 11:28-30

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Devotional, Encouragement

I am, once again, woefully slow in posting this, but I wanted to let you all know that Sue McRoberts, author of The Lifter of My Head:  How God Sustained Me During Postpartum Depression, was interviewed on 100 Huntley Street, a Canadian Christian television program back in September.  You can find the link to her episode here:

http://www.crossroads.ca/100hs/program-2008-sep01-sep05.php

Her interview starts around the 14:30 mark.  My player stopped working partway through the interview (which frustrated me to no end) but what I did see was marvelous.

Sue – you did a fabulous job, so composed, so calm and so beautiful!!  I cannot wait to see the rest of the interview!

Ladies, check it out – the interview and Sue’s book.  She is an inspiration and a true example that you, too, will make it through your journey through PPD.

Books, Encouragement, Media, Videos & Music

It goes against our nature, doesn’t it? Praising God in the storm. I’m still learning how to do it. Whether its an afternoon shower, a thunderstorm, a line of storms, or a decently-sized hurricane, I always want to yell at God for the situation I am in. Why does it have to hurt so much? Physical pain, emotional pain, sadness, anger…whatever it is, I don’t like it! But God does not promise us this life will be easy. In fact, He tells us that in this world there WILL be troubles. But He will be there with us in the Storm.

This is what I found on Casting Crowns website about this song:

If there ever were a test of our faith – if there ever were a test of the motives of our worship – it is when a storm rolls into our lives. We watched and prayed for a precious little girl named Erin Edwards struggle with a deadly disease for several years. The courage, the witness, and the worship of Erin’s mother Laurie inspired this song. Sometimes God calms our storms. Sometimes He chooses to ride them with us.
Romans 8:28 / 2 Corinthians. 4:16-18
Psalm 42:5 / Psalm 121:1-2
Job 1:20-21 / Daniel 3:16-18

Encouragement, Videos & Music

The Postpartum Stress Center blog had a fascinating post recently regarding PPD and Suicide.  She discussed from a PPD perspective a recent New York Times magazine article about understanding suicide.  Admittedly, I have not yet read that article (plan to), but from what was discussed in the blog post and I can definitely say that from personal experience it seemed right on.  Yes, as Ms. Kleiman strongly suggested, ask the hard questions and if someone asks you – answer them.   In my work in this ministry, I have had occassion to ask those hard questions and I found, likewise, the same to be true. 

From a Christian faith perspective, its always a God-moment and an urging from the Holy Spirit that guides me to know when to ask and to intervene.  And when I was the one considering it?  It was definitely the work of the Holy Spirit through others to intervene when I was sick - from my dear friends to know when to ask those hard questions that needed to be asked and when to get me help. 

And ladies (and gents, if you are reading), Jesus knows.  He knows you are hurting and He has not forgotten you nor forsaken you.  Never forget that.

Education & Research, Encouragement

I had a long-time college friend expience a horrible tragedy yesterday and thus my devotional this morning held extra meaning and brought comfort to my heart.  God’s Word tells us that we will have trouble in this world.  (John 16:33)  But His goodness and His unfailing love are who He is, and He is always there in those times of trouble.

Here are some quotes from my quiet time this morning.  I’m in the midst of Catherine Martin’s Pilgrimage of the Heart study.  (Amazing, btw.) 

…the foundation of your prayers is the character of God.  In fact, the greatest result of prayer is a deeper knowledge of His character and a more intimate fellowship with Him.  The most important aspect of His Character in relation to prayer is His goodness and love (see Psalm 107:1,43).  If He is not good and does not love, then our prayers may fall on deaf or uninterested ears.  Because He is good and all-loving, then we can cry out to Him in our trouble and know that His answer will be the very best and in accordance with His will.  Because of His goodness, He can be trusted in full surrender.

Psalm 147:11 tells us that He delights in those who put their hope in His unfailing love.  When our world is crashing around our ears, our hope is in His unfailing love.  When those we love do fail us, our hope is to remain in His unfailing love.  He will never fail us, He will never leave us nor forsake us.  (Hebrews 13:5)

Today, I urge you to focus on His unfailing love and His goodness.  I cannot answer the “why” questions that we all have in our troubled lives, but I can tell you about His unfailing love for each of us and His goodness.   Pour your heart out to Him in prayer.

Just talk, He’s listening.

Devotional, Encouragement

…you plan to load the dishwasher, run it, empty it, and continually load it throughout the day to keep the sink dish free – and your sink ends up loaded with every dish in the house instead.

…you plan to cook dinner after working hard on a week-long menu, only to have the day not go as planned and end up with fish sticks and french fries all-around.

…you plan to get the laundry done then keep it done as the appropriate baskets get full, but instead the piles on the floor in your bedroom merely grow and migrate to new piles all week long.

…you plan to feed your children nutritious snacks, but once again Cheerios rule.

…you plan to be the perfect mom, but once again you miss the mark.

Really.  It is OK. 

You are not perfect.  You were not meant to be.  It is ok when your perfect plans do not happen, I promise.  Just pat yourself on the back for getting through today one step at a time, ok?

Encouragement, Humor

I did a search for God’s arms hoping to find Scripture about His arms always being wrapped around us and here is what I found.  First, He arms us with the strength we need to get through each moment.  And second, underneath us are His everlasting arms.  Everlasting!  I just love that…hope it encourages you as much as it encourages me today.

Psalm 18:32
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.

 Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, ‘Destroy him!’

Encouragement

I got this great encouragement chart from my friend Sarah in Indiana, who also runs a PPD group.  She says ever so wisely that “small bits of information are just the right size for us to digest and cling to…God knows just how to reach us where we are at and sometimes little things are the ones that we can capture and understand.”  Thanks, Sarah!

Encouragement